Teen paralyzed after jumping coaster fence sues operator

I have to disagree. We can't expect a dog to make rational decisions. This fellow made a series of self-centered decisions.

I'm happy that I'm in the second half of my life and getting out of here at some point. The fact that someone does something idiotic and gets hurt sucks. The fact that someone does this and is backed up by people that want to blame everyone else for someone's idiotic decision is disturbing.

LostKause said:

If there was an opening, I'm not going to be so dismissive of the park's innocence here.

There's still common sense involved.

Divo Ostrov has an aging Schwarzkopf with minimal fencing around it. Yet I've never heard of an accident happening there.

See here:

http://rcdb.com/2867.htm#p=45569

Keep in mind too, that it's not a park where this happened, but a fair. NAME sets up that Crazy Mouse all over North America and I've seen it many times. At most places they put cheap, temporary fencing between rides to keep people on the midway and from roaming around behind the rides. It is a carnival, though, so access back there isn't hard to achieve and nobody's guarding the place. In addition, there's usually portable chain link around the base of the ride, sometimes it's covered with panels or even plastic snow fencing, too. If there was a gap in that fencing I'm not surprised. It was probably the place the carnies use to get in there and it wasn't put back right or something. It's portable and temporary. If someone really wants to get in they can.
So here's what happened. Kid's hat blows off on the ride. He goes to the surly carnie who says they can't (won't) retrieve lost items until after the midway is closed. (After all, they run those rides to make money and they're not shutting down every time this happens.) The kid says FTS, and goes behind the ride searching for a way to get it back himself. He finds the gap in the fence and goes in. In his haste to get the hat and not get caught he's less attentive than he should be and gets struck. That's it.

It's a shame what happened, but it's clearly the kid's fault. Nobody at the fair told him he was on his own or insisted he risk life and limb to retrieve the lost item himself and the fact that he looked for a gap and took that as an invitation to enter says it all. That fair happens to be running right now, (what a bit of perfect timing to file a lawsuit on a two year old incident), and they don't close until 11:30 or midnight and this kid probably couldn't wait.
The Ex and/or NAME will probably pay something to this family and riders can expect to see a strict no loose article policy and fortress fencing around the coasters.

Slither, common sense tells you not to jump a fence to get your hat when the ride is still going on. The kid was a idiot for jumping the fence period. You leave the hat and get you another one. A hat isn't worth you life or any injury. I feel sorry for the kid but he made his own decision to jump into the way of the coaster .

Exactly, Screamlord. Even if the fence isn't perfectly closed up all the way around -- it's still a damn fence.

RCMAC said:
All I can say is he's paralyzed now over some hat. That's the damn thing. A hat.

Dear Everyone:

If your hat blows off and goes over a cliff, off a bridge, out on the freeway, in an auger, or under a roller coaster, let it go. Call me and I will get you a new hat.

Your friend,
Mac.

Yesterday I lost my diamond studded solid gold baseball cap on a ride. Please replace it as soon as possible.

I may come off as a heartless ass, but when did it become everyone's responsibility to the individual? Should it not be the individual's responsibility for themselves??? This kid made a piss poor decision, cause and effect. The park or any business can only be so proactive, an individual is going to do what they want to do. Moral of the story is be responsible for your actions, live with the consequences whether good or bad, and stop trying to blame others for your fault. I have no remorse for this kid.

ApolloAndy said:

Yesterday I lost my diamond studded solid gold baseball cap...

Ok, all you voter-uppers, I'm onto you. Don't think you're going to wring something outta me at the drop of a hat. I'm going to require photographic evidence. I need a good picture of the hat and the auger. Or, coaster.

Except Andy, who's a man of the cloth that I know would never tell a falsehood. What size, Andy? XXL?

Those fences are there for a reason. If I was him I'd wait until the fair shuts down and ask, POLITELY if someone could retrieve the cap. If was a cheap Baseball Cap and they said they couldn't retrieve it I'd just write it off as one of life's little lessons and purchase another one. If he couldn't place the cap in a bin as a lot of parks have at their rides I'd sit on the cap (Ive done this many times).

In 1987 I was at Wild World (Now Six Flag's America) I lost a pair of eyeglasses on the Wild One. (Yup, it was a STOOPID mistake on my part to wear those glasses while riding). I was told they couldn't retrieve them right away but they let me write a note a not on the approximate area where it may have fallen and they'd see what could be done. Three days later I got a package from UPS, It was my glasses.

