MrTools Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 The other day while at KI i saw a group of three people, An old woman dressed real formalyand old man and with them they were pushing a wheelchair with somone who looked to be paralyzed to me, for he want moving much but sometimes his head. When i saw them they were pulling him out of the wheelchair and straping him into the FOC abd then sent him of i did not see him return, because i was next in line. The Ride ops seemed a little concerned too. And about two hours later i saw the same people doing the same thing at Adventure Express. Isnt the policy at the ride state somthing about not riding if you have such medical conditions? because i didnt see any ride ops do anything about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFreak45 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I never heard of restrictions unless you have heart troubles...recent surgery. I think you would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I have wanted to post this for a time, but have not done so because I don't know how to word it "pretty." Nearly every time I have been to King's Island, I have run into a gentleman who appears to have Cerebral Palsy. He is in a wheelchair and has very little body control. He appears to be in his mid-fifties, has dark hair that is thin on top and is small framed. Another gentleman of similar age and wears glasses takes him around the park. I have ridden with him on several rides including Beast and Adventure Express. I am so glad that he is having a good time. You can tell he really enjoys the coasters. However, I was riding two rows behind him on Adventure Express last summer and, frankly, he scared me to death. Where he has little upper body control, he was thrown like a rag doll the entire time and I was convinced he had knocked himself unconcious after going through the last turn before the final tunnel. We were stopped in the tunnel and he wasn't moving at all and was slumped over in his seat. I was reaching down to unbuckle my belt and crawl out to get to him (yes, I know it's a big no-no, but I was upset and not thinking) because I was scared he was hurt. Thankfully, he straightened himself and I calmed down enough for the ride to end. My question here, has anyone else seen this guy or know him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTools Posted June 18, 2009 Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 I have wanted to post this for a time, but have not done so because I don't know how to word it "pretty." Nearly every time I have been to King's Island, I have run into a gentleman who appears to have Cerebral Palsy. He is in a wheelchair and has very little body control. He appears to be in his mid-fifties, has dark hair that is thin on top and is small framed. Another gentleman of similar age and wears glasses takes him around the park. I have ridden with him on several rides including Beast and Adventure Express. I am so glad that he is having a good time. You can tell he really enjoys the coasters. However, I was riding two rows behind him on Adventure Express last summer and, frankly, he scared me to death. Where he has little upper body control, he was thrown like a rag doll the entire time and I was convinced he had knocked himself unconcious after going through the last turn before the final tunnel. We were stopped in the tunnel and he wasn't moving at all and was slumped over in his seat. I was reaching down to unbuckle my belt and crawl out to get to him (yes, I know it's a big no-no, but I was upset and not thinking) because I was scared he was hurt. Thankfully, he straightened himself and I calmed down enough for the ride to end. My question here, has anyone else seen this guy or know him? Those were my same reactions almost, an it may be the same person. Im glad if he was having a good time but i dont like to se anyone get hurt at the park so i just had to bring up this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I don't post here very often, but I had to add: As a ride op, I see that man maybe every other day. He is in the park all the time, like you said, and he gives the ride ops who help him lollipops! He seems to be fine after Vortex (where I work) but if I saw him get knocked around like you did, cassie, that would probably scare me too.. and the other gentleman does not ride with him, which is also a little worrisome... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast79 Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I believe his name is James I could be wrong, he is an awesome guy. I was a ride op for 5 years and there wasn't one week that went by that I didn't see them. Even way back in 97 he would hand out suckers, Giga and I saw him get on Racers on sunday it is a little awkward to help him in the ride and he always enjoys riding everything that he can. I think it's encouraging to see some one with a disability to live life at its fullest, I have an uncle who has been paralyzed and can't speak but every time I visit my grandmother I still sit down and talk to him just like any other person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Thanks you all! I am glad that he has a great time. I didn't know about the lollipops; That is really adorable and endearing. I would never want to begrudge anyone having a good time at the park that's for sure and I am glad that King's Island can accomadate so many people. It just made me curious who he was (as I have seen him so many times) and where better to ask then on these boards?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BavarianBeatle Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 God Bless Him!! I was always taught to lift my arms and completely relax my body on coasters and just enjoy the ride. I have told my kids the same thing, and we get thrown around like rag dolls too. This works VERY well on DB, where you can just go limp and float!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamoperator Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I have wanted to post this for a time, but have not done so because I don't know how to word it "pretty." Nearly every time I have been to King's Island, I have run into a gentleman who appears to have Cerebral Palsy. He is in a wheelchair and has very little body control. He appears to be in his mid-fifties, has dark hair that is thin on top and is small framed. Another gentleman of similar age and wears glasses takes him around the park. I have ridden with him on several rides including Beast and Adventure Express. I am so glad that he is having a good time. You can tell he really enjoys the coasters. However, I was riding two rows behind him on Adventure Express last summer and, frankly, he scared me to death. Where he has little upper body control, he was thrown like a rag doll the entire time and I was convinced he had knocked himself unconscious after going through the last turn before the final tunnel. We were stopped in the tunnel and he wasn't moving at all and was slumped over in his seat. I was reaching down to unbuckle my belt and crawl out to get to him (yes, I know it's a big no-no, but I was upset and not thinking) because I was scared he was hurt. Thankfully, he straightened himself and I calmed down enough for the ride to end. My question here, has anyone else seen this guy or know him? He has a season pass; and it is not his first one. He has a