Six Flags Great America settles lawsuit and blames the ride operator

It took park employees 30 long minutes to free Kati

as opposed to 30 short minutes? and who's defination of long and short are being used? meh, that's not my real complaint. Six Flags should have invested in that $5 plastic ring that would have prevented this sort of thing, but it wasn't completly the ride op's fault. if her foot weren't against the wall then this wouldn't have happened. its both of their faults and GA should have only had to pay for the hospital bill.

-----------------
-Bob (formerly Coaster Jedi)
Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
"Your proctologist called, he found your head!" ~Jerry "The King" Lawler

I'm sure if your foot was injured and trapped and you were in pain, it would be 30 very long minutes.

I have to agree with the editorial here. This is a good example of how litigation can lead to safety improvements. I seriously doubt the $5 ring that would have prevented the accident. There is no way that you can make any modification to a ride for $5.

I disagree, its up to the ride op to make sure directions are being followed, and that everyone is doing what they're supposed to.

Obviously this can't help people that do really stupid things, but it helps an incident of someone deciding to sit on the hand bars who may fall back and crack their head. If you've got a ride op harping at him, it can be avoided

-----------------
Excalibur Crew for 2002!

i keep forgetting what kind of ride is cajun cliffhanger

I think a ride were the walls spin and you stick to the side and the floor drops. hen the floor came back up, she must of fell. Not sure though.

-------------
At least I dont call a vertical loop a "loopdie-loop"!

---

i keep forgetting what kind of ride is cajun cliffhanger

---

A Chance Rotor. I was more excited to find an operating Rotor than I was to ride B:TR when SFGAM had the only one. I mourn its passing and wish VF would snap it up.

-CPlaya

I ran the Geauga Lake Rotor and, I am sorry to say, I agree that it has to be 100% operator error. If you are paying attention as the ride op, there is no way that the girls foot was going to get stuck. The ride op has COMPLETE control over how high the floor comes back up.

I guess I'm a little bothered by the statement from the Daily Herald article that the ride op couldn't speak English. It seems to be a contradiction since Six Flags said that Kati disobeyed the ride ops directions (maybe 2 ops on the ride - I'm not familiar with it). But, if a ride op is responsible for the safety of his/her guests, and he/she can't communicate to anyone during an emergency....shouldn't they NOT be there?

-----------------
Me: "Is it May yet?" Wife:"No."
"Is it May yet?" "No."
"Is it May yet?" "Shut UP! Go play your RollerCoaster Tycoon, Jim!"

It is possible to operate the ride with only 1 operator but it is a lot of work. The operator must climb down a ladder and open the doors. They s/he must climb back up the ladder, operate the ride, and then climb back down to unload the passengers.

---

I disagree, its up to the ride op to make sure directions are being followed, and that everyone is doing what they're supposed to.

---

Yeah, make sure, but what if they aren't being followed? You cannot make anyone do anything. I worked on the Blue Streak at CP and I shut that ride down (via the 'big red' emergency stop button) every single day because someone was standing up on the lift. Now CP has completely ruined a 'classic coaster' (and ACE DID send a letter to them stating it is no longer a 'classic coaster'). What if Kati was deaf? She still wouldda got her toes stuck, cuz she wasn't following the riding instructions.

Well Cajun Cliffhanger was a single op ride, and internationals ARE NOT supposed to operate single op rides by themselves. The lead in charge of the unit was at fault for not following standard operating procedure as well as the host.

-----------------
Your village called. They're missing their idiot.