NEW Policy with MF seatbelts?

Doesn't the seatbelt go over the top part of your legs? Or does it really have something to do with the size of your waist? I am a bigger guy and i don't really remember my waist interfering with the belt, just the size of my thighs really. You guys have me sweating over this "slack rule".

Oh Walt. You post with such passion.

Based on what I've been reading, the belts are routed differently than in the past, and the net result is a shorter belt. Oh sure, I may have been technically incorrect about the "belts being shorter" but other people on here have acknowledged that the belts don't extend to the same length they did in the past. So your contention that the belts are "the same" is an argument of semantics, not practical effect. The practical effect is that the BELTS ARE SHORTER.

And this, of course, has a greater impact on people regarding the "slack rule."

As for the "conspiracy," perhaps you are not familiar with irony. Didn't think that would need to be spelled out.

As always, it's nice to exchange thoughts with you.

XXXXX OOOOOOO

wow...this seatbelt thing is really stupid....I, though, am like the skinniest kid on this earth....120 lbs...and like 30 waist...i BETTER not get turned down a ride on the Force, or there WILL be trouble. I will def. go to the manager/whoever the hell else is in charge. cause without the force, life means NOTHING, thats how much of an addict i am of that ride. lol. but...id think a friggin inch or 2 matters. with MF's technology, its almost impossible for the labars to fail....though the safety spiel does say "lapbars and SEATBELTS must be positioned and fastened PROPERLY."...idk if that means properly the old way or this new gay way. i cant wait to go this year and chat to a MF ride host about this...i got some questions plus i wanna see what they think....

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I may have been technically incorrect

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I can only go by what you post. You insisted the belts were physically shortened - not rerouted. When a ride op told you they were not, you implied he was a liar.

It's nice to exchange with you as well. Maybe next time you'll come back to talk about something besides seat belts.

So I wonder when some enterprising lawyer is going to bring in a class action suit on behalf of season pass holders over this? I'd say that's a lot more likely than anyone getting tossed from the ride.

Good point Jeff. I wonder how long it will be before someone sues and they get people with rulers out making sure it its exactly 1in or more slack on everyone one.

I think the idea of paying less because you can ride less makes sense. I mean yes, there are shows but there's shows for people under 48" too. Plus, those riders have rides bigger people can't ride. Where are the rides that you need to be over a 40" waist to ride?

My fiancee can not ride Corkscrew, Mantis, Raptor, Blue Streak, Mean Streak, Wicked Twister, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Power Tower, Snake River Falls, Woodstock Express and Mine Ride plus quite a few smaller rides. Should he have to pay the same as someone that can enjoy the park to its potential? I don't think he should.

We have been season pass holders for many years but wih his weight I don't think we will be next season, I think its time to go to a park with larger restraints. It just seams mean by CP, especailly with things like the "big boy" seats available that they refuse to put in for their larger riders. I love CP but they don't seem very compasionate about the plus size population. We certainly wont be back nearly as much as past seasons and they will lose $3,000+ because of us alone. I think we'll be spending alot more time in Soak City this year though..no small restraints there.

Magnum, Gemini, Disaster Transport, Iron Dragon, and Wildcat get a little old after awhile.

I was "cursed" with an hourglass shape, a skinny waist but big hips and so I've already assumed in my mind that I won't be riding MF and maybe TTD this year. Last year I needed assistance to buckle the belt on MF when I rode on the left side seat.

I also wrote Peggy regarding this issues and received a somewhat canned answer. She did mention that guests always have the option ot enter the ride from the exit and "test" a seat there.

I mentioned that the belts varied in size from seat to seat and she replied that all the belts are now uniform on both MF and TTD. Were the belts changed? Are these new belts with new regulations or the old belts with new regulations.

