Held legally responsible for their actions

Today we are going to discuss the dark side of opening rides. What happens when there's a problem, people might get hurt and you could end up in a court room or even jail!
lets talk about how you could get there and how to stay out of it.

[@steveminor9932]

Formerly being in park ops as a ride operator i have refused to sign and accept rides numerous times as i wasnt happy with my first test run and got stick from management lots of times until finally they removed me from a main ride onto a juvenile ride and replaced me with another operator. Guess what, there wax a major incident where the e stop failed and someone got injured. (Turns out engineers had bypassed some of the rides electrics on authorisation of the manager). To shorten the story after the park owner completed his investigation and asked for my personal opinion on how to improve park safety ( there had been a number of low level preventable incident) i was promoted to ops manager. I implemented a programme of working with the ride manufacturers to bring all ride ops sheets upto date and where the manufacturer no longer existed then approach other parks with the same attraction to share best practice ect and come up with new ops sheets. I also tested each ride operator by implementing purpose defects on the rides with the engineers to see if the operator would spot those defects as part of their check or give in to peer pressure to sign a ride as safe when it was not safe to do so. The amusement industry IMO should act more like the airline industry where there is no culpability for whistle-blower or refusal on anything safety related

[@dadude1425]

As someone who works in racing and could potentially end up a part of a lawsuit, this was very helpful in teaching me how to take care of things properly and responsibly if something comes up. Don't worry, I won't tell the judge you taught me how to get out of being sued to try and get out of something lol

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Ha! Good luck. Judges will be like “that A$: hole didn’t teach anything!” 😂

[@LTCoasters]

This has been a very enlightening and educational video. The beginning was a fun way to get the legal stuff out of the way. I hate when enthusiasts whine when a coaster is down. They really dont seem to care the park is trying to get the ride up asap but still be safe. Its all about them and what they want now. I will get out of a line on some coasters and come back later. Except Millennium Force 😂 I waited 2 hours plus 2 train transfers and the cycles between. And dang I got that days trouble child for my train😂😂.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes it’s easy to get blinded with “it should be running” I’m in that position when I already paid $300 to get there and get in, and now rides are down. It bites me as well even though I know exactly what going on. I just try and figure out if it’s going to be an all day thing or an hour type thing.

[@TrueLies23]

Happy Thanksgiving my friend! Really thankful for you, also for all the content you provide!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I’m glad you enjoy it!

[@Missglam67]

My home park Magic Mountain is really cracking down on having cell phones, GoPros, etc. they will literally stop the ride on the lift hill and send someone up the latter to grab that device from the guest. I have seen it done on Viper, Twisted Colossus, Revolution, and Wonder Woman. Each time, it’s been a cell phone and it took some time to send someone out to get it. Especially on Twisted Colossus. The structure is kinda massive and far away from the station. I have been there when this has happened. It took a good 20 minutes for someone to go out there. I would love to record my ride experience. I have sunglasses that have a mini camera built in with some strong straps that keep the glasses to my head so I will ask Six Flags if I can use this before hand

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Good call

[@DJWezzyK]

There is a interesting case: JetLine in Grona Lund. The ride mechanics have installed a new part on the train that was wrong produced by the company they ordered that part from. Resulting in a wheel carier snap in two and derailing a train. In the investigation the park did follow the right safety procedures and checks. There is still a lawsuit stating that a car-seatbelt would have prevented people getting ejected from the train when the misproduced part snapped in two. The investigation also stated that the second and third safety measures were also in place right, and worked as intended. Still the wheels detached, front car derailed and it resulted in one fatality. Can you blame the park for this, or the company that produced the part? (There is a second investigation launched after these conclusions by the way.)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I would say if they a print to build the correct part, but failed to produce that part, and there QC missed it, then it’s that companies fault.

[@thomaswillis1569]

Your videos are so good, much respect!!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you

[@stormchaser419]

What is interesting to me with these large steel coasters is why don't they install zoom cameras on pillars that can look at track supports and connections every day or using drones to fly every morning around the connections.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Most governing and inspection bodies will not consider that a legitimate inspection. The exact reason I’m not sure, but I know insurance will not accept that at all.

