http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/22/national/main2965711.shtml?source=mostpop_story

    i guess one of the cables snapped and just took them right off. says it's below the ankles though. so aybe they can re-attack them.

I just saw a report on this on TV.  Apparently all similar rides across North American amusement parks are going to be shut down until further notice.  There is one in Vancouver that won't be, as it's not cable operated, but uses windpower

yikes  :-\\

I heard about this today too. Poor girl. I don't know if the doctor's will be able to attach her legs and feets.

Although I'm not going to one of the affected amusement parks, next Friday I will be in Tampa at Busch Gardens. I'm still going to ride the roller coasters and what not - this was a freak accident, and roller coasters are generally safer than even airlines.

OMG! Can you imagine how that poor young woman is going to suffer for the rest of her life?  I hope the family sues to kingdom come!

Amusement parks prided themselves on safety.  I always heard they were so much better maintained and regulated than traveling carnivals.  I'll tell you what though, all through my childhood we attended traveling carnivals at which the amusement rides were bolted together by toothless hooligans who were in the drunk tank as recently as the night before, and nobody get her feet severed!
::)

OMG! Can you imagine how that poor young woman is going to suffer for the rest of her life?  I hope the family sues to kingdom come!

Amusement parks prided themselves on safety.  I always heard they were so much better maintained and regulated than traveling carnivals.  I'll tell you what though, all through my childhood we attended traveling carnivals at which the amusement rides were bolted together by toothless hooligans who were in the drunk tank as recently as the night before, and nobody get her feet severed!
::)


Travelling carnival rides scare me, only because they are taken down and reassembled so quickly that I have to believe some safety rules are not followed. I would hazzard a guess that those rides are also not designed by world class engineers...

My mother tore her left rotator cuff on a ride at King's Dominion, Virginia, about twenty years ago. It was also a fluke: the ride (Wild Water Rapids) had come to a stop, and the only part left was riding the conveyor up to the exit platform. She, as was instructed to do by ride safety rules, was holding onto the center bar, and at the top of the "car" (facing down the ramp), when the conveyor suddenly stopped (or moved foward, I can't remember) which caused her to tear her left shoulder all to hell. She was out of work for almost three months after the surgery, and still has not fully recovered from that day some two decades ago. She got a minimal settlement from the lawsuit. Considering she is a hairdresser by trade, which frequently requires lifting both arms for extended periods of time past a 90* angle, I think she got gypped in the settlement.

Wow, this is the same exact Six Flags that I live near.  I've been going there since the Early 90's (Although the last time I went there was either 1999 or 2000)

I wasn't even aware that they had changed the name of that ride from the "Hellevator" to the "Superman Tower of Power".  I remember when the Hellevator opened around Halloween of 1995.  It was such a big deal at the time, and I believe I remember it being the first ride of it's kind at the time in the country.

Here's an exact picture of the ride which she got her feet severed...

http://alongthemidway.inashadeofgrey.com/sfkk/kkimages/hellevator.jpg

By the way, strangely enough, yet ANOTHER incident happened at the same Six Flags just yesterday where a boy fell out of the security holster on this stand up roller coaster called "Chang".  He died shortly thereafter  :(

Six Flags Kentuxky Kingdom has a bad history of accidents.  There used to be this unique roller coaster called the "Starchaser", and it was inside a little building which would be pitch black and you would basically ride on the roller coaster in a pitch black room, and to make it even more weird, it's actually two roller coasters going at the same time next to each other.  In July 1994, two of the coasters crashed into each other and injured a bunch of people.  They ended up getting rid of the ride in 1995.

I hate amusement parks and I always have.  I've only ridden on one roller coaster in my entire life, and it happened to be one of the fastest wooden coasters in the country (according to experts).  Nothing creeps me out more than the thought of getting thrown from a coaster or a cart going off track and killing us all, I won't even take the chance or the risk of it happening.  Thankfully I avoided riding the "Hellevator", there was no way I was getting on that sucker, I would have vomited like a maniac afterwards  :P

Not very nice

I read about this. Very sad.

