Hands up on launch?

I've seen some pics of the launch with peoples' hands up such as in this one: http://community.webshots.com/photo/67986571/72224792zZUCGz

Is there a rule against this or something? On other rides they tell you to hold on at all times, and I would suppose that TTD would be different only in the fact that you are getting accelerated so much faster than say, Mantis. I would imagine that having your hands whip back would hurt and could cause injury just like having your head above the seat back and having it whip back. I also recall that the "point of view" picture thats on the ttd site (the one with the purple and pink sky) originally had a person's hands up but then they changed it.

------------------
-life without danger is a waste of oxygen-

Cedar Point has the hands down rule for liability reasons only. It's tradition to put your hands up on a rollercoaster. Once you're out of the station and going, you can put your hands up all you want, they won't do anything about it. This is also the reason why all official videos and photos have their hands down. If someone happens to get hurt on the ride with their hands up, Cedar Point has defense saying they didn't follow the rules.

If you don't have your arms down before the launch, it keeps saying "arms down, arms down, arms down" until everyone has their arms down. However as soon as the countdown lights start thatas when people put their arms up. I did it yesterday on my 2nd ride on TTD. The power ripped my arms and pinned them to the seatback around my head. Which was actually better because I didn't have to worry about them flying all over. It didn't hurt me one bit to have them whipped back like that, but Im sure if someone had a past shoulder injury or something, it would hurt pretty good.

It's not just for liablity reasons... It's a safety issue and what most people don't seem to understand, although there are signs all over teh park sayign it, is failure to follow instuctions is actually violation of state law.

Think of it this way.. you're told to put your hands down.. you put them up.. you get hurt.. You don't have a leg to stand on and you've broken the law.

------------------
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services 2002-2003
Fright Zone Screamster 2002-2003

Ok this is an honest question.

Red Garter Bob said: Think of it this way.. you're told to put your hands down.. you put them up.. you get hurt.. You don't have a leg to stand on and you've broken the law.

Now how exactly would putting your hands up damage your leg to the point where you can't stand on it?

Sorry if I missed something but I just don't get what you mean.

------------------
-life without danger is a waste of oxygen-

Sticking your arms straight up on any launched ride is a bad idea. The acceleration throws your arms back behind your head on the launch. This is a good way to tear stuff in your shoulder.

If you must insist on putting your hands up, do yourself a favor and put them up in more of a forward fashion. You'll need two good shoulders later in life.

Oh, and the 'arms down' prompt is triggered by the ride-op who is watching the launch and prestage tracks.

Oh, and RGR's "you don't have a leg to stand on" comment meant in seeking damages or the like. It might be better if it read "you don't have a leg to stand on in your defense."

------------------
- John
*** This post was edited by Michael Darling 5/19/2003 9:40:29 PM ***

The acceleration does force your arms back, but you don't notice any pain during the ride. When we hit the brakes, I noticed the corner of the head rest had been digging into my shoulder blade causing some discomfort after the ride, but certainly nothing like what some of the other rides there can dish out.

------------------
-Chris Woodard
"If you're standing in an uncomfortable position, that means you are in the right position because you are riding Mantis!" - Mantis ride op doing spiels on closing day.

I wouldn't be surprised if you can damage your rotator cuff, or at least pull something, if you happen to hold your arms up in the right (wrong) way. On TTD I would definitely say to keep your arms down during the launch. After that, it's like other roller coasters, it won't hurt you to have your arms up.

------------------
Florida may have Disney World and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!

I got to ride it Saturday and people were holding their hand up at the launch. The person in the control booth is the one that clicks the button that says "hands down, head back". She was pushing buttons just playing with the riders for a minute. But they will not launch until all hands are down. It was funny watching them. It was saying" hands down, heads back, hands down...hands down...hands down every single time this one rider put his hands up. The operator was laughing. Also, they were telling everyone that there was a four hour wait when actually there was only two. Maybe two and a half. They also had a lot of technical difficulties.Humm!

This is off-topic, but I had a small problem with my calf on the ride. I don't know the anatomy of it, but it would feel like I would pull a muscle in my calf almost the duration of the entire ride. Luckily, I didn't pull it. I have pulled it before, not on a rollercoaster, and it hurts very bad. The same thing happened on Millennium Force. Maybe it's the way my legs are positioned on the two rides. It feels like it's going to pull during weightlessness.

"A leg to stand on" is just a phrase meaning you don't have a case.. I wasn't meaning that your leg would get hurt..

------------------
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services 2002-2003
Fright Zone Screamster 2002-2003

Pagooona, about pulling your calf: if you can, try keeping your feet bent upward during the ride. Sometimes while stretching in bed my calf would suddenly tense up with sharp pain. But I have learned that keeping my feet bent upward (which relaxes the calves) while stretching prevents my calf from pulling. I'm don't know anatomy either, but I know it works for me. Hope that helps.

------------------
How do you spell FASTEST? I-N-T-A-M-I-N. That's how. (my GTTP sig)
................................................................................
Only 2 more weeks of Space, my favorite nightclub of all-time! (my universal sig)

I had my hands up through the entire ride when I went last week. Going through the spiral going back down the tower, I noticed when the train twisted in, my body twisted out. My upper body was looking down the side of the train. I was sitting in the left side of the train. Has anyone else had this happen? It scarred the hell out of me! I felt that if I wasn't stapled in, I could have come out of my seat.

If you hold your hands up outside of the little head rest area, you can kiss your arms good-bye. This is why Hypersonic went down last summer, they installed arm protectors over the head-rests for those stupid enough to hold thier hands up durring launch. I just find that stupid. I don't care about the 'It's a coaster and I can do that' BS, it's just going to hurt YOU. Do it durring the hill or the break-run, but not durring the launch.

------------------
Love,
The Mole

Umm... I had my hands up and remarkably my arms were not broken off or hurt.

------------------
Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Thats funny, I still have both my arms too.

------------------
Screamsters 2001
Millennium Force/Screamsters 2002
TTD rollbacks-1:)/Screamsters 2003

villiageidiot said:
Going through the spiral going back down the tower, I noticed when the train twisted in, my body twisted out. My upper body was looking down the side of the train. I was sitting in the left side of the train. Has anyone else had this happen?

Yes it happened to me each time I rode on that side of the train. I thought it was great! It felt like I was launching right out the side of the train and going to smack right into the spiraled track supports. Fantastic effect and great air time. :)

------------------
cyberdman

I also still have both my arms.

------------------
Honest truth told to me by marina gate readmissions host:

Host: Hand stamped, two cents.

Me: That's cool, I think I have two cents.

Host: I better not take it, by the time you leave here its all you'll have.

It is just a liability factor should something happen thats why the hands down sign and announcement is there.

------------------
Crow: Mike can I have a car like that?
Mike: You can't drive.
Crow: I can drive, I'm an excellent driver; I'm not wearing my underwear.

Camp Snoopy 2000-2002
Mean Streak 2003

Please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times, cedar point will not be responsible for any lost or damaged items. thank you for riding top thrill dragster and enjoy the rest of your day at cedar point, Americas rockin roller coast.