The last point I brought up to Peggy was the rudness of the ride ops when dealing with the situation. I didn' want to sound "threatening" towards her but I was very clear that if at any time during any of my visits, my "size" is brought to the attention of any other guest that I will be very disappointed and will consider taking some sort of action. Her answer was that they are working on a tactful way to discuss this issue with guests. I guess I don't see it as too much to ask, after spending a good deal of money at Cedar Point, to be treated with a small amount of dignity.

Oh, and I also mentioned that Cedar Point doesn't really promote healthy eating habits to it's guests and should consider that before they exclude a portion of their guests.

A friend of mine also wrote Peggy asking for the belt measurments but Peggy wasn't giving them up. Here is the quote from the e-mail:

We are working on reviewing the measurements this week. Unfortunately, the
belt length is only part of the measurement, the depth and width of the seat
is part of the measurement as well.

As you know, the seatbelt does not go around your waist, but goes from your
seat to the pelvic area. That measurement is one that would be difficult to
explain to guests or on our website.

Like I said before, I've already set myself up for not being able to ride this year. I hope that CP gets enough complaints that they reconsider this policy.

First of all, I think the "slack" policy is BS. Since when is having slack in a seatbelt a good thing? As long as you can buckle up and the lap bar is in it's proper posistion, you should be fine. Also, last I checked, it wasn't the amusement parks that put in the "big boy" seats, it's the ride manufacturers. Try and find an Intamin with one. Do airlines have them? No, they make you buy 2 seats if you're too big. Also, not to be mean, but what a good incentive to lose weight. Your life will be longer, healthier, and altogether easier to live. Oh well, I guess we like to kill ourselves with fatty foods and tobacco. Lastly, Full_Force_2000, you must be 13 or above to post here. Bad grammar, puntuation, capitalization the use of the word "gay", etc. clearly shows evidence to the contrary. Thank you.

It may be the ride manufacturers that put in the big boy seats but its the park that decides wheather or not to have them put in. CP could choose to allow larger riders on Raptor maybe Mantis I dont know if they have big boy seats for stand-ups, but they choose not to. Plus I never said they had them on intamins BUT I'm sure if they worked with the design of the lap bars they could safely allow guests of all sizes to ride.

So let me get this straight, according to the semi-canned message that "E" got, they are going to review this measurement thing this week right? I hope like hell they come to their senses and do away with this. A sneaky suspicion of mine says they've been flooded with complaints about this. I hope we can keep this thread alive for future updates. The fate of my season pass depends heavily on this. If they back off this policy, then I'm on my way to the point, if they keep it in place, they're gonna refund me some $$. (please don't give me the "oh that's one less person in line in front of me stuff either guys....it's just the way it's gonna be for me) Keep your fingers crossed.

I guess the people ( me being one of them ) that spend a hell of alot of money staying on Point really get screwed when they get the seat belt fastened, but still get told that they can't ride because there is no slack. Hasn't happened to me yet, hoping it doesn't, but if it does i will be very pissed off. I go to ride all the rides, not be told what i can ride. If the belt fastens, you should be able to ride the damn ride.

I think also, too many complaints will eventually arise, to the point where they are going to do away with this seatbelt deal. I must admit the seats on the Force are somewhat small. I can see how it can be hard for some people to even get in the seat, let alone buckle the belt, but whatever shall be, shall be. Time will tell! :)

I am so scared to try now! Last season I had trouble getting it buckled and had about an inch of slack after I pulled it tight, so I decided to go on a diet. I have lost 38 lbs but there is still no way I would fit. I have a large build and my legs are very big because I skate a lot. My first trip of the season is planned for Monday so I hope they don't embarass me. This all sounds like some crap an insurance company would pull...

Peggy said:

Oh, and I also mentioned that Cedar Point doesn't really promote healthy eating habits to it's guests and should consider that before they exclude a portion of their guests.

_

Peggy, the park has no obligation to promote a healthy eating habit. We are all adults, and it is not very hard to figure out what foods are healthy for you and those that are not.

As a bigger person, I cannot blame CP for anything I eat. It is my choice and everyone elses.

