Every Elastic Slingshot Ride Accident - The Most Unsafe Ride Ever Made?

[@gravitythrills5414]

It’s scary how many DOCUMENTED accidents happened on these rides. We don’t even know about them all

[@dyc02]

almost every accident on rides are documented, even in 3rd world countries

[@CoasterCollege]

That's very true. I'm certain most elastic slingshot accidents are not documented or recorded. In researching this video there were many that had cold trails and only a mention in an old news article.

[@InceRumul]

Actually, it makes a lot of sense for this kind of ride. It's usually a separate admission, and it only seats 2 people. Both increase the liklihood that other party members are recording the event. Furthermore, these rides often film each ride to sell as souvenirs.

[@JenX1975]

And idiots keep riding them

[@ginmar8134]

​@@CoasterCollege Thank God for cell phone cameras.

[@thecattermat]

i've always told my friends that want to go on slingshots to make sure it's a tensioned cable and not elastic. they always call me a stick in the mud for saying it :/

[@kriscynical]

They might end up as sticks in the concrete if they don't listen to you.

[@CoasterCollege]

​@@kriscynical this is an amazing reply 😂

[@-Ghostess]

better a stick in the mud than a box under the mud

[@adambane1719]

@@kriscynical Hahahahaha..... OMfG ....... ROTFF LMFAO .....lol !!!!!! Kris..... Omg !!!!! I haven't laughed that hard since Jesus mounted Olive !

[@adambane1719]

"stick in the mud" ?? What are you, 87 ??

[@KobeLoverTatum]

Its crazy how they're still smiling after the ride literally just broke right in front of them

[@dandyrion5779]

I would be scared out of my damn mind. I wouldn't be able to ride another again

[@kleszczoros4885]

Most likely theyre in shock or stupor

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

I'd be smiling, because I'm still alive.

[@whickwhacksmacker]

Shock

[@defundhollywood3259]

It's the rictus grin of sheer terror imo 😱😬

[@TimothyChapman]

Something tells me there may be a part 2 coming eventually. Seems that nobody knows how to make these rides safe, but most operators seem to know how to respond when the ride breaks down, except for that one that tried to cover-up the break down.

[@Clay3613]

Seems like it's mostly on manufacturer causing many of the accidents.

[@CoasterCollege]

Definitely plan on covering elastic slingshot accidents as they happen into the future.

[@liamcollinson5695]

I witnessed a snap in 2008 at hull fair in the UK and would never ride one again. It's kind of infamous in my town since literally up to a 100000 people can attend in one night

[@brandoncole5533]

Maybe it's an inherent design flaw with the methods of launch

[@thealmightysnark5878]

@@brandoncole5533 Indeed, I don't understand why the capsule is not latched with hydraulic hooks that keep it in place and only release it to the magnetic launch control device once everything else is secured in place for launch? There's some design decisions that I cannot agree with.

[@kso808]

One would think all such elastic band rides would be eliminated worldwide.

[@x600NitroXpress]

you're more likely to die getting out of the shower

[@mikusmom]

@@x600NitroXpress yeah, no sh¡t. People shower way more often than going on a slingshot.

[@Japanlover79]

I believe six flags parks removed all of there's

[@MrJC1]

​@@mikusmomwell... you'd hope they shower more anyway but it isn't neccessarily the case. 🤣

[@xaulted1]

"Worldwide" is quite a bit to ask. Have you seen videos of thrill rides from post-eastern bloc countries or China? Riding a semi tire rolling down a mountain side would be safer.

[@invaderhorizongreen8168]

Elastic is just going to wear out no matter how well you care for it, and depending on how many uses per day that is a lot of wear and tear. Also you need to take dry /wet rot into account as well.

[@sandraboiteau6074]

That is actually a really good point- I wonder how often environmental factors (UV exposure, hot/cold extremes etc) contribute to premature elastic wear in the cases of these accidents. How strenuously is the "300 launches" rating being tested?

[@invaderhorizongreen8168]

@@sandraboiteau6074 I also wonder if combined weight that is uneven upon loading passengers might cause uneven wear and tear as well. That it would make it tilt to one side more often, putting extra strain on the cable itself.

