How big are you? Can you ride?

HI,, I am 5'3 and two years ago (when the dragster opened,I "DID NOT" fit @ 265#s,, let alone fit on the mf , right then and there I went on the carb diet, and walked,,I lost 40 #s in about two months,I fit no problem,and then kept loosing since and now with a total of about 100-105#s minus,, I been riding ever since, but this year, the MF is definatly smaller, I still get scared every time I go and still have 50#s to go,but if I have to become a stick to ride it, then I WILL<< I LOVE the MF!

The thing is, I think the waist size they've got the ride adjusted to is not the norm. Since the height requirement is only 4' tall, and most of the people riding it are 5' or taller, the waist size isn't really proportionate to the average height. I saw a lot more underweight, tall, lanky teenage guys riding it than I did you regular everday coaster rider. Girls it seemed to be more of an average size.
*** Edited 5/23/2005 9:35:18 PM UTC by CPMatt***

One of my friends who is the same size as me couldnt fit in MF because of his waist size. Im 5'5 130 lbs and have a 34 inch waist..can someone help me understand how he couldnt fit, because i fit comportably.

Peggy Bertsch is Director, Training and DEVELOPMENT PARK OPERATIONS. So call her and complain about this issue. Kepp doing this untill something is done about this.

Remember, "Family Fun Park". How can that be when people can't ride MF or TTD with their family?? The funny thing is that I can fit on Jr Gemni but not MF or TTD!!! Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm....!!!

MF_Man said:

The funny thing is that I can fit on Jr Gemni but not MF or TTD!!! Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm....!!!

Yeah, and Jr Gemini doesn't have an 80 degree drop...

I see the point, though.

I'm sure that most of you are aware of this incident but, for those who are complaining, some of the information here may sway your opinion a little -- especially given that Superman is another Intamin ride.

http://masstort.org/Downloads/DPSreport.pdf

Other documents pertinent to the accident are available here, for those who are interested.

http://masstort.org/masstort/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=4 *** Edited 5/26/2005 9:33:35 PM UTC by melombar***

Of course we are, it's old news. It was operator error that caused the accident on Superman, not the length of the seat belt.

MF's ride ops have to check the security of it's belts, regardless of their length. Why not add 2 inches to the belts and stop this nonsense?

Because Intamin says so, and Ohio law says CP has to follow what the ride manufacturer says.

Round 'n round we go on this subject.

MrScott

I just got back from Cp and NOW their change the test seat seatbelt. NO I'm not bigger nor anything of the kind I honestly lost another 10 lbs. (Super Soap Diet) The belt is alot newer, hard to pull that 1 inch. I went to the Parks Office and talked to Kelly. She told me that alot of people has been complaining about this issue. She also told me on a B&M coaster they put bigger seats on the ride to accomodate larger riders. Now the question at hand is this, why B&M can do this and not Intamin??

Oh, by the way. Kelly also said that the people on pointbuzz are 90% liars!! All of the things we talk about are are not ture. My fiance was there also when she told me this.

You say that was operator error...if you go to that second link and read the first link on that page (the complaint) it states that Intamin AG added new restraints for larger riders, and if that person had been there a year earlier, he wouldnt have been allowed on the ride.

Honestly the only thing I see wrong with the report is that the ride op should have done his/her job by making sure the belt was tight and that the "T" bar was against the victims lower torso in which meaning upper thighs. This has nothing to do with in shrinking the size of the seatbelts. It has to do with the riders thighs so that the "T" bar secures them in the seat. Yes, granted the seat belt has a part in it but it is mustly the "T" bar that has the role on the ride or rides. So, why can't Intamin use the Green Light systeam (like Maxair) on the "T" bar and use the bigger belt that was on MF when it was first built??

I'm sure it comes down to money, MF Man.

It always does.

MrScott

MF_Man said:
So, why can't Intamin use the Green Light systeam (like Maxair) on the "T" bar and use the bigger belt that was on MF when it was first built??

