CoasterMania 2015

I know Tony frequently visits the site, so I wanted to give him a shout out for yet another nice Coastermania.

Thanks Tony and thanks to anyone who helped put this together!

Ride On!

It would. However, I would ask why he was wearing the shirt, and he would tell me that it was his way of showing support. Is it an odd way to show support? Yes. Am I going to condemn him for wearing it? Nope. I am going to support it, and it would still make me feel uncomfortable.

Wearing the shirt doesn't make him tasteless or a horrible person. If he had the shirt made just to poke fun at the situation, I would take issue. I would also, take issue if he DIDN'T wear the shirt and started to make light of the situation.

The shirt is a shirt. What matters is what you do while in the shirt and the reasons behind wearing the shirt. As you said, noggin, he/she might not have even heard about the accident.

Is it possible that this guy isn't/wasn't aware of the accident? Not to mention how ridiculous some of the comparisons I read about the t-shirt. *sigh*

I think some of you are being argumentative and naive. He knew exactly what he was doing. You're talking about an enthusiast, a group that posts photos online of spray painted marks on the ground and knows how long a ride cycle is with and without trims.

Unless a lot of roller coaster enthusiasts play dumb, you'd be surprised how many don't know what they're talking about, let alone aware of a coaster crash in a different country. Maybe this is just me giving the man the benefit of the doubt.

Im willing to bet he showed up unregistered for the event too. With an expired membership. Complaining about the lack of ERT on thread the needle.

Jeff said:

You're talking about an enthusiast, a group that posts photos online of spray painted marks on the ground and knows how long a ride cycle is with and without trims.

I fancy myself a coaster enthusiast -- on Coasterbuzz for 15 years, an ACE member for over 30 years and an ACE committee member for half that time -- and I wouldn't have known about the Smiler incident if I weren't on Coasterbuzz daily.

Maybe he knew about the accident and was being as ass. Or maybe he didn't know about the accident and was wearing a shirt of a favorite coaster.

Jeff said:

I think some of you are being argumentative and naive. He knew exactly what he was doing. You're talking about an enthusiast, a group that posts photos online of spray painted marks on the ground and knows how long a ride cycle is with and without trims.

You know exactly that he knew exactly what he was doing, and that he was doing it to be an ass? That's pure speculation Jeff, and that's not fair.

Oh, boohoo. I have it on good authority that the kid knew exactly what he was doing. Maybe that's why I saw him alone.

Geez, everyone getting testy around here!! Can't we all just have fun? You're going to have fun, I'm going to have fun, it's Coastermania!!

Ride on!!

Come on Jeff, you know nice guys finish last and the a-holes are the ones with the good looking girls on their arms ;)

On a real note, I can definitely understand how if it was intentional, it would aggravate some people.

Jeff said:
I have it on good authority that the kid knew exactly what he was doing.

I have it on good authority, too. I heard it from the great and powerful Oz. Who'd you hear it from?

Someone who had to deal with his dip****tery. Seriously, do you really think that I have no relationships with people around the industry who deal with every from events to building roller coasters?

His attire included a reference to a very particular roller coaster in another country, on another continent, that had just had an accident involving life-changing injuries. It's extremely unlikely that a CoasterMania! attendee, an event for coaster enthusiasts, did not know what he was doing. Merely having the shirt is enough to imply that he was enough of an enthusiast to be aware of this particular ride.. How many people wear shirts for overseas roller coasters without having the interest to keep up with the industry?

But hey, keep thinking that he had no clue what he was doing..

You've got it all figured out. We'll call you Batman.

In regards to my profile picture. In fairness I've had it as my display picture for a very very long time on several accounts I participate in. I feel bad about the incident and really do express empathy for all involved, but I didn't see the accident and post this as my avatar. It's been here. Plus, I will say, getting an Avatar to fit Pointbuzz is hard as hell to get a pic that looks good in the size requirements. If I found an acceptable substitute I would if it worked. It's not as simple as grabbing something out of my photos section and pressing upload, and y'all here know that.

This kid knew he was being a troll and an ass. It's alright though, considering how Jeff said he was on his own goes to show he clearly has no friends to enjoy the park with so jokes on him.

^^
I do too. He was clearly being an ass. Or, at best, a bad comedian. What on earth possesses some people is beyond me.

And whatever. It wouldn't be enough to make me want to punch him in the throat, but if he'd crossed my path he'd at least have earned the stink eye from me. Which, by the way, can be quite withering.

Been reading this all day.. I know I should just stay quiet but. I have a hard time believing that this person woke up with the intent to have an awesome day at coatermania, but while he was deciding what shirt he was going to wear that morning, he pondered and said to himself. I'm going to wear this shirt all day so I can joke, and laugh to myself about the people who got injured riding and all the people affected by the incident...

I would say that wearing an Al Qaeda shirt would have been a poor choice even way before 911. And about the friend dying scenario, I would have never thought twice about seeing that very car on a shirt. The car didn't kill my friend, the drunk driver did. If the shirt really is in distaste then thedevariouseffect pic is too. I like your pic, and don't think you should change it just because.

I agree with Willijs3 on this one. It was a shirt probably of his favorite ride, probably nothing more. Maybe he wanted to promote that he thinks the ride should reopen?

On a better note I too have to thank cedar point for putting on coastermania! It was my first. I really only got to enjoy the last few hours due to work, but I did enjoy riding Maverick during the ERT.

Would an Alton Towers t-shirt have been ruled as distasteful? Just trying to get a feel as to where the over sensitive public draws the line these days.

I do think it's entirely possible to be an enthusiast (of anything) and not be right up to date on all the latest news.

That said: this guy chose to wear that shirt knowing what had happened? I'll join RCMAC in delivering the stink eye.

It's not a question of the public being overly sensitive. It's a question of individuals having respect for those whose company they will be in, and erring on the side of caution.