When I was kid (about 9 or 10), I went to Riverside Park (now called Great Adventure New England-I'm sure Max knows the place  ;) ). I was with 2 of my sisters and my childhood best friend. My sisters wanted to go on the roller coaster but I didn't and I don't think my friend did either. I remember we got a bunch of candy apples and decided to go on the Tilt-a-Whirl which was next to the roller coast. We couldn't go on with the apples so we took turns-2 would go on the ride and 2 would hold the apples. My sisters were on the ride while my friend and I held the apples. I heard a BANG and looked to see my friend get up from the bench and run towards the roller coaster. I followed. My sisters joined us shortly because the person running the Tilt-a-Whirl stopped it. When I got over there, I saw the roller coaster car on it side and people getting out. Luckily, it tipped BEFORE making it assent. I'm not too sure if anyone was hurt or not but I did hear some woman screaming, "Richard! He's under there!" (I have no idea who Richard was but it really scared the bejesus out of me.) I also thought about the fact that my sisters wanted to go on it and wondered if they would have been on it at the time or still in line. For the rest of the day, I hardly went on any more rides. The Antique Cars & the Fun House was basically all I could handle.

As for those traveling carnivals,  my mother wouldn't let us go on ANY of the rides at those things. It is funny because right now as I write this, there is a carnival almost right out side our window (it is in the park which isn't even a block away). It has been there for the past 2 days and we haven't even been over there-but we hear it. Today is the last day.



Cat

Travelling carnival rides scare me, only because they are taken down and reassembled so quickly that I have to believe some safety rules are not followed. I would hazzard a guess that those rides are also not designed by world class engineers...


I was being facetious.  Of course there were accidents at this dingy little traveling carnivals.  They didn't have the high speed giant rollercoaster at little carnivals.  Those are the rides that pose a higher risk of mutilation or fatality.  On the other hand, if you think about the number of rollercoasters nationwide, the number of runs per rollercoaster per season, and the number of riders, you have a much greater chance of getting killed crossing the street than you do riding a rollercoaster. 

I do remember the Great Adventure park Cat was talking about.  However, the nearest amusement park where I was growing up was a second-rate operation called Canobie Lake Park in NH.  They had one of the scariest rollercoasters ever!  Not because of its dimensions, maneuvers, or speed, but it's poor structural integrity.  Your cart would bear down on a curve and the whole rickety thing groaned like it was going to split apart!
:o

And yet I went on that rollercoaster every time we went to the park.  I didn't want to look like I was chicken, y'know.  It only lasted a couple of minutes...but then my friend would be all, "Oh boy, let's do that again!"
::)

At least she's alive, but it's still a tragedy. Stories like this are exactly why I can't help but get a little freaked out at the thought of these rides. There was an 11 or 12-year old boy c. 1998 at the Great America in San Jose who, I remember, was killed on the Drop Zone when he wasn't harnessed correctly.

I'm sure these are still maybe 1 out of a million, but it's still a little unnerving when you're riding them. I tend to get a little nervous on anything that goes upside down. Although, ironically, last one I went to back in the Summer of '05, the coaster on the rickety-type wooden track ended up making me alot more white-knuckled than the actual upside down ones did, lol.

At least she's alive, but it's still a tragedy. Stories like this are exactly why I can't help but get a little freaked out at the thought of these rides. There was an 11 or 12-year old boy c. 1998 at the Great America in San Jose who, I remember, was killed on the Drop Zone when he wasn't harnessed correctly.

I'm sure these are still maybe 1 out of a million, but it's still a little unnerving when you're riding them. I tend to get a little nervous on anything that goes upside down. Although, ironically, last one I went to back in the Summer of '05, the coaster on the rickety-type wooden track ended up making me alot more white-knuckled than the actual upside down ones did, lol.

The number is far smaller than one in a million.  If it was one in a million, that would mean 300 Americans would DIE on rollercoasters this year!

But I know what you're saying.  It's lake the comeback to the statement "air travel is statistically the safest mode of transportation."
"Yeah, but 747s don't have fender benders!"
:o

If I was the lawyer for that amusement park, I'd say "Well, the ride IS called the 'Drop Zone,' and that's what this boy got...dropped!"  The result being my client getting their asses sued off and my practice losing all its clients...
:-\\

The number is far smaller than one in a million.  If it was one in a million, that would mean 300 Americans would DIE on rollercoasters this year!

