why do manufactures have small vechile seat?

most manufactures seats such as intamin and b+m have small roller coaster seats. why do they do this? as i hear all the time on tv that americans today are getting fatter. do you think the average person who rides a roller coaster is big as in waist size? if so do you think roller coaster manufactures will produce a larger seat for people?

The year superman ride of steel opened at darien lake a (as of i seen on tv, in newspapers,and on radios) 300-400lb man fell from the intamin roller coaster seat.

So what do you think roller coaster manufactures will do?

The seats are designed to fit the average size person while at the same time fitting a 54 inch 70 pound kid.

They do a pretty good job fitting as wide of a range of people as they do IMO.

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Da Poodle

Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

Well, Morgans trains, in my opinion, are just way to big. It's kinda like sitting in a convertible going up and down hills.

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Emerging from the ashes of Eric 013...
*** This post was edited by 3r1c 2/6/2003 6:23:15 PM ***

The reason manufactures go with as small of seats and tight of restraints as they can get away with is to leave no chance of you wiggling out. While I understand this philosophy, I personally don't agree with it. Many unrestrained rides like JACK RABBIT and Rollo Coaster have operated for decades. Putting dividers in woodies has taken away from the wooden experience.

I know on Intamin Drop towers, They reduced the restraint size, not once but twice since that kids death at PGA. Volcano uses seatbelt extenders while I cant ride Wicked twister or any impulse, I can ride Volcano.

I seen this on Hellivator at SFKK before seatbelts were added. If you are large the OTSR will leave a gap between you and the OTSR, This also happens if you somehow are left loosely restrained if your a smaller rider. The second gen seats did not have the lean back and hump in the middle of ths seat or a SEAT BELT to connect the two. Anyhow, I seen where it was possible, If you had a gap and were not sitting solidly straight up in your seat, you could slide under the OTSR and the seat.

Chuck, who thinks nothing is too safe but thinks in some cases they've gone overboard Perhaps the Statement made by one PTC president of "We have to protect people from themselves" Fits..

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Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

Whether we agree with it or not, increased control of rider postion is the trend. This is not just the ride designers choice. Read the New Jersey ride law or review the forth coming ASTM standard and you will see that regualtions are heading in this direction.

Guess I'd betten start my diet.

According to a Time magazine article from the last few weeks, people have started to notice the larger population and have businesses to cater to these people online. They even offer a wider, more stable office chair (and it's not cheap). [But, did Time alienate the very targeted audience by having a graffic of a larger truck that said Wide Load on the back?] Back to the topic though, I think it's to accomodate smaller riders, or a more European-like body size.
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This is counter culture from the underground eternal revolution this is our sound KMFDM better than the best Megalomaniacal and harder than the rest

Well for many of American's, this one included it is not a genetic problem and all because we eat too damn much. Well this year I am doing something about it and if you want to ride your favorite rides then I would suggest it too. Besides, increased size also goes hand in hand with heart problems and those will keep you from riding every bit as much as the large size.

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 18 pounds since 1-1-2003

Congrats on Operation WT there, Bob....sounds like it's going pretty well.

As for the seats and safety and all, the thing that seems to get lost alot of times is that the CRITICAL aspect of restraint in to maintain the *Z-position*, using the thigh bone to keep riders from standing (and thereby *launching* from the train)...

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Never go unarmed into a battle of wits...;)
"faster, cheaper, and more often"...ApolloAndy...hey, I only steal the very best!
"I may be wrong, but I doubt it", by C. Barkley (and Shaq thought HE was "The Big Aristotle")...;)

While I understand this philosophy, I personally don't agree with it. Many unrestrained rides like JACK RABBIT and Rollo Coaster have operated for decades

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Yeah, but when the Jackrabbit was built, people didn't sue for spilling coffee on themselves and for falling through skylights while trying to rob houses, I truly believe that any manufactuerer of any kind has to, "Protect the public from themselves"

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- GeaugaDog
Ain't Nuthin but the Dog in me..

I can understand why it would be hard to make a one size fits all seat that varies from a 70 lb child to a 300 lb grown person but I've seen some people get kicked off a ride that were not nearly as big as I thought it would take to get kicked off. I would be afraid to take my mom on Raging Bull (pretending she wouldn't mind) because I'd be afraid she couldn't ride and she's far from a significant size. I can't even imagine the embarrasment those people must suffer through. But, I guess the closest to a solution we have are the seats in front of the line which should be a guideline.

I know I drifted slightly off topic, sorry about that.

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The below statement is true.
The above statement is false.

