"Wicked" Ride Ops.

My "weird ride op" story isn't as bad as being kicked off a ride (I hope that never happens to me) but I was involved in a somewhat bizzar incident at Valleyfair early last week.

We were standing in line for Excalibur and I had my shoulder pack with me as I ussually do. This is a medium sized canvas pack with zipper pockets and a padded shoulder strap. I keep my sunscreen, car keys, and camera in there among other things. I had already been on Excalibur several times that day. Each time I was forced to take the pack on board with me.

But this time just as we were boarding one of the female ride ops asked if there was a camera in the pack. I said "yes" and then she told me that I would have to leave the pack in the station.

..ooohh kay..

Well there's nothing terribly valuable in there and I wasn't going to make a fuss over it so I graciously handed her my pack. But that wasn't the weird thing.

The weird thing was that she then she then turned around and handed my pack to the couple standing in line behind us!

Now.. as a rider it is my obligation to extend the ride op the authority to operate the ride safely, appropriately and in a timely manner. But what right does anyone have to hand over personal property to total strangers?

Fortunately these strangers were an older couple, about my age, and looked trust worthy. They looked at me with a confused gaze and gave me a shrug. I gave them a shrug back. And just to be polite I asked them if it was okay for them hang on it to it for me, becuase all the ride op did was shove it in their arms. They said "sure" and everything worked out.

But had it been a couple of kids.. or worse a couple of teenage boys.. what would my reaction have been?

I thought that was extremely presumptuous of that ride op to hand over my property to strangers without asking. She did it as if it were a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

Anyway it was just kind of weird. We chose not to complain about it. But we also chose not to ride Excalibur again that day. :\

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Kevin Stone
NoLimits Roller Coaster Simulator
http://www.nolimitscoaster.de

When I was at Cedar Point for Halloweekends last year, the seat was a little "snug". The male ride op that night helped give the restraint its final push to lock me in so I could ride. (Weight-wise, I'm 5'6" and about 250 lbs, the same weight as mentioned in the first thread.) By this spring, I'd already lost some weight before going on Memorial Day... but the restraint still didn't fit right. The female op this year tried to get it but didn't have the strength for the push it needed, so I couldn't ride.

When I was there yesterday, CPLady and I used the test seat to try it out. It was super close, but I decided not to bother with going in line until I knew I could ride without needing that one last push on the restraint.

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TheRealCP :)

If they would just make those seatbelts on the Impulse coasters 1 inch longer, everything would be just fine. I see so many people struggling to get that belt on, and they only need one more inch.
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Riding the Bull anywhere but the back is merely going for a walk.

Phyter: That's absolutely ridiculous, I can't believe someone would do that. I generally don't even carry my camera around when I'm riding, I try to take lots of pics beforehand, then either put it back in my car or in a locker, simply because I don't trust everyone at a park. For an employee to give a camera, which is generally a) a relatively expensive item and b) has all the pictures you've just taken, which are irreplaceable, is very troubling.

Back to the subject about B&M restraints, I'm definitely not a large guy either, and I find that I always struggle with my height on them. They generally hit my shoulders at a certain point, and then the belts on them barely reach the restraints. I get the same thing on Viper @ SFMM, the restraint can't come down far enough to be anything near flush with my chest. It usually sticks out diagonally in front of me, simply because I can't pull it down anymore without crushing my shoulders. Oddly enough, Deja Vu has absolutely great restraints for me, plenty of room, and X is quite comfy as well.

My roommate, on the other hand, is a pretty big guy, and on both of the open B&M rides (Scream wasn't done yet) the ride-ops made every effort to make the restraint click far enough to attach the belt. Unfortunately, he couldn't get on Batman, but Riddler's was able to do it.

Finally, as far as the whole Americans vs. Europeans and how in shape they are, from my experience in Germany and Norway I would hesitate to say that the general populace is in any way more in shape than us Americans. But that's neither here nor there ;)

Sounds like I need to diet to fit into an impulse. Well, I need to diet for health and heart issues anyways, this is just the extra incentive someone like me needs. Thanks.

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SCREAM with me... in 2003!

I was just at SFWoA and tried to get on to timewarp with my cousin. She is 16, about 5'10" but has a larger chest. The man working the ride was intimidated and after trying to get the restraints to go down, and not pushing, or rearranging or anything, kicked her off very rudely and said "they don't fit over you! exit to the right!" I was so mad that I got off too, and he didn't even come to look that she had caught the restraint in her hands because she didn't want to get all out smashed. There was another 4 inches the restraint could have went down, but he didn't even check that, we tried to tell him, but she was kicked off. I know we won't ride this again, and I'm mad because we ride Texas Twister all the time and I love that ride.

They should just get rid of the OTHR's and put lap bars in. ;)

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YOUNGSTOWN 2010

I've been on Volcano @ PKD, that uses the same trains/harnesses as an impulse, correct? Or atleast similar? I fit in it perfectly, got my front and back ride, so I was just hoping I'd be able to fit in WT this summer...

