48" Safety Concerns

[DeLorean Rider]

If everyone is going to act as though the original poster is crazy and made us all dumber, you could at least provide a valid argument as to why you feel that way.

People dont come here to be bashed, especially when someone feels they have a legitimate concern.

[markr]

If everyone is going to act as though the original poster is crazy and made us all dumber, you could at least provide a valid argument as to why you feel that way.

People dont come here to be bashed, especially when someone feels they have a legitimate concern.

Exactly my concerns Delorean. The issue here is basic good manners which means not making fun of people or calling them names however much you feel they deserve it. This is something we learn from our parents ( I hope ).

[standbyme]

If everyone is going to act as though the original poster is crazy and made us all dumber, you could at least provide a valid argument as to why you feel that way.

I personally do not feel as my one comment about Selective's post was in any way "bashing him".

Since you would like anyone to explain their posts I will accommodate you...my post was only finding humor in how impossible his suggestion that ride ops should attempt to seperate people by the differences in the size of their legs...you as a ride op should know how impossible that would be. Can you imagine either a sign that stated "If your leg is bigger than this you must go to this line"...or a ride op tape measuring people's legs?

I hope that explains my comment.

[chaddie]

I agree that no one needs to be bashed or called names; however, people need to take responsibility for knowing when the park closes. The hours are on the Kings Island Sign, on 2 LED Reader Boards at the entrance, on the website, etc. People cannot complain that the park employees need to tell them without being asked. The employees have a lot of instructions to give at the beginning and end of each ride. If asked, I am sure any park employee would answer the question without hesitation.

I think the employees at Kings Island are (generally speaking) well informed, polite and helpful. I think guests need to take some responsibility as far as opening and closing times of the park and other things.

[markr]

^I agree 100 percent with you. I don't consider it bashing when we explain you have to check the park hours online and that you have to pay attention to the park hours on all the signs which are conspicous. That is sticking to the facts, no personal insults. And I have absolutely no problem with any of your posts, Standbyme-didn't see any personal attacks at all.

[SOB_TOM]

What I see in this post is something seen across America: People expect things to be handed to them and expect the world to be plush and bouncy so they don't get hurt. If someone is not willing to look up when a place closes, I have no pity for them when the place closes early. There is no reason that you don't look up online, call, or look at the two scrolling signs out front to find out when the park closes, but expects the ops to announce it every cycle. Sorry bud, that is your fault, not the parks.

As for the safety "issue," my nephew, who was exactly 48" last year, went up to the park and rode every ride you just listed and guess what? He was not injured, scratched, or in any way hurt from the rides. I was so proud, he didn't even have to wear a helmet! In fact, on the rides you have mentioned, not ONCE since they were built has there been an issue with an injury that you described. Kinda interesting isn't it?

[BavarianBeatle]

If everyone is going to act as though the original poster is crazy and made us all dumber, you could at least provide a valid argument as to why you feel that way.

People dont come here to be bashed, especially when someone feels they have a legitimate concern.

Exactly my concerns Delorean. The issue here is basic good manners which means not making fun of people or calling them names however much you feel they deserve it. This is something we learn from our parents ( I hope ).

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eccentric

"eccentric:" "irregular, erratic, peculiar , odd"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrite

"Hypocrite:" "a person whose actions belie stated beliefs"

--Beatle, just randomly browsing through the dictionary

--

[pcc]

I do not consider my post to be bashing or making fun. Simply stating facts....if it came across that way, I do apologize. I'm not that kind of person.

[bkroz]

I suppose I would consider this topic worth a thought it weren't written the way it is - After all, Kings Dominion's Backlot Stunt Coaster does have extra padding in places that ours does not, likely because someone has reported an injury of some type. Backlot is actually my second favorite roller coaster at Kings Island, and I, too, have had rides in which my body must be seated in just such a way that there's a lot of discomfort on the shoulder blades and buttocks.

The issue I'm having is the same as usual - many of Selective's topics are sensational, ridiculous, out-of-the-blue attempts to nit-pick. Remember when Paramount rigged the park to kill people before they owned it so they could get it for cheap? Or his trip report where everything got a 4 except Boo Blasters, which received a 0 (this right about the time it was opening and all the buzz was about how good it was)? Now we can add the topic where riders have their head thrown against a piece of plastic and two screws, it is "extremely easy to fall out" of Surf Dog, and people should be (and I quote) "put in rows matched with riders of the same leg fatness."

I believe his intention is typically to incite some sort of emotional riot to back him up and to believe he's uncovered some tremendous hidden safety hazard, issue, or unfair operating procedure of the park. Usually, most of us disagree. Either way, he usually returns to his topic once or twice. He starts it, gets everyone fired up (usually not in the way that he'd hoped) and then never returns, or does so after many days and weeks of responses, only to ignore them all and continue on telling how his plan is the plan.

