Theme Park Safety Failure$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Thrill rides are becoming kill rides."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music score by Midge Ure

 

 

FREAK                                                                      THREATS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the author:

"Contrary to rumours and hearsay, I am a rider and lover of various amusement rides.  However, with the onslaught of prototypes and thoughtless contraptions I disclose in my book, I know what I can and cannot ride.  It is more than a personal choice, rather a sense of instilled safety.  

Kings Island's newest installation, Diamondback, is, by far, the greatest machine I've ever taken a ride upon.  Its reliable manufacturer and performance is unparalleled.  

 

 

My biggest concern, like with all facilities, is the staff.   Everyone attending a park should be more alert to the antics of the ones in alleged control."

Jeffrey P. Stoneking

  

 

 

 
 

Purchase your discount copy of Theme Park Safety Failure$ directly from AuthorHouse

   
REVIEW:  Dayton City Paper  May 14-20, 2008, pg. 24

By J.T. Ryder


     Jeffrey P. Stoneking's latest book Theme Park Safety Failure$ (AuthorHouse) is a wild ride all on its own. The book not only recounts harrowing tales of safety flaws, but accidental injuries and death sustained through the pervasive trend of theme parks to eschew safety for the sake of the bottom line. He relates account after account of cursory safety inspections, mismanaged parks, ill-trained operators, idiotic thrill seekers, and ill-conceived ride designs. Stoneking, a former employee of Kings Island who also served as a ride operator for the Walt Disney Company, fills the book with his own observations as well. His warnings are not just the alarmist rantings of one individual, but a compilation of well-researched occurrences at theme parks around the world. Get in line, if you dare.

 

 
Delphi's CEO, Steve Miller, calls it "Fascinating and frightening!"

 

 

     

     In the wake of the tragedy at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in 2007 where a young female rider lost both feet aboard Superman:  Tower of Power,  author Jeffrey P. Stoneking compiles research and related circumstances in his new book, Theme Park Safety Failure$.  His previous experience in the theme park industry as Operations and Safety Counsel with the Walt Disney Company's North American properties during the pre-Eisner era and several positions with Kings Entertainment's Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio are re-awakened for this writing.

"The 2007 incident in Louisville is not isolated in the amusement ride industry.  For many years, accidents have been transpiring, but the park owners and ride manufacturers do their greatest to silence the circumstances.  It is gravely unfortunate that it takes such a hideous occurrence as the severing of a teenager's feet to wake people up. 

"Having been around the world at various facilities for both business and pleasure, I've seen too much and am no longer accepting what is deemed permissible.  Ride operators are unskilled in dealing with valuable and precious lives.  Manufacturers are introducing thoughtless contraptions with virtually no time for error, whose evacuations are also near-impossible.  

"This book is not only a whistle-blower, but also a light-shedding source of advice to the innocent ones who think they are safe when entering a park.  

"The  writing of it, as with my first book, Reality Therapy:  The Influence of Rollercoasters, Religion, and Rock 'n Roll, was in the same capacity of Jonathan Livingston Seagull where an unseen force was delivering it.  Those are the indefinable elements which are indicative that some things are truly meant to be.  If it offends any industry official or theme park fan, then the truth of what is being fully disclosed is upon their guilty heads."

 

 
 
CEDAR POINT, Sandusky, OH
 
Millennium Force, May 2009

  What is often considered to be the greatest steel rollercoaster ever, how great it would have been for a train filled with passengers to come plummeting vertically at 93 mph into the broken lift system? 

         

Photos from the web.

  

 

 

Top Thrill Dragster's Smoking Cable

During a visit to Cedar Point on May 12, 2008, I couldn't resist recording Top Thrill Dragster's cable which launches trains 0-120 m.p.h. in 3.5 seconds.  My position for recording was on the walkway where park attendees are able to witness their loved ones rocketing by before heading vertically skywards  42 stories up.

Each and every launch requires the cable to halt once the desired speed is achieved at which point, without fail, smoke emits.  A clear fluid then drips down directly onto it.  

While exiting the park, several crew members of Top Thrill Dragster were walking beside me, and a conversation regarding Theme Park Safety Failure$ was initiated.  One of the workers commented that he fears the cable used on that ride.

In Theme Park Safety Failure$ an incident involving Top Thrill Dragster's cable during the second season of operation is referenced. 

On a visit to the park June, 2009, the aforementioned fluid is now practically dumped onto the cable.  I've received remarks from hysterical rollercoaster 'enthusiasts' that the fluid is water to cool off the cable.  Indeed, that is true, however, there is more than just steam with every halt of the cable.  Cedar Point's staff members, including maintenance members, confirm this.

