Hands up on Diamondback!

[tlvtr]

For those that have read my other posts, you know that I am new to KI and coasters in general this year. I have now ridden every ride in the park, and none of them scare me to the point that I can't get on them anymore. I still get pretty scared on some rides, but that's part of the fun. In particular I haven't been able to get myself to raise my hands on Diamondback most of the summer, as it is just so darn tall and fast! Finally on Monday I broke through that barrier and raised my hands on the first drop and it was exhilarating! I've since done a couple more hands-up rides and I'm noticing something very interesting.

Despite what I expected, having my hands up seems to make Diamondback feel LESS scary than when I hold on to the lap bar! I was expecting to have the first drop just be terrifying, but it felt liberating and even tranquil. After a couple rides, I think I may have it figured out.

The biggest reason why I couldn't let go of the lap bar is because I still didn't completely trust it. I like the rides that have seat belts and lap bars, or a buckle to secure the over-the-shoulder restraints as it gives me a sense of a failsafe in case the main restraint fails. There is no secondary restraint on Diamondback, so if it were to suddenly open during the ride, I'm a goner! So while I was having fun on Diamondback, I was still gripping the lap bar in the naive hope that if the lap bar suddenly raised, I could keep it held down myself and stay safe. This mindset caused me to have a doomsday scenario in my head the entire time I rode the ride, and even the shorter drops at the end caused me anxiety.

In order to finally raise my hands, I had to suspend my need for a "failsafe" and just completely trust the restraint. There was no way I could wonder and worry about my restraint failing and still raise my hands, so I had to just force myself to let go of that worry and let the ride take it's course without me thinking of anything. Instantly the ride felt differently and it had a completely different psychological effect on me. The first drop no longer felt like I was rushing to my ultimate demise, it became an intense flying sensation with very little fear being mixed in. The airtime hills became more pronounced, and I noticed just how long I was "floating" out of my seat. When the ride is over, instead of feeling satiated for the day I wanted to ride again immediately! I didn't need a recovery time to prepare for another ride, I was ready right away!

Someone that actually knows psychiatry/psychology probably could explain this better, but I'm realizing how small fears would lead me to hold on tighter, which kept the fear front and center during the ride, which made the ride scarier, which made me need to grip even tighter, which continued to compound the underlying problem.

I never thought I would learn so much about myself just from riding roller coasters!

[bkroz]

I don't know much about psychology, but I do know what you mean - reacting to your fear makes you more fearful; holding onto the restraint each time makes you subconsciously associate that act with safety. Roller coasters were absolutely the one thing I was terrified of. I had one of those fathers who would force me on the rides, kicking and screaming, to the extent that I absolutely dreaded going to amusement parks with him. Going upside down was my big thing. I 100% refused to ride Corkscrew at Cedar Point, and no amount of convincing could get me onto it.

I guess it's funny, because today I look at roller coasters as really simple, natural things. I laugh to myself because going "taller" or "faster" is not a big deal. I don't really know how to explain it, but "going upside down" doesn't matter much at all, does it? What exactly about going upside down scared me? It didn't even occur to me that I might fall out, so that wasn't the reason. I knew nothing of "forces" and G's so that definitely didn't influence my fear... It was just the very notion of going upside down.

Certainly that's sort of the same thing as your fear of putting your hands up on Diamondback. With feet firmly on the ground, it's obvious that there's no real reason that one would need to hold on. The restraint is hydraulically double-locked and (let's face it) in the very, very, very, very unlikely case that both systems were to fail, having your hands on the clamshell restraint wouldn't actually do a whole lot... So if you made a physical list of the pros and cons of putting your hands in the air, you'd probably find that, logically, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. But you've let yourself learn that you're safer if they're down, and that's a hard habit to break.

Now as people here will tell you, when they tell you to keep your hands down on The Beast, they mean it! Low clearance... ouch...

[Dbfan]

With feet firmly on the ground, it's obvious that there's no real reason that one would need to hold on.

