June 16, 201510 yr comment_211402 Further bad news which may further salted an already bloody wound, dancer Vicky Balch who is still having trouble recovering may now be considering an amputation. Not good news at all, I'm starting to wonder whether the smiler won't reopen now for a while.
June 16, 201510 yr comment_211405 I feel The Smiler will be thrown into the limelight again as a girl has died in Sux Flags Magic Mountain. It has already poured into the news article of The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/magic-mountain-girl-aged-10-5891693?ICID=FB_mirror_main
June 16, 201510 yr comment_211406 Anyone who has taken a 1st Aid course would probably have been told quite plainly, unless you point the finger at one select person to ring 999, there's a good chance no one will do it. Its human nature, and remember, even the ride ops are human beings too. If you walked outside and saw a comet fly down from the sky and bop someone on the head would your first instinct be to ring 999? You'd probably be so awestruck you wouldn't know what to do. I know its not exactly the same, but the incident just couldn't have happened in the ride ops minds, and it came as such surprise to everyone that I should suspect 90% of people probably had no clue how to react.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211409 Just to put this entire thing in perspective , six people have died on a balcony that collapsed. Does this mean all balconys are unsafe and should be closed off? Should all balconys be torn down?
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211412 That accident just screams to me that the girl had some form of underlying condition that she was unaware of. It's still tragic, but no fault can be blamed on anyone really.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211417 Yes I'm with Josh on this one. Pre known/unknown condition. I actually thought that Revolution at SFMM was a bit meh. Ok but nothing amazing, if anything a bit forceless.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211419 Ohhh, I can add Revolution to my death cred collection now... Well this is in poor taste.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211430 Basically we're just going to have to accept that this is the year that roller-coasters are demonized. It's this years bird flu and it gives the papers something to fill columns for the next few months. If someone sneezes on the teacups it'll be a headline.
June 17, 201510 yr Author comment_211431 Good job the press wasn't at Thorpe the other Sunday as someone had decorated the entire path behind Rush with their lunch after riding it.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211436 Good job the press wasn't at Thorpe the other Sunday as someone had decorated the entire path behind Rush with their lunch after riding it.Somebody had chundered on Colossus too, the ride was closed for 20 minutes for "essential cleaning".Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211442 On Colossus? ROFLMAO Yes. On a 10 inversion coaster. What did you expect?
June 17, 201510 yr Author comment_211444 Perhaps it's just me but I've never found coasters nauseating, things like Rush and Enterprise/Zodiac, those I do get a bit light headed on sometimes.
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211445 We're going a little off topic here, but I'll just chip in that the only coaster that makes me anything near nauseated is Inferno. I come off that ride feeling almost dazed. It's brutal! Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
June 17, 201510 yr comment_211464 People get sick on coaches and thankfully not many of them have inversions.
June 18, 201510 yr Author comment_211491 Well, having seen the ride myself today, I can safely say that if it turns out the operator couldn't see the car then I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest that it happened, I couldn't tell one section of the track from another and I was standing right next to it, I can't imagine how difficult it would be from a CCTV with no depth of field.
June 18, 201510 yr comment_211494 Well, having seen the ride myself today, I can safely say that if it turns out the operator couldn't see the car then I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest that it happened, I couldn't tell one section of the track from another and I was standing right next to it, I can't imagine how difficult it would be from a CCTV with no depth of field.There's a simplified light up diagram on the control panel screen.
June 18, 201510 yr comment_211499 Tbh I believe its both a human and a technical fault. I've put together an opinion based on some of the things I have read. From what I have gathered, you're not supposed to load a car while a test car is going around. Second, the car was forced off the first lift hill which meant it was overridden by the operator. The block brake should have stopped the car. Is any of this right because if so it seems legit? Edited June 19, 201510 yr by Tommy Spelling and grammar. Please use a spell checker :)
June 19, 201510 yr comment_211528 Tbh I believe its both a human and a technical fault. I've put together an opinion based on some of the things I have read. From what I have gathered, you're not supposed to load a car while a test car is going around. Second, the car was forced off the first lift hill which meant it was overridden by the operator. The block brake should have stopped the car. Is any of this right because if so it seems legit? Having worked on Dragon's Fury on Chessington, there are no rules about waiting for a test car to come back - Sometimes trains are sent empty just for convenience depending on the fault. It is still unknown why the car moved on from the lift hill after waiting for 10-20 minutes - I'm doubtful that the operator would have the ability to override the blocking system, and would expect engineering to have to get involved, but I don't know the procedures on the Smiler at all. There are trim brakes between the lift hill and section of track where the trains collided, however they would not have been able to stop the train as they are just trims. The 'block brake' is the lift hill in this situation.
June 19, 201510 yr comment_211532 I'm doubtful that the operator would have the ability to override the blocking system, and would expect engineering to have to get involved Unless it was left in manual after engineering added the extra train.
June 19, 201510 yr comment_211543 What evidence was there that they added a new train? The queue times suggest a train was added about an hour before. Also the story from the people on the train said they got on and off the train 3 times before they were finally sent. Doesn't sound like a train being added to me.
June 19, 201510 yr comment_211547 I'm doubtful that the operator would have the ability to override the blocking system watch that space!, and would expect engineering to have to get involved, but I don't know the procedures on the Smiler at all.
June 19, 201510 yr comment_211557 Although nothing should be taken for certain, some people have a reputation for knowledge and truth and should just be listened to. Pay attention and work out who. We will all know in due course, because as much as Towers might not want the full facts laid bare the Health and Safety executive will take that out of their hands when they publish their report.
June 20, 201510 yr comment_211586 What evidence was there that they added a new train? The queue times suggest a train was added about an hour before. Also the story from the people on the train said they got on and off the train 3 times before they were finally sent. Doesn't sound like a train being added to me. The people who were 'next to get on the train' (which is inside), were also watching the stalled train (which is outside), and were shouting to stop the ride... A lot of those stories are rubbish.
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