stretchy Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 She seems a really nice person. And what really surprised me is how well she seems to be coping with the whole situation. I am not sure I would be any where near as grounded and rational as she is. Respect! alexander, Mer, Altitude and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 That interview is insane, she could be so resentful but she's not letting it take over her life. Very admirable. Fair play to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam T Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I can only give my highest respect to Leah, Joe, Vicky & Daniel and the other 12 riders on that train. Leah & Vicky are showing true strength and a very speedy recovery, it's a shame something so out of the norm, had to happen to two wonderful young women. I hope now, The Mirror (and other press), leave the victims to have some time to themselves. I can only imagine having something so traumatic be so public must feel like so I hope the victims can continue a peaceful recovery. In regards of The Smiler, members of the public are so certain it will be closed down. It's so problematic and now very costly for Merlin but I'll be dammed if I see the ride close! It's still the statement ride at the top of Gerstlauer & Merlin's webpages... I would like the future of The Smiler to be a quiet reopening at the start of the new season... followed by some improvements a couple of seasons afterwards. Now plans for 'existing ride improvements' are a thing Merlin are willing to risk, here hoping they go back and give The Smiler the opening it deserved! Mer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt10 Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Apart from the fact I will be heavily delayed again most likely.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 In regards of The Smiler, members of the public are so certain it will be closed down. It's so problematic and now very costly for Merlin but I'll be dammed if I see the ride close! It's still the statement ride at the top of Gerstlauer & Merlin's webpages... I would like the future of The Smiler to be a quiet reopening at the start of the new season... followed by some improvements a couple of seasons afterwards. Of course some improvements to the ride could be done then...but SAFETY improvements are obviously the first thing they're considering, so will be in effect once the ride reopens. Following my weekend at Towers last month, looking at The Smiler, they can probably do a few things to the ride to make it as if it's a whole new ride again. For example, the track is beginning to be in need of a slight repaint, and perhaps add some new wheels to the trains as well. It'll be as if Towers now have the opportunity to go back a few years, if you like, and more or less make things how they should've been when the ride opened. Nffc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeah Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 The Smiler was testing only a week or so after the accident, so I think it'll reopen. Another reason I doubt it will close permanently is no disrespect to the people who were injured, but nobody died. There are rides everywhere that people have died on that are still open, such as Texas Giant which reopened a week after the accident. So I think the Smiler will reopen next year after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 There are rides everywhere that people have died on that are still open, such as Texas Giant which reopened a week after the accident. So I think the Smiler will reopen next year after all. Don't forget there are even DISNEY rides that have had more severe incidents! The Matterhorn Bobsleds for instance had TWO deaths on it in its life...yet it's still operational today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 The Smiler was testing only a week or so after the accident, so I think it'll reopen. Another reason I doubt it will close permanently is no disrespect to the people who were injured, but nobody died. There are rides everywhere that people have died on that are still open, such as Texas Giant which reopened a week after the accident. So I think the Smiler will reopen next year after all. It was only testing cos HSE were trying to recreate the steps of the incident to see if it could be repeated... It hasn't been seen moving since that week... At least not when the park is open... Merry-go-girl and MachoMachine 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 I would love to know what the plan is for this ride. Obviously a rebrand is pretty certain. They're gonna have to announce something and like SeaWorld, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. Either way it will be all over the press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 I think the biggest deciding factor towards the ride re-opening will be whether they can fully understand what happened and be sure that it won't happen again, as if they don't manage to find out exactly what happened and why then I can't see it reopening. I do hope it reopens as it's a good coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 I think the biggest deciding factor towards the ride re-opening will be whether they can fully understand what happened and be sure that it won't happen again, as if they don't manage to find out exactly what happened and why then I can't see it reopening. I do hope it reopens as it's a good coaster. They know already and they know how to prevent it. If they didn't the other rides closed 'as a precaution' would still be closed. Ian-S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 I would love to know what the plan is for this ride. Obviously a rebrand is pretty certain. They're gonna have to announce something and like SeaWorld, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. Either way it will be all over the press. I don't think we're anywhere near the same ball park as Seaworld. The way Towers dealt with the Smiler incident straight away has meant that there is quite a lot of good will towards them. People are returning, even the injured have been pretty open in saying that they don't blame the park and just want to