Also, not fitting in the seats apparantly is not only due to weight. It is body composition and/or structure. You do not have to be a "fat" person to be turned down. You can be someone with a different body shape or someone who is very muscular and still not ride.

I am a combo of muscle and being somewhat stocky. I barely fit on TTD, MF, and a few others. I am at hte point where I do not want to be turned down on a ride due to the variances of seatbelt policy enforcement.

This new seatbelt issue has hindered how many times I have gone to the point this year, and I am sure it will continue. I am not happy with it, but the only options are for some, to either lose some of your body size (fat or muscle) or to wait and hope CP does something to prevent the alienation of some of their best customers.

Well I was at the park over the weekend and on Sunday May 16th the attendant at the front gate to MF stopped my group and a couple of people were 'tested' to see if they fit. All could buckle the belt and had 1 to 2 inches of slack. Well the attendant said they couldn't ride because they needed three inches of slack.

Now if its only 1 inch of slack that is required, there is a serious need for some training of employees. I admit it is early in the season, and mistakes will be made. I also admit safety is always first. I do however think this will only turn into bad PR for Cedar Point and I'd bet a large percentage of pissed off guests if even the employees can't get the new regulations straight. I’ll be back with the same group in July and feel confident this apparent ‘kink’ will be worked out by then

So is in one inch or three inches of slack? Or is there really no official ruling on this?

PS: The park looked great, I was at Kings Island the weekend before and do have to say Cedar Point is one of the nicest parks I have ever been to.

(apparently) Top Secret Information:

IMPORTANT: This is UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION provided FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

The seat belts on the Dragster and Millennium Force test seats are not the same, but they are within an inch of being the same length. A Millennium Force crew member manning the entrance said that he is erring on the side of caution, telling people to get two inches of loose belt on the test seat, because the actual belts on the ride may be slightly shorter. This is very likely, as the last three inches or so of the test belt are stretched.

Fully extended, the seat belts are 27" long, fastened, from seat-edge to seat-edge. The seats are 19" wide. The Dragster seat is 14" deep from the seat back to the front edge of the seat. The Millennium Force seat is also 14" from the seat back to the front edge, but the Millennium Force seat starts to roll downward at the 12" mark, so the Millennium Force seat is effectively only 12" deep.

Measurements were taken on the test seat. By comparison, seat cushions on Blue Streak and Magnum XL-200 are 15" deep from the seat back, Mine Ride is only 14".

Measurements were taken on 5/16/2004 using a Millennium Force logo pocket tape measure, 39.35" total length, purchased this afternoon from a souvenir shop in Frontiertown (the one with the cigar store indian inside the door). For simplicity, measurements were taken to a precision of 1/2".

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Perhaps I should print out my letter from Peggy regarding the 1" policy to show to any attendant or ride op who might challenge it.

Oh forget it, they're probably changed their mind multiple times since they made the policy and will multiple times before I get to the park.

And I am in no way blaming Cedar Point for my, or anyones eating habits. You're absolutely right, it wasn't an accurate analogy and/or point of arguement.

Fully extended, the seat belts are 27" long, fastened, from seat-edge to seat-edge. The seats are 19" wide. The Dragster seat is 14" deep from the seat back to the front edge of the seat. The Millennium Force seat is also 14" from the seat back to the front edge, but the Millennium Force seat starts to roll downward at the 12" mark, so the Millennium Force seat is effectively only 12" deep.

So, if i want to see if I will fit I could take a tape measure and measure myself sitting down, across my lap? Give or take a little? *** Edited 5/17/2004 4:30:07 AM UTC by e***

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Froshy said:
They actually told the guy (couldn't have been more than 150 lbs and 5'10") that he was "to large to ride" and told him to wait outside the ride for his buddies.

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If this is true than I think we are all in trouble!!!

someone stated that the seat belts were 27 inches long, so that means eveeryone in the world should have a 227 inch waiste to ride? How many friends do you have that has a 27 inch waiste?