My MF story...

A few years ago when I went to CP my dad kept telling me to drink a lot of milk so I would grow and be able to go on the "Big" Rides. We stayed at a hotel and my dad nearly forced me to drink one more glass of milk before we left for the park. Of course it was White milk and I didn't really like white milk when I was younger- my dad said if I didn't drink it we wouldn't go-so i plugged my nose and drank it quickly so I couldn't taste it and so we could leave.
I was much smaller a few years ago- we got to the park and when it finally opened we went to MF and they measured the height (to get on the ride) with this pole that looked kind of like a golf flag.-But think metal- After a 2 hour wait (SO FAR) I got up to the entrance of the switchbacks-by the lockers and the MF sign. They were measureing my height and I stood under the measureing thing and it turns back and forth and if it hits your head (meaning your taller than it) you can go on the ride. They turned it back and forth a few times and it hit my head some of the time and other times it just hit my hair. My mom noticed that the measureing device wasn't sitting correctly on the ground-a good 1/4-to a 1/2 inch higher than it should be. They brought over like 4 people to determine if I could go on the ride and finally said, "Well it's too close to determine so you have to go to (this place near the front of the park-I forget the name- It's the "offical height measureing place)." Of course my parents looked very ticked off. My 2 older sisters stayed in line while my mom and dad took me to the front of the park to that place. My parents were talking and said they were half tempted to put klenex's in my shoes to make me taller so I could go on it-which they did a few years before so I could go on the mine ride (whiched worked then). We got to the place and some lady was yelling at somelittle kid in front of us. "Take off your shoes. Give them to me." She looked ferious, stairing at a bunch of napkens stuffed in the shoes. I tryed to hold in my laugh. As she yelled at them to leave. She then told me to get up on another one of those measureing things-only this one plastic- and it hit my head dead on-without anything stuffed in my shoes-she said I was far over it. So I got this wrist band thing saying my height and we walked all the way back to MF. I was going to get in the end of the line-which was still past the switchback entrance-but my dad still looking pissed-same with my mom- and grabbed me and brought me to the front of the line outside the switchbacks (where they origionally took my height) and they let us back in line. We had to wait another hour to get on the ride.
AND FINALLY
3 and 1/2 hours later I got my first ride on MF which kicked so much ass. I would like to thank milk for helping me grow so I could go MF. My dad said it was that last glass of milk I had that allowed me to ride. Of course, I dont think milk helps you grow that fast.

Do they still use that unreliable golf flag measuring thing?? *** Edited 7/20/2005 10:21:31 PM UTC by Rapter Rocks!***

Luckily your parents didn't stuff your shoes. That would have been some trouble in the Park Operations office (and you got to see a guest get caught and saw the end result).

I am glad you enjoyed your first ride on MF. Where did you ride? Did you do the front row or back? Maybe next time you can save some time and do the Freeway stamp, that will shorten your wait.

Glad you had a great ride!

My 9 year old niece came up with the idea of stuffing her shoes with Lighthouse Point toilet paper last year. With out the TP the day before, she was refused on Raptor. The next day, (with the stuffing), she rode.

I knew nothing of her actions until she had to sit down and take off her shoes and remove the stuffing and hour after she rode. She's 9, adventuresome, and smart.

I tried to point out how stupid her actions really were. I don't think I got through. Her reply?, "I rode it and I'm fine. Now who's stupid?". I wanted to kill her at that moment.

She'll end up hurting herself bad someday. I just hope it's not on a coaster. She will become smarter and never undo her seatbelt, right?

I have my doubts.

MrScott

It never ceases to amaze me the measures parents will take to endanger their child at the park. Outside of the park they are the same parents who are overbearing and sheltering to keep their kids safe, yet when it comes to riding a trivial coaster that they could ride the following year after they are tall enough, they do everything they can to bypass the safety systems.

That ride height recommendation is there for a reason: safety!...not to screw your child out of riding. 48 inches on Magnum is still potentially dangerous since the lapbar doesn't even touch the kids who are just barely tall enough to ride. I think that those kids get the best airtime of all the riders though. :)

We sat somewhere near the back but not the way back. We just wanted to get on and go to the other rides. I felt fine on MF but when I rode Raptor for my first time I didn't enjoy it. It felt as if I wasn't in the seat all the way. Like the seat bet thing should have gone down one more. And when we went through the roll (or whatever you rollercoaster people call it) - it's the 2nd time you go upsidedown- anyways I got thrown around in my seat because I was so small and skinny.-sadly- the next time we went to the park I didn't ride Raptor. It was a combination of fear, and my legs hurting already and Raptor isn't the best ride to ride when your legs hurt- but then another year later I rode it like 3 times in one day-now it's my favorite coaster. But don't worry-MF is #2 on my list. *** Edited 7/21/2005 5:27:22 AM UTC by Rapter Rocks!***

MrScott: if one of my kids pulled that stunt, I would have taken them back to the cottage, and that would be the last time they set foot in the park this season.

TIME OUT!!! Not be "of legal age" yet im gonna have to stick with the kids on this one.

