Attraction Rollo Coaster
- Thread starter Hawth
- Start date
RE: Child falls off coaster at Idlewild Park
I do find this kinda odd, so many accidents in the same year, something smells fishy.
I do find this kinda odd, so many accidents in the same year, something smells fishy.
RE: Child falls off coaster at Idlewild Park
I have family in Pittsburg, and I can say this coaster (though small) is sketchy. Rollo Coaster I believe the name is. It's just a mounted bar. No other form of restraints. So the "safety bar" referred in the news report doesn't do a whole lot.
I have family in Pittsburg, and I can say this coaster (though small) is sketchy. Rollo Coaster I believe the name is. It's just a mounted bar. No other form of restraints. So the "safety bar" referred in the news report doesn't do a whole lot.
RE: Child falls off coaster at Idlewild Park
I'm going to take this bull by the horns and argue for the side no one else probably wants to.
I've been on Rollo Coaster in addition to a handful of other classic, unmodified wooden coasters throughout the state of Pennsylvania. I have yet to ride a single one on which I felt unsafe- Rollo Coaster included. I understand why some people who typically only frequent chain parks feel a bit sketched-out when they encounter coasters without seat belts, ratcheting lap bars, station gates, or even sometimes without restraints of any kind. I get that it feels bizarre. That doesn't mean these rides aren't safe though.
Some of the country's oldest coasters do require a small bit of responsibility while riding them. What do I mean by small responsibility? I mean not standing up and not trying to exit the car. This is the same level of maturity and responsibility we require of guests riding log flumes and countless flat rides throughout this entire industry. Why shouldn't it be OK on a coaster?
I don't want to say that this kid did something wrong and that's why he was hurt... but I will say this: I'd bet money that one of the two boys in that car was doing something they obviously shouldn't have been doing. Again, I hate the idea of blaming the victim, but in this case, I'm pretty sure it's probably spot-on.
If I were building a coaster today, I'd want a coaster that would be totally stupid-proof. Even if someone wanted to kill themselves on a coaster built today, they shouldn't be able to (see: Shockwave incident at KD). That said, I also don't want to live in a world where historic landmarks like Rollo Coaster (Idlewild), Thunderbolt (Kennywood), Phoenix (Knoebels), and even things like Mind Bender (Six Flags over Georgia) have to be modified or, worse, bulldozed, because their trains and restraint systems aren't entirely stupid-proof.
If a problem exists here, it's with the general public, not these classic coasters. Rollo Coaster has been running with this restraint setup for almost 80 years now. This is the only incident I have been able to find in the ride's history.
tl;dr: Immature, irresponsible, stupid guests will always find a way to be immature, irresponsible, and stupid. If the restraint systems on classic woodies like Rollo Coaster are a problem, we need to start putting seat belts on our log flumes, ratcheting lap bars on our scramblers, sensor-equipped, electronically-locked restraints on waveswingers, and over-the-shoulder restraints on shoot-the-chute rides.
This industry has never been and hopefully never will be idiot-proof. In fact, I'd argue that pretending it is or should be actually does the entire industry a notable disservice. People should know that when they're at parks they need to keep their minds turned on. Parks have a responsibility to provide a safe environment, but guests also have a responsibility to do as they're told.
I'm going to take this bull by the horns and argue for the side no one else probably wants to.
I've been on Rollo Coaster in addition to a handful of other classic, unmodified wooden coasters throughout the state of Pennsylvania. I have yet to ride a single one on which I felt unsafe- Rollo Coaster included. I understand why some people who typically only frequent chain parks feel a bit sketched-out when they encounter coasters without seat belts, ratcheting lap bars, station gates, or even sometimes without restraints of any kind. I get that it feels bizarre. That doesn't mean these rides aren't safe though.