[@innocuousmerchant8766]

@@sandraboiteau6074 yeah I wonder if it's being tested for the purpose it's being used at all. I mean one of those manufacturers didn't even have a single qualified engineer on the payroll.

[@abbie_joan]

yep, it's elastic and it's made out of rubber so it's going to disintegrate over time. You'd think they would want to make it safer to at least avoid the lawsuits but I guess making a ride more fun is more important than making sure people don't die an unnecessary death.

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

I worked for a carnival for a couple years in my twenties and there is zero consideration for any of those things and it's the same with every ride. There is no consideration for metal fatigue, work hardening of metal that makes it brittle and crack and the restraints never get any more of a check than pulling on them. I was an aircraft structural maintainer on F-16s in the Air Force so when I saw the complete lack of any knowledge of structural maintenance of rides it really opened my eyes to all the accidents just waiting to happen. A ride won't be taken out of commission until an accident happens or, if you're lucky it's just very obvious an accident is inevitable or it breaks down too badly.

[@vectorwolf]

Watching those bands not just snap but disintegrate into shreds is terrifying. Im shocked there haven't been decapitations on these things. Yike.

[@pleasespellchimerical7202]

Watching the way those bands shred when they snap under tension is legit terrifying. Even more terrifying is only using two bands, with no redundancies added. I'm honestly amazed these are still legal in places.

[@theworstisover1323]

I think this what really happened series of videos you've made is fantastic. My wife and I have always been enthusiasts and our kids are ones in the making. Whenever we're going on a ride, if they seem nervous about it we always say something to the effect of "the rides are safe, do your part and the ride will do it's... except for slingshots!"

[@omenaattori9226]

Yes! I always try to shut down people who call roller coasters dangerous but slingshots are the one ride i'll join in the slander.

[@alaeriia01]

​@@omenaattori9226 The spring-box ones are safe. The bungee-cord ones, not so much.

[@ger5956]

A ride operator working on an elastic slingshot was killed in my home town in Ireland a few years ago, I think 2008. He sadly attempted to catch and secure the passenger ball too early and was struck by the ball, resulting in terrible facial injuries that sadly led to his passing shortly after. I’ll never forget the screams and silence that followed.

[@susanowen1709]

Welp, I made it about halfway through this one before the stress got to me. This type of ride has been on my "you couldn't pay me to get on that thing!" list since the first time I saw one, and this only convinces me further to stay far away. I do appreciate that you didn't show any graphic injuries or deaths (at least in the first half; I presume not in the second, either).

[@CoasterCollege]

Thanks for watching! I make it a point to not show any graphic photos or videos and to not overdramatize the injuries associated with an accident.

[@abbie_joan]

yep I wont ride slingshots or those ships that swing back and forth at high altitudes...if it doesn't have proper tightened and secure restraints I will not get on. My friends may call me a pussy but at least I'm not falling to my death because my hands are sweaty and the ride's bar doesn't lock.

[@cottoncandyjellybean8539]

Honestly I love this ride. I would never get on an elastic one though. Only the steel cable ones. I don’t know who thought giant rubber bands were a good idea.

[@ferretmom76]

As I started watching this video I was thinking to myself, "I rode a few of those slingshot rides with elastic bands back in the 90's, like that one time when I went to Panama City Beach." And then your coverage of the accident at Panama City Beach came up. I'm fairly certain that was the same place I went.

[@felsiccanis]

I love how honest you are when you explain how safe amusement park rides are, so I know it's bad when you talk about elastic slingshot rides lol

[@defundhollywood3259]

That spring loaded lever/pipe thing that's supposed to secure their restraints looks like the way my vacuum attachments attach to each other, or how my car snow brush extends - and those things are CONSTANTLY jamming or coming apart after you thought they were secured!!! I would NEVVVVVER trust my life to something like that!!!

