Fury 325

JoshBrown:

But I guess because I dont have the background of rideman or an engineering degree...my OPINION isnt valid...

Separate post because this needs to be said. Your opinion is fine, but opinions are not more valuable than facts or conclusions made by way of critical thinking. Expertise is valuable. When people with advanced degrees make and design things, and then someone on the Internet shows up and is like, "I DID MY RESEARCH," no, you just said things that do not have any equivalence to what experts know.

You'd think that the pandemic would have cemented the value of expertise and earned knowledge, especially when it comes to science, but it seems to have had the opposite effect.

Nope the plandemic taught me just how important free, critical thinking is and im going to just leave it at that. So save calling me a trumptard,conspiracy theorist, science denier,bigot,or whatever cool terms are used on "us" now.

Using the term "planemic" while touting one's "free" critical thinking skills is the most hilarious thing I've read in weeks. Well done, no notes.

JoshBrown:

outward, away from the support..which tells my "non professional" eye that is the direction most force is exerted...

Yes, which is exactly why there is a lateral support in the opposite direction (puts that support in tension) under load. It does the same thing on either side, it would just be in compression, so it doesn't matter. You either take the loading in compression or tension on the support column, which is likely chosen based on space considerations and whatnot.

MDOmnis:

...a ride mechanic on YouTube had a pretty level headed and realistic assessment of the situation and theorized the possibility that the footer at the base of the diagonal support column had sunk a bit and caused extra stress at the top of that weld...

This is a good video. He acknowledges that there are a lot of unknowns and engages in informed, reasoned speculation. And the settling foundation theory does make a lot of sense.

You want the structure to have some flexibility. If it were rigid, it would be much more likely to fail. Obviously, if it flexes too much, that is a problem. I’m guessing that flexing a bit more could reduce the number of cycles of the component before it should be replaced. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did a complete replacement of the track sections and supports in that area. I also wouldn’t be at all surprised if it looked the same as new when they finish. I find it reassuring that the ride was able to operate safely in the short term even with one support failed.

The support settling a bit seems like the most probable cause. The only thing about this that I find concerning is that it supposedly took a week to notice the crack.

Gatekeeper been shut down the last 2 hours apparently. And someone just posted this pic on FB:

Not for nothing but that looks like someone drew a line on a picture of Gatekeeper on MS Paint

Yeah, you can watch Gatekeeper running right now on the webcam.

If the webcams are to be believed, Gatekeeper is running.

We all know what science is...

JoshBrown:
So save calling me a trumptard,conspiracy theorist, science denier,bigot,or whatever cool terms are used on "us" now.

JoshBrown:

So save calling me a trumptard,conspiracy theorist, science denier,bigot,or whatever cool terms are used on "us" now

We didn't. You did.

Ok conservative viewpoints generally get bashed on here, seems to be many more liberals or at least they are the loudest. Anyway I will pose a few serious questions about science and the pandemic since this has come up again.

Here are 3 things science was telling us a couple years ago that, IMO, was terrible advice.

1. Wear your cloth masks that will protect others from getting the virus.
2. Cancel all kids sports including outdoor sports. Kids couldn’t go play softball at the local fields or even cross country run.
3. Give the vaccine to all little children even those under 5 years old even healthy ones.

I’m not saying there was not good advice that saved some lives but these in particular, along with some other mandates, definitely got it wrong.

The thing about the pandemic and the science that went with it was that it was an evolving situation. Things were assumed based on current evidence (at that time) and judgments were made based on what we understood. We know a LOT more now than we did at the start and, yes, things were done that, in retrospect, didn't work. But we should take everything we've learned these past few years very effing seriously because it'll happen again if we're not careful. There's soo many zoonotic viruses out there just waiting for the right moment to jump to us and cause an even worse pandemic.

