Seat belts on Giant Wheel

Anybody know when exactly they were put in? I just rode it for the first time year last week, and I was delighted to find them in the gondola. I was able to ride with my daughter and not worry about her trying to bounce around the cabin, especially with those worrisome, non-locking doors.

I know everybody complains about how many seat belt threads there are on PB. Let the record reflect, I tracked thread titles all the way back to the beginning of the season and found nothing about the GW. I'm just curious when they installed them, because I complained about how dangerous it was in this forum earlier in the season. I'd like to think there's at least a small chance I had something to do with the change. :)

I haven't ridden the Giant Wheel in forever, but I think that is a great improvement. As long as it doesn't slow down load times significantly, because load times are already somewhat slow, I think seatbelts were very needed.

I noticed the seat belts yesterday. It looked like the begining of the belt was like a firehose type material. I think the belts were a great add for safety. Now the only thing I'd like to see is some type of locking device on the doors - like that of the gondolas on the sky ride.

They've been there a while; they aren't new.

At least the past three seasons. I think they've been there since the move, actually...

They were not there last year.

There were there last year on October 22.

Yes, they were there last year.

Don't make me argue with you.

Okay, some had them and some didn't.... ;)

i worked on the giant wheel in 1986 and they had seat belts then

Wow, Giant Wheel has seatbelts now? I haven't been able to ride that thing since I was a child. It freaks me out. Then again, my dad thought it would be funny to open the doors and act like we were going to fall out. That might be part of the problem. That and Cork are the only two things in the park I REFUSE to ride though. :)

DBCP said:
Okay, some had them and some didn't.... ;)

Your indulgence is appreciated. ;)

The Giant Wheel has had seat belts for decades. I can't say I remember if it had them in 1972, but certainly in the late 70's/early 80's.

They've had them ever since I started going to the park on a regular basis (2000). I still don't like those doors though. I almost think they should have those child-proof seat belts on the ride or some type of locking mechanism on the door. Especially after what happened to that one child back in June out in California. Parks can't assume guest intelligence when it comes to safety anymore. Its sad its gotten to that point.
*** Edited 9/5/2006 5:33:30 AM UTC by BirdOfPrey00***

The seat belts were installed after it's first season in 1972. It was installed without them, but from what I was told it made some patrons nervous that there were no restraints, as well as some in management.

I haven't been on the GW in three years - I guess I really didn't pay attention until now.

I still think the doors should be locked, but then again the ride has been open for over 30 years and no idiots opening the doors and falling out.

The Giant Wheel has had seat belts and non-latching doors for as long as I can remember.

The seat belt is there so that you have to unfasten it before you can leap out through the unlocked cabin door.

There really is no reason to put a latch on the cabin door. All that would do is to make it necessary to have two attendants at each loading point, one on each side of the wheel, to open the doors.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.