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2016: The Smiler Reopening

Will you ride in 2016?

  • Yes

    Votes: 147 94.8%
  • No

    Votes: 8 5.2%

  • Total voters
    155
What a coincidence that the article miraculously appears just days before the sentencing hearing. It's almost as though the Daily Mirror want to completely ruin Towers' reputation. Oh, wait, that's EXACTLY what they're doing. :rolleyes:
 
Amazed that's only just been released. Mirror have obviously been holding on to it for a little while so they can show it today. I find it strange that no video shows the actual impact (no conspiracy theories here, it definitely happened), even with minor incidents before the crash, everyone got their phone out. Its really not hard to work out what will happen once it's been sent from the lift hill, and im sure people would have had enough time to get a phone out between then and the impact.
 
Regarding the Mirror - although it comes across that way, I don't see why they would have a vendetta against Alton Towers, other than perhaps their competitors make money by selling money-off AT tickets? I would assume they are just trying to sell the most papers/get the most hits and that involves releasing stories at a time they are most likely to be read.

Regarding why there haven't been any videos of the crash itself - I think that even though I am very familiar with AT rides (although not as familiar with the Smiler), I would have just assumed that they knew what they were doing. It's so inconceivable that something like this would happen that your brain might just assume it was on a different section of the track, or something like that. Alternatively people might have not sold videos out of respect for the victims, or just been too shocked to get their camera out.
 
Surprised we didn't see any footage until now (I was checking social media constantly on the day and not one piece of footage of the impact).

That's a bit of a naff video, what's with the shaky footage and terrible quality. This isn't 2005.
 
The crash sounded horrible but I'm slightly surprised it wasn't louder given the state of the cars and the speed they were going. Horrible
 
Maybe more videos will appear. I do also find it odd that there is nothing of the actual crash. Especially as it had been stuck on the lift hill for a good 10 minutes or so. It was also a fairly busy day on park so there would have been plenty of people around.

Unless more videos appear now the court case is starting.
 
I'm sorry, but this is just ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS now. I cannot believe this incident is STILL getting media attention. Yes, it was awful, but it has been done to death. There is nothing new that can be said about this now, aside from an incoming large but fully expected fine next week.

What about the people on Tsunami - what's happened to them? Are they even out of hospital yet? Yes, Towers is far bigger profile than M&D's, but seriously? The people stuck on the vertical lifthill three weeks ago have gotten more media attention for crying out loud!

This new video shows us nothing that we didn't know before. A carriage crashes into another carriage - of course it makes an unholy crash. Is this how it's going to be now? Videos of the accident from different perspectives being drip fed to us every five months or so until the end of all time? Most comments under the articles are of people just as fed up of this story as we are, so I don't see how they feel people are so interested in this still. It is beyond boring now.
 
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I wouldn't get too emotional about the publicity around the Smiler. It's clear this story is already on life support to keep it live. As I said earlier, a bit of a frenzy when the fine is dealt, Park closes for the winter, spring 2017 and the Smiler opens again, end of story.

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Sorry if you disagree with me, but am I the only one who thinks that the victims of the crash deserves a little bit of dignity and that this video footage should have never been release for public viewing and should have only be used as a tool for the initial investigation?
 
Sorry if you disagree with me, but am I the only one who thinks that the victims of the crash deserves a little bit of dignity and that this video footage should have never been release for public viewing and should have only be used as a tool for the initial investigation?

Yes, that was the part of the video that freaked me out the most - more than the loud crash. Seeing them on the ride, in motion, heading towards such horror is pretty awful.
 
Sorry if you disagree with me, but am I the only one who thinks that the victims of the crash deserves a little bit of dignity and that this video footage should have never been release for public viewing and should have only be used as a tool for the initial investigation?
Agreed. They are having memories and emotions dug up by the trial. Which does not help with their PTSD / mental health. Then some click hungry paper sticks this online.
 
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