[@Uvlugiak]

In 2014 I witnessed the aftermath of one of these accidents. The slingshot was rented out by a local establishment here in Anchorage, AK. I remember driving by at night, flood lights pointed at the ride, the rider capsule dangling by only one of the elastic bands, with fire trucks lighting up the parking lot. From what I’ve read, two riders had been loaded on at the time. One of the riders’ seat became “disconnected” upon launch, and one of the elastic cables had also snapped. That same rider suffered many injures, including severe facial injuries as they had also hit one of the supports. The other rider was fine but had to wait about an hour to get rescued and back on solid ground. I haven’t seen investigation reports myself, but according to some news articles, the ride operator had failed to replace the elastic cable properly on many occasions, this being one of those times. And records show that the operator failed to do so anywhere from 1, to get this, 1,060 launches PAST the cable’s maximum. Yikes. A slew of other maintenance neglect and improper replacements were also uncovered. Anyways. Despite my utter delight and enthusiasm for thrill rides, I’d been terrified of amusement park/carnival accident reports for the longest time. Just reading or hearing about them skipped right past morbid curiosity and went straight to an overwhelming fear and dread settling deep within me. So seeing one in person (or at least the aftermath of one) stuck with me for a while. Up until just a couple years ago I refused to watch any ride accident footage or reports of any kind, lucky outcome or not. But now I’m glad I do! Especially your vids, they’ve definitely informed me of what to look out for so I can assure myself I’m safe when visiting a fair or park. That said, I think I’ll veer on the side of caution and just never go on another slingshot again. good riddance to those 😭👋🏼✌🏼 Edit: funny note about that local establishment mentioned at the beginning that had rented the slingshot-it was a strip club, of all places. I’ll never forget seeing that neon red sign of a naked lady watching over the wreckage.

[@CoasterCollege]

Glad my videos have helped you! Your mention of a slingshot accident you witnessed reinforces my belief that the majority of these accidents go undocumented.

[@Uvlugiak]

@@CoasterCollege I’d just updated the comment with what I’d found in the news, actually! Some shoddy maintenance was uncovered by inspections, allegedly. I can email links I’d found if you’d like

[@Charlesbjtown]

Always bad when your seat "disconnects".

[@tengonadacluewhatsgutsprec1419]

I'm hearing these counts and thinking back on my time working at a theme park there's no way the log is accurate. 1200 launch I believe, 200 not so much

[@herzogsbuick]

The Crazy Horse! My band played that bar, no strippers that night though. I live in Anchorage, and actually just told that story in another comment, I hadn't seen yours. I didn't drive by it during like you did, but it was all over the news the next day. The guy who was injured sued the ride's owner in 2016, but I can't find anything about what came of it.

[@whosjwlz]

something that helped me get over my fear of riding rollercoasters (and turned me into a baby enthusiast) was learning about the safety mechanisms rides have and knowing that it is generally completely safe to ride them, accidents are rare. Slingshot rides aren't the type of rides I would enjoy anyways, but the amount of accidents surrounding these things is enough to make me say confidently that i would never ride them. The fact that most slingshot rides are at fairs that travel around unsettles me the most, it's hard to keep track of rides that have had accidents if they don't have a permanent location to be tied to. I definitely agree with your statement that there are likely many more accidents from these elastic band slingshots that have never been reported, I hope we will see these outdated and unsafe rides less as we make more progress in safety technology.

[@grahamsowerby6087]

I loved the way you said " relatively safe". " Hey kids let's go on this relatively safe ride!!! "

[@deathstrike]

I can tell you another major accident where a rider was killed. It was the Puyallup Fair in Puyallup Washington State. Back in 1993, a bungee type ride called the "Moon Shot" was being readied for launch. When the capsule launched, BOTH bungees failed, and the capsule was sent hurtling upward and began a sort of "arc" trajectory as it landed about 40 feet from the ride platform. One rider was killed (15yo girl) and her mother was seriously injured. (WARNING the next part is graphic). The reason for the girl being killed was when the capsule crash landed, it landed on her side of the capsule and the restraining pipe impaled her through the stomach. The mother's restraint held. The odd part was that the whole incident was kept quiet. It only got a basic coverage on King 5 News and little else. I think it was because the City of Puyallup was afraid their huge yearly attraction was in danger (Puyallup Fair) and the ride was removed for that year ,but returned the next year and probably a large payout for the family. It wasn't the only accident at the rides and the fair was often criticized for it's lack of safety. The reason I know about this was because I was going to ride, but my girlfriend at the time felt uneasy about it and we left it about a half hour before the accident. But as for the girl, I can't imagine what the family went through. I hope they found some semblance of peace. But a word of caution? PLEASE be cautious of rides that are known to have accidents and ride with care!!