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Joint C.R.A.P. now for only $2000! You save over a grand on the competition!
R.I.P. King Cobra @ PKI 1984-2003. You Will be missed...:(

I' was a wicked ride operator. I hate everything and I take it out on riders, especially enthusiasts.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

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TeknoScorpion said:
I've been on Volcano @ PKD, that uses the same trains/harnesses as an impulse, correct? Or atleast similar? I fit in it perfectly, got my front and back ride, so I was just hoping I'd be able to fit in WT this summer...

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They use the same trains, although I haven't been on WT yet (until this Wednesday :)), but it operates similar to V:TBC. I loved Volcano, what a great ride at night!

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YOUNGSTOWN 2010

I guess not all ride ops can be the best. I was just there Friday and i was hearing the all the games that the good seasoned ride ops play. Some of the new kids are just trying to do their job text book style and arent comfortable enough to play along. With time they will either get into the groove or find a new job.

The way the seat lock is by a belt on the outside-side of the seat...it doesn't latch in the front like Raptor or anyother "flight" coaster.
I went to Cedar Point about 3 weeks ago. I am a bigger person and was fine on most rides...but had to have a little help...and yes little. The only one that i couldn't do were Mean Streak because the one belt was too short and i couldn't get the bigger belt along the side of my thigh ro buckle it...but the attendent tried to help...but no luck. Then before i left i figured i'd try Wicked Twister. I waited a minute...lol...and i got in the seat. The restraint bar locked fine, but i couldn't get the buckle in...the attendent tried to help but was very puchy. she tried to have me push down the bar from the top...not the front where i could have got it down further. but anyway i was kicked off. At SFWoA onthe Superman: Ultimate Escape they atlest push on the bar restrint to help lock the buckle...but forget Cedar Point helping a person like that. So hopefully i will get to ride it later this year!!

Actually, pushing from the top instead of the front is better and you get the harness farther down. I've seen it.

As far as CP goes, it is true that they were not alowed to help guests lock themselves in, at least last year they weren't. Last year if you couldn't lock your own seat belt on MF, you couldn't ride (and the way those seat belts are designed, it's not easy to do on your own...especially if you're already kind of snug). I've seen them help people on the wooden coasters and MF this year, but never on Wicked Twister. My biggest gripe with WT's restraints, is that the bar will lock, but the seat belt won't reach. I feel if the bar locks, the seatbelt should be able to buckle, since you're already secured in. The easiest way around this problem, is to have your ride partner buckle you in first, before they themselves get in (assuming your ride partner doesn't have the same problem). That always works for me (I too am around 250 lbs).

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Goccvp1

Scooby Doo and The Haunted Castle...MUCH more fun when you have ride partners!!!

IOArules,

I noticed that myself on my visit last Sunday. I looked around and saw the people just looked miserable compared to when I worked there. A lot of it in my opinion is the management does not take very much time to evaluate workers when they want to come back, and perhaps step up into leadership positions. They really do not stand much of a chance retaining their very best and brightest workers from summer to summer cuz very recently in my opinion they have totally lost the idea of honoring the ones who have given the commitment and have been great workers. Some of the most finest workers they had, the enthusiastic ones who loved their jobs get screwed over and wind up not coming back. It is really noticeable in the overall guest experience, the loss of those individuals. The people indeed looked downright miserable on Sunday. And a lot of the people who are there, are people who have been there working these rides year after year after year. Maybe they are burned out, too. Of course all of this isn't the rule for all of the rides, but one glance around and you can really see it.

IOArules said:
The employees I've encountered at CP on my last few trips have been no different than Six Flags. It's really dissapointing the ops don't make all their fun little comments anymore. That was one of the things that made CP different.

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"This time I think ... I think it's ... it's going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

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Goccvp1 said:
As far as CP goes, it is true that they were not alowed to help guests lock themselves in

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I was actually quite shocked when I saw the opposite when i went to it's sister park KBF. You would figure that the policies would be similar if not the same, especially after the PP incident, but on Xcelerator I saw an operator try with all of his might to get my friend in. A female employee was checking seatbelts, and putting down lapbars, and my friend was having some trouble. At first he couldn't get the seatbelt in, and he tried to move back to try to get more room, but the employees were speedy, and shegot there before he could try again, and she got it in (she was really nice, and sweet). Maybe there is a "there has to be space at the end of the belt rule", because she had a fellow male employee come over and he pulled up (it appeared, so it couldn't have been that his belt didn't go in) with all of his might, and after like 10 seconds he got it, the control booth op had the station cheer for the op, and we were off. I don't know if the policy is the same, but it still was shocking yet really cool that he got to ride since it was his first time on the ride, and all because of some great employees.

Kevin "Loves the employees at Knott's" Lundstrom
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Welcome one and all, y'all come have a ball!
Things a bear-y fine, ridin' on the old Knott's bear-y line!