Dunno if any of you have seen Spinball this year, but when i visited a few weeks back I noticed it has a LOT of new fencing protecting restricted areas already - BEFORE this incident.
There's this thing I like to call "special snowflake syndrome" - basically, people do stupid things sometimes because they have a mitigating circumstance that, in their moment of one track mindedness, makes them do otherwise considered stupid, dangerous things to achieve a goal.
We all do it. Speeding when driving to work or attempting to get on a train when the doors are closing and you've been told to stand clear, all because you're late for work. You're a special snowflake, you have a reason to break the rules, so they don't apply to you.
All the fencing around Spinball is littered with "ride area danger of death" signs. But if you really want to get your phone back, and the ride staff told you you have to wait until the end of the day, but you have to leave early, suddenly you're a special snowflake. You'll be fine, you won't go near the track, you're not THAT stupid. When I worked at a park (not Alton) I would constantly have guests making comments about how stupid it was that they couldn't wait on platforms or within locked gates for their families whilst the ride is in motion. That they "wouldn't go near the ride". Well no, you probably wouldn't, but you might. I'd actually put money on this incident not being due to somone IN a ride area, but more a preventative, that person looks like they MIGHT be about to put themselves in danger. People think of estops as being a last minute panic response, but in reality, the second they suspect a potential danger it'll get whacked. Estopping coasters once they've left a block is obviously pointless because they then cannot stop, gravity has them, so staff must work preventatively.
It's really difficult to communicate such things to the average Joe without going into great detail. The next question would be WHY CAN'T ROLLER COASTERS BE STOPPED? THATS DANGEROUS.
People are dangerous. There is always an element of danger with everything.
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