Six Flags Great America posts signs prohibiting gum and candy on rides

That would be a real shocker. If it's true, I hope SF goes to court. You have to draw a line in the sand.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Definitely a 'cover your butt' move, as has already been posted, it is redundant of the "No food or drinks" warning.

Not that this is new or unsual, over the past five years, the ride entrance safety sign has turned from a quick read of common sense tips ("No eating, drinking or smoking, two per seat, no picture taking, secure loose articles) to a big billboard sized sign that is full of boring legaleese in a tiny font. Not only that but the boilerplate the same legaleese on every ride, so even if they did put something unique to the ride in, you woulnd't read that far.

Shoot the ride safety signs at some parks are so full of legaleese they intimidate all but the most anal-retentive rider. Seriously, are you going to read each and every word of the safety sign, or just go on the ride. They have added so much detail to the signs, they have ensured almost no one will read them all the way through.

Speaking of useless boilerplate verbage on ride safety signs, I never knew CP's Space Spiral had seatbelts, lapbars, or shoulder harnesses. Putting absurd and inaccurate information on the sign can surely do nothing to encourage folks to actually read them. I bet a park could slip some verbage about "By riding this ride you agree to a forehead tattoo of the ride logo, to be performed at the ride exit" into a 2'x3' board of lots of legal warnings typed in an 8 point single spaced font, and no one would notice.

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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville

That's an interesting point Dave brings up. Of what use is a sign if there is an ever increasing list of things to read that becomes so long no one reads it! Where is this leading? I can only see two places...One, something will happen to someone and they will sue because there is so much on the sign that they could not absorb all the safety info. Or two, ride ops will be standing out front not only measuring kids, but having each person sign a wavier.

Laugh now, but this is where things are ultimately heading. The legal system in this country is out of control. And surely nothing good can come out of that for the amusement industry, or anything else for that matter. It's sad...you can't even enjoy anything anymore without being confronted with this stuff.

Bubba said:

How will the no gum policy be enforced? It seems to me that everyone chews gum at amusement parks. Are the ride ops. going to make people spit out there gum after they have already been seated? Just some thoughts.

Well, they won't have to make anyone get rid of their gum. But if the sign is there and the rider was "warned," the park has covered it's butt because with the sign, it can't be held responsible. The same goes with anyone reading the sign, if it's there, the guests technically are "warned."

MFRULES, if only it were so easy...look at the back of your ticket the next time you go to a park...according to that, you waive the park of all responsibility if you get injured. Here is the fine print off of my SF season pass...

"Six Flags assumes no responsibility for accident or loss to any person in connection with the condition or use of the park, rides and amusements or entrance into or departure from the park."

If that "legalese" doesn't indemnify the park from legal actions, a little sentence on a ride entry sign saying "No gum allowed on the ride" won't either...

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--George H
---Superman the ride...coming to a SF park near you soon...
Currency tracking experiment... http://www.wheresgeorge.com (Referring to The "George" on the $1 bill - Not Me)

Six Flags assumes no responsibility for accident or loss to any person in connection with the condition or use of the park, rides and amusements or entrance into or departure from the park."

Unfortunately, that blanket statement is almost worthless in court. There have been multiple court cases ruled against the companies in question (ski area tickets, amusement park tickets, etc). In general, the courts seem to feel that businesses cannot disclaim responsibility unless the customer explicitly reads and signs the statement (and even then there are exceptions). Simply placing the disclaimer on the ticket is not enough.

Just a quick note I was at the park Tuesday 05/06/03 and the viper crew was telling people to spit there gum out in line, with of course no place to spit it. On one instance they stopped the train as it was leaving the station and gave the person a paper towel to spit out their gum.

In my three decades in this business I've noted that the GP doesn't consider gum, lollipops, hard candy,etc to be food. They percive these rules are there to keep the ride clean, not for their own personal safety. This same regrettable incident could have happened on a carousel, a train ride, or any other ride in the park.It could have happened just walking down the midway.

Strijder,

That was my point exactly...if that "boilerplate" doesn't exclude a park from getting sued, a simple statement of "No food products are allowed in your mouth during the ride" will not (technically) make the park safe from lawsuits, either...

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--George H
---Superman the ride...coming to a SF park near you soon...
Currency tracking experiment... http://www.wheresgeorge.com (Referring to The "George" on the $1 bill - Not Me)

Soggy, I totally agree with you! :)

Ride Ops have enough stuff to do, and it will take longer to go through a ride if they have to check pockets and mouths for gum/candy and what not...

I always say that People have common sense, but sometimes they don't know when to use it. You would think most people would now have learned the lesson from this tragic event, but some people are bound to still try and be "cool". IMO, if they want to harm thereself, fine by me.

Since these signs are up, I believe SFGAm should no longer be held responsible for this kind of accidient. It is the guest(s) fault for failure to read all signs and information regaurding certian rides/attractions.

If you don't want to obey the rules and information...then don't ride and spoil it for the rest of the people in the park.

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Who: Man
What: Can now fly
When: 2003
Where: SFGAm
Why: For A Fast-Paced, Heart Pupming Energy Rush
How: On S:UF !!!!

I work at Six Flags St. Louis and because this has happened at another park all of our signs are being changed to add that no gum or candy is allowed on the rides. All the ride ops and ride supervisors had to sign a paper that explained the new policy to us. As ride ops we have to enforce this when we are checking harnesses or height checking we have to tell people to spit out their gum if they have it. It seems kind of stupid and people got really mad at us but it is for their safety and it covers our butts if something does happen. We don't have to check their pockets for candy or gum we just have to check and make sure that when we are getting ready to send the trains that they are not chewing on it right before we send the train.
I was up at Six Flags Great America last tuesday and wednesday and their signs now have a white piece of paper taped to the rider qualification signs saying that chewing gum or candy is not allowed to ride. It really sticks out so if you miss it you are kind of dumb. Also according to one of their employees the little girl was unconcious when the train arrived back to the station but did not die there at the park she died later on that day at the hospital.
All of our ride qualifier signs do have the same point font your right about that Coasterville, but it is the guests responsibility to read that and most of the time they are posted in the line a couple of times and then again right before the station so if they don't read it and they end up getting hurt it is their fault then and not the parks. Yeah they do get boring to read and they all pretty much say the exact same thing but what else do you have to do while waiting in line?
It might be common sense to adults to not chew gum or eat candy while riding a roller coaster but when it comes to kids you have to get really specific by stating what is actually allowed and what is not. If the girl did read the sign it said no food or drinks while riding but it didn't say anything about not having candy on the ride so she thought it was okay.