[@galashery7264]

All of these claims of bad manufacturing of rubber bands seems fishy to me. It doesn’t make sense that it’s that common from different manufacture. If a band is rated for 300 shots it probably means it should handle at the very least 600 before failure. It’s no coincidence in my opinion that the owners are quick to blame the manufacturer. Because the other likely cause is improper storage or maintenance. For example 300 shots in what temperature? How much UV it can take? Maybe a park operates on weekends only, are the bands properly stored while the park/fare isn’t running.

[@user-ry1vi1jc7o]

Right. Otherwise, how do the manufacturers stay in business?

[@chrisd1746]

300 seems like such an absurdly low number too. How many days of operation is that, and how many operators are going to push them just a little bit further to cut costs?

[@pineappleroad]

​@@chrisd1746 I can only really guess, but assuming continuous operation, 2-4 days, depending on how long per day the ride is open for (i did actually make an attempt to work it out, but my math could be flawed)

[@Lemmon714_]

My wife and I rode one in Gatlinburg in the early 90's. The seat was inside three rotating rings which made it one of the most disorienting thing I have ever done. It was great, but neither of us cared to do it again.

[@ycoyle2803]

I rode that Gatlinburg too. Was thinking about it the entire time I was watching this video.

[@mbill7113]

It’s strange that the left rubber band seems to snap more than the right one

[@AttacMage]

perhaps they just get heavier fellows on that side? or maybe the locks just release in one direction slightly more

[@lexsix8354]

@@AttacMage I’m pretty sure one side is released just slightly before the others, in a lot of the videos you can see it pull slightly to one side before the other band releases and it goes straight

[@Foxtail529withluck]

That is weird... but I guess it's really a 50/50 chance 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@jakurdadov6375]

I use mostly the left, too.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I would suspect metal fatigue or spring failure on that ejection incident in Italy. As someone who played with rubber bands as a kid, I'm not surprised by all the elastic band failures. Owners being stingy or slow about replacing the bands probably doesn't help. I would also bet that there's a lot of failure to deduct from the estimated lifespan if the bands are subject to significant cold (or to dry heat). On the subject of unsafe rides... Any plans to cover Verruckt?

[@CoasterCollege]

Verruckt is on the list!

[@SniffyTugBoat]

​@@CoasterCollege I'm from KC and that whole incident was wild. I think I still have the court papers downloaded somewhere.

[@aylacordas1591]

I happened to go to Schlitterban the next day it was open after the incident (free tix🥴) & MAN was it eerie. They built a privacy fence that clearly did no good. You could see impact markings on the ride. I still hope/wonder if the coloration on the slide was a cleaning agent. 😭

[@rilmar2137]

Saw one of those just this week during some small festival. Also, especially the accident in Gäubodenvolksfest reminds me of various accidents where a mooring line of a vessel snapped, killing people. My father, being an ex sailor, has been warning me of them over and over again. Hell, even a piano string on the lower registry can hurt you bad. I've only had any first person experience with guitar strings snapping and that was already not fun. The moral here is: strung lines, ropes, cables etc are no joke, because if the thing snaps, all that energy has to go somewhere and you don't want to be standing there

[@bwc1976]

It even happened at Disneyland once, on the sailing ship Columbia in 1999.

[@lemagreengreen]

Those things have always given me the fear just looking at them, anything with such few points of failure is not something you want to ride on given the importance of safety inspections and the likelihood of the operator not really caring enough.

[@Portablesounds]

Dude that first rubber band snapping literally tore a hole in the asphalt! If thatd been at a slightly different angle I dont want to think about what thatd do to a human.

[@frederikhein4195]

The only slingshot I‘ve been on is one of the newer spring-tensioned ones produced by fun time and located at Germanys Freizeitland Geiselwind. It surely is a thrilling experience and arguably the parks best ride. With this ride being brand new and german law being at least as strict as in the US, I felt completely safe. However I will take a step back if I ever encounter one of the elastic band versions. Great video as always, keep going 👍

[@CoasterCollege]

Cable slingshots are great rides!