Additionally, the steel fibers are deteriorating with every launch.  See the Knott's Berry Farm incident further below as to how this exposed cable launch system is a failure.

 

 
KINGS ISLAND, Kings Island, OH
  

From the city of Mason council meeting, February 8, 2010

RE:  Proposed Tax Increase

My name is Jeffrey P. Stoneking. I provided my Ohio property address in an electronic submission via your website; however, due to security measures stemming from my 

authoring a book entitled Theme Park Safety Failure$, I would prefer to give my Michigan residency.

Thank you for the opportunity to present circumstances which I believe would defend council and the passing of the proposed tax.

First off, the agreement to not raise taxes with Kings Island was with their former parent company, Paramount Parks, not Cedar Fair.

For the past 13 years, minimum, Kings Island plays host to non-profit organizations by having volunteers of 501-c3 groups staff their facility.

A Kings Island sales manager, Linda Jensen, once stated that the "Fund Raiser" program, as it is called, "Saves the park alot of money." 

Volunteers staff the resale outlets in the park, where incorrect change is often provided during cash sales transactions. Hourly payroll employees are dismissed from their 

work shift so the busloads of volunteers can fill their position.

Unskilled volunteers are not adequately trained, and have been placed on ride platforms, posing a safety threat to riders. When park visitors require directions or assistance, self included, the common 

response is, "I'm just a volunteer." One even announced he was "working for Jesus", referencing his church's involvement. There is no responsibility when volunteering. 

Be advised, also, that there are no laws, whatsoever, governing the operation of theme parks. There are only structural inspections by the Department of Agriculture, who admits they know nothing 

about rollercoaster technology.

In essence, Kings Island is utilizing these 501-c3's to cut operating costs, and avoid paying taxes by "donating" to the non-profit groups. The city of Mason is missing out, 

all together, on being the recipient of these tax-exempt funds.

Kings Island and their parent company, Cedar Fair, also engage in Foreign Labor Contracts. It should be questioned as to the amount of tax credit they receive for doing so.

During my years with Kings Island as an accountant, and later a concessionaire, Bard Reed, a merchandise administrator, often stated, "Season Pass holders don't spend any money."

Instead, they congregate in a water park constructed beneath high-voltage, overhead power lines, and line-up for an injuring battering ram known as Son Of Beast

which is the cause of many civil lawsuits for the past decade.

It is a well-known fact that court operating costs are paid for with public dollars.

It should also be questioned as to whether certain criminal activities requiring the dispatch of the Mason City Police to Kings Island are caused by Season Pass holders. 

A particular riot incident once made National News Headlines. With today's technology, it would be Global Wildfire, much like the sleazy measure Kings Island officials are 

taking in an effort to oppose this tax.

Even their so-called "Tail-Gate Party" tonight, which in actuality is a glorified title for a 'protest', complete with refreshments served in the restaurant facility above the front gate, 

is an expense that will result in less tax payments to the city of Mason.

What these emotional protestors do not realize is how taxation actually works. People, not businesses, pay taxes. With the large amounts of expenses incurred by Kings Island, 

residents of the city of Mason, through income and property taxes, are forced to make up the difference.

That being said, if these protestors cannot afford the proposed 3% admission tax, which on a $50 cover charge would amount to less than $1.50, then, clearly, they should not 

seek entertainment beyond the confines of their homes.

When my organization was planning an event with Kings Island in 1997, Linda Jensen was quick to inform me, in writing, that a $16 admission charge for an attendance figure 

of less than 5,000 would cover the park's operating costs and profit for our six-hour usage.

At the time, the non-discounted front gate admission was $30.95. Again, our group was only required to pay $16 per person. Do the math.

What I have presented for you is documented, undisputed truths about this facility and their operation.

My encouragement is for the city of Mason to pass this tax to provide the necessary measures to ensure a safer environment than what Kings Island officials permit to exist 

upon their property.

Thank you.

 

 

 

Adventure Express, October 2, 2009

This platform worker would not put down his steaming styrofoam cup while checking restraints, nor would his fellow co-worker at the console.

The threat of having hot fluids dumped on riders, or into the operating console, is a thoughtless act, and one whose repercussions are discussed in  Theme Park Safety Failure$.

 

 

Photo by S. Hurley

The Racer, October 24th, 2008

Around 8:15pm, this control panel operator, with loaded trains in motion, enjoys stuffing his face with a double cheeseburger, french fries, and a bottle of Mountain Dew.  The bottle tipped over between the panel and the monitor.  Thankfully it was capped.

