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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015
- Thread starter spinba11
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bluesonichd
TS Member
Tannwick
TS Member
Yep - donut sounds good to me (says the poster living up to his username!).
As a MAP newbie on here i'd prefer donuts as well
MichelinMan
TS Member
Is Octonauts still closed? Or was it open today?
EmilyJEG
TS Member
Her parents sound so sensible - trying to ensure safety rather than being unrealistic and wanting all rides shut down.
Rob
TS Team
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- Steel Vengeance
EmilyJEG
TS Member
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...omforted-girlfriend-lost-leg-change-them.html
ETA: Hadn't read the article when I shared the link. Joe sounds like a genuinely great person - so positive and seems grateful for so much rather than taking the opportunity to moan about AT etc.
It's interesting that they were held up and forced to get on and off the ride a few times before setting off. I don't think that would have filled me with confidence, although not that abnormal either I guess. He says nobody on the ride realised until the last moment that there was a stalled car on the track - not sure if that's better or worse than having a few moments to mentally prepare and brace yourself for impact!
ETA: Hadn't read the article when I shared the link. Joe sounds like a genuinely great person - so positive and seems grateful for so much rather than taking the opportunity to moan about AT etc.
It's interesting that they were held up and forced to get on and off the ride a few times before setting off. I don't think that would have filled me with confidence, although not that abnormal either I guess. He says nobody on the ride realised until the last moment that there was a stalled car on the track - not sure if that's better or worse than having a few moments to mentally prepare and brace yourself for impact!
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Unicorns_are_lovely
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- nemesis
Octonauts was open today
Also on park today there was a line of AT staff from the entrance to the towers down to the Battle Galleons preventing anyone from using the paths in front of the towers, with the same just past the CBeebies entrance keeping people away from Spinball. The exit from Hex was via the wheelchair access route ... I assume all these measures were to prevent anyone getting close to X Sector? Possibly to avoid any photos, nosiness or negative attention on the first weekend after reopening!
This quote from the article:
"Even worse, he soon realised that passers-by were videoing him on their mobile phones as he, Leah and the other casualties sat helpless in the twisted steel wreckage.
‘There was one girl who was filming me and I just shouted at her. I swore at her and told her to go and get some help instead of videoing, and she just looked a bit surprised and walked off,’ said Joe.
‘I just cannot understand why people would want to do a thing like that. It’s so callous."
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Makes me fear for the state of society
delta79
TS Member
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- Nemesis, Air
with the staff stopping people going toward X sector and sending them via the Battle Galleons path, there was one thing that made me laugh yesterday (friday), the goal shooter and golf game were open. with no one allowed down to play them.
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EmilyJEG
TS Member
I feel bad for having watched the videos really. For many people the first instinct is to film which I just can't understand. I wouldn't dare, unless I thought it was going to have any benefit - for example in this case if it was any use to the investigation, which those videos will not have been.This quote from the article:
"Even worse, he soon realised that passers-by were videoing him on their mobile phones as he, Leah and the other casualties sat helpless in the twisted steel wreckage.
‘There was one girl who was filming me and I just shouted at her. I swore at her and told her to go and get some help instead of videoing, and she just looked a bit surprised and walked off,’ said Joe.
‘I just cannot understand why people would want to do a thing like that. It’s so callous."
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Makes me fear for the state of society
I remember hearing about a few examples of crowds encouraging people who are suicidal and threatening to jump off a building to 'get on with it' and recording it. It's as though people forget that other people are real, and they're there gawping at them and finding entertainment in their pain and suffering.
delta79
TS Member
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You will be amazed at what people with gawp at and film.
I was filmed on a phone doing CPR on someone till the ambulance service arrived. I had to stop hands free my phone on a 999 call, cause this guy wanted to record it instead of calling for a ambulance.
Then there was the time a bloke crashed his quad during a race and whist waiting for the on site Paramedics to arrive, I looked up to see about 30 people filming this guys agony. and carry on filming until I drove him off in a off road vehicle.
I have more examples, however I will stop there.
I was filmed on a phone doing CPR on someone till the ambulance service arrived. I had to stop hands free my phone on a 999 call, cause this guy wanted to record it instead of calling for a ambulance.
Then there was the time a bloke crashed his quad during a race and whist waiting for the on site Paramedics to arrive, I looked up to see about 30 people filming this guys agony. and carry on filming until I drove him off in a off road vehicle.
I have more examples, however I will stop there.
XXBENNXX
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Where i live we have a 4 day airshow annually, the largest free airshow in the country.
The point i am making here is many people come here and film all the aerial displays, but if you ask people how they are enjoying the show they will say something along the lines of, it is the same every year, which it is, but they are hoping this will be the year they finally see/film a plane crash.
I guess it is just human nature to want to see these things, i was unfortunate enough to he in the sea when one of those planes did come down, people cheered, people filmed, but nobody seems to realise when they are in that moment, the human cost of these incidents, to the people watching it is simply a spectacle to behold.