[@Makanaakuar]

You’d trust the company that was responsible for the Orlando FreeFall tragedy? 😵‍💫

[@cynicanal111]

@@Makanaakuar The Orlando FreeFall accident was caused by the operators, not by a mechanical failure. The ride itself worked correctly.

[@MrTrainman96]

Those elastic cables are outside and exposed to the elements and they're supposed to be good for 300 launches?

[@pandarush.]

THANK YOU for making this video. It's springtime and traveling carnivals are everywhere.

[@karenelizabeth1590]

I've seen a viral video where a slingshot operator "pRanKeD" riders to make them think a screw from the ride had come off. Joking about a ride malfunctioning when it is known to frequently malfunction? That's pretty disgusting, IMHO.

[@raydunakin]

Yikes! I rode one of these elastic band slingshots with my son back in the early '80s. Now I feel like we were lucky not to have it break!

[@liamcollinson5695]

I actually witnessed a bungee ball snap at hull fair in the UK i was there in 2008 when two girls borded the bungee ball and one side snapped to the shock and horror of the thousands of people there. Since it is the biggest travelling fair in Europe. Both girls was ok and had only minor injuries and apparently laughed about it afterwards. The video is on KZbin

[@stampycatfan01lol]

As a railway enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the GG1 casually sitting in the background at 0:45

[@Lego-ninjago-kai]

I also noticed the GG1 causally sitting in the background.

[@mamamommy42]

we used to have one in my hometown outside a skating rink and there were a ton of rumors about people dying on it but this was all pretty much pre-facebook so i imagine that it was a lot easier to cover up any incidents that might have actually happened. i still remember driving by it two days in a row and it basically disappearing overnight. i always wanted to ride it as a kid, haha

[@thewolfofthestars1847]

I'm honestly amazed not only that these things are so dangerous, but that there are so. damn. many. videos. of them failing. Even for rides that are known for their untrustworthiness, you often don't get videos of their failures at all, and even if you do, there's rarely more than one or two. I suppose being such an intense experience, as well as being untracked and so easier for bystanders to film, makes them more likely to take videos?

[@ThousanWhite]

Wow I've never seen the elastic band styles like that before. I actually just got on one of these cable-style rides for the first time in my life and felt 100% safe. If I ever see an elastic style slingshot, I'll probably keep walkin lol

[@PaulieLauraXombie1331]

Wife and I where staying at a hotel in Florida, Just across the highway from the park that the young teen died from the slingshot accident in 2022.. I had noo idea the kid died from that accident till I got home a few days later and went on KZbin. R I P lil dude :/ and to the family my absolute condolences 😢 These absolutely should not exist anymore.. take all of them down.

[@LAUGODDOG]

at some point we can assume they were all "operating normally"...

[@RedHotMessResell]

Can you just imagine what it would feel like to get smacked by a giant rubberband? Ouch

[@SnowghostFilms]

I thought that that was a lot of accidents, but then I looked at the timeline and saw I was only HALFWAY through! If I ever make a video on genuinely dangerous rides, this will for sure be in it.

[@jankk]

These and swinging/spinning pendulum rides seem to have an inordinate number of accidents.

[@BuccaneerBruce]

I rode one of those sling shot rides 25+ years ago at a fair in Kansas City, it was the most terrifying ride I have ever been on. It felt like those bands were going to give way.

[@BluebirdICbustrainorganfan]

4:51 that PRR GG1 locomotive in the background! WOW!!

[@puffcatco]

From personal experience, Elastic slingshot rides have the most aggressive forces out of any flatride. It is understandable that cables tend to break from time to time. HOWEVER, I do not believe that if these rides were to be decently maintained, they wouldn't suffer from any issues.

[@TesserasNerfRoom]

*Giant heavy-ass electromagnet crashes through steel platform* Police officer: So how did you react when this happened? Ride op: I used the flex-seal technique to fix it

[@VV66GL]

i live in the building voor oog en oor its in the nederlands and i was screaming from happines that it was in this vid, I LOVE IT!

