• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two

Matt N said:
there are already people on Twitter lamenting that “Merlin park safety has fallen drastically” and calling for the whole park to be closed for an investigation…
Click to expand...
You can change the owner, you can change the name, but you can't change the phoney outrage and public flagellation of user behaviour.

Twitter has always been, and will always be, like this. Until they turn the last server off.
 
Matt N said:
there are already people on Twitter lamenting that “Merlin park safety has fallen drastically” and calling for the whole park to be closed for an investigation…
Click to expand...
Twitter is the definition of echo chamber and is no way reflective of conversational discourse for any topic ever.

You know it's bad when even Facebook is significantly better at representing public discourse...
 
The sun has already picked it up: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29498753/alton-towers-fire-wicker-man/

Although from skimming though it it seems they are... not scaremongering 😱 the headline is the guests see smoke comming from the wickerman, the the first part is basically just statements from the towers (the wood is coated in fireproof meterial, it was forgen objects) then talkingbabout the wickerman (first wooden in 20 years, top speed of 40 mph etc);then for some reason it just snaps to talking about hex.
 
Interesting to hear that the cause is thought to be a “foreign object” according to an Alton Towers spokesperson… could this mean that a guest dropped something flammable on the track or something?

It will also be “closed until further notice” while the park carries out “essential maintenance”, apparently… whether that means a day, a week, or longer is anyone’s guess.

It’s a relief that this seemingly didn’t cause any major damage. I am slightly disappointed that this probably means that my favourite ride on park will be closed for my visit on Sunday, but I did get 2 rides on it in March, one of which was an unexpected night ride, so I can’t really complain too much!
 
Matt N said:
Interesting to hear that the cause is thought to be a “foreign object” according to an Alton Towers spokesperson… could this mean that a guest dropped something flammable on the track or something?

It will also be “closed until further notice” while the park carries out “essential maintenance”, apparently… whether that means a day, a week, or longer is anyone’s guess.

It’s a relief that this seemingly didn’t cause any major damage. I am slightly disappointed that this probably means that my favourite ride on park will be closed for my visit on Sunday, but I did get 2 rides on it in March, one of which was an unexpected night ride, so I can’t really complain too much!
Click to expand...
Dropped vape springs to mind. Though that’s just baseless speculation.

Either way with any luck there’s not been any serious damage and they can get it opened again sharpish though I would fully imagine the flames will be off “just in case”.
 
dave___ said:
Dropped vape springs to mind. Though that’s just baseless speculation.

Either way with any luck there’s not been any serious damage and they can get it opened again sharpish though I would fully imagine the flames will be off “just in case”.
Click to expand...
a vape wouldn't cause smoke unless the battery got ran over by the wheels causing damage and excessive heat
 
Dhev123 said:
a vape wouldn't cause smoke unless the battery got ran over by the wheels causing damage and excessive heat
Click to expand...
Dodgy batteries from cheaply (and shoddily) made powerbanks, vapes and stuff are one of the most common causes of fires. It’s the reason they have to announce on planes now about keeping an eye on lithium battery products; that and the Note 7 fiasco.

A dropped vape that’s, say, got wet by some standing water which has created a short in the battery management circuitry could quite feasibly catch fire like this.
 
They've said that it wasn't the track and that it was a foreign object (or whatever). So what was it? Presumably they know, so why not just say? Why does every little thing have to be such a secret? For example, if it was a vape or whatever, just say and everyone would understand and just move on. Very silly.
 
BarryZola said:
They've said that it wasn't the track and that it was a foreign object (or whatever). So what was it? Presumably they know, so why not just say? Why does every little thing have to be such a secret? For example, if it was a vape or whatever, just say and everyone would understand and just move on. Very silly.
Click to expand...
Because there will be that numpty then deliberately throwing their vape off the ride to try and see if they can make it happen too.
 
After the incident today they (understandably) closed off the Wicker man area and shop, with staff rerouting people through Mutiny Bay. Later on when we walked past it again they had put those blue/ purple temporary fences up around the whole plaza (past burger kitchen to near haunted hollow), with all music off; you could still walk past welcom-inn (is that how you spell it??). I very much doubt it will be open soon but fingers crossed I am wrong and it opens as soon as possible! 🤞🤞🤞

Also I feel I should apologise since as soon as we decided to go to ride wickerman this happened :laughing: just my luck.

(If it does stay closed for a few days I do hope they would at least open up the plaza a bit more and turn the music back on… )
 
Before the advent of odious social media networks, I bet this "story" wouldn't even be known about. Yet here we are, lapping it all up as if it was the latest episode of Emmerdale Farm.

Elon Musk and Meta make more money from hits, Reach and News Corp don't have to pay for proper investigative journalists to attract people to their articles anymore, and a knuckle dragging paid-up Reform voter from No.69 Gullible Close gets to have his say on the situation "It iz DIGUSTIN I bet da place is well un safe and shud close down 4 gud".
 
flyingguitar said:
The sun has already picked it up: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29498753/alton-towers-fire-wicker-man/

Although from skimming though it it seems they are... not scaremongering 😱 the headline is the guests see smoke comming from the wickerman, the the first part is basically just statements from the towers (the wood is coated in fireproof meterial, it was forgen objects) then talkingbabout the wickerman (first wooden in 20 years, top speed of 40 mph etc);then for some reason it just snaps to talking about hex.
Click to expand...
To be fair thats a shocker to see the sun not overexaggerating something going wrong with theme parks. Usually they go mental when a coaster gets stuck up the top of the lifthill haha
 
Glowstone_King said:
After the incident today they (understandably) closed off the Wicker man area and shop, with staff rerouting people through Mutiny Bay. Later on when we walked past it again they had put those blue/ purple temporary fences up around the whole plaza (past burger kitchen to near haunted hollow), with all music off; you could still walk past welcom-inn (is that how you spell it??). I very much doubt it will be open soon but fingers crossed I am wrong and it opens as soon as possible! 🤞🤞🤞

Also I feel I should apologise since as soon as we decided to go to ride wickerman this happened :laughing: just my luck.

(If it does stay closed for a few days I do hope they would at least open up the plaza a bit more and turn the music back on… )
Click to expand...
I'd guess as it was just something thats fallen or been chucked onto the ride, it will be open fairly soon. They managed to deal with the fire with just a normal extinguisher by the looks of things. They probably will do the standard safety inspections make sure its all un damaged and they will re open again no later than next week I'd imagine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top