Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[CPmillenia94]

^I assumed that was the first time anyone had been linked to the video on this forum and therefore was being discussed for the first time. Somehow I missed the post where you said that it was a re-post from a few pages back. Honest mistake..

[snoflake15]

The opening was headlining on BBC breakfast news this morning. Again very balanced reporting. A PR guy was on praising Merlin for their approach so far. Also saying local hotels very busy with bookings again.

 

BBC has been very sensible throughout on this, unlike Sky. Has anyone posted the link to that Sky interview yet by the way?

[JayTricky]

Have been reading page by page on here since the incident. Such an event hits my core and I've had this gut wrenching feeling in my stomach every time I think of what happened. If only for the 16 people on the ride, especially those 4 on the front row - I hope each and every one of them recovers well and my thoughts are truly with them all.

 

That downright scandalous Sky interview (which I've only been able to watch once, whilst cringing) just tipifies the ignorant and narrow minded attitute of people. I'm all for allowing opinion, but especially as a professional for one of the biggest companies in the world - that was just downright embarrassing and I salute Nick Varney for the way he dealt with her. Some of the questions (if you can call them that?) that she asked, may not have been so harsh had she had the deceny to ask them professionally and not like some spoilt little bitch out for blood.

 

Call me dramatic, but I've had to avoid going on my Facebook feed due to the over the top attitute towards this whole thing by many on my timeline. I accept that people aren't all big Theme Park fans and have minimal knowledge of rides but it just strikes me as massively narrow minded when I read and hear my friends banging on about how they'll never go on a roller-coaster again, or they'll not go to Alton Towers again. I had to answer to one of my friends the other day, quite politely, if they'd travel abroad on an airliner - or if they travel to/from work in their car? Bearing in mind how much more likely you are to have a car accident than be involved in a ride accident. People are entitled to feel this way, but it just grinds on me I guess...

 

I for one hope, and believe the incident WILL blow over, and people will forget. As major incidents in the past across the globe have proven. Here's to a speedy recovery for those involved.

[snoflake15]

Strange thing last night. Over the years I have this repetitive dream about being at AT and just arriving when it's closing and it's too late to go on anything. Definitely symbolism in there somewhere. Anyway last night it was a similar dream only this time I made it in time to go on Nemesis. However when I was on it my restraint was snapped and I was holding on for dear life. Woke myself up halfway round and when I came round my arms were sore!!!

 

Clearly Tuesday has invaded by subconscious!

[window]

Officially confirmed this morning that a young lady has lost her leg due to the accident

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1498207/alton-towers-crash-victim-has-leg-amputated

[Purplepills]

Very sad indeed...few more details in there about one of the other riders suffering 'two broken knees and substantial hand injuries'.

[BudtheWeiser]

Sad news indeed best wishes to her only 17 too.

[historyfreak92]

Oh well if this Ride won't be out very long!

[JayTricky]

Pretty devastating news. Really hits home how hard that impact must have been. Best wishes to her.

[djrappa]

Can't believe the Sky reporter is asking parents in front if their kids if they think the rides are unsafe. Oh hang on, it's Sky, yes I can.

[UKCoasterFan]

It is indeed very sad news. Poor girl.

 

All the school trips I know of that were going to Alton Towers next month have already been cancelled.

 

Not saying every school in the country will have cancelled their trips, but I know of 6 trips that family, friends or collegues kids were going on, but they have all pulled out.

[robbalvey]

Not saying every school in the country will have cancelled their trips, but I know of 6 trips that family, friends or collegues kids were going on, but they have all pulled out.

How stupid of them. Shouldn't a school be more educated to know that someone has way way waaaaaay more risk of being in a car accident on the way to the park than they would at the park itself?

 

Here is a PERFECT example!!! http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/staines-school-bus-crash-live-5411395

 

A total of 11 children have been injured after the roof of a double-decker school bus was ripped off after crashing into a bridge on a trip to Thorpe Park.

It just frustrates me how incredibly dumb people are. Not a glowing endorsement for the UK educational system either.

Edited June 8, 2015 by robbalvey

[Purplepills]

Seems everyone who went in today was given free tickets to return another time as a 'thank you for coming'.

[grumpyfan]

How stupid of them. Shouldn't a school be more educated to know that someone has way way waaaaaay more risk of being in a car accident on the way to the park than they would at the park itself?

 

It just frustrates me how incredibly dumb people are. Not a glowing endorsement for the UK educational system either.