But I know what you're saying.  It's lake the comeback to the statement "air travel is statistically the safest mode of transportation."
"Yeah, but 747s don't have fender benders!"
:o

If I was the lawyer for that amusement park, I'd say "Well, the ride IS called the 'Drop Zone,' and that's what this boy got...dropped!"  The result being my client getting their asses sued off and my practice losing all its clients...
:-\\


Yeah, I wouldn't even ride it in the first place myself! Ironically, that wasn't even a "ride" per se in the way that a roller coaster is. It basically scales straight down from maybe 100 feet up in the air, so it's like just falling. Also, with anything statistical, you have to think per capita. I'm sure if there were as many airplanes as cars on the road, and in the same fashion (imagine airplane freeways bumper to bumper, lol), it wouldn't be as safe in comparison.

OMG! Can you imagine how that poor young woman is going to suffer for the rest of her life?  I hope the family sues to kingdom come!

Amusement parks prided themselves on safety.  I always heard they were so much better maintained and regulated than traveling carnivals.  I'll tell you what though, all through my childhood we attended traveling carnivals at which the amusement rides were bolted together by toothless hooligans who were in the drunk tank as recently as the night before, and nobody get her feet severed!
::)
I hope they just give her the money,but I think they need her to sue in order for their insurance to settle or something.

  I'll tell you what though, all through my childhood we attended traveling carnivals at which the amusement rides were bolted together by toothless hooligans who were in the drunk tank as recently as the night before, and nobody get her feet severed!
::)


Those hooligans likely went on to become lacrosse players at Duuke.

I just don't understand how her feet got severed from that particular ride.  I mean what on earth happened that got her feet cut off?  Did some knives magically fly through the air and cut off her feet during the ride? It makes no sense how her feet were severed on a ride where you sit down and your legs are free to dangle while falling some hundred feet...

I hear that a cable snapped, but what does that have to do with severing feet? Did the cables lash through her legs or something?  That's pretty intense

A cable came up with such force/velocity and severed her feet at the ankles.  I heard that several ppl saw it coming so they were able to move their legs out of the way, but apparently she didn't see it or have time to react.  So sad.  Last I heard she was in surgery (they found the feet and put them in the ambulance with her when they rushed her to the hospital.  I'll see if I can find an update.

I will continue to ride roller coasters and thrill rides.  Scariest one I have been on is the Big Shot on top of the Statosphere Tower in Las Vegas.  Your only attached by a little cable and hook, so your free to move up in your seat when it hits the top of its climb.  This ride takes you straight up in the air from 900 to like 1000 feet in the air, looking out over vegas.

I accept my fate if I die on one of these rides or lose my feet.  I drive on the road every day and risk my life because of stupid air heads thinking they can drive.  They tell you seat belts can save your life.  But what about the time when the seat belt keeps you from getting out of a burning car in time.  That is a freak accident, but it can happen.  They can do an investigation into what caused this accident, but closing down an amusement park because of another accident shouldn't be an option.   

Wow, this is the same exact Six Flags that I live near.  I've been going there since the Early 90's (Although the last time I went there was either 1999 or 2000)

I wasn't even aware that they had changed the name of that ride from the "Hellevator" to the "Superman Tower of Power".  I remember when the Hellevator opened around Halloween of 1995.  It was such a big deal at the time, and I believe I remember it being the first ride of it's kind at the time in the country.

Here's an exact picture of the ride which she got her feet severed...

http://alongthemidway.inashadeofgrey.com/sfkk/kkimages/hellevator.jpg

By the way, strangely enough, yet ANOTHER incident happened at the same Six Flags just yesterday where a boy fell out of the security holster on this stand up roller coaster called "Chang".  He died shortly thereafter  :(

Six Flags Kentuxky Kingdom has a bad history of accidents.  There used to be this unique roller coaster called the "Starchaser", and it was inside a little building which would be pitch black and you would basically ride on the roller coaster in a pitch black room, and to make it even more weird, it's actually two roller coasters going at the same time next to each other.  In July 1994, two of the coasters crashed into each other and injured a bunch of people.  They ended up getting rid of the ride in 1995.

