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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

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I wonder if Towers' lawyers will be able to make a condition of any compensation that the actual sum isn't disclosed to the press. I'd have thought that would be their best bet to stop the press making a story out of that although I don't know if that is actually something that can legally be done.
 
Alexsutton said:
I wonder if Towers' lawyers will be able to make a condition of any compensation that the actual sum isn't disclosed to the press. I'd have thought that would be their best bet to stop the press making a story out of that although I don't know if that is actually something that can legally be done.
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Is that pretty much what a super injunction is for? So nobody can disclose how much it is, or even have it reported that compensation was given. I know that seems a tad much, but that could be the only way, which probably won't be done? Who knows.
 
A non disclosure clause as part of any settlement will almost certainly be involved, basically meaning that disclosing the compensation amount will negate the victim's right to that money, i have seen them signed on settlements worth only a couple of hundred, it is a no brainer.
 
The victims have no reason to sign a non disclosure clause. They tend to be used only if the event wasn't public and a company want it to remain so.
 
Leah said:
Also, this is really making me angry.

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-06-04/...-rollercoaster-told-to-mind-his-own-business/

Is it just me or does anyone else think that they should have expected an answer as they probably just went to the person in the game stand. it is probably part of the parks policy to ignore this.
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That makes me angry if it is a true story, because you would have thought any staff member who may have seen or been made aware of a stalled train would have phoned through to the op cabin. It sounds like the person quoted there spoke to a staff member on the entrance of the ride. I do find it hard to believe that he was told to mind his own business, but at the same time we do all know that Towers staff give very little detail when a ride breaks down (largely because they don't have much information to provide). Of course it may not be procedure for staff in this position to notify the op cabin of such an event, although I'm sure it will be going forward.

I'm pretty sure one of the outcomes of the investigation will be that the stalled train was not spotted by whoever was in the op cabin, whether that be the op, technical services or some form of management. I'm certain that if it had been spotted an evac procedure from lift one would have started pretty swiftly, yet with the train on lift one for around 10 minutes, give or take 5, this seemingly was not happening.

:)
 
What I ment is if anyone just went into the oblivion shop or something and said stop the smiler, they would probably assume that technical services were on it, as they were. Alternatively, someone else could have possibly already told them, and they did phone the smiler ops. In one way, the first reason is a little like how people filmed instead of calling an ambulance. They just assumed that the engineers already knew. If it was a technical issue, it wouldn't make a difference. Just think though, it is one in a thousand chance of it stalling would they believe it. When the smiler (or whatever it will be called) reopens, how many people will, as a joke, go to a member of staff and say that the smiler has stalled, or just see it broken down and tell them. If they e-stoped the ride, it could create lots more issues, from minor things like appalling throughput (more than normal) to stalls and technical faults.

However, this could be something that is changed with the new safety protocols, put in since the crash.
 
I think these things are like Chinese Whispers.

From the ITV article:

"I walked up the woman [lol!]. I said ‘Can you tell me what’s happening?’ She said, ‘There’s a technical problem, we’re dealing with it.’

I said, ‘You do know there’s a car on there don’t you?’

I was told to mind my own business and it’s got nothing to do with me.”"

First bit is supposed quotes, last bit is paraphrasing. Maybe she said something like, "Don't worry about it, we'll sort it out," and he interpreted it wrongly and gave it a different meaning.

As for the lawyer claiming that HSE told him the ride might be permanently shut, they may have said something like, "The ride won't reopen unless it is guaranteed to be safe." Or maybe they said, "Hello, this is HSE..." and he switched off and made up the rest of the conversation.
 
Tom.B said:
The Smiley?! Wtf is that creature on the map of the park? *facepalm*
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IKR. He even called it "The Smiling" earlier too, he has the typical conspiracy theorist voice too - and not just Ameircan. Anyway back more on topic, scanning the front pages the tabs are cooing down on this story as suspected. Isn't it illegal for the media to flout about figures on a closed contract sum? Or am I making that up.
I also feel a 2017 re-opening as tbh if a likely retheme and brand is on the cards, there are more pressing issues than to start a rebrand plans right now unless it opens mid-season, this could then allow SW8 for 2017 but I'm still skeptic on that.
Preferring 2018.
 
The latest it would reopen would be middle of the 2016 season. Just thinking with how long it will be SBNO so they might have some "unforeseen teething problems". it would take Alton towers just months to get it up to standard. Might take longer though if they have to retheme. Earliest for opening will possibly be soft openings at the end of this season. Maybe they should have given out "first ride on the smiler tickets" instead of free tickets.
 
I think Stelios means The Smiler will reopen mid-2016 or at the start of 2017 if there's a rebrand, and that SW8 will arrive in either 2017, or more likely 2018 - not that The Smiler will be closed until then.
 
I am absolutely confident it will re-open as the same ride on or before the start of 2016 season.

If it's human error then once new procedures are in place there is no reason for it to be closed.
 
I can't see them rebranding, they will get the same press coverage no matter what they do so why waste the money.
 
My bet is on it reopening when SW8 is launched. That way all the media hype and public focus will be on SW8 and they can quietly reopen The Smiler without too much attention, if any.

They can't scrap £18m. It would be different if the ride was 20 years old or more but for a very recent investment they just can't do that.
 
If I was a betting man, I would put money on it opening at the start of next season. I just can't see it still standing there unused throughout next year.
 
When it reopens is largely down to how long it takes for the investigation to come to a conclusion, how long it takes for any changes to be implemented and depends on how complex any changes are. If the investigation is sorted this season and it's human error it will easily reopen at the end of this year/start of next year. If it's something more complex to do with the rides system then a 2016 to mid-2016 opening seems likely.

Any media attention won't affect the ride really. People will still ride it, some people will avoid it like the plague, although it won't have any huge impact on Alton Towers because it is Alton Towers. As tragic as this incident is, Towers is still the UKs biggest theme park and one of the most popular ones around, they've come across very professional throughout this and have had a huge amount of public support, so they really haven't got anything to lose. Luckily being such a big brand they won't suffer like a small park probably would over something like this.

I hate to sound picky already although I hope they give the whole concrete pit a good power wash before opening it back up. It looks a mess!
 
Is there another variable here which hasnt been mentioned with regards how soon it could open, and that is the public. If they open it too soon it could be seen as disrespectful to those injured.
 
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