Some of the country's oldest coasters do require a small bit of responsibility while riding them. What do I mean by small responsibility? I mean not standing up and not trying to exit the car. This is the same level of maturity and responsibility we require of guests riding log flumes and countless flat rides throughout this entire industry. Why shouldn't it be OK on a coaster?
I don't want to say that this kid did something wrong and that's why he was hurt... but I will say this: I'd bet money that one of the two boys in that car was doing something they obviously shouldn't have been doing. Again, I hate the idea of blaming the victim, but in this case, I'm pretty sure it's probably spot-on.
If I were building a coaster today, I'd want a coaster that would be totally stupid-proof. Even if someone wanted to kill themselves on a coaster built today, they shouldn't be able to (see: Shockwave incident at KD). That said, I also don't want to live in a world where historic landmarks like Rollo Coaster (Idlewild), Thunderbolt (Kennywood), Phoenix (Knoebels), and even things like Mind Bender (Six Flags over Georgia) have to be modified or, worse, bulldozed, because their trains and restraint systems aren't entirely stupid-proof.
If a problem exists here, it's with the general public, not these classic coasters. Rollo Coaster has been running with this restraint setup for almost 80 years now. This is the only incident I have been able to find in the ride's history.
tl;dr: Immature, irresponsible, stupid guests will always find a way to be immature, irresponsible, and stupid. If the restraint systems on classic woodies like Rollo Coaster are a problem, we need to start putting seat belts on our log flumes, ratcheting lap bars on our scramblers, sensor-equipped, electronically-locked restraints on waveswingers, and over-the-shoulder restraints on shoot-the-chute rides.
This industry has never been and hopefully never will be idiot-proof. In fact, I'd argue that pretending it is or should be actually does the entire industry a notable disservice. People should know that when they're at parks they need to keep their minds turned on. Parks have a responsibility to provide a safe environment, but guests also have a responsibility to do as they're told.
The height requirements for this ride are 48 inches tall to ride alone or 36 inches to ride with an adult. The boy is 3 years old and he was riding with his 6 year old brother. I doubt the 3 year old is 48 inches tall and he should not have been riding this coaster with a 6 year old. The parents and ride operators should not have let this child ride without an adult.
If that's the case, surely the staff is at fault, but aren't the riders and/or their parents partly to blame for not following the rules?
Because whenever this happens on a classic woodie, the ride is blamed. I prefer to be able to tell people "_____ was really at fault here and _____ is why the ride in question is perfectly safe."
Rides installed as permanint structures are constructed and maintained to operate without any sort of injury to the riders. Regardless of how old the ride may be.
It is a very rare occasion where the ride, or the manufacturer is at fault. State laws regulate the safety and inspection of these rides. Day in, and day out.
If ridden properly there will not be an issue. I know I sound like Trump for blaming a toddler (lol) but, the rider, and associated party is at fault here....
It is a very rare occasion where the ride, or the manufacturer is at fault. State laws regulate the safety and inspection of these rides. Day in, and day out.
If ridden properly there will not be an issue. I know I sound like Trump for blaming a toddler (lol) but, the rider, and associated party is at fault here....
Yes but one place that we play a role for better or for. Fair or not is public perception. Often times these forums come up in Google searches on parks so we do play an information role and it is important to reinforce that the ride wasn't to blame because that story will be out there even though it appears to not be the case and somebody might make a decision not to go to the park or ride that coaster based on that mistaken belief.Nicole said:
I agree. And Zachary's initial post did exactly that. Then the conversation seemed to devolve into finger-pointing and a useless game of "who can we blame next?"
For clarity, I regularly use rhetorical questions to moderate the Forum. I understand what was being said, and why. But I felt that the discussion was going in a useless and somewhat distasteful direction, so I asked a general question for which I neither needed or wanted an answer.
For clarity, I regularly use rhetorical questions to moderate the Forum. I understand what was being said, and why. But I felt that the discussion was going in a useless and somewhat distasteful direction, so I asked a general question for which I neither needed or wanted an answer.