Maybe this topic does need discussed. It is true that there is certainly room to improve the comfort level on Backlot. But when you start adding statements about how easy it is to fall off of rides, and how Drop Zone needs booster seats for comfort, and people are in danger and such, it just incites a lot of backlash - so much so, that people may not see the legitimacy of your post (of which there is some, in my opinion). It gets lost in the emotional language.

[74Gibson]

Another high quality post from Goodyellow. I truely appreciate your ability to talk civily about things that get others riled up and wanting to talk...emotionally. Your post was very well said. Thank you.

[markr]

^I second that. And to PCC, I was in no way referring to your posts-you simply stuck to the facts all of which I agree. You did not make any personal attacks.

[selective]

The list of rides he rode was just a list of what he rode for the first time, not all connected with the 48" height requirement. I just thought it would be nice to share with everyone all that he rode. Of course there's no height requirement for Eiffel Tower, but why would you take a kid up there to see all the rides in the park that they can't ride if they are under 48" tall?

As for how most of you responded to what I had to say about Backlot Stunt Coaster, most of you sound like you either don't care because you are taller and it doesn't concern you or that you assume everything in life must already be the best it can be. If you want to talk ridiculous, what about the seat belts on The Race and The Beast? Well, they were added because of new safety requirements, and though they don't seem that important, the added seat belts on Vortex make the ride much safer! In the early 90's those seat belts weren't there. I guess with most of you all assumeing how safe everything must be, all of you would be the first to march right up and ride Flight Commander and do so repeatedly till Black Sunday!

As for my comment about Surf Dog, I was being sarcastic to show how stupid the restraint system is on the ride. Instead of taking it word for word like a close minded person who can only perceive information at face value, I was hoping for some real answers and suggestions beyond the facts that I carefully presented.

Drop Tower is very safe and very fun, my suggestion for this ride was to make it more enjoyable for smaller people which would increase park attendance! If they were to survey the smaller riders, they could find out if they need an added insert brace developed for the ride next year.

Most people on this forum appear very young, thinking anything critical is negative. Feedback must be constructive, else nothing ever improves. Posting in this forum does more than going to HR or GR, and gets input from all employees and guests at the same time.

Oh, and about the closing time. I know KI plans their entire schedule before they open for the summer. However, the answer not one of you gave was that... "Yes, every single time a ticket is sold, and every time a ticket is ready to be scaned at the gate, these employees should have to tell every single guest what time the park will be closing" oh...............and for the ride operators to wait till 6pm to tell people is pathetic, as most of the day will be gone by then.

[Dieseltech20]

Just because someone can't ride things they shouldn't go up in the Tower? What kind of logic is that?

You go up the tower to view the park from that height. What difference does it make if someone looking can ride the rides or not, lol.

[74Gibson]

Selective...where to start.

Most of the people who relplied to your concerns are not young, are intelligent and some understand a good bit about the amusement indiustry.

Your arguements simply miss the mark. Snoopy Surf Dog sure could throw people out of the seat...if they weren't stapled to a side wall by lateral G's.

Who says Vortex is much safer now because of the seatbelts. Do you have engineering experience or any information from a reliable source or is just what seems right to you? Please kindly consider (or learn before you post) that coasters are required to have multiple restarint systems in Ohio... so they put seatbelts on. Before you say it, DB has to separate locking mechanisms in the single restraint. IS FOF less safe now that they removed the over-the-shoulder restraints?

Can you imagine how much load time would be increased by adding a booster seat type aparatus to Drop Tower? Would that even be safe?

Finally, the reason why no one gave the answer that "everyone should be told when the park closes when they buy their ticket" is because it's an impractical idea. They display closing times in multiple places so they don't need to. I always check times before I go to any park, even when I have the operatiing schedule memorized...just to be sure.

I understand you can think of lots of vague arguments to support your point but...follow your own advice. Everything critical (responses to your posts) is not negative (incorrect). The points you made in this thread just don't hold water.

darn... I think I may have been drawn into a troll fight. Walk away David. Walk away.

EDIT: haha, I just learned that KIC has autocorrect that changes cuss words into similar family friendly ones

[TOPGUN1993]

This was last Sunday when I bought his ticket around 2pm and the person selling tickets never said anything about the park closing early at 8pm. I thought it was very rude and unthoughtful not to be told this

Don't go off blaming the employee, it's up to you to find out. The huge sign in the parking lot has park hours along with the scrolling signs just as you enter.

[CedarPointer]

Oh, and about the closing time. I know KI plans their entire schedule before they open for the summer. However, the answer not one of you gave was that... "Yes, every single time a ticket is sold, and every time a ticket is ready to be scaned at the gate, these employees should have to tell every single guest what time the park will be closing" oh...............and for the ride operators to wait till 6pm to tell people is pathetic, as most of the day will be gone by then.