Yes saftey is important but if they are close enough some TP or napkins or what not will make them tall enough... then why not. does a whole inch or so really make that much of a difference. And like the mom in the first post said...maybe the measure-ma-bobber isn't set right, thus allowing you on one ride but not the next with the same restrictions.

(and they have seat belts on Magnum becuase the lap bar doesnt always go down as far as needed. Think about it.)

Wrong.

Safety rules in my family are not bent. Ever. For any reason. Even if you're really disappointed that you aren't able to ride something. Even if you are *this close* to making it. Even if you made it yesterday, or on another ride, or...

If you don't measure up, you don't get on. There are two reasons for this.

First, I'm a smart guy, but I'm not qualified to judge the safety of an amusement park ride. The people who are qualified set the limit. That's good enough for me.

Second, and more importantly: even if I did have a reason to believe the limit was conservative, the *last* thing I want to tell my kids is that some safety rules aren't important, but others are. How do they decide which ones are the important ones? Answer: they probably can't. At least not every time. And, eventually, they'll ignore one that is important, and wind up hurt. Or worse.

It's not going to kill a kid to have to wait a year to ride something. Really.

Even 1" could be enough to cause serious damage. Remember that girl in Columbus who got hit in the head by the puck at the Blue Jackets game? The same scenario could happen to someone too short - they could bang their head in the wrong way against the restraint.

Mr. Nobel, I totally agree. But they are my brother's kids, not mine. I have been sending him links and copies of the bad stuff that can happen when you fail to follow the rules at amusement parks. I may be getting through. I hope so, we visit again the weekend after Labor Day weekend.

(Pssssst....that's one of the quietest weekends at the park)

MrScott

There are rules for a reason. It is people who break the rules that make it harder for the rest of us to have a more "relaxed" atmosphere.

As an alumni of CP, I have seen it all. Parents put toilet paper, napkins, socks, and even lighters in their children's shoes to get them tall enough. What are these parents teaching their children? How to cheat the system?

I understand Raptor's height restriction. If the ride were to be stuck and you had to do a walkdown, you need to be tall enough to safely exit the ride (it is a long drop from the seat to the block brake platform or even the lift hill). Would hate to have a guest break an ankle when they hopped off the ride. And if they aren't tall enough and they do hurt themselves, of course, you know who the parent's are going to blame, CP.

LOL...My Story: I'm about 5'5/5'6 and im not 'obese' at all, im thin, and normally the bar goes all the way down to me and the seatbelt tightens perfectly. well about a month ago, I was on Magnum, front row, left side, dont know which train, but anyways. I felt comfortable about it all the way up. I love Maggie, even though its SO bumpy, i never thought any thing of it, well at the top of the hill, my seatbelt was fastened tightly, but after...thats a whole different story. The seat belt came completely undone, and it just so happened this was the time that my bar, didn't exactly go all the way down. I felt like i would fly out of the train, i was holding on so hard. I dont know what couldve caused it. I had back and neck pains all night, but it was ok. As somewhat fun as it was, i never want that to happen again!

If I remember right though, final say goes to the ride ops, bracelet or no bracelet. If an op thinks they don't measure up they can still deny them a ride.

If they're marginal and have a wristband, they'll be allowed to ride whereas they wouldn't otherwise be allowed to ride. If they're obviously 1/2 inch or more short, the ride op is still to deny access to the ride and call a supervisor.

FluffyliketheForce, yes there are seat belts on the ride, but with kids that small the seat belt often gets looser throughout the ride because every time they get airtime the belt will give a little. If there is a little give in the belt every so often (although very rarely) the button can hit something which causes it to come undone. This happened only a handful of times last season while I was on the ride. Why do you think coasters have lapbars? They aren't the primary restraint, but if the seat belt would happen to fail or a person takes it off, there is still a lapbar to keep them from flying out.

Whenever I thought the wristband was in question we would call a sup. Twice last summer we had a guy with his daughter who was obviously not tall enough, by like 3/4-1inch and yet she had a wristband. We notified park op about it, and they called all the other 48" and up rides to tell the ride ops to keep an eye out for them.

Like I said before, it amazes me at the length people will go to blatantly try and bypass the safety systems put in place just to get their child to ride a ride.

Well, it wouldn't be a problem if parents would learn to pronounce two letters put together in oh so simple of a word.

NO

Yep, but what about when you are not the parent? What do you do then?

MrScott

I'm gonna delete this so I don't look like a total idiot :) *** Edited 7/23/2005 3:55:52 AM UTC by GeeForce***

I'm guessing the dad bought you a couple shots at Friday's and pack of Reds at the store. God forbid PARENTS obey the rules and set a good example for kids.

And Mr. Scott, I sure hope so. I know my parents were able to.

I'm so glad my parents, well mom mostly, were strict and orderly. Before I hated it, but now I appreciate it. Now, I find myself obeying rules and stuff without even thinking twice. Even if the rule is minute(idk if u spell it the same) and stupid, I still follow. It's like I was programmed when I was younger or something. IdK, i'm just ramblin' on now.

btw, JuggaLotus, my friend and I always say 25 minute wait for a ride because it's funny to see all the people correct us or look at us funny. 3/4 hour: What? a 75 minute wait, let's go somewhere else.

-S. Eagle-I hate 25 minute waits