know what happened. It's not the same as people watching Blackfish and assuming Seaworld just kill whales for fun. I think people will still ride whatever the Smiler becomes. Maybe not at first, but over time it will return to normal levels. Kerfuffle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 I agree, this isn't really that comparable to SeaWorld's issues surrounding Blackfish, mostly because in recent years animals are treated as pretty much equal to humanity (when it suits us of course)... The recent case of Cecil the Lion shows what strange lengths people go to because of an animal being treated cruelly (yet flip the coin on certain humans being treated the same, as no-one cares)... Especially in the world of internet warriors who tend to apparently know much, much more than qualified vets and stuff, although with Blackfish it's one word against the other, and brings along with it the whole argument as to whether zoos are suitable... Blackfish has pretty much killed 2 parks and caused a lot more disruption to them... It's also an international scale thing, whereas Towers has mostly been a national thing, with a few international reports at the time of the incident in the same way we had a few articles about some of the Stateside incident... That SeaWorld have responded by building a B&M Hyper in Orlando is about the only route I would suggest Towers also take... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 I didn't mean it so literal, just in that either way those internet warriors will be slating them, whatever decision. JoshC. and Altitude 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 They know already and they know how to prevent it. If they didn't the other rides closed 'as a precaution' would still be closed. Would there not have been an H&S report published? Or is it unlikely that we will find out what happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 I didn't mean it so literal, just in that either way those internet warriors will be slating them, whatever decision. Ah those internet warriors. Lets face it if they aren't moaning how Towers should be shut down they'd be moaning about something else more trivial like queue times or price to get in. Mer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Would there not have been an H&S report published? Or is it unlikely that we will find out what happened? That's a different thing, I'm sure they publish it when it's ready although some o it might be redacted if necessary. Alton will already know exactly how the accident was able to occur, if they didn't they wouldn't have opened the rides they closed - you can't fix a problem if you don't know what it is!. Actually the point they worked out exactly what happened was when they closed the other rides a day or two after, as it was apparent the same set of circumstances that put two cars on one bit of track was possible on those too, however unlikely it was to actually happen. They'll have a good idea of what's in the report, because of they way health and safety have to investigate it's not done in secret, what they wont necessarily know is what sort of prosecution might be coming off the back of it. I'm sure they're crossing their fingers that it gets released over closed season... Coaster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 The question is really, "Can Towers open Smiler again without the HSE report published in the public domain?" Towers know 100% what caused the incident... They most likely knew on the actual day of the incident what caused it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planenut Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 The question is really, "Can Towers open Smiler again without the HSE report published in the public domain?" Towers know 100% what caused the incident... They most likely knew on the actual day of the incident what caused it... The cause was pretty obvious; Merlin need to get this sorted as the longer it remains closed without obvious remedial action will arouse more suspicion. We are all guilty of some conjecture, but if a head is to roll, then let it, and get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altitude Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 The cause was pretty obvious Out of interest, what was the cause? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 There's only one 'way' that this could happen really, what is under question are the circumstances that allowed this to happen. But it would be pretty stupid to publicly post on an internet forum any reason as to why it could happen, it would just make life difficult for the people currently trying to keep things sensible and under control. Tom and pluk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planenut Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Out of interest, what was the cause? Second try at this posting - Until the cause is officially announced I cannot add further to that conjecture - sad to say, people have been injured, their lives have been changed, and some people are worried about their job security. Reports by major Departments are often unduly delayed, my own employer is awaiting a report of an inspection from over seven months ago; the Smiler incident is of major public interest and should be competently hurried along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207431/Two-workers-quizzed-human-error-Alton-Towers-horror-Engineer-turned-automatic-safety-lock-operator-let-truck-slam-stalled-carriage.html Looks like the Daily Mail is the first to run with the story; human error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Human error. Manual override as most of us predicted. Worth pointing out that nothing mentioned seems to be directly from Alton Towers or HSE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 The Fail still can't even get the basics right... Ride stalls at top of first lift hill? er, no it doesn't. Test carriage stops on batwing as safety sensors are activated? er, no it didn't. How can they lack even a basic grasp of the mechanics of this incident after sooooo many articles? Mer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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