Not for short people

This was interesting, as I have never ridden a Diamondback ride with my hands on the lap bar, next time I will be sure to check it out. Also about the feet touching the ground, I really enjoy my feet not touching on Diamondback. It gives a more sense of detachment from the ride.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I like the rides that have seat belts and lap bars, or a buckle to secure the over-the-shoulder restraints as it gives me a sense of a failsafe in case the main restraint fails.

Then there are those of us, like me, who HATE having to buckle seatbelts on coasters. I understand the reason for them and it's not going to prevent me from riding a coaster, but I long for the good old days of buzz bars and no seat dividers. Racer and Beast were a completely different experience back then.

But anyway, congratulations on your achievement, and welcome to the family of hands-up riders!

[bkroz]

With feet firmly on the ground, it's obvious that there's no real reason that one would need to hold on.

Not for short people

This was interesting, as I have never ridden a Diamondback ride with my hands on the lap bar, next time I will be sure to check it out. Also about the feet touching the ground, I really enjoy my feet not touching on Diamondback. It gives a more sense of detachment from the ride.

I meant when you're off the ride back on terra firma. My feet also do not touch on the ride itself.

[pbkigi]

It is good to see that you got over your fear now you can truly enjoy all of that airtime.

[TylerRider]

This topic makes me think of Party in the U.S.A.

So I put my hands up

They're playing my song,

And the butterflys fly away

[pkiboy]

This topic makes me think of Party in the U.S.A.

So I put my hands up

They're playing my song,

And the butterflys fly away

LOL actually The song this year for Diamondback is Ayo By Tiao Cruse Dynamite for the past month they been singing that song. The crew knows how to get the crowed going lol.

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes saying ayo LOL.

[06jds377]

On DB hands up + feet out = awesome

[flightoffear1996]

^ Yes it does. I have no fears of any restraint at Kings Island. Most of us have been on hundereds or thousands of rides at many different parks and how many has times has a restraint opened up on you? My guess is none. Once that sucker is locked its not coming unlocked unless someone wants it to.

[bkroz]

Once that sucker is locked its not coming unlocked unless someone wants it to.

And even then, if the ride operators and ride manufacturers have done their work properly, it will not unlock.

[flightoffear1996]

Good Yellow I was talking about the fact that its not going to come unlocked unless maintenance or whoever unlocks it on an evac. situation or when the rides is unloading. I just didnt want to type all that in but now you made me

[tlvtr]

So, how do the restraints work to make sure they don't open up accidentally? When I get paranoid I imagine a scenario where a ride op presses a wrong button and suddenly the restraints pop up. I assume that isn't possible, but I have no idea how the restraints work. A little education for me would be awesome.

Also, once my wife and I got on Back Lot, had the Op check our restraints and 5 seconds later hers popped open out of nowhere. Mine remained locked. We looked at each other freaked out, but she just re-closed it and went on the ride with no problem. In hindsight, we probably should've told one of the Ops about that. . .

[bkroz]

I don't know a whole lot and some of this may be wrong, but I'll do my best: most restraints are mechanically locked (when you hear the "click click click" as it lowers), like those on Flight Deck. A bar raises to stabilize the train and hits a switch on the underside of the train, releasing the mechanism. Older rides might need released manually, which is when the operators walk down the length of the train, stepping on switches to unlock the cars one at a time. In all cases, the ride is not "wirelessly" connected to the operator - he could not hit the wrong switch and open the restraints mid-ride. The restraints are opened by mechanisms embedded into the station.

Intamin sort of "took it to the next level," and their rides are hydraulically locked (which is why rides like Millennium, Drop Zone, etc) do not "click," but can be lowered to any desired level instead of the famous "too loose" or "too tight" feeling brought on by other rides. My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that there are two hydraulic systems in the train that keep them locked down, one being a backup system.

HUSS rides, I know, are generally locked by mechanical locks, which are opened and closed pneumatically (using air). That's why when The Crypt or Delirium begins, you hear a hiss of air and the restraint "vacuum seals" against you, pushing itself in to hold you back.