Um, YOU need to take responsibility for YOUR choice not to look at any of the signs which have the closing time on it. You went by at least two signs which said that the park closed at 8. Should the park have an employee out with a bullhorn alerting everyone that it closed at 8?

By the way, I always assumed that the reason the park closed early during post-season was that the lines are usually shorter, so you'd get the same amount of rides in that you would had the park been 10-10. I don't know if that's actually the reason, but I can certainly say I get on more rides during a 10-8 day where the park is empty than I would have had the park been open 10-10 but been busy.

[standbyme]

Most people on this forum appear very young...

I'll take that as a compliment.

Most of the people who relplied to your concerns are not young...

This I will NOT take as a compliment!

[Dieseltech20]

I thought it closed earlier late in the season because the kids are back in school. Most of the temp employees are high school kids that have homework to do, go to bed, etc.

[Cormaster]

Man when the park is 10-8, the park is usually dead, and honestly I can usually get multiple rides on everything within 4, 5 hours on those days. Don't sweat it.

[Creed Bratton]

The list of rides he rode was just a list of what he rode for the first time, not all connected with the 48" height requirement. I just thought it would be nice to share with everyone all that he rode. Of course there's no height requirement for Eiffel Tower, but why would you take a kid up there to see all the rides in the park that they can't ride if they are under 48" tall?

As for how most of you responded to what I had to say about Backlot Stunt Coaster, most of you sound like you either don't care because you are taller and it doesn't concern you or that you assume everything in life must already be the best it can be. If you want to talk ridiculous, what about the seat belts on The Race and The Beast? Well, they were added because of new safety requirements, and though they don't seem that important, the added seat belts on Vortex make the ride much safer! In the early 90's those seat belts weren't there. I guess with most of you all assumeing how safe everything must be, all of you would be the first to march right up and ride Flight Commander and do so repeatedly till Black Sunday!

As for my comment about Surf Dog, I was being sarcastic to show how stupid the restraint system is on the ride. Instead of taking it word for word like a close minded person who can only perceive information at face value, I was hoping for some real answers and suggestions beyond the facts that I carefully presented.

Drop Tower is very safe and very fun, my suggestion for this ride was to make it more enjoyable for smaller people which would increase park attendance! If they were to survey the smaller riders, they could find out if they need an added insert brace developed for the ride next year.

Most people on this forum appear very young, thinking anything critical is negative. Feedback must be constructive, else nothing ever improves. Posting in this forum does more than going to HR or GR, and gets input from all employees and guests at the same time.

Oh, and about the closing time. I know KI plans their entire schedule before they open for the summer. However, the answer not one of you gave was that... "Yes, every single time a ticket is sold, and every time a ticket is ready to be scaned at the gate, these employees should have to tell every single guest what time the park will be closing" oh...............and for the ride operators to wait till 6pm to tell people is pathetic, as most of the day will be gone by then.

You are right! Some rides didn't have seat belts in the 90s....oh yeah standards change....often. Because your nephew could have gotten hurt, I'm sure the park will add extra padding everywhere for him. I'm sorry, but if you didn't feel comfortable with your nephew riding with the risk of him getting hurt...then why'd you let him ride?

As for the closing time again, your fault. We're not going to cater to your complaints. Not all of us believe your statement

However, the answer not one of you gave was that... "Yes, every single time a ticket is sold, and every time a ticket is ready to be scaned at the gate, these employees should have to tell every single guest what time the park will be closing

as multiple people have stated, you should have just payed attention to the signs at the entrance of the park, checked online, etc. And 6 o'clock is not pathetic, ride ops are being courteous, they could just leave you hanging at 8 o'clock and then when you want to ride again they just say, sorry we're closed?!? Doesn't work that way. As for the comment most of the day will be gone by then, who's fault is that? Not the parks. Poor planning on your part doesn't constitute as an emergency on the parks part.

[chaddie]

Poor planning on your part doesn't constitute as an emergency on the parks part.

I could not AGREE more.

[bkroz]

See how everyone gets defensive? With most posts saying "Your fault," "You planned poorly," "Troll," etc.

Now, if you had approached it differently (and, in all fairness, had a better track record here) and said "Does anyone else think they should make it common practice to mention the closing time in regular ride spiels?" You actually would find a lot of support. Or, if you said, "Does anyone think Backlot Stunt Coaster could use a little more padding?", as I said, I would be the first to stand up and say, "You know what, it really does."

