Sky Hawk

PrawoJazdy said:
...dragged them with him...

Wait, so Rider A's restraints being loose somehow causes Rider B's restraints to not work at all? This makes no sense.

...something could have fallen from him like a phone or other object and hurt someone else.

And the same could be said regardless of the restraint position, or even the ride.

coolkid said:
I usually think it is okay to have a fist or so worth of room between the rider and the harness, but letting like 8+ inches of room between is to much.

coolkid said:
...keeping the bar 10 inches up really isn't necessary.

Why do you get to determine how much is "too much"? If you're able to make that determination for yourself, why is no one else?

Vince982 said:
People ride Magnum with their lapbar a click or two loose all the time so they don't bruise their thighs, so I don't really see how this is any different.

Exactly.

There is no way to argue around this no matter how you misinterpret what I said. It is unsafe and stupid.

Ahh, good point.

The Magnum example doesn't really work though, as the lapbar on there isn't the primary restraint.

I will say, it has been a while since I've ridden SkyHawk, so I may have been thinking earlier that the restraints provided more room than they actually do.

That said, a lose restraint doesn't provide any more of an airtime feeling than a restraint that is properly engaged.

I'm not sure whether the restraint is primary or secondary is relevant (and I'd bet the majority of the "OMG how dare you evil rule-breaker" crowd wasn't/isn't even aware of that fact), seeing as how the restraint isn't being disabled on Skyhawk.

With both Magnum and Skyhawk, the restraint system is being adjusted in a way that is both safe and provides for a preferable riding experience compared to the fully locked-down, "check"-worthy position.

JuggaLotus said:

That said, a lose restraint doesn't provide any more of an airtime feeling than a restraint that is properly engaged.

Maybe we have different definitions, but to me, airtime is something that can't occur when you're stapled. You might feel upward force, but my definition of airtime is physically coming up out of your seat and either hitting the top of the restraint or hovering over the seat.

I like to have my restraints secure, but not too tight. For instance, on MF, if the lapbar is maybe 1" from my thighs, there's no way I'm getting out due to the deep seat and the position of my body, but I literally hover above the seat the entire way down Hill 3, even if it's just a mater of an inch or so. That's what makes that ride worth it for me.

Airtime is the feeling of weightlessness. You feel it whether you float out of the seat or not.

Although to be fair, there is an added dimension to the sensation when your body is less constrained. That's why when I ride RFII at Waldameer, I like to pick my feet up on the bridge. It heightens the feeling of free floating.

(Not that I am in any way condoning circumventing ride restraints.)

Yes, it does add a separate sensation to the airtime that would otherwise not be felt. But loose restraints are not necessary to experience airtime.

True, dat.

Ok, fair enough. I just appreciate weightlessness more when I can experience it relation to something.

And Ensign, that bridge on Ravine Flyer is something to behold. I wasn't expecting that at all.

A real gem, isn't it? I try to get to Wallyworld a couple times a year, and circumstances permitting I like to get at least 8 or 10 cycles on it each time.

PrawoJazdy said:
There is no way to argue around this no matter how you misinterpret what I said. It is unsafe and stupid.

Interesting that you are the final authority on what is "unsafe" and "stupid". Since you apparently designed the ride you are qualified to deem it unsafe, right?

Oh man you got me. I forgot about the part where I said I was the final authority on this. Oh thats right... I didn't.

What you and the employee did is stupid and you're an idiot for doing so. You're the perfect example of why I have to look at warnings on coffee cups that explain the beverage is hot or the sign on the Beast that tells you not to stand up.

If you want to kill yourself thats fine. I'm definitely not going to stop you.

To be fair, nobody has produced anything definitive as to what is or is not considered safe on this ride. It's been noted that an adult can't slip out of the thing with his or her femurs intact, even with no clicks on the bar. For all we know, closing the lapbar may be all that's needed to give operators the go-ahead to start the ride. Maybe someone who knows will chime in. Maybe they won't.

While it's irresponsible to say "I'm going to do whatever I want, safety standards be damned," it's equally unproductive to declare that someone is in violation or a stupid person or whatever, based on your own sense of what is or isn't safe.

You know, many of us rode coasters in the 80s when its was all buzzbars and no seatbelts. Amazingly, we lived to tell the tale. Just saying...

No one has produced anything definitive?

Cedar Point has.

Cedar Point
RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

Safety is number one at Cedar Point. All passenger restraint systems, including lap bars, shoulder harnesses and seatbelts, must be positioned, fastened and tightened to allow guests to ride. We are required by the State of Ohio to enforce all manufacturer requirements.

Pretty clear to me what needs to be done on any ride and not just Skyhawk.

It was okay to smoke everywhere in the 60's so it must be okay to do that today? Notice the buzz bars have been removed in place of updated restraints. So the analogy that it was okay in the 80's doesn't really fly here.

I'll pass the word to Kennywood.

^^That just proves that people are stupider now than in the 80s, or any decade before all of these high tech harnesses were invented. Sure the rides have come a long way from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but I would have to guess that 70% of the ride restraint systems we see are either redundant or major overkill so people can't mess with it and get themselves killed.

I have a question about restraints. Maybe someone on here can answer. When they lock, they only lock from opening any further and are able to become tighter during the ride, correct? Does that make sense? I've noticed on Raptor that I'm very loose in the station, but then on the lift hill I can click it once more.

PrawoJazdy said:
Oh man you got me. I forgot about the part where I said I was the final authority on this. Oh thats right... I didn't.

What you and the employee did is stupid and you're an idiot for doing so. You're the perfect example of why I have to look at warnings on coffee cups that explain the beverage is hot or the sign on the Beast that tells you not to stand up.

Really? Can you go back and read what you wrote about nobody being able to argue your decision that it was unsafe and stupid, and not walk away with the conclusion that you name yourself the final authority on this matter?

I'm not going to sue anyone like the McDonald's coffee lady. I'm an upper class Republican. I take responsibility for my mistakes and don't blame my "stupidity", as you put it, on a large corporation.

One day I hope I can be as smart and all-knowing as you are.