erniebald57

They've gotten to number 15 as of this morning, and they only need to reach the top ten. Only 5 days left to vote, so vote daily!

I live in Chillicothe, Ohio, and the city installed red light cameras early last year. They are little more than a money grab, under the guise of making intersections more safe. The studies that show intersections are more safe and accident free are disputed by studies that show more rear end collisions and people slamming on their brakes. Second, if you want to go to "trial", it costs you $100, whether you are guilty or not. You don't appear in front of a judge, rather some random person that the city has empowered to handle the cases. The whole thing reeks of unconstitutional. A very large percentage of the money also goes not to the city, but to Redflex or whichever operator it is. The town leaders in Chillicothe voted to install them without consultation or acknowledgment of the opinion of its citizens. The citizens didn't like that too much, so we banded together and formed a very large petition to put the issue to the ballot. The mayor and council tried to sell us a bill of goods about being locked into a contract, but the contract has loopholes. After we spoke loud enough the issue was put to the ballot, and the citizens voted to get rid of them in a landslide. They were then taken down. The mayor was going to appeal the vote, but in the end he backed down. It's amazing what politicians can get done when they are scared to lose their job. If you want to know how to get rid or prevent the installation of red light cameras, Chillicothe is a good case study. Get enough people organized and the media on your side, and you can make something happen. It might be tougher in Columbus or some other large city, but I guarantee you that if you look long enough, you'll find more than enough people who either don't like them or want them down.

Hey guys Conneaut Lake Amusement park is up for a $50,000 Pepsi Restore Grant for it's 70 plus year old wooden coaster. Conneaut has fallen on hard times lately, and you can help by voting to restore the Blue Streak. You can cast your vote once a day. Here is the link. Rebuild the Blue Streak Coaster fans unite and help to reopen a classic!

I too have been on a few days where it seems that some attendees of the park are downright rude and inconsiderate. There are also some employees who should be downright fired. I'm a pretty forgiving guy, and I understand that it's a pain to put up with some customers who are never pleased and seem to do nothing but yell at their kids all day, but it doesn't excuse employees from doing their job and being nice to a good customer such as myself. It doesn't happen a whole lot, but it shouldn't be happening as much as it does. I don't have any problem at all confronting a line jumper, even if they do have a crew they are running with...I can defend myself just fine, and they are probably posers anyway. Not to say it's happened to me a lot, but when someone does cut in front, they usually leave. Perhaps it's the look of death that they receive. Getting rid of line jumping starts with the people in line, and I'm sure that you aren't the only one in the queue that is annoyed by line cutters. Let a few people know what happened, gather a few witnesses before you complain. A lot of times the line can police itself as long as people speak up. I do think that the park could use some more security, especially on high volume days. Cedar Point employs the Sandusky Police Dept to station a handful of officers among the regular security guards, and I've seen them doing their job (and doing it well). I don't see many problems with park guests when I'm at CP. Granted it's not as close to a metro area as KI is, but I've simply not seen as many issues at Cedar Point as I do at Kings Island. I would love to see a major crackdown on line smoking and line cutting. I'm fairly sure that ejecting people who practice those things would eliminate those and other problems as well. Start kicking some people out....visibly.

It's all about perception. Even I..a seasoned coaster rider (first ride in the front seat), was a little flipped by the trains the first time. I always trust their design but riding 200 ft in the air on a train that is little more than seats bolted to a piece of diamond plate sheet metal with no sides does create a little tension. Obviously the trains are safe, but they offer so much open air, and so much room in each individual row that some may get the feeling that they will fall out. These trains were designed to give as much freedom and open air to the rider as possible, and I have no doubt that the engineers addressed all angles of this train. Surely safety was the first priority, and they analyzed carefully whether or not a seatbelt is necessary. The clamshells have two mechanisms that lock the restraint in place. I understand some people's apprehension about the design of the train, because quite frankly it feels a little like there isn't a train under you at all. It's just part of the show.

I was there for media day today. They stopped the train going up the hill because they saw some dude with a little handheld camera. The ride op tied off, walked up the hill, and took the camera. As for the ride....it's off the chain. Totally amazing.

The finals are here. The Beast didn't make it unfortunately, but Millennium Force did. It's Millennium Force vs. Universals Mummy. Cast your vote! www.themeparkinsider.com

For those still interested, it's Maverick vs. Universal Studio's Mummy today. Cast your vote!

Beast vs. Maverick has begun. Website decided to do a morning and evening matchup today...perhaps to curb Cedar Point from hyperlinking. Cast your vote! Beast is down big right now.

Keep your eye out for The Beast matchup coming soon.

Maverick vs. Beast. I like them both, and will be happy no matter the outcome. I'll probably vote for Beast when the time comes...I would like to see it go forward. Cedar Point's official blog has now linked up to this tournament, which caused an almost 500% increase in votership. KI and Beast supporters....The Beast needs your support. go cast your vote when the time comes

I love it...Cedar Point fans have mobilized, and Maverick is currently laying a beating on last year's winner, Tower of Terror. While that one isn't nearly over, the cage is officially rattled folks. There was a huge Disney bias during the last tournament, and now that the vote has turned democratic, Disney fans don't like it. The Beast likely has it in the bag, but if you haven't voted, go cast.... Go Maverick.

Round 2 starts tomorrow. Matchups will get tougher and the number of voters has really started to pick up. Don't forget to show your support. The Beast, along with some Cedar Point machines, remain from the Cedar Fair family amongst a sea of Disney and Universal attractions in the tournament.

The Beast could be a she...now that I think of it.

If The Beast wins, then don't forget to vote for him again when his next matchup arrives. The vote count is still low, so it's not over yet. If you haven't voted, do so.