Face/Off

[gburn07]

No, both Mission Space deaths were known heart problems. Rock n' Rollercoaster wasn't known. And Mcdonalds cups, before the incident did have a small sign saying HOT on it. Now they have to have it printed on it so many times at such a large size that Helen Keller can even see it.

[Kenban]

No, both Mission Space deaths were known heart problems. Rock n' Rollercoaster wasn't known. And Mcdonalds cups, before the incident did have a small sign saying HOT on it. Now they have to have it printed on it so many times at such a large size that Helen Keller can even see it.

The 4 year old boy who died on Mission Space had been checked only a few months before his death and the doctor at the time did not find the defect. As far as the parents knew he was healthy. The 49 year old German woman had VERY high blood pressure. I can't remember if she knew or not but I think she did. The death on Rock n Roller coaster is still under investigation. I suspect it will be similar to the boy on Mission Space and will be linked to an undiagnosed heart condition.

[screamingnight]

What about the woman who died on Top Gun I think back in 2002 or 2003?

[jzarley]

What about the woman who died on Top Gun I think back in 2002 or 2003?

I don't recall any Top Gun deaths...

Also, no one got bitten by a poisonous watersnake on the flume ride, or "got their head chopped off" on The Bat as were both popular rumors when I was in High School (A friend of mine still swears by The Bat story...)

However, someone really did get killed by a lion...

[TheKlockster]

Some woman had a heart attack while riding Top Gun - but did not die on the ride.

[Flight Of The Dead]

ya that was a sad story^ it was on her sons birthday.

[screamingnight]

What about the woman who died on Top Gun I think back in 2002 or 2003?

I don't recall any Top Gun deaths...

Also, no one got bitten by a poisonous watersnake on the flume ride, or "got their head chopped off" on The Bat as were both popular rumors when I was in High School (A friend of mine still swears by The Bat story...)

However, someone really did get killed by a lion...

What Bat story?

[Flight Of The Dead]

every one thinks someone died on bat -.- i heard alot, some one broke there neck.....some one fell off......some one had heart problems. just rumors i say.

[WooferBearATL]

No major incidents ever occured on The Bat. None.

[jzarley]

Around the time The Bat closed there were lots of rumors that it was removed because someone died on it (broken neck, chopped off head, fell out, etc., etc.). Of course, there was no truth to it...just an urban (or suburban <g>) legend.

Of course, The Bat was removed because the prototype design proved too difficult (and expensive) to maintain.

[WooferBearATL]

Around the time The Bat closed there were lots of rumors that it was removed because someone died on it (broken neck, chopped off head, etc.). Of course, there was no truth to it...just an urban (or suburban <g>) legend.

Of course, The Bat was removed because the prototype design proved too difficult (and expensive) to maintain.

The park was unable to guarantee up time and deemed that detrimental to good business and service. Thus, it was taken out.

They actually allowed employees to ride it one last time the day before they started dismantling it.

[KIBeast]

No, both Mission Space deaths were known heart problems. Rock n' Rollercoaster wasn't known.  And Mcdonalds cups, before the incident did have a small sign saying HOT on it. Now they have to have it printed on it so many times at such a large size that Helen Keller can even see it.

The 4 year old boy who died on Mission Space had been checked only a few months before his death and the doctor at the time did not find the defect. As far as the parents knew he was healthy. The 49 year old German woman had VERY high blood pressure. I can't remember if she knew or not but I think she did. The death on Rock n Roller coaster is still under investigation. I suspect it will be similar to the boy on Mission Space and will be linked to an undiagnosed heart condition.

Kenban, there has been a test that proves that there was some kind of congenital heart defect. I think there is still an autopsy to be done, but they do know there was a heart problem for sure.

[jzarley]

The park was unable to guarantee up time and deemed that detrimental to good business and service. Thus, it was taken out.

and that was because...

[Kenban]

The park was unable to guarantee up time and deemed that detrimental to good business and service.  Thus, it was taken out.

and that was because...

The track to The Bat was totally flat and had no banking. Because of this there was a LOT of stress put on the track and cars. Also the ride had brake problems due to putting them on the bottom of the cars. The ride was a maintenance disaster.

The ride was taken down for one simple reason it cost too much to keep it running.

[Shaggy]

I wonder how many times, and how many different ways "it didn't work" can be expressed.

;-)

The fascination with The Bat never ceases to amaze me. Was it a marvel when it was built? Absolutely. Heck, I remember standing on the brick wall watching it swing around to the station over and over again.

But by today's standards, The Bat would be a snoozer... folks don't seem to recall that it only went about 35 m.p.h. In other words, it ran at about the speed of Beastie. (Now The Fairly Odd Coaster)

Shaggy

[gburn07]

^^^^^ well said, parks can't keep people happy nowadays because people who go to the parks dont appreciate much anymore. If The Bat was still here, you would all be complaining about it and would want it removed for something that goes upsidedown 6 times and has purple/orange track in its place. Enjoy what ya have.

[jzarley]

^^^^^ well said, parks can't keep people happy nowadays because people who go to the parks dont appreciate much anymore. If The Bat was still here, you would all be complaining about it and would want it removed for something that goes upsidedown 6 times and has purple/orange track in its place. Enjoy what ya have.

And your lecture was directed toward whom exactly?