I understand why people filmed it, and stood there just watching, and i also understand the point of view of those terrified victims on that cart.
i am not in any way justifying the actions of the people filming, just trying to offer a perspective as to why they were doing it.
And at the same time, some people, as i suspect may have been the case here, are driven by greed, the want to get this footage sold to the highest tabloid bidder, as i said, the idea that there are real people in fear for their lives and in pain, does not even cross the mind of the man or woman whipping out that phone to film, when they are there in that moment.
apologies for the ramblings
The point i am making here is many people come here and film all the aerial displays, but if you ask people how they are enjoying the show they will say something along the lines of, it is the same every year, which it is, but they are hoping this will be the year they finally see/film a plane crash.
I guess it is just human nature to want to see these things, i was unfortunate enough to he in the sea when one of those planes did come down, people cheered, people filmed, but nobody seems to realise when they are in that moment, the human cost of these incidents, to the people watching it is simply a spectacle to behold.
I understand why people filmed it, and stood there just watching, and i also understand the point of view of those terrified victims on that cart.
i am not in any way justifying the actions of the people filming, just trying to offer a perspective as to why they were doing it.
And at the same time, some people, as i suspect may have been the case here, are driven by greed, the want to get this footage sold to the highest tabloid bidder, as i said, the idea that there are real people in fear for their lives and in pain, does not even cross the mind of the man or woman whipping out that phone to film, when they are there in that moment.
apologies for the ramblings
Grand_Nash
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- Nemesis
Has anyone on here visited today? as me and my friend booked tickets for last Friday but he is not to keen to go at the moment because of the crash, but does not want to use the tickets as he might want to go, but are alton still issuing the return tickets? or if not do Alton do return anytime tickets, as i want to go down and ride and show some support to the park (4 days lieu to use up riding hopefully!)
(4 days lieu to use up riding hopefully!)
Burbs
TS Team
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- Steel Vengeance
Return any time tickets are around £15.Has anyone on here visited today? as me and my friend booked tickets for last Friday but he is not to keen to go at the moment because of the crash, but does not want to use the tickets as he might want to go, but are alton still issuing the return tickets? or if not do Alton do return anytime tickets, as i want to go down and ride and show some support to the park
BarryZola
TS Member
Tom has answered the later question about the return tickets. I'll attempt to answer this segment of your post.
If you have tickets dated for any time that the park was completely closed last week then Alton Towers will honour these and allow you entry on any date this year until early November (apart from Fireworks or other special events). Simply turn up at the entrance with your ticket and you'll be directed as how to enter. Ask a member of staff whether you need to join the normal queue or report to the booking kiosk on the left.
As for the other part of the post, I'm not entirely sure what you mean in all honesty (I'm not trying to be patronising). Your friend doesn't want to go because of the crash, but he might want to later on? There is no safer time to ride a rollercoaster at Alton Towers than at the moment.
I'm not sure about today but as of yesterday they were still issuing return tickets. Hopefully someone can let us know if they were still handing out tickets today???...........
Tarquin
TS Member
The maturity that Joe has shown in that article is astounding. I can assure you that I wouldn't be as composed and as thoughtful as he is if I were in the same situation. I hope Merlin continue to look after him and give him the answers he deserves.
On a side note, considering a lot of the damage appears to have been caused by the front 'safety' rail crumpling and crushing their legs, surely the trains cannot continue in their current form? While I appreciate that no rollercoasters are prepared/tested for a crash occurring but seeing as the Smiler is the one rollercoaster that did crash, it would make sense to me to prepare for the event happening again with physical changes to the trains.
Johno
TS Member
From the Mail article it sounds like:
- Passengers taken off the ride a number of times in the station to continue testing with empty trains.
- Passengers board, then get to the top of the 1st lift hill. The ride then locks them there.
- 20 minutes pass, whereby the ride 'knows' there is a train stuck?
- The train with passengers is 'let go' from the top of the 1st lift hill. Either manually (operator error) or by the ride system (computer error).
- If (operator error) there is still the chance that it was caused by (computer error) in that the ride system didn't tell them there was a train stuck in the loop, or CCTV wasn't clear. Also could be communication error 'we have a ride vehicle stuck' - ops meaning loop, other person thinking they mean lift hill.
- Passengers taken off the ride a number of times in the station to continue testing with empty trains.
- Passengers board, then get to the top of the 1st lift hill. The ride then locks them there.
- 20 minutes pass, whereby the ride 'knows' there is a train stuck?
- The train with passengers is 'let go' from the top of the 1st lift hill. Either manually (operator error) or by the ride system (computer error).
- If (operator error) there is still the chance that it was caused by (computer error) in that the ride system didn't tell them there was a train stuck in the loop, or CCTV wasn't clear. Also could be communication error 'we have a ride vehicle stuck' - ops meaning loop, other person thinking they mean lift hill.
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