 

I don't think anyone here would disagree with you, but for a school administrator, who has to answer to a multitude of parents and a school board, not taking them to the park, was probably in the interest of keeping their job. Not that I think anyone would be in jeopardy by going to the park, but the wacko parents who've been watching Sky news, and are now in full panic mode, would likely call for his head if he allowed them to continue the trip.

[robbalvey]

^ That just makes zero sense. Shouldn't the school be educating the parents instead of vice versa??? I mean, by that logic, and with the story I posted above shouldn't the parents be freaking out over school busses? I mean, that school bus accident had nearly THREE TIMES the injuries as the Alton Towers accident!!! KIDS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON SCHOOL BUSSES!!!

 

Again, as I said, the sheer stupidity of people just never ceases to amaze me.

Edited June 8, 2015 by robbalvey

[Jew]

Oh well if this Ride won't be out very long!

 

Wait, what?

 

No offense, but that is a pretty terrible thing to say.

[UKCoasterFan]

^ That just makes zero sense. Shouldn't the school be educating the parents instead of vice versa??? I mean, by that logic, and with the story I posted above shouldn't the parents be freaking out over school busses? I mean, that school bus accident had nearly THREE TIMES the injuries as the Alton Towers accident!!! KIDS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON SCHOOL BUSSES!!!

 

Again, as I said, the sheer stupidity of people just never ceases to amaze me.

 

Could not agree with you more Robb. But the media over here is doing a grand job with their scare tactics at the moment. I wonder how many read this "30 accidents at Alton Towers in 3 years" headline without actually reading the full article:

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/thirty-accidents-alton-towers-three-9397443

 

Some stations like ITV are trying to be objective by getting an enthusiast in to say how safe rides and parks are, but no one in the interview said they would return back to Alton Towers:

 

http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2015-06-03/concerns-over-effect-of-alton-towers-crash-on-staffordshire-tourism-industry/

 

I guess some parents and schools are just taking the wait and stance at the moment.

[Purplepills]

^Thats scraping the barrel for stories isn't it? With frightening scary things as:

 

Another female guest was riding the Nemesis Sub-Terra ‘freefall tower’ with her family when she was accidentally headbutted by a member of her party who jumped after being “startled/scared”, a second report stated.

 

or

 

In another incident, an engineer was taken to hospital after falling a metre from the back of a flat-bed lorry.

 

Still like you say, people wont read it properly and just talk about how Alton Towers covered up 30 accidents to keep them from the papers.

[StealthFan]

Not a glowing endorsement for the UK educational system either.

 

The UK education system very rarely manages to give itself glowing endorsements in any respect. I could understand schools cancel their trips if the trip was planned for last Friday or even today because of the park having not confirmed an exact re opening date at the point but to cancel the trip if its in a month or so is retarded. It would be nice to think that schools would try and educate parents about situations like this but they will just panic more about something like this than the parents and try scare monger the parents about it which doesn't help the situation at all.

[UKCoasterFan]

A 5th patient has today been announced. She went to hospital after suffering from internal bleeding, and its now said that she has a damaged liver. She was riding in the second row:

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/revealed-fifth-victim-alton-towers-5846031

[Anything]

What awful injuries, how I feel for the seriously injured.

 

There has to be serious questions over the train design after this, also.

[snoflake15]

^ I doubt the trains were designed with the possibility of a high speed collision. I doubt many trains are in any park. The rides are designed to avoid this happening.

[technfxrick]

My aunt yesterday was telling me how she told her 20 year old daughter she didn't want her going to Alton Towers, or any other park, until "they had this under control". No matter how much i told her that this was a freak one time thing she did not believe me....

[Purplepills]

^Sadly thats a typical response from people who would rather listen to media hype than choose to sit down and learn about rides. My wifes cousin actually said she wouldn't feel safe on rides if it wasn't for me reassuring her (she has OCD and worries a lot) and telling her how they work and why they are safe. I tend to find just a basic explanation of all the fail safes seems to help people worry less. Some people don't want to hear it though...

[KarlaKoaster]

Article on Towers Times about the reopening:

http://www.towerstimes.co.uk/blog/2015/06/08/alton-towers-re-opens-for-first-time-following-the-smiler-incident/

 

Summary:

 

Smiler merchandise has been removed

Many Smiler references (signs, posters etc) have been removed from the park

Trains are not being dispatched until previous trains have moved all the way along to the end of the brakes

The Towers ruins are closed, presumably to stop people looking down into the X Sector