When I contacted the park to report it, I was told by the operator, "We are not allowed to transfer any calls to the executive offices."

Welcome to more truth as told in Theme Park Safety Failure$.

 

 
KNOTT'S BERRY FARM, Buena Park, CA
Xcelerator 

On Wednesday, September 16, 2009, a man and a boy are aboard this cable-launched ride, with accelerating speeds of 0-70mph in 2.5 seconds.  During the take-off, the cable snapped, showering them with metal shards.  The loss of momentum prohibited the train from making it over the summit, sending it backwards.  Something, likely the cable, caused the boy's seat to wedge loose, jarring him into the restraint.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/knotts-berry-farm-roller-coaster-shut-down-after-accident-injures-2.html

A similar incident occurred on Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster in 2004.  That incident and its multiple injuries is detailed and documented in Theme Park Safety Failure$.

 

 
MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE, Muskegon, MI
 

 
Shivering Timbers

Mr. Mark Doman

Michigan Dept. of Labor and Economic Growth
Commercial Enforcement Division
P.O. Box 30018
Lansing, MI 48909

July 13, 2009

Dear Mr. Doman;
 
On Friday, July 3rd, 2009, I visited Michigan's Adventure.  Around 5:15pm I was riding the second-to-last seat aboard Shivering Timbers.  On the base of the second drop the lap bar shoved hard against the lower portion of my left rib cage.  At the same time, a woman behind me, on the right side of the train, was heard saying to her very young son, "You hit your head!  Are you alright?"
 
The rest of the ride circuit was spent protecting my ribs from any additional areas with a grip across the lap bar.
 
When our train stopped on the final brake, I turned and saw the mother holding her son.  He was extremely pale and silent.
 
As the train approached the station and during disembarking, I insisted that the mother tell the ride attendant, Cody, about her son's misfortune.  I initially commented to him about my rib, also stating that the ride was extremely painful and rough, then introduced the woman and her son.  While she was telling him about it, Cody brushed her aside, motioning for her along with her son, myself, and my ride partner off the platform, then closed the gate behind us without a word.
 
Under no circumstance should an incident of this nature be disregarded by anyone, particularly one who is responsible for rider safety.
 
 I am well aware that there remains no laws at the state or federal levels governing the operation of amusement rides at either travelling or fixed sites.  Given the lackadaisical response to injuries by the said staff member of Michigan's Adventure, I would not be surprised to learn that this particular incident is not the first, nor will it be the last.  My regret is not investing in the on-ride photograph shoving myself gripping my rib, and the mother protecting her son as best as possible.
 
If the state of Michigan's ride inspection  is merely to oversee structural integrity, then I suggest you and members of your staff ride Shivering Timbers to discover first hand how turbulent, brutal, and painful the ride experience truly is. 
 
My additional encouragement is that your department seek additional inspection on Shivering Timbers during this operating season. 
 
Should you require any additional comments, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
 
Respectfully,
Jeffrey P. Stoneking
P.O. Box 81741
Rochester, MI  48308
937-291-9972

***NOTE:  As of September 21, 2009, no response has been received by either Mr. Doman or Michigan's Adventure's General Manager,  Camille Jourden-Mark.

Both Mr. Doman and Ms. Jourden-Mark were phoned on September 21, 2009.  Mr. Doman phoned, indicating he never received the correspondence.  It has been re-sent.

 

 

 
SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM, Vallejo, CA
 
This children's ride worker's hand remains on the operating console, but his attention is inevitably diverted elsewhere.

Theme Park Safety Failure$ exposes a worker at a Six Flags park doing the same thing.

 

 

 

 
SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA, Atlanta, GA
  

You've got to question a park whose 2009 Halloween event allows participants to be Buried Alive:

http://themeparks.about.com/b/2009/09/17/six-flags-fright-fest.htm

Not too surprising, the day after this post appeared, Six Flags Over Georgia was flooded.

 

 

WALT DISNEY WORLD, Lake Buena Visa, FL

Monorail Crash; July 5th, 2009

While the investigation continues as to why the two monorails collided, killing the 21-year old operator, this YouTube footage should provide a clearer insight to the horrendous accident, along with the Cast Member insisting that there be no filming. 

Theme Park Safety Failure$ discusses more about the Walt Disney Company and its deadly mishaps.

 

 

 

BOOKS

On-Going Sagas: A Testimony Of Events

Reality Therapy:  The Influence of Rollercoasters, Religion, and Rock 'n Roll

Surviving Foreclosure:  How I Lived For Free, and You Can, Too!

Theme Park Safety Failure$

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Eye1 Dayton
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