[@steamyninja8881]

Thanks for putting upbeat music in these videos rather than the typical creepy, eerie background music. It makes the stuff in the videos so much more digestible and easier to keep watching. Also, it’s quite a groove. I’ll sometimes keep vids like this playing in the background as I work and the upbeat music does the complete opposite of the slow, eerie music. Keeps me at it! Nice job 👍

[@soupwifey]

This is the reason why I only rode the ones with the steel, and I'll never ride one with the elastic bands. I've bungee jumped with 3 elastic bands for extra safety at my request and at 87 lbs. I felt safe and was safe every time. I only needed 2 bands because I'm tiny. The ride operators agreed to my decision as it's my life. I'm glad about that. To this day. In Texas. I can not find a sling shot ride with elastic bands. 👍🏽

[@teeganblu]

no one cares if you’re 87 pounds

[@Gigidag77]

Take a shot every time he says "was operating normally"

[@TheImmoralNosferatuZodd]

3:36 dude had no reaction, just left his arms up. 😂

[@kimmeeb]

The fact that 5-point harnesses aren’t standard on these kinds of rides (and a lot of rides tbh) is INSANE to me. I used to go rock crawling with my dad and we’d take buggies out in the woods and out to the dunes. We ALWAYS replaced whatever harness came with the vehicle with 5-point harnesses because they’re so much more secure. My dad once rolled the rock crawler almost 500-ft. He walked away with a broken collarbone, whiplash, and a minor concussion and stayed in his seat for hours waiting for the rescue team. Like, they’re so cheap too, even for the good ones. It’s worth it for the peace of mind at least, knowing you’ll stay in your seat no matter what.

[@kimmeeb]

Also you can ABSOLUTELY escape 4-point harnesses without assistance. It’s actually one of the considerations we’ve had to make; do we want to stay in our seat or be able to escape in the event the buckle can’t be released. I’ve wriggled out of a 4-point harness that was properly tightened just to prove that I could

[@Sin_Lord]

I was already never ever going to ride a slingshot ride. Thanks for giving me plenty of reasons to keep never riding them 😁

[@Skarfar90]

Norway July 11 2003 - A slingshot catapult belonging to a traveling fair had a malfunction, where an elstic band broke during operation. No major injuries occured, but one of the riders suffered bruising and ringing in the ears for a while after.

[@k1m198]

I had a teacher once that told us students how he worked at a carnival for years before becoming a teacher. He told us, from what he'd seen, he would never ride/trust a ride that can be set up and taken down in the same day.

[@tittlediddle6899]

Imagine operating a ride that catapults a human being hundreds of feet into the air, putting them at immense risk - and having their only safety net between them and the ground being... 2... metal carabiners...

[@Clay3613]

Amazing that we have footage for most of these accidents. European authorities let the rides re-open a day later? What the hell?

[@wilhu5903]

there have been accidents where other attractions werent allowed to reopen, atleast here in the netherlands. i even remember a article about it from last year.

[@thecivilizedgamer2533]

Thanks for bringing awareness to this! Great video as always

[@richiebell]

Congrats on 100k! Can’t wait to see what else you make!

[@bwc1976]

Absolutely nuts, I'll never understand how anyone would trust their life to an elastic band in the first place. Trusting it to a solid metal bar like on a roller coaster seems crazy enough, and those have an infinitely better track record.

[@Thurston86]

You’re _so close_ to 100K subs! Congrats in advance!

[@CoasterCollege]

Just hit it! Thank you!

[@FREEDOOOOM]

I was a pretty wild lad when young. I did loads of bungee jumps and parachuted twice off an aeroplane, but the slingshot was the worst I ever tried. None of that nowadays anymore. They are going too far with all this stuff.

[@degrassigirls80]

Thank you for mentioning the other at the Ex in Ottawa back in '98. I will never forget it and every summer when we went to the Ex after that, you would pass that spot pretty much right at the entrance and there were always flowers. I thought it was a little later than '98 cause I was only four and you wouldn't think I'd remember something at such a young age but I never forgot it

[@DubYuhGChoppa]

It's good to have a whole video reassuring me that i was right to avoid this thing as a kid.

[@HiCaballo]

Not even 2 accidents on the same day was enough for them to shut it down.

[@nrdythugg4102]

Please make a video about the accident at Wild- und Freizeitpark Klotten last year. I am german and I don't understand, why the officials until today don't let us know what the reason for this horrible accident was. They only tell us what worked totaly fine but had to be improved anyway to be able to reopen this year, what they did. Germany had a very good reputation when it comes to safety, but this incident and everything that has not made public, makes me lose my trust.

