# "Six Flags investigating fatal roller coaster death" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235 "2013-07-22T19:15:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/21 "2013-07-23T14:26:43Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > I think somebody started to write something like ‘fatal accident’, but then thought about death. > Unless the roller coaster is previously known as a killer? Fatal-coaster death? Ok… if she flew out, nailed an overhead beam and died… but then her body came down & bounced along between the tops of the cars and the top of the tunnel the coaster was going through… _Thunka- Chunk…!_ _Thunka- Chunk…!_ _Thunka- Chunk…!_ _Thunka- Chunk…!_ If she landed on the tracks after it passed, its possible the next car could knocked her into the tilta-whirl before they could get to her. But no, you’re right she would have only died once. So much for “Weekend at Six Flags Over Texas”… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/22 "2013-07-23T16:02:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Who is keeping record of national roller coaster deaths and/or injuries? Most of the time when somebody bites the big one on a roller coaster it is national news. That alone is evidence of its rarity. (OK, it’s not proof, because there could be millions of roller coaster deaths that are not reported in the news. I don’t think there are, though.) Apparently nobody keeps track of the numbers, though. (I have a feeling that insurance companies might. But they tend to keep their statistics to themselves.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/23 "2013-07-23T16:09:55Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Note that this is not the AP’s fault: it’s the individual newspaper that writes the headline. AP heads just list the keywords of the article and are not supposed to be used as is. When I Googled the headline, I saw it as is in about a dozen different newspapers’ websites, so I assumed it came from the AP. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/24 "2013-07-23T16:28:44Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > My wife and I went on that stupid swinging ship ride at Six Flags years ago. > > I mentioned to the kid that my safety bar was loose before we started. He said “OK” and left. We took off, and as we swung higher, it became obvious that my bar was not locked, and this may end badly. > > I put my arms through the bars beside me - my wife’s and some guy’s - and told my wife I may not be able to hang on, and that I love her. We’d only been married a few months, and I was really pissed about dying so soon. > > Yelling “Stop the ride” was useless, so I just concentrated on holding on. I made it, and taught my kids from a young age to scream like a Mofo if their safety belt/yokes/whatever didn’t feel tight as hell when they got on any ride. I had the same thing happen on the same ride with my son. The bar came loose and my son started falling out of the ride. I had to grab him with one arm and hang on to the seat with the other. No amount of screaming helped of course but I have never been so scared. Now I pull on the lap bar trying to get it loose before any ride. ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/25 "2013-07-23T17:44:25Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I have ridden that coaster and when it was done I felt as if four or five people with baseball bats had beaten the shit out of me. Yes, when it was a true wooden coaster, it would beat the everloving shit out of you. A year or two ago, they closed it and made into a steel coaster that just incorporates a lot of the original construction. It’s functionally an entirely new thing, and supposedly much, much smoother now. The year it opened, I watched a kid in front of me break his arm on the side of the car, and flop around for like 2 minutes. Since then I’ve been less than enthused about coasters in general. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/26 "2013-07-23T18:00:08Z")
We rode it too several years ago. The wood did add a bit of _uncertainty_ to the experience. Horrible as the woman’s death is, I can’t help but feel of course for her kid and everyone else around her that saw her go sailing out at the first turn, then they had to finish the ride with that terrible proposition at every hill and corner. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/27 "2013-07-23T18:59:36Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > When people joke about what their “last words” would be, I suspect mine would be something on the order of “Oh Shit!” Supposedly from black boxes, it is the most often last word of pilots. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/28 "2013-07-23T20:45:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Who is keeping record of national roller coaster deaths and/or injuries? [These](http://www.rideaccidents.com/) folks, for one. And the [Consumer Products Safety Commission](http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/108586/amrd2000.pdf), for another. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/29 "2013-07-23T23:05:07Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > She bears some of the blame? Because she was fat? > > Did the ride publish a weight limit? No. Did it publish a girth limit? No. Did the ride attendant caution her that she might not meet the safety criteria for the ride? No. Was she given _any_ information that indicated her weight or size made the ride unsafe for her? No. Did she notify the ride attendant that she had concerns about the safety equipment for the ride? Why, yes, she did. > > For God’s sake, stop with the “if you’re fat, you deserve what’s coming to you” bullshit. There’s a sign in line saying the lap bar must rest against your thigh or else you can’t ride. But there’s several flaws with that too: no one reads those signs in line and a ride op should have noticed that it wasn’t doing that for her. [Here’s an accident recreation done on another ejection](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0KmTMf0VVQ) of an overweight person. When all is said and done on this case, I’d put money the same thing happened. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/30 "2013-07-23T23:11:00Z")