These days whenever I go on a park-hopping trip I always bring along TWO pairs of glasses. The one that I wear every day (The Most recent prescription) and the ones that I wore from a previous eye exam. It pays to always have a backup pair handy, just in case. As for hats, I always get at least two of them for FREE during Daytona Beach's Bike Week and Biketoberfest events along with some Free T-Shirts as well. There is one T-Shirt I only wear during A Coaster Enthusiast Event or whenever I visit Holiday World (Which I'm going to do two weeks from this Thursday). It's the T-Shirt participants of Stark Raven Mad 2003 got. I wear it to let everyone know I was one of about 900 Participants who survived the infamous "Night of Silence" on May 31, 2003

"Survived"? Wow.

Regulus said:

These days whenever I go on a park-hopping trip I always bring along TWO pairs of glasses.

I hear they make straps that attach to the earpieces of a pair of glasses which keep them on your head.

RCMAC said:

Ok, all you voter-uppers, I'm onto you. Don't think you're going to wring something outta me at the drop of a hat. I'm going to require photographic evidence. I need a good picture of the hat and the auger. Or, coaster.

So who do I sue when I hop the fence to get photographic evidence of my lost hat? The park, or you?

My jaw dropped open. Why is it important to let the people who work at and visit Holiday World know that you were at the park event in which someone died? "Hey everyone, remember that time when that lady fell to her death on Raven? Guess what! I was there (and I didn't die)! How cool is THAT?"

Is it like the "never forget" mentality?

Disclaimer: I do not get along with Regulus.

Regulus said:

... who survived the infamous "Night of Silence" on May 31, 2003

It's the 9/11 of Coaster Enthusiast events, didn't you know?

I was there in 2003 as well. It was a terrible, terrible night. I had several friends that I was with that were dear friends of the park, and wound up staying behind until very late. I couldn't sleep thats night because it was just such an odd feeling.

That was the first and only year I got a shirt. It sat in a drawer for about 5 years, until I finally sold it or gave it away (can't remember) but I never wore it. I honestly think its quite crass of you to wear that shirt to Holiday World (or anywhere for that matter, but especially HW).

Do you expect them to see you and acknowledge that you were there with them during a dark time or something?

I put your behavior in the same category as the dude who wore the "Smiler" shirt to Coastermania this year.

I take offense that you 'survived' that evening at SRM. I did too. Quite simply because I followed the rules of the park, where I buckled my seatbelt and pulled my lapbar down and rode in a safe manner. I also took offense that in the past you compared this event to a terrorist attack that took the lives of around 3,000 people because they simply showed up to work. And I will call you out on it until you stop bringing this up.

I was also at the park that that night, too. There really isn't a need to parade around in a shirt trolling for some sort of recognition. If you'd like, I can get a trohpy made for you at 'Things Remembered' if you really need that kind of attention. That night both sucked and was amazing. Sucked, because someone died doing what we all love to do. Was amazing because it brought my core group of friends at that time even closer.

Stop calling it the 'Night of Silence' or else I'm going to keep embarrassing you on the ridiculous comparison you made.

Thanks.

Ditto what the others said. You sound like an insensitive moron. Please don't come to any CoasterBuzz Club event ever.

Oh, that Regulus. We can count on him to comment briefly on the matter at hand then turn it to some lengthy story about himself, what he knows, how many coasters he's seen, where he's been, or where he's going. Yes, he got in trouble with all of us before over that inappropriate and unneccesary Holiday World crap, and he'll be in trouble with me forever over the anti gay attack.

"Survived the infamous Night of Silence on May 31, 2003." Who says crap like that? Someone who clearly has the need to dredge up a tragic event and make it his badge of honor or something moronic. Trust and believe if no one at Holiday World recognizes that shirt he'll call it to someone's attention.

I wish a Cone of Silence would drop on her.

I'm trying to puzzle out what's most disturbing.

• That Regulus diminishes a death in pursuit of self aggrandizement.

• That Regulus believes he "survived" anything by being present in the park on the night the tragedy occurred.

• That he, apparently with pride, wears a 12 year old T-shirt in a desperate plea for attention, not caring what feelings that action may stir in the so very few people, even at an enthusiast event, who will recognize its significance.

The word "infamous" shouldn't proceed the made-up slogan for that tragic night.

It properly belongs in front of "Regulus" in the screen name. (For you, Regulus, a clue, something you seem to be in need of: the definition of "infamous" is "Having an exceedingly bad reputation.")