Change a coaster.

We-o-we-oooo said:
Raptor routinely has all three trains stacked in the station and on the brake run; thats not how the ride was designed to run nor did it run that way until the loose article policy.

That's not how the ride was designed but it is how it was changed to operate. The increase in stacking started when multiple trains failed to clear the cobra roll. Once that happened dispatch times were changed a train will not leave the station until the prior train has cleared the cobra roll to avoid an instance of having to stop a train on the lift hill for evac. That explains the constant two train stacking on the break run. I personally have very rarely seen all three trains stacked.

As for the change in loose article policy and the additions of the hated bins. So many suggested force people to use lockers. And people who don't want to pay will stuff the items in to their pockets. Then incidents where items come loose and hurt another guest. People will find a way to avoid paying for a locker one way or another. Picture being hit in the face with a cell phone at 60 miles an hour and losing your eyeball as happened at Islands if Adventure their invert.

With bins you take away the liability as a business. You can't pat people down and force them to empty their pockets and put all items in a locker.

^Do you take your subsidized yet still $250 eyephone from your pocket and place it in a big wooden box where people are tossing shoes, backpacks, plastic cups and basketballs... or do you leave it in your pocket?

We-o-we-oooo said:
^Do you take your subsidized yet still $250 eyephone from your pocket and place it in a big wooden box where people are tossing shoes, backpacks, plastic cups and basketballs... or do you leave it in your pocket?

Are you asking me? I don't have an iphone. The phone I do have isn't subsidized and I don't really know what you're getting at.

Haha Eye Phone priceless^^*

In the bin if I don't have zippers on my pocket. It's not a matter of if everyone uses it's to take a line from a past Cedar Fair lawsuit "to provide reasonable care". You see it as slowing down your day, Cedar Fair sees it as avoiding a potential multi-million dollar settlement. The bins were added to most rides in 2006 in the same year Six Flags paid 3.6 million to a woman hit by a loose article on the Villian at Geauga Lake.

It makes no difference if a guest decides to use the bins or not. If Cedar Point provides bibs they have offered an alternative to carrying objects on the ride.

http://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/17879.aspx

You pointed out the potential injury that would result from an errant cell phone smashing someone in the schnozz. I simply asked if you were conscientious enough to take your phone and put it in the big box with everybody elses larger items. Because if you choose to keep it in your pocket instead of putting it at the bottom of a tub into which people are blindly tossing Buckeye basketballs, I fail to see how the bins do anything whatsoever to avoid aforementioned nasal damage.

The park has a multitude of options in lieu of the idiot boxes that would still allow them to fleece little Johnny out of his $2 per play for whack a mole. Free lockers, package/gift/prize pickup service or delivery to one's room (or even simpler: delivery to the front desk at the resort). Would the number of people who purchased items knowing they would not be forced to tow it around all day offset the cost of such services? I'm not privy to sales figures so I cant answer that, but an attempt to appease all related parties (riders, non riders making purchases and bean counters who want to sell as much cheap crap as possible) would seem to fit the overall 'guest first' attitude that has recently been installed.

I agree there are other options that would work and some of what you stated are good options and used by other parks. However can you find a cheaper option then a painted box built out of 2x4's and plywood. I think that option was selected for a reason.

And yet again from a business prospective they only need to provide an option that shows that there was a good option that prevents potential injury.

I didn't say that boxes 100 percent eliminates the chance of injuries. What I did say is they are a viable option that shows the company is offering reasonable care in preventing injury to guests. If someone chooses not to place their loose articles in the available option(bins) then that is the decision of an individual and not negligence or failure to provide reasonable care by the company.

I think the idea of free lockers (for the wait time of a ride) is a good one and would like it personally. However on a ride like Raptor where loose fitting shoes are a danger would you expect individuals to wait in line barefoot? (Risk of injury to their feet) or place them on the platform? (Risk of someone tripping over them) or carry them on the ride? (Risk of on ride or bystander injury from loose items)

I think restricting what is allowed in the boxes is a more viable option. Such as no basketballs, or cups, basically items that are not essential to all guests. The argument then becomes that you already have the boxes why not let people place all items in them.

I remember about 10 years ago taking a cooler/backpack and would take it along on the rides with me. Rode Magnum with the backpack in the empty seat next to me. Some of the rides had bins for your stuff. I think a majority of the phones lost are from getting them out on the rides. Most adults don't lose their stuff as frequently as children.

I don't think the trains are held up from dispatching on average as some of you seem to think. 5 seconds here and there on occasion. Not hours of your day.

Here's my stand...

If there were lockers say like Holiday world...sweet, I'm not complaining..

Do no loose article policies help dispatches...some yes, but the trains can only dispatch when able to dispatch safely and the PLC lets the trains advance. With loose articles does the time increase, on some yes.

However, I spend most of my day at CP waiting, walking, or talking. The few extra minutes I spend in queue really doesn't concern me, especially considering my frequency of trips I had this summer. There was literally a week where I went six days, then once weekend operation started I was there both weekends.

I do enough waiting on point, and I have rides, shows, and routes usually preplanned on how I go through the day. I'm not too concerned with any of it honestly.

