Rude Enthusiasts

That was just the excuse given to us by management. Whether or not that was the real reason I don't know but they were consistent with using that story.

^Agreed. I would generally refrain by it and just say it keeps it fair so other people on the train/platform don't see someone getting special permission when someone else might not. Just keeps it fair. Now it was common for us to let the last train of the night when the queue was closed to get a full reride, just because it's a fun way to end the night IMO (It's kinda cool when people choose you as the last ride ya know?).

Tuesday we had a last train re-ride on Magnum. It worked out perfectly, everyone on the train moved to a different seat to accommodate the few "to the left". So they sent out a full train.
Insider's tip: The last train was trim-free, and the op said they try to do it every night for at least the last one if not several before. It was awesome- SO fast on the return. We screamed and laughed the whole way, and it was the perfect end to a great day.

I have met a few of the people in the photo, they are very nice, one of them has a daughter who is very sweet.

As for enthusiasts in general, one of the main reasons we don't attend ERT nights is because the running, pushy coaster nuts who think they have priorities. I feel bad for any "regular" pass holder who also attends, for them to get shoved aside just so some nut can get his/her 1,000th ride on (insert ride name here) and brag about it forever.

RCMAC said:

The last train was trim-free, and the op said they try to do it every night for at least the last one if not several before.

The op can turn them on and off as they please?

It isn't unfair if your row is going to be empty anyways. Other parks do it without angering guests (even SFGAdv allows it and they have a fairly unruly crowd.)

Nice tip about Magnum without trims at night, gotta try that sometime.

Paul Florio said:

The op can turn them on and off as they please?

Unless things have changed some systems are set up to allow the operator to do that.

I remember back for a late 90s' Coastermania,1998 or 1999 or might have been both years,trims were off for the entire ERT for from 11pm to 1am. I did it up until midnight and my daughter rode it until 1am while I napped on a bench by Magnum entrance.

I've had several opportunities to re-ride as long as there was no waiting for that particular row (and being a bit of a whore for rides, I made sure to mid-train where few people want to sit). I passed a pleasant hour riding continously re-riding Rebel Yell at one event.

At an event at Lakemont Park, I ended up in the last train of the night on Skyliner. The ride op turned off the lights and the brakes and let the train roar through the station for a second go-round.

Good times.

I got one on Gatekeeper last week. It'd just stopped raining and I was on the first train after the ride got going again. By the time it was over, the station was still pretty empty so the ride op said we could go again if we wanted. I wasn't expecting it but it was a nice treat. :)

^Just after a rainfall is a good way to get on some of the coasters without enduring long lines. The thing I do not like though is wet seats. I don't mind a little residual spray but I don't want to look like I have had potty issues.

Also, Iron Dragon holds rain water in those black canvasses above the seats and it leaks onto riders for quite awhile until the level is low enough or evaporated.

Nothing worse than hopping into a seat on Skyhawk and realizing that a previous rider had sat there with a wet bathing suit. (I hope that is what it was)

jimmyburke said:

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Nothing worse than hopping into a seat on Skyhawk and realizing that a previous rider had sat there with a wet bathing suit. (I hope that is what it was)

I'm still laughing!

Magnum does have a selector switch on main controls that toggles the trim brakes. In general, they are only turned off if the run times are below a certain threshold- usually due to empty trains or if it is cold and windy out. I will admit that trimless rides are fun but the operator will not disable them if it means that the train will enter the brakes after the tunnel faster than what is deemed to be safe especially if the train needs to set up due to occupied forward blocks.

And any time lately I've gotten a trim-free ride it's been with two train operation.

Walking out of the park that night we watched as a trimless, empty train exited the tunnel and stopped on the brake in preparation for bedtime. I've never had the experience but I hear if it ever happens with a loaded train the passengers are treated to a real ouchy moment there.

I don't mean to get off topic, but I'm not the type that gets pushy or has to be at ERT every visit I go to, but when I do go, I ride the rides I ride for the quality and go back home later to do the math. Ever since Rougarou came out, I decided I would keep track of how many rides I've done on it just for the fact that it's a much better quality ride than it ever was in the past.

Plus I believe it will help me determine how many rides I might have on Millennium Force. I admit, I lost track(no pun intended).

I have ADD and honestly I have enough trouble keeping track of when I last mopped the kitchen or made my kids wash their bedding I can't imagine tracking how many times I ride anything. Might be able to tell you how many in a particular day the day after it happened but even that can be iffy.

In a previous life I worked at a pretty popular steam railroad and quite frankly coaster enthusiasts are pretty tame compared to railfans. Now, as a whole, railfans are pretty awesome. But when they go nutty, they go totally banana split bonkers.

During one of our special (read: extra pricy) events for railfans I watched a fellow who was probably in his mid 30s beat (with his folded up tripod) another mid 30s railfan for about 5 good licks before others jumped on him and got it under control. His reason? The offender was nearly encroaching on his "perfectly framed" shot of the locomotive going by.

Mind you, he hadn't yet encroached... he was close.

The offender was removed and charged. The victim got stitches onsite and a cab ride...

One nice sunny day I was in the cab and watched a raifan stand in the middle of the rails as the train approached. We stopped well short of his location. He cussed at us like a drill instructor for "ruining it" and refused to move until we backed up and re-did the approach. Now this wasn't during a special event it was just a regular running day. He too was removed and charged.

I have dozens of stories like this.

The worst of the coaster enthusiasts (at least in my experiences) are not a safety issue, maybe an embarrassment issue? IDK. I have seen some behavior that my mom wouldn't have tolerated in me. But I am me and your mileage may vary...

^ It can get pretty bad when the 765 comes to Cuyahoga Valley. There are foamers everywhere. And some have caused them to put the train into an emergency stop.

Yeah, it seems that most hobby's or special interests have their over zealous enthusiasts. You should see who shows up here at the airshow each year.

1000 years of force said:

Now, as a whole, railfans are pretty awesome. But when they go nutty, they go totally banana split bonkers.

Reminds me of this guy.