It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, libtard or Trumptard. We should all have a basic appreciation for life, our fellow Americans and fellow humans and understand how easy it can be taken away by something soo small. And if that means a few "freedoms" have to be temporarily suspended, I'm willing to go through it to save a life and make it to the other side. If that makes me a "libtard", then I'm fine with that.

Wait.........weren't we talking about something happening at Fury?

One of the worst outcomes of the pandemic was the drawing of lines between elephants and donkeys and the belief (and trust) in science. Mike Dewine (F$#%ING MIKE DEWINE!) was raked over the coals by other, more orthodox, elephants for listening to some donkeys, because those donkeys made sense.

Funny thing about being a scientist (not of pandemics or roller coasters, but other things); we all get taught the basics of how to communicate with one another at some point, which is largely done through dull scientific writings and that whole annoying peer-review thingy.

I have never written the words "This proves...", but have often written "this supports the idea that..."

That's because science evolves, and (I find this terribly ironic) literally requires an open mind and an emotional detachment from data (which is, to be fair, very difficult at times).

1) Cloth masks were recommended as being better than nothing, because masks work when used correctly. I, for one, did not own a stockpile of medical masks before 2020. I still don't.

2) This seems to be a local thing, because none of my kids sports were cancelled. My daughters run cross country, and they had full seasons. There were weird rules (wear masks to the starting line) that we all knew were silly. But to be honest, there were weird rules everywhere. At Mount Union, where I teach, students had to wear masks in the classrooms but no where else. How many layers of stupid is that? And then Cedar Point's absolutely asinine rules about "washing down" rides after 3-4 cycles? We can all agree that institutions everywhere made up rules that, in hindsight, seem very wonky at best.

3) What's wrong with giving young kids vaccines? "Even the healthy ones". Call me crazy (just not Shirley), but my kids have every vaccination science has come up with. Not a single case of chicken pox (or polio!) in this house, ever. :)

And regardless of how you vote, Master D, I'll much happily toss this **** around with you at the Trail Tavern over a drink.

I appreciate these last two great responses. Good points all around. I’m fine with moving back on topic.

Master D:

conservative viewpoints

...are not the things being put down. Conservatism has been co-opted by people who have no policy positions or critical thinking to offer, only desire to retain power at the expense of the Constitution. The actual conservatives like Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and others have been run out of town.

This is not an issue of moral equivalency. What many call "liberal" is just a desire for basic human equality. You don't need to be liberal to want that.

Well, some of us here don't follow any "left or right" pathway or follow any poltics whatsoever because we understand both of these sides are fighting for the same outcome and the television theatrics to split said people don't work on them. Both sides are equally terrible people that do not care about you. The imbecile guy that plays "president" now should prove well enough it is 100% controlled. This is the biggest thing that needs to be understood. "Left" or "right" they do not care about you. The outcome they are fighting for is the exact same and they play sides to keep you mad at your neighbors and keep your eyes off of the people that are creating the hell that is coming. They change some policies here and there to make it look like they're "changing" something but the end result will be the same.

The (fake) "pandemic" has been predicted decades ago to force the fake vaccines. Left and right "died suddenly" are all the new headlines. All of whom have been vaccinated. The big ol "climate change" (intentional weather manipulation) fiasco will be next followed by the same lockdowns and masking. I've followed this forum since the millenium construction and my love for coasters but have only commented a handfull of times because of the extremeist "left wing" people here nowadays as I'd guess I'd call it now..? The "do as you're told" and "non-thinking" people. Didn't have a name for it back then but just knew they were off.. Basically the ones who repeated verbatim whatever the next news story was as if it were fact.

I'd like to meet people of this community, but not "these" people. I want to make it known that there is that there is normal people on here that have just stayed quiet and that see through the bs. I've stayed quiet forever, but while these people get their 18th booster for a nonexistent threat, I'd prefer to live my life free of NOT injecting toxins and just enjoying my time here as it's short enough as is and ride coasters with others who share the same desire without death or prejudice involved.