My husband has fit comfortably in most B&M's, so it's no wonder he loves B&M's, including Raptor. Unfortunately, he has yet to ride an impulse such as WT or V2 because he cannot get the seatbelts to latch. Batman at SFGAm was an uncomfortable fit.

At 6'4.5" and 264 pounds, he decided something needed to be done.

He's doing exactly what Kick the Sky is doing, and for the specific reason to FIT into WT. He's lost 15 pounds since January 10.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

I think the main reason ride seats are so small is simple ignorance on the part of the manufacturers. Passenger containment is not necessarily hindered by making the seat a couple of inches bigger. But the manufacturer has to think about doing that.

A large part of the problem is that so many of the new rides are being built by European manufacturers who are building them to accommodate not just European bodies, but European bodies of 20 years ago (even the ASTM standard is about 20 years out of date). Meanwhile, the American riders are getting bigger. Not just fatter, but all around bigger: more and more people are proportionally larger (taller, wider) than in years past before they get a chance to be overweight.

The American manufacturers seem to be a bit more accommodating (with a particular nod to S&S) with their designs. Case in point: A Zierer Wave Swinger seat is 16" wide. A Chance Yo-Yo seat is 20" wide.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Another site just posted news about B&M putting larger seats on thier new flyers.....so, who knows.....

While I feel that most seats are large enough as well as comfortable, I must comment that impulse seats are insanely small! Sure, I fit fine seeing that im pretty much just skin and bone, but since the sit does not "dip" much like B&M seats, I felt a lot of uncomfort going up the back towers on Wicked Twister and Superman. Simply put, my crotch gets rammed into the restraint.

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You're at a party and see a beautiful woman. She walks up to you and says, "I hear you're fantastic in bed." -- That's Brand Recognition.

I agree with RideMan, Americans are just plain getting bigger, in all directions. It is part of the genetic pool.

My friend and I went to Orlando last year and he could not ride either Hulk or the Dragons, he was just too big, and I think no matter how much wieght he loses, he will always be too big, he is like the size of a seven foot tall linebacker, and that ain't going to change. I am just glad Space Mountain was actually closed, he would really have been disappointed to get to the head of the line only to find he could not ride.

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

I know at least on Talon theres a seperate seat thats larger than the others in one of the back rows. I loved that seat because it was too big for me and you got a ton of floating airtime :)

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Emerging from the ashes of Eric 013...

I believe that the new ASTM standard will be more restrictive on seat design than the old. Still, with some careful design many seats could be more accomadating. I particularly notice that height, not just girth is a factor. Most of the cpmplaints that I hear seem to come from taller riders. CPLady's husband at 6' 4.5" and 264 pounds probably doesn't have a girth that exceeds mine at 5'7" and 200 pounds :(. Yet I've never been unable to ride and adult coaster, though Morgan coffin cars are painful.

Jack Rabbit does have restraint in the "Z" direction. It's that big leather belt.

It is not a problem of the people, but of the manufacturer. As Maurer shows with its new "X-Seat" it is possible, to have riders fit in, even if they weigh about 150kg, without having any kind of seatbelt. (Picture here, scroll down abit)

I'd have to agree that height is becoming more of an issue than bulk.

The Impulses have not tolerance for tall shouldered people, as the test seat greeter on Wicked Twister coached me to sit down in the seat, lower the shoulder bar as far as I can, then rasie both hands up in the air and reach on top of the shoulder bar and push down. This allegedly causes your shoulder blades to lower down just a little bit. At which point the loader was able to fasten the belt with ease. Never mind the tight fit once you put your arms back down.

Further instances of this have occured to me with Quantum Loop, and the KMG Experience. The KMG Experiece shoulder bars are more restrictive than those found on their more commmon product lines (Afterburner, Spin Out, Remix). The first time I tried to ride, the ride had a bit of a crowd and I tried the conventional wisdom of sucking in my gut, sitting all the way back in the seat, and ramrot straight. Guess what I coulnd't ride.

I tried again a couple days later, where I discovered as the shoulder bar was going down, that I had to seriously lower my shoulders to get the bar down enough for the lock to engage. Who knew that slumping forward was actually the correct strategy, and I was able to ride, but only thanks to an operator who was willing to literally jump up on the bar with all his weight.

I haven't had any trouble with B&M, and Vekoma rides.

I don't beleive loosing weight would help me fit into those rides better.

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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville

i agree that american are getting bigger but i would hope soon the manufactures would build bigger seats because when i go to parks i see many (not to be rude or mean) but i see many fat people and i feel bad that they can't ride the roller coasters. Yes they might but it might not be comfortable. Yet im skinny and medium height i just feel bad for those people