I go to the park to go and have fun with people, even waiting in line, I still have fun with people

Thrills connect yo :P

^Finally, someone with more credibility here saying exactly what I had to say

TheRealMaverick said:

We-o-we-oooo said:
Raptor routinely has all three trains stacked in the station and on the brake run; thats not how the ride was designed to run nor did it run that way until the loose article policy.

That's not how the ride was designed but it is how it was changed to operate. The increase in stacking started when multiple trains failed to clear the cobra roll. Once that happened dispatch times were changed a train will not leave the station until the prior train has cleared the cobra roll to avoid an instance of having to stop a train on the lift hill for evac. That explains the constant two train stacking on the break run. I personally have very rarely seen all three trains stacked.

Not true at all.

Trains can technically be dispatched as soon as the lift is cleared, but to avoid setting up on the block break, we dispatch at the top of the loop, if possible, which is about 45 seconds.

Try this some time. Shoes that actually affix to your feet without fear of them coming off while on a ride. Sandals with straps both front and back or something with laces. Wear cargo shorts that also have back pockets with snaps, buttons, or zippers. Put the phone in your back pocket and sit on it. As for car keys, go to the hardware store, purchase a carabiner to loop through the key ring, and then, yes I am suggesting that you wear a belt, loop the belt through the carabiner. This removes the possibility of losing the keys if you hook them on a belt loop and the belt loop breaks. And instead of a souvenir cup, try using the drinking fountains. They happen to be free. I've only ever lost one thing on a ride and that was purely my own fault. The flip flop argument is a non-factor as far as I am concerned because YOU chose to wear them knowing that they could very well be detrimental to a day at an amusement park. Let alone being a piss poor choice for footwear in which you will be doing a tremendous amount of walking.

Then, if you choose to do water rides but don't want to have wet feet, you rent a locker for the water ride clothes, hit them all at once, since Cedar Point has gone out of their way to make sure that all the water rides are in one area. Once you have successfully gotten wet, you change back into dry clothes and continue on with your day.

All it takes is a little planning practical thought.

1. I wear running shoes or colder weather my combat boots

2. I wear cargo shorts.

3. Cedar Point isn't responsible for lost/stolen belongings lost during riding or in the bin, I'd rather place them in a bin than lose something during the course of the ride.

4. How scarce are drinking fountains, and I could drink about 10 Kinzel cups at once. Plus the occasional pop with food, or a beer during the day is quite enjoyable

5. Yes flip flops are a choice, they can be placed in the bin, no harm no foul. I've worn flip flops walking around alot more than I do at CP, no problem at all. It's just walking, big deal.

6. All water rides in one area...Ok, so snake, thunder, soak city, STR, are all next eachother? Just think on that.

If people have loose articles, and there is a policy in place to let them carry them through the queue and place them in the bin, fine cool. I'd rather them empty everything out then something become dislodged during a ride and cause a safety issue for themselves or another guest. Also making lines quicker yes can be nice, but my primary focus on riding is safety, that will always come first. If Raptor thoeretically had to slow down it's operations for safety and cut it's capacity in half, I'm still going to wait in line even if it takes longer. Safety is more important than getting on rides quickly.

Take the trim breaks off of mean streak. and smoothen it out. and make it fun.

Actually hasn't the park already solved the problem of people who hate having to wait for everyone else? They call it Fastlane...Yes, you have the option to just pay to jump ahead of all those pesky families that use bins.

yes!! And if that's not enough you can go into the restroom and wipe the tears from your eyes with free napkins.

TriumphBonneville said:
Try this some time. Shoes that actually affix to your feet without fear of them coming off while on a ride. Sandals with straps both front and back or something with laces. Wear cargo shorts that also have back pockets with snaps, buttons, or zippers. Put the phone in your back pocket and sit on it. As for car keys, go to the hardware store, purchase a carabiner to loop through the key ring, and then, yes I am suggesting that you wear a belt, loop the belt through the carabiner. This removes the possibility of losing the keys if you hook them on a belt loop and the belt loop breaks. And instead of a souvenir cup, try using the drinking fountains. They happen to be free. I've only ever lost one thing on a ride and that was purely my own fault. The flip flop argument is a non-factor as far as I am concerned because YOU chose to wear them knowing that they could very well be detrimental to a day at an amusement park. Let alone being a piss poor choice for footwear in which you will be doing a tremendous amount of walking.

Then, if you choose to do water rides but don't want to have wet feet, you rent a locker for the water ride clothes, hit them all at once, since Cedar Point has gone out of their way to make sure that all the water rides are in one area. Once you have successfully gotten wet, you change back into dry clothes and continue on with your day.

All it takes is a little planning practical thought.

Try this method, go to the park and have fun. Don't worry about the little things that may cost a few minutes of your time.
All it takes is a little relaxation. It is really easy to do. :)

Avoiding the Mean Streak and coaster bins subject, I agree with whoever said the redesign of Magnum's station. I'd also add Dragster and Mantis' stations to the list. All three of these need a lot bigger stations, or at least serious crowd control at their entrances, because as they are now, they flood completely full.

They do need to let less people up on Magnum's atation some days. When it's bad you can barely tell what train you're headed for and whether or not you're even in a line.

I would like to see them go the Universal Route in regards to loose articles.
No loose articles are permitted in the lines. Everything must go in a locker.
Lockers are free for the first two hours (or longer if a busy day)

I agree Og- We were at Universal over Thanksgiving and their locker system worked real well.