The belts that were on it when MF was built are still the same belts. The mounting points have been changed twice, making them shorter each time. The first time the mounting point was changed was when they lowered the height requirement from 54" to 48" in 2001. The second time was last year after the SF:NE incident.

I think the mounting points have been changed and maybe even more than once. But the belts have also been shortened substantially. Perhaps about nine inches. Just look at what happens when you buckle the belt in an empty seat. The belts used to lay down on the seat when you buckled them empty, but they don't even come close now. Saying that they are the same as when they opened is a bit of a stretch.

Does anyone have the proof that the mounting points have change?? Does anyone haveproof that the seatbelts are the same when it was first built?? I know for a fact that the belts did change. In 2001, I went with a good friend of mine that was over weight (pushing 325) and was about 6'2. Even with the belts that long at the time, he could have not buckle it at all.

I don't think they are the same seatbelts from when MF first opened. It's dangerous for CP to shorten the belts themselves. They probably ordered shorter belts for MF.

They have changed the mounting points so that they are lower than before, thus making less belt for the rider.

Well it just seems that CP does cut the belts. If order by Intamin then ALL BELTS will be the same bottom line!!! I also do understand that wear does settle in after a year or so. It also goes for the mounting points, who is moving them CP or Intamin??

I know for a fact that the seat belts are different sizes depending where you sit, my boyfreind and I been going every weekend since may 7th, I have been sitting all over the train and I noticed that the very front train the belts so far are the smallest, I fit,but not a whole lot of room like when I sat in the middle and on the back, the ride op even asked me if I can make it any tighter,I told him, I don't even know how to work this darn things to begin with ( he let it go) but I did notice a difference in the belts, we are going again here tomorrow(5/29/05)we shall see what goes, I try to measure every time I go on it, and I hold my breath, and pray that I do fit!! they should quit selling those darn fries if we need to worry about fitting on these things,lol :)

MF_Man said:
Does anyone have the proof that the mounting points have change?? Does anyone haveproof that the seatbelts are the same when it was first built?? I know for a fact that the belts did change. In 2001, I went with a good friend of mine that was over weight (pushing 325) and was about 6'2. Even with the belts that long at the time, he could have not buckle it at all.

Before the mounting point was changed the weight limit was 260 lbs or a 42" waist. So the fact that your friend couldn't fit at 325 pounds is hardly surprising.

And by the way, a mounting point, from what I understand, isn't that difficult to change. I think the seat itself has various points from which the belt can latch on and thus changing the mounting point is really just a procedure of moving the piece of the belt from one point at the bottom of the seat to another.

The fact that anyone would actually believe that CP would literally "cut" the belts is just ludicrous. If they went to all the trouble to actually cut the belts and then sew the pieces back together they could have at least put in an indicator of 2 inches.

*** Edited 5/29/2005 5:16:30 AM UTC by CPMatt***

Thanks to this thread I am going to avoid a lot of frustration by re-planning our vacation. Every other year we go to CP while visiting my wife’s side of the family. This year it was going to be five days at Lighthouse Point. Spending several days waiting in line with four kids and not getting to ride the best roller coaster I have ever experience requires more forbearance than I am capable of. Will cut CP down to one day and add some other events (What else is there in Ohio?).

Will report back whether a 5’ 10” height, 235 lbs , 42” waist male with a big butt fits. I think we know the answer. MF was a snug fit in 2003 -- don’t think the 15 lbs I have lost will do much, but will keep at it for the next four weeks and hope.

The inability to ride one ride, for me anyway, hardly ruined my day at the park. You'd certainly fit on everything else in the park without any problems (although TTD might be a tight fit). If you're willing to blow that much money on Lighthouse Point, at least get your money's worth by riding everything else.

I didn't ride MF or TTD at all last year, and I only went one day the entire season, and I managed to survive.