[@stormchaser419]

Yes but wouldnt that be a way to at least spot something and then have somebody say on a scissors lift actually visually inspect it? @@ryantheridemechanic

[@Porcf81]

My man has typos galore in the first few seconds of this video, and I ain’t even mad about it. Lol. Love him.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I’d do so many rough typos that even spell check doesn’t know what I’m trying to say.

[@Jillousa]

I worked at a park that when cedar fair took over, some guests were happy and others were not. They instituted the manufacturers height requirements and recommendations. Some rides added 6 inches of height restrictions and some rides subtracted 6 inches. Not a fun transition but I would say that cedar fair was much more on top of things. I had better perks too

[@ryantheridemechanic]

More of a legal team and compliance.

[@SkeledroMan]

Any idea what happens when the responsible party has gone bankrupt? For example with schwarzkopf's miscalculations that resulted in the recent accident on Jetline at Gröna Lund.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Super tricky. But from what I understand (not a lawyer right) but then the manufacture goes out of business, it’s still covered by their manual. But most things will fail on the park as to how they operate and maintain it. So I would say it’s the parks problem.

[@pnxdome]

I asked my lawyer about this video and he told me to not take this as legal advice.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Your retainer is worth the money then haha!

[@macsignals]

One of the things drilled into our heads at the state ride mechanic licensing seminar was how anything you touch as a mechanic is now your problem, and have fun dealing with the fallout if something goes wrong. Everyone will come after you including your employer for tarnishing their reputation, and they have the expensive lawyers. Edit: since you mentioned the analogy to airline inspections, the same presenters at the inspection seminar used Alaska Airlines Flight 261 as a prime example.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yep. Once you know about it, it’s your problem. No mater how many time you say it’s not your problem. The lawyers will say “you knew about this”

[@Jillousa]

I've watched a lot of videos about ride accidents and some of them were caused by poor maintenance or improper maintenance. When I was a ride operator, we were trained that if we heard anything strange coming from the ride that we would stop the ride and call maintenance. We were also trained to watch the ride through the entire ride cycle and I would get super annoyed when I ride operator was distracted by a buddy or guest.

[@Jillousa]

I was once a ride operator and someone took a loose article on a flat ride and that article was a mini backpack that looks like a purse when those were popular. When that thing fell off the ride I'm thankful it didn't hit anyone or cause injury because it would have easily knocked somebody unconscious.

[@Colaholiker]

I certainly disagree with what you write about yourself in the intro, but it still gave me a good laugh. I totally share your concerns when it comes to loose articles, but I also totally agree with parks allowing cameras that are strapped to riders' bodies. After all, most parks allow you to ride anything with your glasses on if they have a strap (I even rode Steel Vengeance that way), and those are nowhere near as secure as the GoPro body mount. (But of course glasses are a lot lighter). I once had a similar situation that you had, but not with a camera - it was a baseball cap. Going down the drop of a log flume, the front rider lost his cap - and I was in the back, able to grab it in mid-air. Sure, this would not have caused injuries, at worst one unhappy person and if at all some operational issues if it landed on a photo eye. But luckily we I prevented that 😅.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Nice catch!! The hat brim can hurt a lot if it picks up speed.

[@haqqrasheed3115]

great video Ryan. This video gives perspective on more than just responsibility and liability. Morals are inolved as well. What we think and how we act has an impact greater than most could ever imagine.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Well said

[@Jillousa]

The same is true for other companies. I worked for a furniture company and it was the same thing that if customers created their own parts or went to a big box store to put in their own screws that that would void the warranty. Those parts are not tested on our units and therefore could cause problems.

[@BarrySchmitz]

I see unfortunately enough guests who don't take the ''Put all your loose items away'' seriously. Most of the time when I see somebody making a video with their phone, I let them delete the video (And yes, also from the bin) and warn them about why they have to delete them, and why it is forbidden. 2 years ago I worked at one of the coasters in our park, and a young girl who was riding the rollercoaster for the first time, was hit in the face by a phone during the ride. When the train returned into the station, the young girl was covered with blood on her face, and was crying from the pain. Luckily she was gonna be OK. However.. the guy who lost his phone didn't help her or felt responsible for the situation. He immediately came to us to ask if we could search the phone instead of running to the young girl to check if she was OK. He even became angry when we told him that we couldn't search for his phone at that moment. It was a bizarre situation.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

That’s just jaw dropping crazy. Borderline criminal negligence on that guys part.

