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Staff riding during test runs, eugh!

SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Whilst I was in Florida it was ****ing freezing, and on several days a few of the coasters had problems opening. Ya know, the kind of truly irritating problems where they make it round the track over and over again but staff still insist they can't open it.

At Sea World with Kraken and Manta, and at Universal with Rip Ride ****it, staff were riding during test runs. I'd not mind if it was like, before the ride was actually due to open, but this was like in the afternoon.

The ride must be deemed safe if staff are able to ride, so what the **** is the deal? I think it's beyond out of order, especially when the cheeky twats smile and wave at the ever growing, grumbling queue forming. >:C

I've not seen this happen in the UK, and when I asked staff on Universal's ****tastic new coaster they would say nothing more than the ride isn't safe to open, to which I replied "so Universal risks the lives of it's staff?"

If it's to do with requiring weight on the train, in Kraken's and Manta's case there was only one or two people on the train. I can understand rockit requiring weight on it, because it's a piece of ****, but they should be using non-human weights instead of risking getting staff stuck out on the ride in those freezing conditions. If it's not safe for the public, it's not safe for staff.

Of course, I know **** all about the technical side of things, so I'm quite open to learnign a legitimate reason for this.
 
Employee test rides are solely due to safety. Before guests can ride a roller coaster, parks must ensure that the ride is entirely safe, including a test ride by an employee, showing that a complete circuit can be made safely.

At Cedar Point, typically the only time an employee test run is done is once in the morning. If there is any downtime throughout the day, employees will test run the ride to ensure safety, but rarely go for more than the initial test ride in the morning.

I'm surprised Disney employees were animated while riding. Cedar Point's policy for test rides is arms down and no animate actions. The employees are not riding for fun, but for liability purposes to deem it safe to ride.
 
Thanks Matt.

I guess this is an American policy, because It certainly doesn't happen here.

I can't understand how putting the lives of staff at risk is any better than putting the lives of the GP at risk. Not that anyone is at risk, which is why the "safety" bollocks is so retarded. What is having riders on a test run checking the safety of, specifically? It seems like one of those ludicrous regulations that's put in place with no real thought. It just doesn't seem to make much sense, but ridiculous or not if it's a regulation then whatever I guess. Perhaps it's there to make the public feel better about the safety of the rides? Possibly...

And, it wasn't Disney.
 
Happens in the UK as well Joey... No matter where...

It's more a rider comfort thing more than the actual ride working properly... Engineers do that, finish checks, hand it over to the ride staff and one person test rides it to make sure there's like no trees or stuff like that...

Usually though here if it's late the engineer sometimes rides it or we send it out a few times empty... It usually varies in the middle of the day...
 
Why have I NEVER seen it happen here then Benin? :?

Probably because they don't do it every time they have to close a ride and then re-open it here. They likley do it monthly, weekly, or out of park hours if they do it daily.
 
I've only ever seen it in the UK with empty trains or the water/sand filled barrels/dummies.

When I used to stay at Flamingo Land the staff would have a quick go of Cliffhanger in the morning often on the way to their own posts but that was before the park opened!
 
They do it daily at Thorpe to check clearance (for tree/bush hits), most common on Inferno so I've seen. Hence why they normally have their arms out wide and on the outside seats. If staff are catching the foliage then they should get the landscape team out pre opening the ride. It really hurts hitting a bush at the pace of the rides. So its most likely to be a H&S thing or for rider comfort.
 
^ They mustn't do that at Alton well on Nemesis. I hit the foliage of the first helix on the right of the train when I have my hands out...

Ivy Pain </3
 
The whole checking tree clearance thing makes sense, but not for every day and not on rides which are not surounded by any obstacles that grow. :S

marc said:
How cold was it Joey, just that we are thinking of going for my birthday in December if we can?
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It was unusually cold for an unusually long period of time whilst I was there, so I wouldn't worry. It can't hurt being prepared though.
 
Joey said:
Why have I NEVER seen it happen here then Benin? :?

Probably because they don't do it every time they have to close a ride and then re-open it here. They likley do it monthly, weekly, or out of park hours if they do it daily.
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Yeah, they only do it with staff first thing in the morning...

Never seen it when in the middle of the day...
 
If a member of staff were to be injured whilst riding they probably wouldn't complain to or sue the park, because it will be in their contract. Members of the public might, so they have to test it with employees.

I've seen it happen in the UK. It is annoying, especially when you get there early in the hope of being on the first train of te day, and you have to spend an hour watching staff going round.
 
Like everyone has said, it's standard practice. The operators are just doing their jobs. They' aren't purposefully keeping the ride closed so they can go for a joy ride, so I don't see any reason to get mad about it.
 
A-Kid said:
They do it daily at Thorpe to check clearance (for tree/bush hits), most common on Inferno so I've seen. Hence why they normally have their arms out wide and on the outside seats. If staff are catching the foliage then they should get the landscape team out pre opening the ride. It really hurts hitting a bush at the pace of the rides. So its most likely to be a H&S thing or for rider comfort.
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Wierd because usually on the last barrell roll on Colossus I can pick leaves :lol: Truth.
 
^Same on Vampire people can easily kick the trees as you go above them. Although I doubt it's much of a problem with the speed you go on it.
 
The employee test ride also allows for a quick double-check observation of the entire ride, ensuring there is no debris or obstructions on the track.

Don't get me wrong, this is no substitution for a physical walk through of the ride to check loose joints, failing supports or debris on the track and parks perform a walk through every morning and night (or at least CP does). The test ride is more a quick double-check to make sure no trees magically fell onto the tracks while the ride ops had their backs turned. :razz:

Yay American Liability!
 
wash said:
Like everyone has said, it's standard practice. The operators are just doing their jobs. They' aren't purposefully keeping the ride closed so they can go for a joy ride, so I don't see any reason to get mad about it.
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I never implied that was the reason.

But just because it's their job description, doesn't mean it makes sense, is necessary, or good.

Whilst I worked at the cinema, I was told to give loose change when it wasn't busy unnecessarily to encourage people to spend more.

Also, how many parks have the stupid rule that you can't reride despite there not being any queue, and want you to leave the ride and go all the way round just because it's standard policy?
 
Every park in the U.S. :razz:

The reason for this is so that guests step through the turnstiles and give an accurate count of how many riders per hour the ride is receiving. Dumb, I know, but ridership is something that ultimately matters a good deal.

This isn't to say the practice is totally non existent. I have ridden MF on VERY dead nights where they allowed rerides. The only catch was that we had to get out of the train in the exit, cut back to the normal queue, go through the turnstiles, and then be able to get on the exact same train in the loading station. You don't have to leave the queue, but you still have to go through the turnstile.
 
Joey said:
Also, how many parks have the stupid rule that you can't reride despite there not being any queue, and want you to leave the ride and go all the way round just because it's standard policy?
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Alton I'm sure do this...

Allowing re-rides is very much unwritten about (or at least it was) at Chessie...

I guess re-rides are usually dependant on the operator... Sometimes you would, sometimes you wouldn't... I've let numerous people go around twice on Griffins and Sea Dragons (on the latter god knows why they wanted to go around again :lol:), but for the bigger rides it can sometimes be difficult...

Our rule of thumb was mainly 'if there's space, then yes', which was mostly used on Vampire and Buccaneer...

Thorpe I'm sure someone else will tell you...
 
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