Now unfortunately the park can’t really impose weight limits because it all depends on how the person carries their weight. I worked as a ride operator for years and sometimes really fat people would be able to ride whereas much smaller people couldn’t since they had bigger chests or guts. Also, I’d like to point out that a ride operator hears people commenting on their lap bars being too loose or questioning the safety of their restraint about every other train, so I’m not sure that alone is proof of an employee blowing off a guests’ safety concerns. Finally, I keep hearing this one “witness” be quoted, first saying she heard the lady say the lapbar didn’t click enough. This ride’s lapbars don’t even click (they’re hydraulic, not ratcheting) and even the victim’s family sitting the row in front says they didn’t hear her say anything. Furthermore, that witness also claims to have witnessed the lady fall even though where she fell was impossible to see from the station. Makes you question the witness’ story’s legitimacy… ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/31 "2013-07-23T23:47:41Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > She bears some of the blame? Because she was fat? > > Did the ride publish a weight limit? No. Did it publish a girth limit? No. Did the ride attendant caution her that she might not meet the safety criteria for the ride? No. Was she given _any_ information that indicated her weight or size made the ride unsafe for her? No. Did she notify the ride attendant that she had concerns about the safety equipment for the ride? Why, yes, she did. > > For God’s sake, stop with the “if you’re fat, you deserve what’s coming to you” bullshit. Do you know these things with absolute certainty? I don’t. And I don’t think you do either. Six Flags does publish a [safety guideline page](http://www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/assets/pdf/ADAGuide_SFOG.pdf)on their website, and I’d be surprised if some of the content weren’t prominently displayed at the entrance or near the rides. I don’t know. From the page… _Many amusement park rides incorporate safety systems designed by the manufacturer to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportion. These safety systems may place restrictions on the ability of a Guest to safely be contained within the ride restraint. **Extremely large or small individuals** , Guests who have heart, back or neck trouble or conditions, pregnant women, people who have had recent surgery or an illness, people with casts, braces, restrictive devices or certain disabilities may not be safely accommodated by certain ride systems._ and… _LARGER FRAMED GUESTS : Many rides incorporate safety systems designed by the manufacturer to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportion. These systems may place restrictions on the ability of an individual to safely experience the ride. In order to ride, all seatbelts, lap bars, and shoulder harnesses must be positioned and fastened properly. Due to rider restraint system requirements, Guests of a larger size may not be accommodated on some rides._ I have seen many rollercoasters in many parks, including 6 Flags that have a test seat outside the ride, before you even get in line. Questionable riders - short, tall, fat, slim - are encouraged to get in and buckle up to make sure they fit properly. Since my motorcycle accident, I’ve become more sedentary due to pain - and laziness, and gained 100 pounds. At 300 lbs, I’m not Andre the Giant, but I have a gut and a butt that the safety bars and seats don’t like. I don’t have to use a seatbelt extension when I fly, but I’m at the edge! I don’t fit some places like I used to, and there’s no one to blame but me. I’m fat, and I deserve what’s coming to me. I hope it’s donuts. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/32 "2013-07-24T01:15:18Z")
Nobody deserves to die in a horrible accident like this just because they’re fat.The people who operate these rides should be able to recognize when someone can’t ride safely. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/33 "2013-07-24T01:24:59Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Do you know these things with absolute certainty? I don’t. And I don’t think you do either. Six Flags does publish a [safety guideline page](http://www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/assets/pdf/ADAGuide_SFOG.pdf)on their website, and I’d be surprised if some of the content weren’t prominently displayed at the entrance or near the rides. I don’t know. > From the page… > _Many amusement park rides incorporate safety systems designed by the manufacturer to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportion. These safety systems may place restrictions on the ability of a Guest to safely be contained within > the ride restraint. **Extremely large or small individuals** , Guests who have heart, back or neck trouble or conditions, pregnant women, people who have had recent surgery or an illness, people with casts, braces, restrictive devices or certain disabilities may not > be safely accommodated by certain ride systems._ > > and… > _LARGER FRAMED GUESTS > : > Many rides incorporate safety