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Patrons who don't pay attention, move around during the ride cycle, or deliberately break the safety rules are the primary safety concern voiced by ride owners and operators.
Be respectful of the equipment, the ride operators, and the other patrons
Amusement rides are powerful machines that can maim or kill in the blink of an eye. Don't ever forget that. The industry's PR folks like to tell the public that amusement rides are safer than shuffleboard or pillow fights, but don't take them literally. It's just something they say to sell tickets and maintain regulatory exemptions. Here's what the industry's safety experts really think (included in sample amusement park ride operations training manual distributed during a workshop on Operator Training at the 2002 IAAPA trade show in Orlando) :
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A ride is nothing more than a machine that has no respect for you or your body. Remain alert and ready for the unexpected. There is a direct link between unsafe behaviors and careless attitudes that may result in injury or death. |
Don't fudge the truth or argue over height/age/weight/health restrictions
If a piece of high-speed heavy machinery wasn't designed or tested to be safe for 30-inch-tall toddlers or 350-pound adults, then why on earth would you want to trick or force a ride operator into letting your own 30-inch-tall child or 350-pound friend play guinea pig? If you put your kindergartener in platform shoes to sneak her on a ride she's too short for, you're risking her life. No kidding. If something goes wrong, you will regret that impulse as long as you live.
If a ride has a restraint system, latch it and keep it latched
If the ride has more than one restraint systems, latch all of them, and keep them latched until the operator tells you to get off the ride. The extra step might seem like a bore, but if the primary restraint happens to fail while you're riding, you'll learn to appreciate redundant system design.
Keep your body "properly positioned" during the entire ride cycle
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| Chris Hondros/Getty Images |
On rides with seats, this means "butt in the seat". On rides where you lie prone, it means, well, lying prone. This is VERY important. The industry design standard for U.S. rides requires that engineers prevent hazards from reaching patrons who are "properly positioned". If you stand up or lie down or otherwise break the "properly positioned" rule, then all bets are off. The engineer's strategies are no longer protecting you. This rule applies to all humans who board the ride. Parents must ensure that their children stay properly positioned. Amusement rides are not required to provide child-safe restraints.
- If your children are riding without an adult, make sure they are capable of keeping their body "properly positioned" throughout the entire ride cycle.
- If you are riding with young children, don't rearrange the seating plan during the ride cycle. Ever. Butt in the seat means butt in the seat, no matter who's whining, or who's touching who, or what name Susie calls Billy. "Butt in the seat" is the rule.
Follow All Rules and Instructions
This means all posted rules, recorded messages, and instructions given by ride attendants. Model this behavior for children.
Every single rule posted on an amusement ride has come from tragedy.
Don't repeat those tragedies.
