NO SINGLE RIDER (for this particular ride)

[Anac0nda]

-Six Flags Magic Mountain requires at least one rider on each side of Green Lantern to prevent excessive rotations.

 

This has to be the most irritating rule.

I was just going to mention ZacSpins. I'm currently working at Linnanmäki and one of my rides I'm operating is Kirnu, the ZacSpin coaster. We have a strict policy about balancing the weight on the cars and due do the cars ability to rotate freely, an unbalanced car would not only result in an uncomfortable ride, it could also fail to straighten the car in the end. However, we have several mechanisms to balance the cars so the guests need not to worry. Also, in case of single riders and since there's normally five employees working on a summer day while only three are needed to operate, we have permission to balance the car with an employee! This makes things so much easier and also fun! I mean, who wouldn't want to ride a coaster a few times during workday?

[TPDave]

^ I don't know if Merlin are still maintaining dictatorial control over the balance of their spinning wild mice, but when I was at Alton Towers a couple of years ago they were sending employees round if there were only 3 riders in a car. Not a bad deal for the staff I guess (though I would prefer a more spinny ride!)

[simon8899]

I loved riding Goliath in the back seat

 

I rode Goliath and Scream alone in the back row in 2011 an no one complained - it was on a very slow day were they also allowed immediate re-rides. Why there shouldn't be single riders in front or back rows is totally beyond me. On front row a park may argue that so many guests wanna ride first row - but on slow days the back row is mostly empty. I try to ride all coasters in the back row and so far had no problems on either side of the Atlantic. In Germany no one is complaining if you ride the front or back row alone even if the park or carnival is crowded. In Denmark at Tivoli it's common practice to jump onto the train of Rutschebanen as its entering the station to get a front row ride - they've no plattform doors and the attendants don't care a bit - I once saw a kid fall as he stumbled and he had to get up by himself with no attendant even having an eye for it.

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain requires at least one rider on each side of Green Lantern to prevent excessive rotations

 

No one cares as far as I've witnessed in Finland (Linnanmaki) and Sweden (Gröna Lund) in 2010...

 

^^ This might have changed but at Linnanmaki I rode Kirnu once beeing the only person in the car. At Gröna Lund I rode together with another guy on one side, we both over 300 pounds - while on the other side was a small girl with about 100 pounds.

 

Edit: My last single Ferris Wheel ride was at Lisberg on the old wheel which even had open gondolas. I even moved around the gondola when the wheel was turning to snap some photos and the attendant didn't cared about it.

[linearinduction]

^ I don't know if Merlin are still maintaining dictatorial control over the balance of their spinning wild mice, but when I was at Alton Towers a couple of years ago they were sending employees round if there were only 3 riders in a car. Not a bad deal for the staff I guess (though I would prefer a more spinny ride!)

Lagoon did this same thing with Spider in 2011 after the Death on Xtreme at Dixie Landin' until the Investigation was complete.

[adamico2]

From Screamscape today:

 

"(5/20/13) An Australian news site reports that a 5-year-old boy was thrown 10 meters from a flat ride at a local carnival. The ride was called the Frisbee, but it is not a Huss Frisbee style ride at all, but appears to more similar to a Trabant or Wipeout style ride. The boy is in critical condition and some witness reports claim that it looked as if he slipped out from under or over the safety bar, as he may have been too small to ride."

[gisco]

We have a kiddie coaster here in town which has a no single rider policy. As luck would have it when I was there, a kid was alone and they wouldn't let him ride. I had to help the poor kid out and I was able to get the credit! Cha-Ching!!!

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

There is a no single rider rule for the Falling Star at SFA. It's an ollie-baba/rainbow type flat ride, so I think thhey do it to ensure safety.

[Aceattack52]

I really wish SFOG had a single rider system, but sadly, they don't for any of the rides.

[palmerleeberry]

As reported by adamico2 -

 

From Screamscape today:

 

"(5/20/13) An Australian news site reports that a 5-year-old boy was thrown 10 meters from a flat ride at a local carnival. The ride was called the Frisbee, but it is not a Huss Frisbee style ride at all, but appears to more similar to a Trabant or Wipeout style ride. The boy is in critical condition and some witness reports claim that it looked as if he slipped out from under or over the safety bar, as he may have been too small to ride."

 

That is just plain terrible for several reasons. #1 - This little boy should have a responsible adult riding with him, and #2 he shouldn't have been allow to ride by himself in the first place. I mean, didn't they have any sort of a height restriction policy at this carnival? I bet they would have if this carnival was held in America, but it seemed they just let the little boy go on, think happy thoughts, and hope the boy will make it through the ride.

 

I'm am just SHOCKED!!!

[cloudeleven]

The Wild Thang (Zamperla Power Surge) at Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Ark. doesn't allow single riders. Not sure why.

[Awesomefaceninja7]

I've seen only one ride that doesn't allow single riders which was an outward-facing ferris wheel with OTSRs and you controlled how much it span. I went on it with my friend from primary school.

 

I've also thought about Slingshot rides. What would happen if only rider went on it? Anyway, if I got internet famous or got a partner or something, they would be my only chance of getting on a 'No single riders' ride, except some random stranger getting on it with me. Ha ha.

 

I've gotten on many rides like Twisters and Orbiters with only me in the car. They are a lot of fun.

[thedlr]

I've also thought about Slingshot rides. What would happen if only rider went on it? Anyway, if I got internet famous or got a partner or something, they would be my only chance of getting on a 'No single riders' ride, except some random stranger getting on it with me. Ha ha.

 

I rode the Slingshot solo in Orlando about a decade ago. The guy put some sort of water dummy next to me. I still have the VHS tape!

[Paradox]

Pretty much any coaster at a Six Flags park doesn't have a single rider line. Twisted Colossus has one but when I visited last week it closed down 10 minutes after reopening every time.

[K1ngdaKa88]

When I was alone at Wet'n'Wild and Aquatica in Orlando, I also had to wait because I was a single rider. But often after a few people went down the slide, a group of three came (2 per raft) so I could slide with the 3rd in the group.

[Chilly8]

The one I have found out that no longer allows single riders is the Wild River log ride in carnivals run by Ray Cammack Shows. No single riders on the log ride is crazy. Knotts allows single riders on their log ride, and you can be a single rider on Splash Mountain in Disneyland. I wonder why Ray Cammack Shows does not allow single riders on their log ride. That is just plain stupid.

 

But the most insane no single rider policies I have seen is those of the Midway Of Fun, which is what the Global Winter Wonderland hires for their carnival. No single riders on Olympic Flying Bobs? There is no other carnival I have ever seen that does not allow single riders on Olympic Flying Bobs. Butler Amusements allows single riders on Olympic Flying Bobs. They have a lot of rides with no single riders policies that other carnivals do not. No single riders on Olympic Flying Bobs is just as stupid as the Ray Cammack Shows no single rider policy on the log ride.

[palmerleeberry]

Speaking of log flumes, I do know the log flume at Six Flags over Texas doesn't allow single riders. I was there last week and I had to ride with two kiddies - not bad since these two kiddies were well behaved and looked like they needed an adult to ride with. If I were at my home park of Kings Dominion getting on the Shenandoah Log Flume, then I know they'll let me ride by myself.

 

I guess each park has its own rules for safety.