I hate amusement parks and I always have.  I've only ridden on one roller coaster in my entire life, and it happened to be one of the fastest wooden coasters in the country (according to experts).  Nothing creeps me out more than the thought of getting thrown from a coaster or a cart going off track and killing us all, I won't even take the chance or the risk of it happening.  Thankfully I avoided riding the "Hellevator", there was no way I was getting on that sucker, I would have vomited like a maniac afterwards  :P


Boy, you live out there way past West County huh.

I live right near this six flags and have been numerous times.. and will continue to go. So somebody got their feet ripped off.. it's a thrill seeking ride ladies and gentlemen.

All amusements parks are notoriously unregulated, understaffed, and the staff undereducated.  Take note of the ages of the people who usually run the rides. Knowing what I know about that kind of machinery and the lack of knowledge of the operators, I don't make it a habit of going on them anymore. 

Steel cables indeed can become lethal when they are moving fast.

I once saw this movie where a guy was in an elevator car, when the elevator cable was cut and flew thru the roof of the car.  The guy's head got cut clean off.

So I could see this accident happening.

I wonder why, if the cable snapped, the ride did not slam to the ground, hurting more people? ???

The way amusement parks seem to operate these days, you are pretty much taking your life into your own hands when you go on a ride.  Rides can be checked, re-checked, and checked again, but accidents can happen.  Nothing is 100%

I fell off a water ride once at Canada's Wonderland in Toronto.  It's a big giant slide that you go down on a sled type thing.  I was scared to go on it, but I got up the courage.  The lady in charge assured me that it was 100% safe, but about ¼ of the way down, a gust of wind blew me off and I crashed to the ground, twisting my ankle.  I was only a teen at the time, but looking back now, I wonder why I never did anything about it, like got my folks to sue or something like that

I hate amusement parks and I always have.  I've only ridden on one roller coaster in my entire life, and it happened to be one of the fastest wooden coasters in the country (according to experts).  Nothing creeps me out more than the thought of getting thrown from a coaster or a cart going off track and killing us all, I won't even take the chance or the risk of it happening.  Thankfully I avoided riding the "Hellevator", there was no way I was getting on that sucker, I would have vomited like a maniac afterwards  :P


now now, don't go off on a tangent. one poorely maintinained park shouldn't ruin all amusement park reputations. i was just at cedar point thursday (voted best 7 years i think) and i had a great expirience.

Steel cables indeed can become lethal when they are moving fast.

I once saw this movie where a guy was in an elevator car, when the elevator cable was cut and flew thru the roof of the car.  The guy's head got cut clean off.

So I could see this accident happening.

I wonder why, if the cable snapped, the ride did not slam to the ground, hurting more people? ???


i think it did fall but the braking systems still worked.

I wonder why I never did anything about it, like got my folks to sue or something like that


Because you're a reasonable individual and understand that accidents happen and that if you want to go on a thrill-seeking ride, you are indeed accepting that there is an element of risk involved.

I hate the sue happy mentality so much, it has made the U.S the laughing stock of the world "Ohmigosh! you mean coffee is hot!?"

All amusements parks are notoriously unregulated, understaffed, and the staff undereducated.  Take note of the ages of the people who usually run the rides. Knowing what I know about that kind of machinery and the lack of knowledge of the operators, I don't make it a habit of going on them anymore. 

Oh yeah...you're in the construction business so you've had a closer look at the power of machines and the effects of velocity then most of us. 
I remember at Canobie Lake they had one of those "Pirate" rides.  All the kids were standing up and waving at the top of the thing.  I just clung to the "safety" bar.  After this ride, one of the kids asked if I was scared or something.  I said I just didn't want to fall out.  He said, "Oh come on, you can't fall out of that thing, they design it so you can't fall out!"
I said, "Keep the faith kid!"
It goes back to our presumed trust in the marketplace.  They care about their customers 'coz they're a nice family-oriented park.  They will make sure everything is safe and up to code because it's like bad for business and stuff when somebody gets hurt!
:D


Steel cables indeed can become lethal when they are moving fast.

I once saw this movie where a guy was in an elevator car, when the elevator cable was cut and flew thru the roof of the car.  The guy's head got cut clean off.

So I could see this accident happening.

I wonder why, if the cable snapped, the ride did not slam to the ground, hurting more people? ???