[@BarrySchmitz]

​@@ryantheridemechanic Yes, indeed. It was just crazy how selfish he acted. Luckily I never experienced a situation like this anymore after that one day. :-) Thanks by the way for the video's! They are really interesting. Keep them coming. :-)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@BarrySchmitz thank you!

[@Jillousa]

That would be a call to security. That's what I would have done but that would have been in accordance with my parks policies

[@danlastname9002]

I was made aware of a near-miss incident at a theme park in the UK where staff members were stealing their colleagues' ID lanyards and were strapping them to the restraints. Pin badge culture over there is a huge thing, and on one cycle the lanyard clasp gave out and the lanyard, with about 10 or 12 different badges, nearly hit someone in the head. It really needs to be drummed into all employees that anything you do, you are accountable for, and that everything you do is being filmed on the CCTV cameras.

[@danlastname9002]

Another instance is when I was operating a Zierer Jet Ski, I was the opening operator. Hit my hours so I was taken off for lunch, I myself had tagged out one of the pods - it wouldn't lock and we had authorisation to take pods out of use during startup and operations - and wrote it on the ride document that the pod was not to be used. I came back off lunch and saw that all six pods were back in use... Cycle came to an end, and I demonstrated that the pod didn't lock (as operators we were authorised to manually test the lock mechanism), my colleague told me that "the queue's at 45 minutes, we have to run all pods." Wrote an incident report, I covered my own ass, but if anyone would've been hurt, that'd have been my colleague on the line and my position as an operator brought into question too.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thankfully you document it when you found it. That would clear you going to lunch and all. The ride operators are held mor liable than almost anyone because they are the last line of defense for people.

[@ralfrick1]

Had a fool behind me on the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz last month with his phone out. He's lucky it wasn't spotted, I've seen that particular lift stopped for phones in the past. I once saw the ride ops walk up the lift hill to take away a phone from a rider on Magnum XL200. Which all makes it more amazing that my channel here has 2 POV videos I shot in the 80s with a Super 8 Film camera that weighed at least 5 pounds, and on one it was on a tripod braced against the car😮 I'll also forever remember the day last year that the coaster (Fury 325) we had just ridden repeatedly only a few days earlier had a Crack in the support at the time.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Heavy cameras! Sounds like you might have had a ride on Fury 325 “uncapped” haha!

[@misterenigma2013]

I love your disclaimers brother :)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I try when I think of funny stuff. I know this video was going to be rough because it’s legal. But I felt the need to make it.

[@MagnusTheGreat]

Ive found that when mechanics glue new foam to retraints there's always exposed zipties. As an employee i remember getting scraped on them. Im surprised they keep using them, and I regret not talking to them about it

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Simple housekeeping can avoid that. The pliers used are more expensive but you need flush cut side cutters. It will cut the tail even with the head, and scrapes or cuts. I learned that when I was racing. So many cuts.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Also, nothing irks me more than seeing some dumbass pull their phone out on a roller coaster. That SHOULD come with automatic ejection, and revocation of your pass for the year. Ive seen someone get seriously hurt by a phone on a ride before. Ive been hit with stuff.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Most people don’t realize how heavy a phone is when falling from 100+ feet.

[@jacobplatt3066]

And remember, GET OFF THEM AIR GATES!!!

[@cartoonkeeper]

He did miss that

[@ryantheridemechanic]

It’s there on the last 3 seconds of the video.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

It’s there

[@litz13]

The accident at Six Flags over Georgia was big big news here in ATL ... it was bad enough the kid was fatally injured, but the coaster rider whose leg hit him was badly, badly injured too. Also, at SFOG, you don't even have to be IN THE PARK to get whacked by stuff flying off Goliath. The coaster's path goes out over the entry walkway and part of the parking lot. It's not uncommon for people to get free hats out there. And shoes.