But because you approach it like a conspiracy theorist might, saying the park is trying to scam you and steal your money by not announcing every five minutes when the park closes, and that your nephew could've taken a chance of being seriously injured on Backlot Stunt Coaster, and he's going to slam his head into something, and the rides are purposefully extremely easy to fall out of, and everything is uncomfortable, and the Eiffel Tower is useless for those between 46" and 48" because they can only look at rides they aren't tall enough to ride (what?!)... I mean, really?

It's the same as your long-lost topic about how the park is trying to cheat you out of money by requiring handstamps to re-enter... It's a good point you make - perhaps there should be a sign by the exit that proclaims "Even season passholders must recieve a handstamp for re-entry!" That would actually be a nice idea, and many here would support that. But when you said the park is trying to scam you out of re-entry and it's not fair and they want you to get out and stay out and they just want your money... We all just collectively sigh and then spend so much energy fighting your ridiculous post, we don't see the usefulness hidden in your concerns.

So when you spew out allegations and (quite frankly) ludicrous theories about how people will get hurt and things are easy to fall out of and the park is out to get you and steal your money and they purposefully disguise the closing time (despite the three signs outside the park, the show schedule, the website, and announcements inside the park), it puts everyone into defense mode. Suddenly they feel like they have to step forward and defend the park. Your ideas are not awful. You make valid points. Your presentation (and, as I said, your past topics here) make us all roll our eyes and ignore the good points you might be making. Which is a shame. But it's true.

[BavarianBeatle]

GYK, Your posts bring to mind a certain member who, by coincidence?, was banned from this site shortly before the originator of this thread joined. I will not give that person the satisfaction of identifying him or linking to his site, but some of us know who I'm talking about.

Edit: Your description of Selective is what brings to mind the former member, sorry for any misunderstanding. I was in no way referring to you!

[TylerRider]

I guess with most of you all assumeing how safe everything must be, all of you would be the first to march right up and ride Flight Commander and do so repeatedly till Black Sunday!

As for my comment about Surf Dog, I was being sarcastic to show how stupid the restraint system is on the ride. Instead of taking it word for word like a close minded person who can only perceive information at face value, I was hoping for some real answers and suggestions beyond the facts that I carefully presented.

Most people on this forum appear very young, thinking anything critical is negative. Feedback must be constructive, else nothing ever improves. Posting in this forum does more than going to HR or GR, and gets input from all employees and guests at the same time.

EDIT: Above Posted By Selective

1. I would ride flight commander today. Unless Six Flags Decided to do things to buy the park.

2. Sarcasm is impossible to understand on a computer. I can't tell if you are upset or happy, unless you use an emotiocn. Ex: and or and even

3. Age does not matter. I have read posts from adults that just sound ignorant. Also, I have heard very intelligent comments from people younger than me.

[bkroz]

Because the quote tags weren't working in that post, I thought you were saying those things, TylerRider! And I was like "whhhaaaaat?" but now I understand. Ha!

[SOB_TOM]

*Reaches for the troll food*

GYK, I can't agree more. Constructive criticism is great, but when phrased with a "I am right, you are wrong" attitude, it is no longer criticism. Kinda reminds me of another poster on KIC who loves HW and CP and talks down about KI all the time.

[coaster_junky]

^i think you meant to add "former" between "another" and "poster."

[Kirk Sheppard]

There is a vast difference in the way posters like GYK refute nonsense with discourse and the bullies on this board who just post insults. And yes, I'm specifically talking about people who post videos. Its a shame that only a handful notice the difference. I'm with you, markr.

Selective is wrong and can be easily put in his place with rational discussion. Thanks, GYK, for demonstrating the difference.

[BavarianBeatle]

There is a vast difference in the way posters like GYK refute nonsense with discourse and the bullies on this board who just post insults. And yes, I'm specifically talking about people who post videos. Its a shame that only a handful notice the difference. I'm with you, markr.

Selective is wrong and can be easily put in his place with rational discussion. Thanks, GYK, for demonstrating the difference.

I'm confused! markr is the member who called Selective "eccentric" (i.e. irregular, erratic, peculiar and odd). So, according to you, it is better to simply resort to name calling rather than posting videos.

My head hurts.

[Kirk Sheppard]

There is a vast difference in the way posters like GYK refute nonsense with discourse and the bullies on this board who just post insults. And yes, I'm specifically talking about people who post videos. Its a shame that only a handful notice the difference. I'm with you, markr.

Selective is wrong and can be easily put in his place with rational discussion. Thanks, GYK, for demonstrating the difference.

I'm confused! markr is the member who called Selective "eccentric" (i.e. irregular, erratic, peculiar and odd). So, according to you, it is better to simply resort to name calling rather than posting videos.

My head hurts.

Eccentric is not an insult; its an potential explanation of someone's worldview.

Posting a video where you are passive-aggressively telling someone how stupid they are and that they have made us all dumber is an obvious personal attack. And a cowardly one at that.

Hope your headache gets better!