systems designed by the manufacturer to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportion. These systems may place restrictions on the ability of an individual to safely experience the ride. In order to ride, all seatbelts, lap bars, and shoulder harnesses must be positioned and fastened properly. Due to rider restraint system requirements, Guests of a larger size may not be accommodated on some rides._ > > I have seen many rollercoasters in many parks, including 6 Flags that have a test seat outside the ride, before you even get in line. Questionable riders - short, tall, fat, slim - are encouraged to get in and buckle up to make sure they fit properly. > > Since my motorcycle accident, I’ve become more sedentary due to pain - and laziness, and gained 100 pounds. At 300 lbs, I’m not Andre the Giant, but I have a gut and a butt that the safety bars and seats don’t like. I don’t have to use a seatbelt extension when I fly, but I’m at the edge! I don’t fit some places like I used to, and there’s no one to blame but me. > > I’m fat, and I deserve what’s coming to me. > > I hope it’s donuts. Do you see any actual sizes that are too big? Because, if not, how the hell is she supposed to know there was a problem? If the safety people who are paid to check this sort of thing tell her it’s okay, how in the world is she supposed to know? There is no way to make this the woman’s fault if you think about it even slightly. The only reason to jump to that conclusion is if you hate fat people, and thus must find a reason to blame her. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/34 "2013-07-24T05:49:41Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > Just like the the signs they have now that say “you must be this tall to ride” - they may have to add " your waist size must not exceed 70 inches" In some attractions at Tokyo Disney Resort, such as “Space Mountain”, “Indiana Jones” and “Tower of Terror”, Cast Members ask certain guests standing in the queue to enter a small room off to the side. In the room, there is a seat just like in the actual ride vehicle with the bars and/or belts. The guest is seated to see if he/she can be seated safely inside the restraints. If yes, the guest is led towards the boarding area. If not, the guest cannot ride and is led to a back exit. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/35 "2013-07-24T13:32:50Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > She bears some of the blame? Because she was fat? > > Did the ride publish a weight limit? No. Did it publish a girth limit? No. Did the ride attendant caution her that she might not meet the safety criteria for the ride? No. Was she given _any_ information that indicated her weight or size made the ride unsafe for her? No. Did she notify the ride attendant that she had concerns about the safety equipment for the ride? Why, yes, she did. > > For God’s sake, stop with the “if you’re fat, you deserve what’s coming to you” bullshit. Fundamental question… is it up to the government or private organizations to do all the studies neccessary and provide all of the warnings in bold letters and in multiple languages? … or does someone who is heavier than 99.999998% of the population to realize that she can’t do everything that the rest of the world can. Just saying that maybe a little bit of responsibility belongs to the dead lady and that we can’t test and warn away every potential danger. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235/36 "2013-07-24T14:29:42Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Fundamental question… is it up to the government or private organizations to do all the studies neccessary and provide all of the warnings in bold letters and in multiple languages? Actually it is the responsibility of a business to take all appropriate safety precautions, to advise people of hazards, and to make such advisement in such languages as are appropriate. > [@](#): > > … or does someone who is heavier than 99.999998% of the population to realize that she can’t do everything that the rest of the world can. I am sure the overweight woman was aware of the fact that she probably could not win the Olympic marathon, become a Playboy bunny, or fit into a size 2 dress, since those are things a fat person would quite reasonably know they could not do. How would she know she couldn’t ride a roller coaster? I’ve ridden lots of roller coasters and I’ve never in my life noticed a warning about far people. You see the height limit requirements everywhere, to the point that some amusement parks make that process easier by giving kids color-coded bracelets so they don’t have to keep getting measured, but I’ve never seen fat/weight warnings or restrictions. To be honest it never occurred to me that would be an issue, and years ago I used to weigh 280-290 or so, so I was pretty aware of being overweight and the implications thereof. > [@](#): > > Just saying that maybe a little bit of responsibility belongs to the dead lady and that we can’t test and warn away every potential danger. Well, no, none of it does. And this is a potential danger that is rather easily identified and prevented. If she is literally that fat and it presents a hazard, the ride operators should have been able to see she was fat, and step in by either advising her not to ride or to perform a safety check to ensure the restraints function. If someone’s really fat it’s not like you can hide that. It is absolutely, beyond any doubt or question the responsibility of the ride operator unless the passenger does something deliberately negligent, which was not the case here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-investigating-fatal-roller-coaster-death/664235.md?page=1)