[KIBeast]

But by today's standards, The Bat would be a snoozer... folks don't seem to recall that it only went about 35 m.p.h. In other words, it ran at about the speed of Beastie. (Now The Fairly Odd Coaster)

That is true enough, Shaggy. It is not a fair comparison. The circuit for The Bat was pretty crazy with many wild turns which swung the cars out very violently and quickly. This is what made The Bat exciting, not the speed. I think that is what makes Top Gun fun. The banks and the swinging...not the speed of the ride. Not only that, IJ:ST isn't exactly fast by any stretch of the imagination.

[WooferBearATL]

The park was unable to guarantee up time and deemed that detrimental to good business and service.  Thus, it was taken out.

and that was because...

The track to The Bat was totally flat and had no banking. Because of this there was a LOT of stress put on the track and cars. Also the ride had brake problems due to putting them on the bottom of the cars. The ride was a maintenance disaster.

The ride was taken down for one simple reason it cost too much to keep it running.

No Banking?

Uhhh, wrong.

If you've never ridden the ride you can tell there was plenty of banking just from old photos.

[WooferBearATL]

I wonder how many times, and how many different ways "it didn't work" can be expressed.

;-)

The fascination with The Bat never ceases to amaze me. Was it a marvel when it was built? Absolutely. Heck, I remember standing on the brick wall watching it swing around to the station over and over again.

But by today's standards, The Bat would be a snoozer... folks don't seem to recall that it only went about 35 m.p.h. In other words, it ran at about the speed of Beastie. (Now The Fairly Odd Coaster)

Shaggy

It may have only gone that speed but seemed to go much higher.

I don't think that anyone that had ridden the ride would say that it was a "snoozer."

[WooferBearATL]

But by today's standards, The Bat would be a snoozer... folks don't seem to recall that it only went about 35 m.p.h. In other words, it ran at about the speed of Beastie. (Now The Fairly Odd Coaster)

That is true enough, Shaggy. It is not a fair comparison. The circuit for The Bat was pretty crazy with many wild turns which swung the cars out very violently and quickly. This is what made The Bat exciting, not the speed. I think that is what makes Top Gun fun. The banks and the swinging...not the speed of the ride. Not only that, IJ:ST isn't exactly fast by any stretch of the imagination.

And that is what many people would fail to note and understand.

The Bat was truly a unique ride and one to be experienced. Put it up against Top Gun and The Bat would be the winner every time.

[Shaggy]

"I don't think that anyone that had ridden the ride would say that it was a "snoozer."

My point, in case you missed it, was not that those of us that recall/rode it when it operated thought it was boring.

My point is, that if the ride were still in existance today, I don't feel that it would be considered that thrilling by today's mega standards.

Much like anything in popular society, legends and memories of things actually supercede the reality of them.

The reality is, The Bat was fun... but terribly problematic and ahead of it's time. Very few persons got to ride it. So, it's unusual history lends itself to become one that fascinates those that never witnessed it firsthand. Heck, it's what started my fascination with coasters (and KI) in general. But I also vividly recall how immensely frustrating it was to guests to hear the ride hyped by their "friends", or see ads on TV or in the newspapers, only to find it closed nearly each and every time you visited the park.

I have always thought of it as the "Cabbage Patch Kid" of the amusement industry in the 1980s.

HUH?

What I mean is, if you recall that Cabbage Patch Doll craze of the 1980's, you'll remember that there was an extreme exclusivity that drove their popularity through the roof. Because of that exclusivity, people just had to have one... they were like gold, and everybody that was lucky enough to get their hands on them bragged, and made them out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. When in reality, the rarity of having one was the motivation for their favor.

The difference is, CP Dolls stuck around and people got really tired and bored with them. The Bat did not stick around, so the fascination and intrigue never died. add to that urban legends about accidents and deaths and you get quite a legendary force.

Within two years of The Bat's origin, Arrow had perfected the Suspended coaster to the point that they could build "Big Bad Wolf" at BGW which goes twice as fast.

But let's cite that as the perfect example.... BBW was plagued with downtime in it's first two years of operation and it opened much later than expected.. much like The Bat. That coaster weathered it's rough times and remains today. However, it's hardly the popular coaster at BGW. Compared to Alpengeist, or Apollo's Chariot or the former Dragon Fire, it's considered remarkably tame. That's a complete contrast to how "fierce" it seemed when it first opened.

IMO, The Bat, had it not ceased existance due to mechanical issues, would have suffered the same fate. And after watching KI/PKI's willy-nilly removal of rides in the past decade, would no doubt have been axed for something "bigger and better."

Shaggy

[KIBeast]

My point is, that if the ride were still in existance today, I don't feel that it would be considered that thrilling by today's mega standards.

I guess I was missing the point too. It is very true that The Bat would be tame compared to today's mega coasters. It now would be considered in the same category as Iron Dragon...a intermediate coaster.

Also, I remember the Cabbage Patch craze too. Everyone had to have one. I remember one christmas, I was at this huge toy store and I literally saw grown women fighting over the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.

[jzarley]

^ I actually have one still in the box from the early 80s (a Cabbage Patch...not The Bat )

I won it in a drawing at a discount store in Ohio called "Rinks." I didn't really care so much about winning it, but considering all the hype I figured if I kept it in the original packaging it might be worth something someday. (I was a somewhat enterprising 14 year-old <g>) I should have sold it to one of those desperate mothers at the time...it was probably worth more then to them than it is to a collector now.

It's still sitting in a closet at my parents house, in the original unopened box. I should check on EBay to see how much they're going for...I haven't thought about that thing in years!

[WooferBearATL]

Cabbage Patch dolls are actually born down here near Helen, GA. I know because I often ride the bike by the hospital (yes they really call it that) on my way to the mountains.