Debate: Cameras and DV on Dragster

You should see the rig I have for mine. Not that I could ever use it at CP, but still.......

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I'm surprised that those nifty little watch cameras haven't been brought up. The thought has crossed my mind that those would be an extremely safe way to snap a few pics. I do realize that it would be against the rules however.

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Millennium Force Laps-115
**Vertigo Launches-21**
Dragster Launches-7

Jeff, you said you didn't own the ride. I thought you had Cedar Fair stock in which case you do own the ride. Lawsuits and lawyer fees, insurance, etc. do effect the bottom line, like someone here said, its a rule, obey it.

What does that have to do with anything? What point are you trying to make?

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Okay, forget who owns it, Cedar Point is on Ohio land, rules and law are made with reason and the reason is keeping up well so far and we still get to enjoy the ride. You have to obey the rules and law, if Cedar Point says you can, you still shouldn't do it because Cedar Point is in Ohio and if Ohio says you can't, to bad.

It don't matter if it's in your backyard or Cedar Point, the person who took it on was stupid, breaking the law for something worthless. Something that they could of retrieved if they would of just went to various websites that have done it legally.

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Life has it's ups and downs, might as well make it on a coaster!

Down off your soapbox... Ohio doesn't say you can't do it. Ohio law says you have to obey the park's instructions. Therefore, it does matter who owns the ride.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

i saw a nifty little camera on Power Tower for a Discovery Channel special. there was a small lens attatched to the guy's finger with electrical tape. the rest of the camera, everything but the lens, was stowed in a pack that hung off his side by his pocket. The wires ran from the lens to the rest of the camera in a clear plastic tube up his arm and in his shirt. it was quite a sight to see...

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"One word: DAMN!" - Large Man Exiting Dragster
Phantom's Revenge? DELICIOUS!
TTD: 5

Walt:

You said you would like to see Sky Ride added to the list of execptions...

IMO, someone dropping a camera from the sky ride and it landing on someone's head might also have some of the same effect as someone dropping a camera off of, lets say the Mine Ride?

The other rides you mentioned I agree with, but not the Sky Ride..
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Race for the Sky. :::::::::::::9

Today was a real life example of what can happen with a camera on a ride. While riding MF at just before 2 today, someone with a camera in the front car lost it going over the 2nd hill. I was sitting in the first seat of the second car and caught a flash of something flying by.

As I exited the ride I found out a lady in the 5th or 6th car actually caught it in mid air!! She was trying to find out who's camera it was. She was not a happy camper. While I was still fairly close to her no one was claiming it.

I'm not sure if the person came forward or not. Someone could have been seriously injured. The rules are there for a reason!
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No ! They do not have Freeway for Dragster.

Ok, this topic just pisses me off. What do people mean when they say that they have the "right" to film on roller coasters? People have a "right" to be safe and to not have to worry that a foreign object is going to ruin their life. Why do you have to leave these objects off the ride? According to Ohio Revised Code Section 1711.551 "all riders must obey all warnings and directions regarding amusement park rides and behave in a manner that will not cause or contribute to injury to themselves or others. Faulure to comply is a misdemeanor." This information is straight from the Cedar Point Rider Safety Guide. Technically, we can have you thrown in jail for disobeying the rules. Think of that next time you want to pull out your camera and possibly get a ride host fired.........

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Formerly the imbecile known as ddogg
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2003 Super Screw Crew

Okay, here's my two cents! I don't think you should take loose objects on any coaster either. I was actually hit in the mouth last year by someone's bottle of pop when they let go of it on Magnum. I saw who it was, chastised them appropriately till the end of the ride and then again when we exited. I also told the ride ops but they didn't do anything other than try to make sure I was okay. I had a busted lip and bruises for days, luckily it didn't do further damage and didn't hit my 8 year old daughter sitting next to me! DON'T TAKE THE CAMERA OR OTHER LOOSE OBJECT ON THE RIDE!!! IT IS DANGEROUS!!!

Ah, there's the heart of the discussion IMHO. We know we shouldn't take anything on the ride that could possibly fly out and hit somebody. Safety's no accident, you know. But CP insists that no loose items are left on the platform on most rides (exceptions are Raptor, WT). Take that bottle of pop for example. The operators won't let it set on the platform so riders have to take it on the ride. The rider will probably just end up holding on to it with bare hands. The smarter rider will find a pocket or bag or something to put it in. That being said, who is responsible if something happens? The operators instructed the riders to take the bottle on board.

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Scott W. Short
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

Which, of course, begs the obvious question...

Why is it that on certain rides, you can carry any object of any size on board *except* a camera?

(It's less of an issue than it used to be, but still...)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Anyone that knows about objects dropping from great heights knows how much of a bad choice taking objects on TTD (or any other ride) is. I've seen objects taken on TTD being found in Camp Snoopy, Paddlewheel ride areas, near Magnum all around the midway. A camera, no matter how large, falling at 400+ feet and that fast could very possibly kill someone. Why put your life, and everyone else's life, at risk. Everyone's day would be so much better if guests would simply listen to instructions, pay the $1.00 for a locker and go about your day.

As for the person who took the onride photos and videos, I pity you for your utter disregard for personal safety of yourself and others. I hope that you never come back to Cedar Point for I do not want to be at risk of injury for your stupid decisions. Have a nice day!