[@DUSKvsDAWN]

As someone from the Netherlands, a country that claims that funfairs should be as secure as possible, I am ashamed that they just tried to put a fucking rubber mat over the gaping hole and open the ride again.

[@jimmehsaint]

Seeing this from a channel that usually stresses how safe amusement park rides are when operating under normal conditions convinces me to never ride one of these if it has those elastic bands. And normally I'm an adrenaline junkie.

[@elliot20201]

The one around 3:50, I feel like you can tell the bungee that breaks is pretty frayed too... Damn.

[@-laydeeintrigue-]

"was operating normally" is the scariest part of this video

[@alanhyt79]

When I was a ride op at six flags darien lake in 2001, we got a portable slingshot. It had the springs and steel cables. It was an OK ride, but not even close to being as scary as our 180 foot skycoaster.

[@codyviera92]

Dude still got his hands up like why haven't you launched us yet? 😂 3:58

[@myopnonmusic5525]

this is one of those rides that i would never ride, also just the way the sear rock back and forth just looks increadbly uncomfortable and like it would hurt

[@VinnyVinceViper]

During my younger years ( about 30 years ago ) I worked for a travelling carnival, and started on kiddy rides I did not mind as I met a few single moms. Later I was offered the Round-Up and took it ( but really wanted the Gravitron, well big line of operators before me lol ) during my morning inspection, I found that I was missing a couple of R-pins and the owner gave me nails - pieces of coat hangers - nuts and bolts.. and told me to use & bend them so they would not slip out, I left that day, notify the local cops and went back home. I have never ridden a ride after that day, fearing that it could be common practice in the Carni world.

[@AtomicWhiskers]

Im obsessed with your videos man! I hope you cover the Star Flyer incident st Star City. Love how dedicated to good research you are. Keep it going dude 💜

[@nanosum1]

Congrats on 100k!!! Super well deserved!

[@CoasterCollege]

Thank you

[@oBseSsIoNPC]

After the first elastic band breaking, I started paying close attention to the following rides and before you even said what happened. I looked at the color difference and called out the bad side right away. You can clearly see a visual discrepancy between the bands, which should raise the alarm...

[@Astralapparitions]

Is the one in old town florida elastics? I remember it broke not long before i had ridden it a day prior

[@CoasterCollege]

Nope it's a cable and spring box model. It did experience a minor accident, you can learn more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnW9dJlmo8yig68

[@ChrisD72]

I know this is an old video but i have information about one of the accidents you touched on. You mentioned the accident at the Central Canada Exhibition (CCE). That ride was known as the rocket launcher. I was working as ride operator there that year I worked for many years there as a ride operator. All the rides back then were from amusements of america and conklin. But this ride in particular was from another company called Anderson Ventures they were hired by amusements of america to bring the ride and operate it during the exhibition. The ride i was operating was just around the corner from the rocket launcher. From the front of my ride i could see the huge towers i could hear when it launched and hear peoples screams and see people being shot up in the air. The night this accident occurred everything seemed fine my ride was quiet i had few to no riders as the ride i operated was for young children this accident occurred late in the evening around 10 pm. I saw with my own eyes what happened As the ride rose just before it reached the peak a one of the harnesses the held the bungee cord snapped then to my pure horror the rider had came completely out of the ride he was not in the harness anymore then all i hear was terrified screams I got on my radio and and said there had been a major accident and to send help immediately. Less than a min later the ride was flooded with police fire and paramedics The ride was shut down immediately and the Ottawa police and Ontario's ministry of labor did the investigation. They found Anderson Ventures guilty the company failed to comply with Ontario's amusement devices act. The judge said the nylon strap that held the rider into place did not meet regulations. Anderson Venture was fined 175,000 Also at the time the ride operators were going to be charged with failing to follow proper procedures in attaching the rider into the harness. It was also found out that the ride operators had been drinking before operating the ride and they did not secure the harness properly to the rider it was left way too loose and the rider slipped out of the harness in mid air. Lawsuits were also launched by the city against amusement's of america and by the riders family against Anderson ventures and amusement's of america. At the next years exhibition amusement's of america did not return and a Canadian amusement company took over. I was 17 at the time this occurred im now almost 52.