I thought it was an urban legend, but it turned out to be true upon researching the archives.  When they opened the 22-story residence halls at UMass, a few thrill-seeking students discovered "elevator surfing."  One kid fell 18 floors and splatted over the machinery at the bottom of the shaft.  Another got severed clean in two a the torso by cables.
:o
I heard rumors of it going on when I was there, but I doubt it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_surfing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Six_Flags_parks

This is a great summary of the Six Flags accidents, they have similar pages for other chains, and I think that the list is impressive in that it's rather small when you consider that Six Flags has been around for almost 4 full decades and they have as many parks as they do. . .

The feet are bad but. . .

Read the "Haunted Castle" one under Great Adventure. . .that one is truely disturbing, good thing it was quite some time ago.

Oh. . .I have to comment on the not riding roller coasters etc. . .percentage wise and by pure number statistics, you are at a larger risk of becoming severly injured when you step into your vehicle then when you step into a Roller Coaster, which is why I'll be with Red Ant when he comes down here at BG-Tampa.

I live life as you have to enjoy every moment. . .and having worked at theme parks in the past, I have to say I somewhat disagree with the knowledge, while there are exceptions, most of them are trained for numerous situations and tested daily.  Also, the cable incident has nothing to do with ride operators, it was truely a freak accident. . .unfortunate, but like I said, you are more likely to die in your car than you are a coaster.

All amusements parks are notoriously unregulated, understaffed, and the staff undereducated.  Take note of the ages of the people who usually run the rides. Knowing what I know about that kind of machinery and the lack of knowledge of the operators, I don't make it a habit of going on them anymore. 


The operators are quite young, yes. However, most rides I've ridden are designed by world class engineers, and the rides are equipped with multiple safety backups, failsafe modes, and a ton of computerization so that even a dee dee dee can run them and not kill anyone. Also, the maintenance crews here at Busch Gardens Williamsburg do a hell of a job maintaining the rides - it's rare to see a spot of rust even on a water ride, or peeling paint.

Now, that said, other parks I've been to, particularly Paramount's King's Dominion in Doswell, VA, don't seem to have the same meticulous maintenance program or world class ride designers. The last time I went, the Shockwave stand-up coaster, which was rough on the rider from day one, looked very bad, with paint peeling everywhere. About 10 years ago a boy was thrown to his death from that ride in the loop section. The ride is still active, but the older wooden coasters (Rebel Yell and Grizzly), as rickety as they look, are much safer and easier on the rider. That much structural support takes a spectacular amount of abuse and non-maintenance to fail. Those rides have no mid-track brakes or anything fancy: they are intrinsically safe by design.

KD has this indoor rollercoaster as well: I rode it once, and came off proclaiming it would be shut down soon due to rider injury. It slammed the rider's head around way too much, and if you wear earrings on it (against ride rules), you will have blood coming from your ears when you get off.

The way amusement parks seem to operate these days, you are pretty much taking your life into your own hands when you go on a ride.  Rides can be checked, re-checked, and checked again, but accidents can happen.  Nothing is 100%

I fell off a water ride once at Canada's Wonderland in Toronto.  It's a big giant slide that you go down on a sled type thing.  I was scared to go on it, but I got up the courage.  The lady in charge assured me that it was 100% safe, but about ¼ of the way down, a gust of wind blew me off and I crashed to the ground, twisting my ankle.  I was only a teen at the time, but looking back now, I wonder why I never did anything about it, like got my folks to sue or something like that


Maybe you could still sue.  Claim "repressed memory".

Yeah, that's the ticket...  :P

Maybe you could still sue.  Claim "repressed memory".

Yeah, that's the ticket...  :P


13 years is maybe a little too repressed.  They'd probably counter sue me for saying I'm making a false claim ;D

The operators are quite young, yes. However, most rides I've ridden are designed by world class engineers, and the rides are equipped with multiple safety backups, failsafe modes, and a ton of computerization so that even a dee dee dee can run them and not kill anyone. Also, the maintenance crews here at Busch Gardens Williamsburg do a hell of a job maintaining the rides - it's rare to see a spot of rust even on a water ride, or peeling paint.

