Rant : Fix the bloody seatbelts!

So when did a seat belt issue turn into a fitness program on a workout routine, fat and cholesterol?? Being fat is not a issue on buckling a shorter seat belt.

I dunno how many others on here have seen a guy with a huge beer gut that can buckle a MF or a TTD belt and ride. I know I have and some people have to throw the issue of people being fat and they should work out. You are right but if their don't want to then why should they?

Anyways, I remember a few years back on one of the rules is that in order to ride you have to have a 42 inch waist and be so many pounds to ride. So heres another question for you. IF, thats a big IF Cp get ahold of the seat belt issue, are they going to have weight scales at the front of the line??

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I see you point, why would millennium force's seatbelts be inconsistent, and your right, this shouldn't be about a fitness routine, its about cedar point making millions of dollars, and not making all the seatbelts on millennium force the same length which is rediculous! And by the way i only read this page of the post, so i read the whole post, and i see why your mad at adam, so sorry if i offended you.

halltd said:
You might want to get your facts straight before acting like you know what you're talking about, olesko.

I stand corrected. In the past few years, I heard/read many different stories, it was my understanding a guy standing up was the real story. Thats what I get for reading more at other coaster sites. My apologies.

What I was getting at is that people who are 'larger' fit on older rides such as Blue Streak and Gemini - which were built when America was on average 'smaller'.

When I stated there should be a standard for belts - it wasn't to necessarly shorten everything to the specifications of the MF - but to make everything equal. There are standards for just about everything else we touch and do everyday - why not have standards for seatbelts for all coasters, regardless who the manufacture is? Specifications based on speed, height of ride?

Trust me, the belts DO stretch with use. Sometimes it's quite a bit of difference. I've seen it myself.

coasterguy77 said:

haha yea, im like 115 lbs and 5'5, but i still couldnt ride because it was closed. Maybe i need to start a thread about that too?:)

:D i couldn't the first time i went this year, only because i was with someone who didn't want to ride anything big. The second, down mechanical all day though I saw people entering the queue the end of the day. Third time, I was able to get on though!! :) :) Only one ride, but an impressive one! And fitting wonderfully in the seat, too, I must brag :)

lol...yea im going again in 9 days from now, hopefully it'll be open!!

Hey! I said I get to brag, not you! lol I wish I could go back again this year but from MI and with school and all, its not really that likely...

I decided to jump in here, since it applies to me now.

Those of you that know me, know that I'm overweight. But not a large person. There is a big difference between overweight & obese. The problem with these new rides is that people a little overweight will have problems.

It has never been an issue at CP until recently. I have no problems with Raptor & TTD. Mantis I need help. WT varies, sometimes I can buckle it myself. Now for MF. Last fall when I rode for film shoot, I encountered the different sized seatbelts. A couple of seats I could buckle myself with plenty of slack. Others, I had to fight for the half inch of slack.

Last Sunday morning, I decided to ride with Tony. He mentioned that the yellow train provided more problems for people. We got in, and I couldn't get buckled. I came up about 4-6 inches short. That is a drastic change since last fall! I knew right away that I would not be able to get it. So instead of wasting the ride-ops time, I got out. I saw another friend waiting for next train, and thought I'd give that a try(red train). No luck! Again, I wasn't going to hold up the train when I knew it wasn't going to go.

The worst thing about this is that I don't even like the ride. But I am still po'd about the situation!

Those of us that have been around Intamins for years, know that they are perfectly safe, no matter their size. But because of our screwed-up society, parks are getting paranoid and going to the extremes to make sure that only people the size of a stick can ride. Then they wonder why attendance has been down these past years. Who wants to pay to go in and not ride anything.

Maybe the park should set-up a new discount structure like the senior & junior, but for "guests of exceptional size"! Put a test seat at the gate. If you don't fit, you get in cheaper! :)

I love CP we go every year and we stay at the Breakers for 2 days. I probobly spend atleast $1000 a year at CP and I have given up on the MF. I didn't even try this year, so in my book CP only has 15 coasters

I weigh 225-230 lbs. I am 6 foot tall (5ft 11 1/2")

So far, I have been able to fit in MF, but I am stretching the limit, and I know that.

I set the seatbelt to 1/2" of slack even before trying to latch it, suck in my Gut and Click. The last ride I pinched the side of my leg, so I know I am close.

But when that time comes that I don't fit, my son will ride alone, I will exit and not complain. It is my fault I have gained 12 pounds over the last 5 years, not Cedar Points.

For crying out loud!!!!!! CP has nothing to do with the length of those "Bloody seatbelts" Intamin has approved the length of the seatbelts for safety reasons. You should be thankful that you don't have to pull an inch of slack like you did in the beginning of 2005. That rule changed on coaster mania 2005, if you forgot. as for a discounted price...are you serious?!? go ride magnum...there are nearly 70 rides at CP now. All the coaster enthusiasts do nothing but complain about everything. The line isn't moving, The seatbelt is not big enough, there is something in my pocket, my hands are cold, I can't see around my boob. I think if you are a coaster enthusiast you should work on the platform for 17 hours on a hot and busy saturday and then you would understand. As for a test seat...it is located as you first walk through the entrance, so please try it before you waste your time and everyone else that is in line.

have a good day and ride on!!!!

Except that reducing the length of the seatbelt did nothing to make the ride any safer.

Thanks for trying though.

They should at least keep them all the same length. Second row of the red train I barely had an inch on slack but front of yellow I had 4+ inches.

couple of things. Again, Cedar Point has NOTHING to do with the actual length of the seatbelts, that was an Intamin descision, understand that first of all. Now I'm going to ask everyone to step outside of the box for a minute and lets think about something. MF has 108 seats on three (3) trains. The ride runs approx. 14hrs. a day. With that in mind on average 12000+ people ride, a good portion of that population is large and either struggles to get the seatbelt on or just can't do it, inconsistently stretching 108 seats on three trains, understand that and you have your answer as to why the seatbelts and not the seats are different lengths. in 2005 each day for one week we took trains off to measure and replace seatblets, but you know what the end result of that was?!? Why are the lines so long, why is that train just sitting there? Because of D@** complaints about the seatbelts that put them there!! So CP made a conscience descision and a good one, instead of sacrificing line length and capacity and efficiency and a lot of money, they just ran with what they had and didn't change a thing and if more people would try the test seat, there wouldn't be as much of a problem on the platform. As for Dragster, the seats are deeper and the seatbelts are longer, it is a different ride than MF and as a result does not have the same requirements as MF. One final thought. People have different physical characteristics, you may not think you are large, but if you can't ride then there is something large about you that is preventing the seatbelt from functioning properly.

Have a good day, Ride On

I also gave up riding MF,tired of if the seat belt would fit or not.

Can someone answer me this question? What is the length of the seat belts now? I was just curious because I know they changed it back in 2005 and was just curious. I don't want to sound rude or mean, but people should be more understanding that Cedar Point isn't out to pick on people because of their size. And think that it's not Cedar Point's rule, it's Intamins and they should take it up with them. Cedar Point just enforces the rule. I'm sure Intamin isn't out to pick on people either, they just came up with this rule to save their butts.

I want to say 'way to go' to rideop332!

You are very correct in the fact that MF and Dragster trains are different.

And like i said b4, if there is a broken belt on one and there are no seatbelts left, where do you think we get the extras? It's either that or start blocking off seats and then having long lines and so on...