Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I mean, common sense would tell you that if you're too big for other rides, you'll likely be too big for ALL rides, but the kid was only 14. Maybe if an adult had been along, he or she would have pointed that out and/or intervened.
I do wonder how amusement parks handle this since people weighing 300+ pounds are not uncommon...
And how much common sense would a 14 year old have at an amusement park with his friends ?
Not 40 lbs. heavier! He was close to 100 lbs heavier than the max weight.
He weighed 383. Max weight is 287. Take 383 minus 287 and it equals 96 lbs over.
Wow! Even more reason to believe that a sign would have kept him off and kept him alive. As I said earlier, I also blame the state for allowing ride owners to decide for themselves whether to post weight limits at the ride, or not. It shouldn't be optional to inform people riding a ride whether they are safe to do so.
With all due respect, but do you think that the teenage operator could guess he was almost 400lbs instead of 300lbs? When I see someone obese I have no clue how much they weigh.
That's why it should have been posted. But there were excerpts from the operator's manual posted, which is very clear that any large person needed to be carefully examined at multiple points in the seat to ensure proper fit, and if they didn't fit properly they can't ride. Whoever adjusted the seat to override the safety sensor has much of the responsibility here. Had they not done that, the restraint wouldn't have latched all the way and the ride would never have run.
But a sign relies on the honor system; you'd have to have a sign AND a scale and weigh each rider before boarding. Even then you'd probably be sued for "discrimination" and "body shaming" by these same lawyers.
That is BS. Having a sign with a max weight limit isn't shaming anyone. No one would sue because a ride wasn't made for heavy people, and of they did it would get tossed out before it ever went anywhere. It isn't any different than signs that say "you must be this tall to ride". Many states DO mandate that restrictions be posted, and I never heard of lawsuits arising from it.
I don't think even a 14 year old would have chosen to go on knowing he was that far over the weight limit. Unfortunately that knowledge and the chance to decline was denied him.
There could have been one there for all we know and the 14 year old ignored it.
He's a kid after all.
Been there. No sign.
And... The final catalyst was the seat harness adjustment. Had that not been done, he would not have fit in the restraint, and he would not have been able to ride, regardless of his being a "14 year old kid" or whatnot. I have seen, time and time again, people get turned away from rides for being too big. It's not uncommon at all. You can't fit, you don't ride. Plain and simple.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
