But the weather nor the stall was the cause of the incident. The ride and systems all behaved as expected it’s just that staff overrode the system and caused the incident...
Scarefest 2019
- Thread starter ScareAttractions
- Start date
But the weather nor the stall was the cause of the incident. The ride and systems all behaved as expected it’s just that staff overrode the system and caused the incident...
grrrr
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Vertigo, Tivoli Gardens
If the car wasn't stalled, which was due to the weather, there wouldn't have been an incident for the staff to override safety protocol for.
You can't say "the ride behaved as expected" when one of the cars stalled - that's surely not part of the expected operation of the rides?
Thameslink Rail
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
If Thirteen is at risk of stalling, could they turn the trim brakes off?
It is if it's operating in conditions it shouldn't
Unfortunately due to the fact that the school holidays are now staggered, it is very difficult to gauge which week is going to be busiest our of the two. I booked my accommodation at the start of this year and I did cheek a few counties for when the majority of kids are most likely to be off. Unless I go thought every single county and total up the exact numbers of kids off, plus the information displayed on the web at the start of the year was accurate at the time of viewing and could change, I myself would have chosen to go last week.
Despite our local schools were off last week, Norfolk attractions were still very quiet.
As it stands, I'll be on park tomorrow and Wednesday and I'm not looking forward to it. However from experience, I should still be able to get on all the rides that I came to do, but will have to plan my day carefully.
Next year, I will have to check out every single county in the UK to get an idea when the majority of kids are off school.
No, the last few years the second week has been the quietest, almost most rides walk on. Last year Staffordshire and Derbyshire was off school the second week and the park was quiet while the previous week was very busy.
As mentioned, Norfolk kids are all off school last week, but yet Norfolk attractions were very quiet last week.
So, no, you can't go by the local counties.
OilyWater
TS Member
One of the things Merlin were prosecuted for was this:
Im not sure where the recommended mph came from that you mention, but it says in the other prosecution comments Rick quoted that wind speed was below the ride manufacturer's recommended level. So The Smiler was not being run against the manufacturer's recommendations.
I guess the important difference is that nobody was on the trains that stalled, and a manufacturer's safety recomendation would be based on running the ride with people, so the fault was that the park should have recognised the danger of test trains stalling (which had happened regularly but there was no risk assessment) and ensured a sound procedure was in place to check and clear etc
Thirteen will have its own risks that need monitoring. There is such a thing as bad H&S where policies are based on confusing bureaucratic procedure bla bla rather than real understanding of safe efficient systems and all that. But there might be something we dont know about why they had to shut Thirteen, who knows. They're hardly going to explain in a tweet so they went with the simple "manufacturers recommendations".
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Im guessing here but i’d imagine its due to 13’s location? Going through the woods, it is colder than the rest of the park. Plus the air is damp in woodland and at low temp’s that leads to a risk of ice on the track. If the wheels spin on ice it would easily lead to a stall. I know this sounds extreme and probably wouldn’t happen. Im just saying maybe they have to be careful just in case it could?
Yalnix
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Helix
Either way, the specifics don't really matter. What matters is there is reasonable reasons to choose to shut down the ride and whoever was responsible didn't want the risk and chose the safe option last night and I think that's commendable especially when you risk unhappy customers.
It did happen!
The thing that started the chain of events on that day was operating the ride in winds exceeding the manufacturers recommendations.
So they're very careful now. As you would be if you owned the park
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OilyWater
TS Member
In the posts above we quoted the prosecution where it states it wasnt beyond the manufacturer's wind recommendations. One of the issues was the lack of their own risk assessment and safe procedure over the effect of wind on empty trains (as well as lacking lots of other safety procedure). It sounds similar but is an important difference.
We don't know the specifics about Thirteen, like I say they will probably have a reason, but I can see why people are confused when it's run in cold in the past. 'More careful' should mean practical & sound safety procedures, not just arbitrary rules, so let's hope its the former.
Yalnix
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Helix
It kinda got a bit off topic. Maybe partially my fault.
To get it back on topic. I'm bloody deperate to get back to the resort but fear I won't have time... My run on SS was dreadful and I really want another shot. Therefore I feel like I'm one of the only people who want it to return next year. How would people feel with a sort of SS Remix? Kinda like a sequel with some sweeping changes to the maze but the same theme and general gist? Or have they already done that and I'm a fool.
To get it back on topic. I'm bloody deperate to get back to the resort but fear I won't have time... My run on SS was dreadful and I really want another shot. Therefore I feel like I'm one of the only people who want it to return next year. How would people feel with a sort of SS Remix? Kinda like a sequel with some sweeping changes to the maze but the same theme and general gist? Or have they already done that and I'm a fool.
OilyWater
TS Member
Because Thirteen's shutdown over the Scarefest weekend was compared to Smiler incident so some of us were discussing that.
Anyway @Yalnix yeah I completely agree a Sub Species type maze still definitely has its place. A real long, intense, dark labyrinthy maze where you spend time on your own. It just needs a new route and maybe new theme to shake it up and get everyone fresh again. They have some excellent theatrical type mazes and now for a new intense disorientating one
Matt878787
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Gutted scarefest is almost over and i chickened out going in any of the scare mazes for the first time.
Is it really true you can get lost by yourself in there for half an hour with actors chasing you around in the dark? It sounds traumatic. (Guess that’s the point)
Is it really true you can get lost by yourself in there for half an hour with actors chasing you around in the dark? It sounds traumatic. (Guess that’s the point)
DiogoJ42
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Metropolitan Line
.... No.
grrrr
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Vertigo, Tivoli Gardens
That would really not be good for throughput...
Matt878787
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
How long are they?