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MANTIS ROCKS 2002 & 2003

CP did baffle me with the "you have to bring it with you" rule on the coasters.

Some of you will say that SF having a policy where you can leave your items at the station causes delays in capacity. I don't see where a little extra time leaving your items in a box at the station out does the safety issue of loose items on a coaster.

I appreciate those boxes in the station houses at SF parks.

Jeff brings up the stupidity with picture taking on some of the rides like Space Spiral, the train, Giant Wheel, etc. I agree completely and extend the stupidity of not being able to take pics while waiting in the station house of the coasters.

I pulled out my camera while waiting in line for Magnum in the station. I took a pic of the train returning to the station and a ride op shouted at me for it. I was nowhere near getting on the ride yet.

I don't know about the rest of you , but I am always cauteous of my belongings like keys, wallet, camera, etc. Not only do I not want to lose them, but I dont want any of it flying out and hitting someone.

Cargo pants and shorts with zipper pockets are your friend. :)

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Chitown said:

I pulled out my camera while waiting in line for Magnum in the station. I took a pic of the train returning to the station and a ride op shouted at me for it. I was nowhere near getting on the ride yet.

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Heh. Last season an employee stopped me from taking pics of Mantis - from the midway. I honestly thought the guy was joking at first.

Still probably my all time great photo moment :)

...well except for the time they took my film at SFWOA.

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Coasterimage.com

Of course EVERYONE should follow the parks rules about cameras. For most of us enthusiasts its pretty lame, BUT, the rules are in place for a reason.

Some people could probably drive down the freeway and be safe doing 95 MPH, but thats not the case for most people, it's considerred insane! The same goes for enthusiasts and cameras on coasters. While we probably COULD get away with it and have no problems, the majority of people out there have no idea what theyre getting themselves into, and many end up damaging thier cameras or even dropping them! Also, think about what happens when that one person eventually DOES drop thier camera and it nails someone in the face? It's happned before- on Golath at SFMM last year a guy pretty much had his face re-arranged by a camera that hit him at 50+ mph!

While I don't reccomend that ANYONE brings a camera onto a ride- I personally have a special camera/remote head setup for taking on coasters, whether the park likes it or not... lol. It's secured with a clamp, and I definately know it's not going anywhere. While it's not right and I've stated the reasons why above- none of that's going to happen. Also, it's pretty covert, as not to show the rest of the people on the ride that takign a camera on is ok. I've spent the time, money and effort to make sure my setup is safe and reliable, I'm not just "smuggling" the cam onto a ride.

Dragster is a special case no doubt, I didn't even THINK about bringing my camera on the ride even though I most certainly could have gotten away with it. I usually don't mess with CF parks, since they have VERY strict policies (the only CF ride I've taken POV's of has been Xcelerator). But at a park like SFMM, the ops make no effort to even notify you that you shouldn't be filming on rides. I have the camera in plain view in the station and many employees look right at it and realize it's a special setup thats not going anywhere, so they let me take it on.
*** This post was edited by Josh B 9/12/2003 2:30:40 AM ***
*** This post was edited by Josh B 9/12/2003 2:31:24 AM ***

A few things:

1) These boxes for putting articles in are a good idea, but not for Cedar Point. Six Flags doesn't care about being fast or efficient, it's not their thing. Also, there's an added safety risk of having boxes across a train. Take Corkscrew for example. Those trains are flat out dangerous to get in and out of. Why risk the danger of someone tripping and busting their head open?

2) There is this general idea that it's ok to break the rules. Are certain rules in society archaic? Yes, yes there are. This is not one of these rules. Did you know it's required for you to read all rules before entering the line for a ride? Did you know that you must listen to all audio recordings as they pertain to the ride? It's not the ride hosts fault when you don't read the sign and are forced to leave the line to put your items in the locker. In fact, CP is very nice for not making you start over from the beginning of the line. It's nothing more complicated than this: you break the rules you can be taken to court. As far as special set-ups are concerned, if your asked to remove it and secure, you must do it.

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Formerly the imbecile known as ddogg
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2003 Super Screw Crew

Drew:

You talked about putting boxes across the train, and i think that makes no sense either...maybe i missed it, but whats wrong with cubbies on the exit side of the station? Knotts has them, Six Flags has them, WOA has them, i dont get what the big deal is.

I understand CP has a need for being fast and efficient, but isnt it easier for guests to take 30 seconds to put articles into a cubbies on the exit side of the station, then to find and then pay however much for a locker? I mean, this is safety we're all talking about here, and i'm sorry, but being efficient and rushing people on and off trains to maintain capacity is just not safe. This way articles are off the train, and if cameras or other articles are carried on, the people on that train are responsible for making that aware to ride ops and those people on the train. CP then needs to take action, instead of letting it slide (like it sounds they have) and that person needs to be dealt with accordingly.

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-Adam Carolla is GOD
-*Perturbed at the world*
-No good deed goes unpunished- Ben Franklin

Have you even seen pictures of the ride? The load and unload stations are seperate. Sure it's easier for guests, but it's not easier for the park in terms of being liable for your crap and slowing down the capacity of the ride.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - My Blog
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What time does the water show start?