NEW Policy with MF seatbelts?

Well speaking of being sick. I am sick of all these idiots claiming there are so many other rides in the park. Only someone who is not a true coaster freak could say something this stupid. MF IMHO is the best coaster ever built (and I have road A LOT of them) and saying just ride something else is insane. That is like saying all the coasters are down just ride the Octopus or the Big Swing.

I for one have had no problem riding but my freinds might so we have cancelled our annual spring trip and will hopefully be back in the fall. Just because you don't care if people can't get on MF doesn't mean we don't. It is simply the best ride on the planet and the fact that there are other coasters there is not going to make me feel better.

WOW I do feel better now *** Edited 6/8/2004 2:32:45 AM UTC by TCCoasterFreak*** *** Edited 6/8/2004 2:41:36 AM UTC by TCCoasterFreak***

Yeah I agree. Telling people that they should ride something else is like saying to a little kid that you can't have that candy bar because that ingredient makes you hyper. It's just not fair. Imagine being one of these people who can't ride. I'm sure they feel like that kid who can't have his candy bar. And another thing, for every ride op that is mean they probably get written up for it. I know that's how it works at my job. If someone would complain about how I'm doing or how I treated someone, I would get written up. So behind closed doors they are probably getting their punishment.

The horse is dead. Can we stop beating it now?

TCCoasterFreak, most people are not "a true coaster freak". Many guests have just as good of a time riding Paddlewheel Excursions and having a beer at the Red Garter as you do riding MF.

Let's not call people "idiots" and "stupid" for stating an opinion.

Everyone I've ever gone to Cedar Point with was mainly interested in the coasters. The majority of people that go to Cedar Point go for the coasters. It is a big deal that several are being turned away from the MF. Some are not even overweight. There are more and more women not even out of high school that are already 6'0 and taller. There are more and more taller people, right now also, with bigger muscular builds. Not all the people being turned away are "fat".

I sincerely hope no one is doing anything dangerous to lose the weight and inches just so they can ride the MF.

For me, I want to lose weight for health reasons. Being able to ride the MF will just be one more motivator to lose the weight.

I hope Cedar Point can work something else out with the seats, so that so many people are no longer turned away. I believe that there has to be other solutions to making this a safe ride besides shortening the seat belts.

If I get turned down to ride force in 13 days, i assure you that their will be many people laughing at me b/c i will get extremley pissed off, i've thought of millennium force (best coaster ever) for the 2 years since i've riden it, if i get rejected, maybe pki, the other half of my coaster trip can ease the pain.

I know the feeling. I'm a 6'2, 290 lb. football lineman and I've had similar trouble.
Last year I went to Cedar Point for two days...the first day was in the low 60s, and I wore a heavy sweatshirt and jeans. I couldn't get the seat belt buckled on MF because of the sweatshirt (the second day, much warmer, was no problem wearing a t-shirt and shorts), and TTD was right out (I got on the second day too). But on both, I had to let the seatbelt all the way out to make it work. So I guess I'm not going to Cedar Point this or in future years until I slim it down a bit.

One solution would be for Intamin to redesign their coaster cars to be more like the ones on Hersheypark's new Storm Runner, with the over-the-shoulder restraints with a front-locking leg-splitting seat belt. I fit fine in those seats, and only the morbidly-obese should have trouble fitting. Though, as a precaution, the Storm Runner has signs everywhere saying "If the restraints don't hit your thighs, you may not ride." So big stomached people are out on Storm Runner. But I made it OK.

Granted, over-the-shoulder restraints would ruin much of the fun of MF and TTD and are not completely necessary due to the lack of inversions. But what else can be done?

How about a 4-6 inch seat belt extension piece for larger riders, to be sold/rented at the gate?? Just click it into place on MF and TTD, since the belts are the same. But you still must pass the lapbar locking test.

Maybe someone can help me understand this....If you can get the lapbar to lock into place, then what's the big deal about the seat belt length?? Why not make the belts 55+" or more? If the belt is tighted, It'll keep you in place in case the bar fails, right?

Corey-

I haven't been their with that new rule thing with it but i think it has something to do with their image. They probally don't want fat or muscled men or women at their park b/c they probally think they look like people that are feeding grounds for fat people. Also, if they say that the new seat belts are for saftey, then there basically saying that the ride was previously unsafe, and their doing it so they can save their ass if an accident does happen, but the only reason accidents happen is b/c of retard ride ops. like the one at SF.

Wow, the last time I saw an orifice like that was in a proctology text book.

The lap bars are the primary restraint, the seat belts are a backup. The bars have to go down a certain amount so that they rest on the person's pelvis. If they rest only on your legs, you are not held in very well, the geometry is wrong.