Now, that said, other parks I've been to, particularly Paramount's King's Dominion in Doswell, VA, don't seem to have the same meticulous maintenance program or world class ride designers. The last time I went, the Shockwave stand-up coaster, which was rough on the rider from day one, looked very bad, with paint peeling everywhere. About 10 years ago a boy was thrown to his death from that ride in the loop section. The ride is still active, but the older wooden coasters (Rebel Yell and Grizzly), as rickety as they look, are much safer and easier on the rider. That much structural support takes a spectacular amount of abuse and non-maintenance to fail. Those rides have no mid-track brakes or anything fancy: they are intrinsically safe by design.

KD has this indoor rollercoaster as well: I rode it once, and came off proclaiming it would be shut down soon due to rider injury. It slammed the rider's head around way too much, and if you wear earrings on it (against ride rules), you will have blood coming from your ears when you get off.


Im not a big fan of King's Dominion.  I like Busch Gardens Williamsburg a whole lot better.  Im hoping that if I can move to Richmond, I will be able to go there more than I go now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Six_Flags_parks


Read the "Haunted Castle" one under Great Adventure. . .that one is truely disturbing, good thing it was quite some time ago.




That's the highest death toll for any amusement park accident I've ever heard. 

It was exempt from the same fire inspection as the other attractions because it was a "temporary" structure, even though by the time of the fire it had been up for five years!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Six_Flags_parks


Read the "Haunted Castle" one under Great Adventure. . .that one is truely disturbing, good thing it was quite some time ago.



why was six flags sued? the idiot lit a lighter in the middle of the ride. he should know better!

why was six flags sued? the idiot lit a lighter in the middle of the ride. he should know better!
Good point.Who uses a cigarette lighter to see with?

Good point.Who uses a cigarette lighter to see with?


i don't know. it was the 80's. no cell phones to see with i guess.

i don't know. it was the 80's. no cell phones to see with i guess.
Hmmmm--they di dhave flashlights though.

Oh yeah...you're in the construction business so you've had a closer look at the power of machines and the effects of velocity then most of us. 
I remember at Canobie Lake they had one of those "Pirate" rides.  All the kids were standing up and waving at the top of the thing.  I just clung to the "safety" bar.  After this ride, one of the kids asked if I was scared or something.  I said I just didn't want to fall out.  He said, "Oh come on, you can't fall out of that thing, they design it so you can't fall out!"
I said, "Keep the faith kid!"
It goes back to our presumed trust in the marketplace.  They care about their customers 'coz they're a nice family-oriented park.  They will make sure everything is safe and up to code because it's like bad for business and stuff when somebody gets hurt!




I work have worked specifically with wire rope, cables, etc.  The machinery use for these rides is the same that is used for cranes.  When the maintenance is there they are very safe(nothing is foolproof), but a lot of these places don't do the daily work required to keep them anywhere near the safety standards that should be allowed when running them all day everyday with the cargo they are carrying.  As a matter of fact, this kind of machinery shouldn't be run all day everyday, there should be at least an inspection shut down every 8 hours at a minimum, and I have never seen that.

If the amusement park is smart, this incident will never see the light of day in a courtroom.

The park should settle out of court.  If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.

The park should settle out of court.  If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.




::)

If the amusement park is smart, this incident will never see the light of day in a courtroom.

The park should settle out of court.  If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.


She loses her feet they lose their legs?  ;D

If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.


Hahahaha, I just got this one!  ;D ;D ;D

If the amusement park is smart, this incident will never see the light of day in a courtroom.

The park should settle out of court.  If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.


Does her hospital room have cable?
Ba-da-bing, Ba-da-boom!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/icon_biggrin.gif


why was six flags sued? the idiot lit a lighter in the middle of the ride. he should know better!

In a libertarian utopia I suppose. But in the world as-is:
a. You don't let a structure for public conveyance go uninspected for five years.
b. You don't let the public mill through enclosed spaces in pitch darkness without conspicuously lit emergency exits.
c. You don't rely on the public to understand the flammability of building materials---especially ones they can't even see.
d. You don't rely on teenagers to act cautiously...some will, many more won't.
e. It is reasonable for the public to expect your place of business to be safe enough to allow a margin of error for patrons. 

