xSmKxGamegod

Not too mention we are in dire need of a new roller coaster. I don't count the Texas Giant being revamped as a ''new'' ride because it needed to be done as much as I enjoyed the migraines on the old ride. Fact is we haven't had a good new roller coaster built since Titan in 2001...we have to be on the list for a new one soon!

It's okay Besen, here's a quick review. It's hydraulic restraints, no clicking or anything like that. Honestly they are pretty tough to pull down, so literally when they're down...they are down. I visit the park weekly and this year the roller coaster crews have been very good about actually checking the safety restraint systems and they've been pinning just about everyone to their seat that they could, so I was surprised by this news as I ride the NTAG multiple times a month as it's a FUN ride! The ride does posses the on track sensors that will stop it at a brake run if something malfunctioned, the ride did not stop at it's mid course brake run (She was ejected right after the first drop) and the coaster train did return to the station with the restraint in the locked position. It can't come loose and be forced back down by positive G-Forces on this ride as it's all about bucking you like a bull. If you've never gotten to experience it, it's A LOT of airtime hills and the sensation you're on a mechanical bull. So the restraint would have stayed up if it had truly malfunctioned. This will likely come down to the investigators saying ''It's determined that the woman's large stature is the reason for this occurrence, the ride did not actually fail and she should not have been allowed to ride'' so to appease lawyers they'll likely add a seat belt to the waist, unfortunate as the ride will be less fun now. And if it doesn't fit...you aren't going.

"I don't think this is the ride op's fault at all. Just a freak accident. Hopefully Texas Giant will open up again soon. I don't think there's anything wrong with the ride." Agreed Cody, I'll happily be first in line when it's open again. I love that ride.

THIS. When I rode NTAG, what I remember was that every different host that checked my seat stapled me. I was not upset at all because after riding the ride, I was thankful they did! But it wasn't just an 'oops I accidentally stapled that guy,' it was obviously intentional. They really leaned into it. Also, I have NEVER heard of mid course brakes having sensors on them that detect lap bars. I'm only familiar with B&M coasters, however. Is there any actual proof that this is true of NTAG? It honestly sounds like some BS that someone made up in light of this event. What I know is that if there is a malfunction with restraints, it would be detectable RIGHT after it is locked by the ride. There are times when a restraint does malfunction and it's instantly detected by the ride host so the seat isn't loaded. I just can't really imagine a scenario where something DURING the ride would cause a restraint to malfunction. These are heavy duty cylinders! What usually happens is it doesn't lock after being released, not that it randomly releases itself. I only know the functions of Intamin restraints, but I imagine they are all the same design. If anything changes on the ride, I would expect them to add seat belts. They hold riders in differently than lap bars, and restrict vertical movement much more...just my 2 cents. I get what your saying, what I was saying has been misinterpreted. My proof is I've worked on the ride =P so I learned ALL about the safety systems and how they'll work etc. incase of an incident such as this. The whole point I was making was since the ride was able to leave, and it didn't stop at the brake run because she was out right after the first drop. Then nothing actually malfunctioned. That was my whole point.

Okay I wasn't trying to sound confusing with the ''ride will stop when there is a problem'' statement. What I was trying to say is, the ride will stop after it has started at the first opportunity IF something is wrong, in this case since the ride continued it did not sense something wrong, meaning her harness never moved from it's locked position. As for who asked about Titan, for example if that were to happen the ride would proceed to it's mid brake run and stop if a restraint came loose, I personally feel really secure on the NTAG, but even more secure on Titan lol

I know at least on the NTAG that it would stop at a brake run if the harness had come free, I know too many people at the park lol. But I'm almost certain it'll be case of the harness couldn't secure the way it was designed cause of her size and that's how she slipped out, hence the reports of people saying the train returned with the harness down. The ride is nothing but designed negative hills, it couldn't come loose and then tighten back in place. It's unfortunate, but the story will be that the ride operated normally, that everything on the roller coaster is operating normally. It was a case of park employees probably not wanting a discrimination suit brought upon them. SFOT has been the victim the last year of guests filing lawsuits for discrimination for a number of things, so that may have been in their mind. It's either that, or they truly weren't paying attention.

That's correct, there are over 200 sensors I know of on NTAG and also Titan in the park, if any of the sensors at any point detect a safety issue at any point then the ride will come to a stop at the first opportunity, meaning since the reports are she was thrown on the double dip after the first drop...which makes sense, the first opportunity would be the mid-course brake run. But since the ride continued then it did not detect that the harness itself had actually ''broken free''.

Here's the reality of the situation - it has much less to do with weight or volume, and a LOT more to do with shape and size. As someone who has had to "shove" many people into rides on some of our trips, I can tell you that I've managed to get MANY OMFG HUGE A$$ people onto coasters due to their shape with no problem or safety issues, whereas I've had trouble getting a slightly smaller person, but oddly-shaped into the same ride. Just recently, we had two people who I would NOT consider "large" at all, not fit into Hollywood Dream in Japan, purely because of "shape". So you could potentially have a weight restriction on a ride, and that still wouldn't matter as you could have someone top-heavy enough to fall out. I'm not sure what the answer is, in this case, but I'd have to think there must be some way to measure if a rider isn't the right "shape" to fit a restraint, right? You're right Rob, first post by the way Been a fan for years, but I live here in Dallas and I go to SFOT almost every week and the Texas Giant is usually a minimum 3 rides a day for me, the restraint is damn hard to pull down and the employees I noticed this year on every ride have actually been taking their job of securing people in more seriously so I was shocked by this. The NTAG staff always ALWAYS before they send off the train don't just lightly tap the restraint and say ''check'', they shove the thing with both hands to make sure you're in. Yes I'm speculating, but given your comment and how, no offense to her because it's sad she died. This is a case where likely the restraint didn't get to her thighs which is where it's meant to go as we all know. And so she literally probably slipped out like a bar of soap, I doubt any seat belt attached to the harness would have saved her. I know a lot about the safety systems being a junkie of the ride and I know ride ops who have run it. The system WILL not let the train move if everything is not secured. The brake run halfway through would have stopped the train if the system detected something ''unsafe'' and they would have made the other passengers walk down the safety exits from the ride. So that's how I'm going to perceive it logically until the investigation report comes out because that is what now seems to make the most sense. Anyone agree?