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Media Coverage of Alton Towers

Towers have made a mistake in telling a Paralympic athlete. I'm sorry no. They don't like it. They are hero's. They are national treasures. Who needs two arms when 1 will do. They are brave, heroic, inspiring.

And just like anyone in the public eye. One phone call away from a journalist.
 
Did they explain the reasons though? It's easy for us to roll our eyes and slam the media but if nobody from Towers said "H&S executive says you need two arms to ride, sorry" then they are as much to blame as the media (not read the article).

I say good on Towers, hopefully if Jordan turns up and takes her phone on the rides with her and her broods they estop them and march her off like they do to everybody else, unlike their collegues at Thorpe who did naff all when Jordan pulled her phone out to film whilst on the rides the other day, because err, Jordan.
 
GaryH said:
Breaking News! Yawn, the Daily Mail strikes again

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...notorious-Smiler-rollercoaster-evacuated.html
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Yesterday, at 4.30, The Smiler stopped while I was in the indoor queue. After 15 mins, they gave us the choice of leaving through the door by the baggage drop counter into the shop. 10 mins later after 3 or 4 empty trains being sent round, it was running again.

After that, we queued for Spinball, we were probably the 3rd or 4th from the last car of the day. As arrived in the station, the ride stopped. The last 2 people in the queue were sat in their car never got to ride. We all had to be manually released from the cars and the 2 or 3 cars behind us on the brake run had to be manually released too.

Why isn't the Daily Mail reporting this? It's just as much a non-story as the one they have so-called "reported" on.

EDIT:

https://www.facebook.com/PSRSolicitors scroll down their page...they're linking to the DM article asking "Alton Towers Smiler rollercoaster in new safety issue - Would you want to ride?" I commented on the link, if they haven't deleted it!!
 
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"Thank you from Alton Towers" Ha ha, the sly smugness. It's good that they are doing it in a non-pretentious way, just clear and offering up some safety truths to the constant trash coming at them. But no, in an ideal world (and as in most other countries that have big theme parks) they shouldn't have to protect themselves like this.
 
Credit to Towers for making a swift video response but you are right, there is no way they should have to do that. Parks in other countries simply do not have to put up with this when one of their rides has a slight 'issue'. It is a joke.

:)
 
Mi-Nigle said:
Towers shouldn't have to do this.
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I agree, but at the same time it is good to see them fighting back, almost in a polite way sticking two fingers up at the DM and all those people who think The Smiler is unsafe.

Surely there is something legal the AT/Merlin can do to stop this type of reporting? I mean if it were a person the DM was going for like this then it could be classed as defamation of character? Is there something similar to protect the reputation of companies?
 
Steve74 said:
I agree, but at the same time it is good to see them fighting back, almost in a polite way sticking two fingers up at the DM and all those people who think The Smiler is unsafe.

Surely there is something legal the AT/Merlin can do to stop this type of reporting? I mean if it were a person the DM was going for like this then it could be classed as defamation of character? Is there something similar to protect the reputation of companies?
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According to Slater&Gordon any legal entity can sue. https://www.slatergordon.co.uk/media-libel-and-privacy/faqs/
 
The crap reporting must really be upsetting management for them to put out a nice clean video setting the record straight.

I am waiting for the video in response to smiler evacuated, that turns out to be a clean up of vomit. :D
 
Slugjc said:
Towers have made a mistake in telling a Paralympic athlete. I'm sorry no. They don't like it. They are hero's. They are national treasures. Who needs two arms when 1 will do. They are brave, heroic, inspiring.

And just like anyone in the public eye. One phone call away from a journalist.
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Wasnt there a death at another theme park involving an amputee falling form a ride as the restraints ( designed for those with 4 limbs ) didn't hold him in place.
The only workaround for such a situation would be to fit specilaised harnesses such as a full body climbing harness or a fall arrest harness, however that would require a re design of the seats as well as extensive testing putting it beyond the reach of making all reasonable adjustments for disability.


As for the daily wail article, no more is needed to be said, the comments below it are also ridiculous, should i report tripping up in the queue line ( inside bit) after a shoelace malfunctioned? again this was the notorious smiller.

Maybe its time for another fly on the wall documentary , this time showing some of the behinds the scenes stuff, the safety checks how things work and so on under the open university documentary series.
 
Daily mail strikes again, this time something called Air Galactica is in their sights, complete with obligatory mention of the Smiler crash
30mins stuck on Galactica was interesting!' Dozens of thrillseekers stranded 30ft in the air as Alton Towers' virtual reality rollercoaster breaks down on hottest June day ever

  • Dozens of people were left stranded 30ft in the air after Alton Towers ride broke
  • They were on the Air Galactica when it ground to a halt for around 30 minutes
  • Similar incident happened last year on the ride during 'torrential rain'
  • In 2015 two women both lost legs when carriage on park's Smiler ride crashed
Alton Towers' Galactica ride broke down leaving dozens of thrillseekers stranded 30 feet in the air on the hottest day of the year.

Visitors to the Staffordshire amusement park claimed they were stuck in the air for up to 30 minutes on the £12million ride, which was billed the world's first virtual reality rollercoaster when it opened in April last year.

Brendan de Bruijn tweeted: 'Just spent 10 minutes stuck on galactica looking face down at a pile of rocks about 25m below us... Not impressed.'
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In May last year 28 people were left hanging face-down on the Air Galactica ride when it ground to a sudden halt in 'absolutely torrential' rain at the top of the first loop of the track.
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My god. Bullet point 4 is smiler. Thats blooming high on the report.

Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk
 
"Visitors to the Staffordshire amusement park claimed they were stuck in the air for up to 30 minutes"

Next paragraph:

"Just spent 10 minutes stuck on Galactica"

Bit of a difference there.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
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