You're being watched! ;)

http://www.amusementsafety.org/

Just want you to know that the ASO is watching all you Fall Affair attendees! Because, you know, enthusiasts (which the ASO is, btw) are not good for parks, and parks are dangerous, and like, if you bang your knee getting into a PTC train, like, it is a severe infraction to the ASO.

SO WATCH OUT!

Oh, and I'm interested to hear what they have to say about CAC, lol.

When does an editorial on people and parks supposed actions turn into Libel?

There is a discussion about this over on Rec.Roller-coaster [accessible via Google Groups]. The title of the discussion is "AmusementSafety.Org Ready for IMPLOSION LOL!" There is some interesting and enlightening info found there regarding Jason Herrera and his attempts to have parks pay him to have their employees CPR-trained.

Anyway from what we can tell Jason is trying to blackmail parks into giving him and his monitors free admission in exchange for not giving them a negative report on the ASOrg website.

As for CAC, their pressense had no effect on the event what-so-ever. It will be interesting to read what they have to say. I can tell you that the park thinks their a big friggin joke, as do all the other parks I speak to on a regular basis.

*** Edited 9/27/2005 2:32:32 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

As do most enthusiasts, mOOSh.

So, let me get this straight:

He's trying to get park perks and get the parks to pay for CPR training for the ASO (Ever notice how that sounds kinda like CPO?). Yet, he already has negative reports about parks on his site.

Doesn't he know that blackmail is not very 'safe'? ;)

Well blackmail is not the term he uses. That's just what it seems like he's doing.

I strongly suggest everyone go to Google Group and look for the discussion above. It will shed a lot of light onto the situation.

Wow. Just, Wow.

So, he wants to get into parks for free and mandate that all parks pick the

ASO is a group which I value the opinion of about as much as the used toilet paper I wipe myself with. :) In fact, I probably value the toilet paper more.

In the end, I ask, why is this idiot still being allowed to falsely operate as a legitimate safety organization.

The toilet paper was at least useful, guts...

I visist that site once a week to see what new crap they put up in there. Its amazing that they can get away with it. If I was a park I'd sue for slander.

I find it interesting that Mr. Herniarara ( ;) ) posted a message Sam Marks sent him a couple of months ago that warned him the parks were getting ready to take on his organization. Mr. Herniarara essentially gave him the ssame text based verision of the middle finger he gave Moosh in a reply. Then suddenly all the inconsequential, unverified facts about all of the injuries and customer service issues at each park were removed. *** Edited 9/27/2005 5:05:44 PM UTC by coasterguts***

Crash-

In print, it is libel (or is it leibel?), not slander. However, I'd be just as interested in getting him for blackmail.

Regarding CAC from ASO's website...

"Information obtained only cements ASO's stance on amusement safety issues and proves many suspicions to be true! More about this visit in the coming weeks.."

I'm on friggin pins and needles!

Reading all this between classes, I couldn't help but wonder what the point of it all was. So I was glad to note that the "About Us" page on the ASO website is of absolutely no help whatsoever. Although I do have to give them credit for burying their mission statement so deep in the mire of legal and corporate jargon that it's impossible for most people to decipher.

--Dave, who thinks we've got to change the pa-ra-dig-um

I'm waiting to see what they say as well. If they start badmouthing the park and Chaindog Media, they may be removing more info from their site ;).

Dave-Reading their mission statement was like listening to the architect in Matrix Reloaded. If you know the meaning of those big words, you know they're just trying to make themselves look intelligent & trying to confuse you into thinking they know what they're doing.

Two points of interest:

• They don't have any Sponsors or a Board of Directors. Wonder why...
• I have it on good authority that someone has sent in quite a few bogus 'infractions' for parks, just to see if they'll post or up the numbers. They did both. So that just proves they have no credibility.

---

Information contained in this report is believed reliable...

---

Hmmm...Wonder if they feel it is 'Absolutely Reliable'? *** Edited 9/27/2005 5:29:23 PM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

From amusementsafety.org:

---

Silverwood Theme Park visit better than expected. Not only did our contributors have a great time, but they went in an were able to get the information ASO needed.