[@fredreubens89]

Thank You for all your videos, really enjoy them. Not mechanical at all what is the purpose of a flag plate?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Awesome question. First never feel out of place for asking questions. If you have the question there are hundreds of people that have it as well. A flag plat is used to tell proximity sensors on the track that a train is passing it. A singular plate is mainly needed to position trains in the station area. To use a wheel carrier or the bottom of the train typically doesn’t work well as there are large gaps. Rides that do this uses sensors to count as the train passes by (count 8 wheel carriers)

[@fredreubens89]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.@@ryantheridemechanic

[@CoastersThrillsAndAirtimeHills]

Hello from Instagram and from the U.K. ☺️ I was on Gemini once at Cedar Point. Someone lost their cap and it hit me in the face at what I assume was 60mph. I actually blacked out for a second or two. I really wish people would listen when parks say to secure all loose items.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Welcome! And Glad to have you!

[@jpgiles1725]

I was on Phantoms Revenge one time. I was sitting back row, the last seat. A girl in the front lost her phone, we were ascending the second hill. The phone came out and was falling straight toward my face. To this day, i dont know how, but the guy in the seat before me caught the phone and saved me from getting hit with it. I've been to many parks and on many roller coasters. I know what a problem loose articles can be. I dont thinkany of the general public knows hos much of a problem it can be. Even the guy that caught the phone seemed surprised by how much i was thanking him for catching it

[@ryantheridemechanic]

So heavy when they pick up momentum. Glad you weren’t hit

[@Jenlovescoasters]

So i just shared this video on a few platforms, do you get credit for me watching multiple times?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I’m honestly not sure. I think they track both views and “return viewers” so I’m guessing it would?

[@Missglam67]

And I did lose a pair of expensive sunglasses while on Full Throttle. I lost them right at the top of the loop. I reported it but unfortunately never got them back. I didn’t get mad at the park. I was mad at myself for not taking them off before riding in the first place. They told me if they are found in plain sight then I will get them back but if they fell in the bushes somewhere I will probably not get them because they don’t send people out in the terrain to look for lost items. Unless a maintenance person or landscaper comes across them they’re lost forever.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yep! $$ gone. No fun

[@Jenlovescoasters]

Thanks for keep ride mechanics in sunglasses! We appreciate it! Take your loose articles off.

[@Mazrim420]

It sounds like we need to start a fund for you to get a sweet GoPro setup to take on rides and make more intricate videos that can show the rides and exactly what you are discussing because you could film it and not need to worry about others copyright protections.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

It’s not really the GoPro it’s more travel and admission etc. unlike most rollercoaster channels. I’m no where even remotely close to make custom video. Middle of the US is not good for coasters.

[@Project_Storm1999]

Hi thanks for all the videos can you do a video on ride evacuations and how they are done and what errors causes the decision and stuff like that thanks

[@ryantheridemechanic]

That’s a good idea. Sure

[@Jillousa]

As a former ride operator, I had to be trained and certified every 6 months on SEP standard operation procedure. Had to learn how to get people off the ride. We couldn't load disabled guests in the front or back car because those seats were needed to assist them off the ride in a sep

[@EveryoneIsFamily]

Excellent video. This is a compelling case for why mechanics should not necessarily be on the payrolls of the parks. Like having health inspectors on the payrolls of restaurants. Or, as is actually the case, having government judges deciding cases in which the government is a party. For example, the genocidal "doctrine of discovery" issued by the Catholic Church in the 1400s (and since rejected by the Church itself) remains the referenced basis in contemporary US law as to how the country claims land ownership, as compared to the land rights of indigenous people with millennia of prior seniority (and genuine environmental stewardship success). No matter how ridiculous- the Supreme Court keeps finding that the government's land claims are valid. Blind justice... but not as in neutral. As in clueless.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Wow that’s interesting! But is one reason what a lot of places require multiple outside party’s to do inspection’s for the park. It’s a second and third level of safety

[@BulletResistant]

34:59 I'm not even in a life safety impacting industry, and heck no I'm not going to attest to something I can't personally say is fit for purpose / accurate to my attestation. if my superior then won't sign it him/herself then clearly he's transferring the risk onto you. the purpose of the signature is for non-repudiation of accountability, otherwise it would be a chat in the hallway

[@deeanna8448]

Do mechanics carry individual liability insurance and does the employer pay the premiums? Interesting commentary on criminal charges. I'm an aviation enthusiast and follow crash investigations. It seems like its relatively rare for criminal charges to happen, especially for upper level managemet. For example, American Airlines flight 191 crashed after an engine separated from the wing. 271 people died. The investigation found the maintenance crew violated the engine removal (for inspection) procedure recommended by McDonnell-Douglas called for the engine to be detached from the pylon before detaching the pylon itself from the wing. However, American, as well as Continental Airlines and United Airlines, had developed a different procedure that saved about 200 working hours per aircraft. Their procedure involved the removal of the engine and pylon assembly as a single unit rather than as individual components. This resulted in damage to the area where the pylon mounted to the wing. I don't think anyone faced charges.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Most parks insurance will cover the employee. If they were found to be negligent in their action I’m GUESSING they would not be covered by the park at that point because they were going against instruction or manufactures recommendations.