[@julianasansonetti5926]

Great video! One small correction: I was reading articles in The Ottawa Citizen about the accident at the Central Canada Exhibition in 1998. The articles include pictures of the ride, and the ride did not have a ride capsule. The rider simply wore a harness that was tethered to the bungee cord. The ride was called the Rocket Launcher, so I'm not sure if it would even be considered a Slingshot ride. Also, the articles mention that the ride was owned and operated by Anderson Enterprises and manufactured by Thrill Sport Productions, but Gravity Works is not mentioned.

[@JulesCucc]

Congrats on 100k! Well deserved.

[@Shouseyy]

Safe to say that I don’t think I’d take a ride on any of these anytime soon, too unsafe no matter who’s running them

[@Inky5]

You should make a video about the accident on "the smiler" rollercoaster!

[@crytocc]

2:50 Isn't that just a Technical Park Ejection Seat? What does the "showman [...] manufactured" refer to here?

[@christiwright3604]

Congratulations on 100k 🎉

[@Aryanne_v2]

You couldn't get me on one of those slingshot rides in a million years

[@wruxiz6104]

Its crazy to me that having a backup harness or even a simple seatbelt for one of these rides isnt just common sense... I refuse to believe anyone is that dumb

[@emilyofjane]

I remember my first time seeing a slingshot ride, my instinctive reaction was “how on Earth is that thing safe?!” Turns out, it really isn’t.

[@frankiefranklin9761]

I'm not an adrenaline junkie as I never get the adrenaline high, just more anxiety. But these give me second hand anxiety unlike any other ride

[@ARandomWolfApproaches]

I love how he explains everything in detail, but not too much detail to where its understandable

[@thellamaking7248]

The only type of ride I won’t go on is a slingshot I’ve seen one with 3 thin seatbelts which feels fairly unsafe and I am terrified the elastic bands could snap and just refuse to ride slingshots as I think they are too unsafe

[@jackpijjin4088]

On ships: "Stay away from tensioned cables, they could snap and kill you!" On this ride: "Sit right in the middle of these tensioned cables. It's fine. Don't worry about it. Ignore the weird dust and noises." I can't imagine somebody designing this kind of ride- specifically this model, mind- using just... the scaled-up equivalent of a bungee strap. Ever seen what happens to those when left outside? They disintegrate. I reckon these take longer to do so "naturally", but they still do degrade.

[@KrisLapler]

Im happy to say that i never succumbed to stupidity when I was at an event with these around.

[@angelicareal7381]

I was thinking about going on the one at Steel Pier if we go there while my friends and I are in Atlantic City this 4th of July. After watching this video though, I have decided that it’s not worth the risk of injury or even death. Thank you for preventing me from making what could’ve possibly been the worst decision I ever made.

[@chrisyravenconlin]

Was at the Ex in Ottawa in 1998 when the person died. Was seeing my fave band there that night whose latest single included the line “died in an amusement park accident”… as a 15 year old going out alone in the city with friends for the first time, it was an influential experience.

[@JordanOverstreet]

Instant serotonin when I saw this was uploaded.

[@iimuffinsaur]

I mean I know its a much bigger elastic but I cant imagine putting my faith in smth that is similar to a hair tie 😭😭

[@codyviera92]

How can there be so many bands snapping and they still have them!?

[@blackosprey2219]

Vid says that most of the world only investigates if there's serious injury. Lack of injury, lack of investigation, lack of overall consequences.

[@hx0ad5]

i desperately wish these things were universally banned. they simply are not possible to maintain properly. there's nothing that could be done to make them safe enough. these things give the entire world of amusement rides a much worse reputation. excellent video as always, even though it's depressing to watch

[@AmnesiaDarkDecent13]

Well, I wanted to try one of these. Still would, just now I know what to look for and what kinds to avoid. Thank ya.

[@princesskristan]

These rides look fun, and I remember wanting to go on them, but hearing about these accidents made me avoid them for a bit

[@prycenewberg3976]

This might sound weird, but could you place your white annotations somewhere other than the very bottom of the screen? Their current location interferes with seeing the YT controls and timestamps?

[@HybridCoaster]

100k subscribers! congrats!

[@CoasterCollege]

Thanks!