---

I'm glad to see that they enjoyed themselves while manipulating and manufacturing data. I would hate for it to have been like work. *** Edited 9/27/2005 5:32:33 PM UTC by Chernabog***

Why am I having PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) flashbacks? ;-)

I have checked out their site and find it absolutely hilarious. And I thought *I* had no life.

I am shaking in my shoes. Are we being videotaped? photographed? ;-)

-Tina

A discussion I had with someone at PKI recently went something like this: "Yeah, in the not-too-distant, we're going to be seeing a lot more undercover park patrol guys--any unsafe riding, any threatening gestures to other park guests, anything remiss at all in terms of a guest's aberrant behavior, and the guest will suddenly find himself escorted to the front of the park. . .and disappear."

I'm not sure if that meant that they would be ejected from the park, taken away by aliens, or detained by the Department of Homeland Security. . .

I thought that this all sounded a tad draconian but there is no doubt about it: we've now moved into the era of Big Brother is watching. . .even at your neighborhood amusement park. . .

Barry J.

Wow!

Sounds like a "I'm telling mom!" organization. Organizations like these are the types that add to the cost of doing business, hence why we see higher prices around us. You'll see a business buy excessive insurance as a result over a lawsuit filed against them which would be settled out of court.

Another reason why litigation needs to be overhauled in this country and kooky organizations of the like need to be handled by a real government organization.

~Rob Willi

^LOL! Barry.

Disappear huh? Sounds more like the Theme Park "family" as in the Coaster Mob. Gotta love Goodfellas. ;-)

Does this mean if a park guest is "caught" doing something illegal they will tie them up, blind-fold and gag them, and torture the truth out of them? ;-)

Now I am really scared. ;-) I would hate to end up at the bottom of a lake with my leg chained to a cinderblock. ;-)

Actually they can "follow" me around all they want. They will get bored very quickly.

-Tina

Maybe I'm missing something here (and please point it out if I am), but the big question everyone seems to be missing is:

What are your qualifications?

There's a lot of fancy talk on their site and a lot of angry response from enthusiasts, but in the end it's as simple as "What makes you (the ASO) qualified to attempt this?"

As far as I can tell, the answer is nothing.

Hell, I officially proclaim myself "Official Monitor of Roller Coaster Design Quality"

I'll start a site warning potential guests whether or not the coaster they may ride is actually very good or not. I'll make recommendations such as "I'd replace that Immelman with a Cobra Roll" and I'll demand something be done about poor coaster design - calling out any park or designer who fails to comply and also any enthusiast who decides to enjoy an inferior design.

Since I have a site and a fancy title, I guess that instanly gives me both the credentials and the right to do such a thing.

The worst thing you guys can do is give them any attention, it just legitimizes them in a weird sort of way.

If I had seen this site on my own, I'd have brushed it off and never given it a second thought. Humoring them is the equivalent of calling out the ARN&R guys for 'lousy reporting' :)

I agree with Lord Gonchar COMPLETELY!!! I took a little tour of their site as well, after Techno linked the site, and I thought to myself, "Who are these people?" They sound like some kind of self-appointed King of Amusement Park Safety Czars. . .

Where is the accredidation? What is the point of their existence? Any enthusiast worth their salt certainly wants to promote "sound safety" practices while riding extreme thrill rides. Those of us who have been around for awhile know FIRSTHAND the perils of NOT riding safely.

And we stand on the brink of attending an event this weekend at a park where we had better ALL practice safe riding procedures. . .that has got to be paramount in everyone's thinking. . .

But, to think that the ASO will be "patrolling" around, looking for violators?

These people aren't park enthusiasts. They're Nazi Youth waiting to happen. . .

"Ach, my little schnitzel gruber. . .you vill have to come vith me, as I saw you just ate your second funnel cake. . .to the gulag. . .NOW!!"

BJW