Taking On-Ride Photos

[edboxer]

It is the park's responsibility to ensure customer safety. If that means, no cameras, so be it.

 

That said, I do have to relate a personal experience with a camera being taken on MF. We were going over the 180 foot floater when a camera came floating by (its was a small digital) and I grabbed it in midair and held onto it for dear life. When we returned to the station, I asked who had lost their camera. A woman claimed it saying it had been in her front pocket.

 

If that camera had been larger, it could have seriously hurt someone.

 

Now with the advent of lipstick cams, the danger is much less. But the kind of policing that would be required to allow people to use those minicams on-ride is probably not something that any park wants to initiate.

 

Note: the photo below my signature was taken circa 1980 on the Geauga Lake Double Loop which was permitted at that time.

[RollerC]

All it takes is that one person to drop their camera on a rollercoaster then turn around a sue a park saying "OMG WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WASN'T ALOUD!". But you know they could win because not many parks actually have "No Video Cameras" on the ride sign...or do they.

[Evan1127]

Without getting into detail, I've witnessed a pretty bad situation involving a camera being dropped on a ride. There shouldn't be any question about following posted rules about them (and any other "loose articles"). It's more than just covering the park legally.

[Vallean]

Unless it's for legitimate purposes serving the park's interests (media etc.) it will be difficult to get an official authorization and even than for liabilitie issue the camera will have to be specially secured and/or one will have to ride alone (or maybe with some park employees).

 

BTW If someone drops a camera while riding at 60 MPH the camera won't hit anyone immediately at that relative speed as initially the camera moves at the same speed as the person who drops it before being slowed down by aerodynamic friction. It's like if one would drop a camera standing on the ground facing a steady 60 MPH wind. The problem is more for persons in following cars and/or if the camera bounces on the structure.

That said, roller coasters have predictable accelerations, so some flat rides are more critical. Overall one must be quite stupid to drop a small camera on a roller coaster as accelerations and jerk aren't that important but it's anyway against the safety rules.