In other words, eight human beings should not lose their lives because a kid lit a cigarette when he shouldn't have. 

You could say, well the same thing could happen at a gas station.  However, all gas stations post conspicuous warnings and everybody understands fire + gasoline vapors = BOOM BOOM!!!

I think the plaintiffs had just cause to file suit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Six_Flags_parks

This is a great summary of the Six Flags accidents, they have similar pages for other chains, and I think that the list is impressive in that it's rather small when you consider that Six Flags has been around for almost 4 full decades and they have as many parks as they do. . .

The feet are bad but. . .

Read the "Haunted Castle" one under Great Adventure. . .that one is truely disturbing, good thing it was quite some time ago.




I remember that. It happened a few years after I went there on a class trip.


If the amusement park is smart, this incident will never see the light of day in a courtroom.

The park should settle out of court.  If they decide to fight and go to court, they will not have a leg to stand on.


BAD!!! BAD!!!!


Cat

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/icon_biggrin.gif
In a libertarian utopia I suppose. But in the world as-is:
a. You don't let a structure for public conveyance go uninspected for five years.
b. You don't let the public mill through enclosed spaces in pitch darkness without conspicuously lit emergency exits.
c. You don't rely on the public to understand the flammability of building materials---especially ones they can't even see.
d. You don't rely on teenagers to act cautiously...some will, many more won't.
e. It is reasonable for the public to expect your place of business to be safe enough to allow a margin of error for patrons. 

In other words, eight human beings should not lose their lives because a kid lit a cigarette when he shouldn't have. 

You could say, well the same thing could happen at a gas station.  However, all gas stations post conspicuous warnings and everybody understands fire + gasoline vapors = BOOM BOOM!!!

I think the plaintiffs had just cause to file suit.


I concur with Max's legal opinion.  :P

Hmmmm--they di dhave flashlights though.


on amusement park rides?

No I mean ion theri purse or wallet!

how does one keep a flashlight in their wallet? and i believe they have cargo bays for purses. they are not to be taken onto the ride. but what do i know? maybe the policy was different in the 80's.

how does one keep a flashlight in their wallet? and i believe they have cargo bays for purses. they are not to be taken onto the ride. but what do i know? maybe the policy was different in the 80's.
Oh i guess so.

Has anyone seen this yet?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/30/amusement.park.death.ap/index.html

Has anyone seen this yet?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/30/amusement.park.death.ap/index.html



Read that in this morning paper. So sad.



Cat

uh-oh. i'm starting to worry that all these "accidents" might be putting in a bad name for amusement park rides.

And another one...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/03/park.accident.ap/index.html

And another one...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/03/park.accident.ap/index.html



That one I hadn't heard. They say things come in threes so maybe this will be the last.



Cat

Here's an update about the girl...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19589017/?GT1=10150

Here's an update about the girl...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19589017/?GT1=10150
I'm glad she got one foot reattached.it said in the news that 6 year old who got disembowled by a pool drain won't be able to get a transplant--I wonder why that is.really horrible.

I'm glad she got one foot reattached.it said in the news that 6 year old who got disembowled by a pool drain won't be able to get a transplant--I wonder why that is.really horrible.

John Edwards was the lawyer for that suit, wasn't he?

John Edwards was the lawyer for that suit, wasn't he?
I don't think they have one yet.

I don't think they have one yet.

Oh, OK, this was several years ago.  Edwards represented a little girl who had her innards sucked out by a pool drain...pretty nasty stuff.

Oh, OK, this was several years ago.  Edwards represented a little girl who had her innards sucked out by a pool drain...pretty nasty stuff.



o.O Wow! Sounds a lot like a Chuck Palahniuk short story I read a while back ago. How did you hear about that?

Oh, OK, this was several years ago.  Edwards represented a little girl who had her innards sucked out by a pool drain...pretty nasty stuff.



Itis not actually that much of an unusual accidet, has happened several times.  Newer pool designd have better drain designs to prevent this from happening, but the older ones are still a problem.

Oh, OK, this was several years ago.  Edwards represented a little girl who had her innards sucked out by a pool drain...pretty nasty stuff.

I remember seeing her on 60 minutes or something like that--maybe dateline.The most recent one is 6 years old.