As for the over the shoulder restraints, I'll say here what I said in the other thread that you posted this in. I'm not in favor of those, or the stupid Six Flags ankle bar. If they change the trains, the seats and bars from Dragster would work fine. I don't want the ride experience changed for the 95% of riders that fit fine, over the shoulder restraints would be totally restrictive and out of place on MF.

CoreyC - Maybe you can help me. I wanted to ride Storm Runner, but didn't want to make the trip for nothing. You said you comfortably rode Storm Runner, but thought you probably couldn't ride MF this year, as it was tight last year.

You're larger than me, but as we know now, it's the hip measurement that makes the difference. With your athletic build, your hip measurement might be smaller than mine. (I'm a female)

Can you take an educated guess ... since I could get my MF belt buckled, but didn't have the slack, do you think I'd be ok on SR? Since getting booted off MF, I'm scared to try to ride anything until I lose more weight (Been dieting for 3 weeks now, lost 12 lbs, but I want to ride something good NOW.) Any light you can shed would be much appreciated. *** Edited 6/10/2004 4:49:12 PM UTC by Ladybug On Speed***

I agree with Pete. Shoulder restraints would take a lot of element out of the ride(s). Leave that to the floorless and looping coasters.

I love MF and TTD, but if they added the shoulder restraints, I don't think I would ride. I Like feeling insecure! ;)

You like feeling insecure? I have some the phone numbers of some ex-girlfriends that I think you would enjoy getting to know.

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Ladybug On Speed said:
I wanted to ride Storm Runner, but didn't want to make the trip for nothing. You said you comfortably rode Storm Runner, but thought you probably couldn't ride MF this year, as it was tight last year. You're larger than me, but as we know now, it's the hip measurement that makes the difference. With your athletic build, your hip measurement might be smaller than mine. (I'm a female)
Can you take an educated guess ... since I could get my MF belt buckled, but didn't have the slack, do you think I'd be ok on SR?

Ladybug.....Right now, I think anyone with 50" waists or less can ride Storm Runner. There is no lap seat belt, just the over-the-shoulder harness and the belt that holds that down, similar to CP's Raptor coaster. Granted the seat has the butt-shaped contouring, so people with ample posteriors may be very uncomfortable.
The only rule that Hersheypark ops are enforcing is that the bottom of the OTS harness must hit the tops of your thighs. If your stomach is too large, then it would push the restraints too far away to be effective. There is a test seat at the ride entrance and an op posted there to help with the determination.

I thought Intamin's Storm Runner restraints were very comfortable, but is the uproar if CP put them on MF and TTD worth getting us big guys/gals on the coaster worth it?

I'd think so. I hope so.

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Speaking of changing to OTS restraints, wasn't Magnum XL-200 originally a OTS restraint coaster? Isn't it lapbar-secured now?

Just curious. I seem to remember fitting under a OTS restraint in the mid 90s. Of course, lapbar-seatbelt combo is the way to go!

CoreyC

Magnum is an Arrow Runaway Train coaster.

Have you EVER seen a Runaway Train with shoulder bars?

Magnum has had the same ratcheting lap bars as Gemini ever since the day it opened.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Sunday, June 6 - We were not allowed past the gate due to inability to pass the test seat. I am 6'4, 215lb. and I am sure they have shortened the belts and moved them. I am a big MF fan, and this is definitly a disappointment, especially when I take my two boys in a week or two - I'm wondering if my season pass is worth it now...

Anyway, I agree with CoreyC. If you consider the seat belts in automobiles, they are much more dynamic than the ones on MF. Not saying MF's are totally static, but they could be made differently and more accomodating. I am not overweight, and this is the first time in my life I have ever felt that way.

I hope CP is getting the message load and clear from all the complaints and perhaps from this thread.... Maybe park attendance will also wake them up, because on Sunday it was dead there - hardly anyone around.

Are you listening to us, CP???

I really don't think Over the shoulder restraints would be the answer. That would take the fun out of the ride. You would not longer have that feeling of flying into lake erie and you would have no air time at all. Millennium Force was designed for lap bars to give you those feelings. What I suggust is just make the seat belt longer to the point where people at least 250 Ibs can ride. They made the seat belts way too short. I mean I fit in just fine since I weigh like 150 Ibs but I know how other people feel. People just want to ride. *** Edited 6/11/2004 3:58:58 AM UTC by Shawn Meyer***

CoreyC,
I feel your pain man, haha. Being a linemen is great until you're in a world of height and weight restrictions, lol. Good luck "fitting in" if you go to CP, I'll be there in July/August.

J

Again, it's all in the build.

I'm 5'12" tall, 250 lbs, and I rode Millennium Force on 6/6.

As for the park being dead, I think the park is ALWAYS dead on that particular weekend. Just a theory, and perhaps a local can verify...but I think that is Sandusky HS graduation.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.