Restraints are often locked and unlocked during the loading procedure when someone becomes uncomfortable and reports it to a ride operator. On most modern roller coasters, the train cannot and will not leave the station without each and every seat being locked and accounted for. Many trains have lights which turn green when the restraint is locked. If it's not on the train, it's on the operator control panel. That's why it may appear that everything is ready to go, but then someone will need to come and really try to push the restraint down on a larger rider. Although they are in and the restraint is locked, it isn't clicked down "three times" or whatever the manufacturer has chosen. Thus, that seat remains "red" and will not turn green until it's pushed down the mandated amount.

On Kings Dominion's "Crypt," the seating lights are on the front right of the gondola, so when the ride operates at night, you see a line of bright green light (which, upon closer inspection, is two rows of 20 green lights).

If there's any operator whose parks you needn't fear falling out of rides at, it's Cedar Fair. Keep in mind, their rides are really protected, often superfluously so. Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens utilizes the same trains as Vortex, but has only the shoulder restraint, without a seatbelt to hold it down. At first it feels weird, but you quickly come to think "Well, maybe Vortex is just overkill?" Most of Cedar Fair's wooden coasters have seat dividers, seatbelts, and buzz-bars. Backlot Stunt Coaster had seat belts added this year, because Cedar Fair counted the faux MINI Cooper doors as a safety restraints, so when they were removed, they needed to add yet another backup safety system on top of the pre-existing ankle restraints and lap bars! The Crypt's restraints are mechanically locked, then held down by air, and you have to wear a seatbelt... I wouldn't worry too much.

[EssentiallyCoaster]

If there's any operator whose parks you needn't fear falling out of rides at, it's Cedar Fair. Keep in mind, their rides are really protected, often superfluously so. Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens utilizes the same trains as Vortex, but has only the shoulder restraint, without a seatbelt to hold it down. At first it feels weird, but you quickly come to think "Well, maybe Vortex is just overkill?"

Iron Dragon has no buckle like flight deck does. Very weird arrow discrepancies.

[tlvtr]

thanks for the info. although, I don't know if I really understand all of that.

I personally appreciate every redundant/superfluous protection. In fact, you could probably add time for the ride ops to go around and duct tape everyone to their seats as a triple/quadruple failsafe, and I wouldn't mind.

I can be a bit of a worrier.

[bkroz]

If there's any operator whose parks you needn't fear falling out of rides at, it's Cedar Fair. Keep in mind, their rides are really protected, often superfluously so. Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens utilizes the same trains as Vortex, but has only the shoulder restraint, without a seatbelt to hold it down. At first it feels weird, but you quickly come to think "Well, maybe Vortex is just overkill?"

Iron Dragon has no buckle like flight deck does. Very weird arrow discrepancies.

And remember, they were built nearly half a decade apart. One was overseen by Cedar Fair, one by what amounted to be Paramount Parks by time the trains were on order. That could have something to do with it. I'm only surprised Iron Dragon hasn't since been retrofitted with seat-belts... Strange indeed.

GYK, who is just happy that the "if it goes upside down it must have over-the-shoulder restraints" belief is finally coming to an end.

[XGatorHead 8904]

Iron Dragon has no buckle like flight deck does. Very weird arrow discrepancies.

And remember, they were built nearly half a decade apart. One was overseen by Cedar Fair, one by what amounted to be Paramount Parks by time the trains were on order. That could have something to do with it. I'm only surprised Iron Dragon hasn't since been retrofitted with seat-belts... Strange indeed.

I'm pretty certain FD didn't have seatbelts when the ride first opened, and they were added later. I could be wrong, but I don't rememeber them back in the early days of Top Gun.

[The Interpreter]

Flight Deck's seatbelts were added during the great "add seatbelts" trend recently...As were the ones on Vortex...

They serve to be sure the restraint is lowered far enough, more than anything else.