disability, not a medical problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamoperator Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I believe his name is James I could be wrong, he is an awesome guy. I was a ride op for 5 years and there wasn't one week that went by that I didn't see them. Even way back in 97 he would hand out suckers, Giga and I saw him get on Racers on sunday it is a little awkward to help him in the ride and he always enjoys riding everything that he can. I think it's encouraging to see some one with a disability to live life at its fullest, I have an uncle who has been paralyzed and can't speak but every time I visit my grandmother I still sit down and talk to him just like any other person. And he still hands them out and ask the Ops how they are doing with a smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markr Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I never heard of restrictions unless you have heart troubles...recent surgery. I think you would be fine. These are only warnings, not restrictions-if you have heart trouble, high blood pressure, etc, you basically assume the risk if you decide to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 wow, i'm so glad that he can still go and enjoy himself as he does at Kings Island, and i hope that when i am older i can still manage to enjoy the rides as much as i do now. oh, speaking of restrictions, i believe on my second visit there was a rather large (trying my hardest to be nice about her size) woman that was in line behind me for Diamondback and she was unable to ride because of her plus size, while behind me she was ranting on about how amusment parks don't take into conscideration plus size people when they design their attractions and rides and how it wouldn't be very difficult for them to design seats that accompany more plus sized people. but wouldn't it make it difficult for an amusment park to have on all rides "plus sized" seating? for example on wooden roller coasters and roller coasters that's "side-to-side wheels"(the real name for them slips my mind right now) that are on the inside of the track, wouldn't that mean to have bigger seats on those types of roller coasters you would have to have a wider track gage? plus couldn't this mean that for it to happen you run into the possibility of clearance issues when a wider train comes closer to some supports, such as the ones on Diamondback. sorry for this ranting, but i think it would be much easier for a more "plus sized" person to lose weight (and yea, i am aware that some people, such as one of my mom's good friend, are unable to loose weight) than for an amusment park to envest so much money into re-configuring all of their rides to accomidate them? once again i am not trying to offend anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erosarrow05 Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 His name is Robbie and he and his caregiver are exceptionally sweet people and always wait patiently for Robbie's turn to ride. I can relate though, it can be somewhat frightening at first glance to see him riding, but whats more disenchanting is having other guests give... "the look"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 i know, i can't stand it when they are given "the look", the next to last saturday of Kings Island's season last year me and my sister were riding The Racer and i felt bad because there was a boy that was maybe 10 yrs. old, and wasn't exactly right. he was absolutly terrified to get on and he had already walked threw the air gates, when the ride-op closed them. it took about ten minutes to get him to cross the train because he thought that if you stepped in the train you had to ride, the only thing that he wanted to do was go back threw the air gate, to the point that he was shaking it to get back threw, yet the ride op wouldn't open the gate to let him off the way he was wanted to get off, insted his group had to "fight" him across the train causing the very few people in the station to give him the look. http://www.flickr.com/photos/35607580@N05/3637299271/ this is actually the train he was suppost to be in (i believe he was suppost to be in 4-3 and his group in 5-1 and that's me and my sister in 5-2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 On Sunday, I ended my night with a few Night rides on Drop Zone, and The person who sat next to me was... Disabled? And he kept making noises at the Ride Opt. than the ride Opt. Somehow knew what he was saying and I guess he said "Hey, Can I stay on for a few rides" and they let him stay on til' the park closed. I don't know if that's safe for him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTools Posted June 18, 2009 Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 thats a true ride warrior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 i should add that i think nick beaver took that picture of The Racer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperg Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I have seen an older guy that possibly has cerebal Palsey. The one I see has a man pushing him in his wheelchair. I seen them there last year & that was the first time I had seen him & the other man was pushing him up the exit ramp to get on The Beast & I about had a heart attack that he was going to ride that ride, as I have a 19, almost 20 yr old that has CP (severe) & there is no way he would make it through a roller coaster ride, there is no way I would even tempt putting him on one. Although he LOVES to watch videos of roller coasters on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 i should add that i think nick beaver took that picture of The Racer What did I do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 i think the picture that i posted a link to on my flickr account of me and my sister on The Racer was taken by you at one of the ace tours last fall. (the link was on pg. 1 of this thread.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarketingExpress Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Sounds like all of you are talking about the same person and his family. They are known well at the park, especially in the rides department. When I worked at AE, it seemed like they were at the park everyday of the season and that they would always end their day at AE. We got to know all 3 of them by name and would joke around with them. These are the nicest people in the world and they remembered you by name everytime they came to your ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
standbyme Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Even though I only make it to the park a few times a year I have seen the gentleman that you are talking about about 3 times in the past. I remember the first time I saw him I was surprised that he was getting on the ride...I believe it was Delirium...but after the ride was over I could tell that he was a regular because of how the ride-op was treating him...like an old friend that she saw often...it was really nice. Thanks to everyone that posted the man's story, it was very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 thats a true ride warrior I agree, good for him! I am also inspired when I see senior citizens coming into the park and getting on The Beast and other high thrill rides. I want that to be me when I get up in years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.