[@deeanna8448]

@@ryantheridemechanic I'm a veterinarian and carry liability insurance. When I was an employee, my boss paid it, and of course had her own insurance which covered her liability if an employee without a professional degree such as a receptionist or kennel attendant screwed up. I'm an independent contractor now, and have to pay my own.

[@Jillousa]

​@@ryantheridemechanicbut what if they could prove the park coerced them into breaking manufacturing requirements?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Jillousa it’s just a difference between holding the park responsible or holding the manufacture responsible. I think the park was named in that lawsuit

[@Jenlovescoasters]

Great video, as always! I hope it gets a scrilliin views, and is watched by everyone that patrons an amusement park. My least favorite ride call is going to find some stupid person's lame hat or phone. I quite thoroughly enjoy retrieving and turning in a phone that my coaster destroyed, 😂 No more Intamin office furnishings?😂

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I switch chairs. I felt this video would use a proper office chair to talk legal. I like parks when they put all the destroyed phones at the front of the ride in a box to show people “this is what will happen”

[@Jenlovescoasters]

Banshee at Kings Island has a giant aquarium in the queue filled with destroyed phones, the ones at the bottom are flip razrs. Lol!

[@dindog22]

so if someone above you tells you to over ride something and you know for sure it's the wrong call, do you get it in writing to cover your ass?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

If it ok to be overridden that the manual will have a procedure on how to do it. If it’s at the park level there should be an engineering procedure to do it as well. If there is nothing and those still asked to, I would stop and find hour how it’s ok to do. Maybe contacting the manufacturer or engineering.

[@bprebula]

The disclaimers 😂

[@Missglam67]

Someone died picking up change??? Sorry but what a stupid way to go. I mean I am sorry this happened but that just not worth it! Even if I was authorized to be in the area I would make absolutely sure that thing was not running at all before I would even step in there. Even then I’d be anxious.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Worst thing I could imagine is do die at WORK. what a shame

[@bocahdongo7769]

I mean, we already have 6 fatalities on B&M invert alone. All of them involved people that don't aware if B&M invert hanging down 3 ft more than they expect.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Idk man, i know some really smart fisherman. I fish. I could probably rig a plane together, lets be clear, a small plane. Like an old one. Im not talking about a leer jet. I have actually fixed an airplane engine or 2 before too. Fixed 2 aluminum boats, and one fiberglass boat. I STILL wouldnt trust them for legal advice.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Haha! Aircraft are a crazy loop hole that requires so much certification to do anything. I’ve talked with aircraft mechanics and they deal with stuff on a completely different level.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

@@ryantheridemechanic I am friends with the Debartolo family personal mechanic. I've hung out with him in the hangar a lot after I closed my shop. What they go through is nuts. Makes me glad I kept to stuff on the ground. The engine I "fixed" was just some machine work for the rebuild.

[@sumguy8]

you said "heighth" at 9:06

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yea not a correct word. But even the CC got it good job KZbin.

[@matb9027]

Haha the disclaimer 😂. No you're not!

[@MagnusTheGreat]

Ride Mechanics are automatically an ass hole haha. Not actually, but to guests usually

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Nope

[@cartoonkeeper]

​@@ryantheridemechanicyou forgot to say to "Get off them air gates"

[@michaezell4607]

Honestly cedar fair and in particular cedar point should just get rid of the ride. They seem to care more about not offending the spoiled brat enthusiasts by removing the ride than by remembering the fact that someone was seriously injured when a piece of metal fell off of the train and hit them in the head. After all cedar fair didn't bother trying to retrofit volcano in an attempt to get it running reliably...they just tore it down with absolutely no replacement being offered.