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I think we may see an increase in ambulance chasing lawyers filing or threatening to file suits in hopes of quick settlements - pretty sure that's what happened when someone complained about a potential injury sustained from an aggressive stop on AC's MCBR or ready brakes. Whether companies want to fight or settle is up to them - even if they win a fight they may lose customers, if they lose a fight then they may have to accept the blame, and if they settle then there may be a perception of a problem still existing.

However, if X2 actually has a deficiency that can cause injury, even if it's not necessarily the root cause of the injuries in these suits, then the owner has the decision of the removing the deficiency or scrapping the ride.

These people who allegedly suffered debilitating injuries from X2 could implicate the park for operating unsafe rides and cause huge attendance drops among other things, yet it's also up to independent qualified inspectors to make that determination.

A generally rough ride on its own usually has little ridership and thus little to no ROI to keep in operation, so I wouldn't worry about a mass shutdown of rides that aren't already being closed because of that.

I would be concerned if rides previously thought of as safe were found to no longer be and kept in operation, though I would hope the industry learned a lot from SoB, the Smiler, and the drop tower in Orlando.
 
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Retiring X2 | Six Flags Magic Mountain

An operational update from Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding

Six Flags Community:

After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2.

Since X2 opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts. We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run.

While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.

Our purpose is to create FUN, thrills and a lifetime of memories by creating unforgettable experiences that are underpinned by comprehensive safety policies. To learn more about our ride safety program, visit our website at Ride Safety at Six Flags.

Brian Oerding

Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President
 
This is not surprising at all. Another arrow bites the dust, and I'm actually okay with that. The more I hop on older coasters as I'm getting older, I don't find them enjoyable and neither do my kids after experiencing better modern rides. You should not have to know how to ride a ride for it to be fun and painless.
 
Probably never would have been able to, but X/X2 always seemed like an interesting idea. It was probably always too ambitious for its own good though.

Hopefully the two overseas don't end up with the same fate for a while.
 
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Unfortunately the expected outcome. It would have been a colossal gamble to retrack large parts of/the entire ride, even with current manufacturing tolerances. With how notorious it had become, I have little doubt that there would have been another round of "this ride hurt me" claims even after a complete rework and genuine smoothness improvements, and we'd basically be right back in this position.
 
Yeah I've never been out to MM but from everything being reported and even anecdata from riders about how violent it is, the force profile etc, plus its status as a troubled prototype, it seems like its time is up. Maybe SF could've put more work into it more consistently but it just got train work right? It probably took track work to really "fix" it. RIP X2

I'm very taken by this statement:
"While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously."

Wonder if it is PR talking or if they knew that it may technically pass tests but it still beats the hell out of people.
 
This was 100% the right thing to do. If they had done anything else they would be getting railed for it in the press for years.
 
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its also why I feel like whatever replaces it won't just be some small type thing.. yes you can see a lot of the rides from the freeway, but X is literally the first ride you are essentially face to face with.... If they demo it its not going to stay some empty plot of land for long, because it will stick out like a sore thumb
 
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