From: wjf@controls.ccd.harris.com (Bill Figie)
Subject: Re: Bat "deaths" (was Re: Top Gun at King's Island)
Originator: wjf@rs2
Organization: Harris Controls and Compositions
 <Bxq5x2.Fov@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 12:22:56 GMT


In article <1e96kpINN76j@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, aq009@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
 (David A. Johnson) writes:
|> 
|> In a previous article, wjf@controls.ccd.harris.com (Bill Figie) says:
|> 
|> >
|> >In first post David Johnson wrote:
|> >|> >>KI had a ride like this called the Bat about 8-10 years ago, but
|> > they had
|> >|> >>a lot of troubles with it.  The cars kept falling off and people got
|> >|> >>killed often.  SO, Needless to say, they took it out.  Does anyone
|> >|> >>remember it??
|> 
|> No, I didn't write that!  It was Rob Dorocke!
|> 
|> >Next someone (I forget and I erased the name) writes:
|> 
|> [...]
|> 
|> >|> >However, no one ever died on The Bat.  Indeed, nobody has ever died on
|> >|> >any of Kings Island's roller coasters.  In fact, the only ride-related
|> >|> >death in KI's history was the Flight Commander incident during the 
|> >|> >1991 season.  I'd say that's a pretty good record for 20 years of
|> >|> > operation...
|> 
|> I wrote the above passage.
|> 
|> > Then in article David "Buddy" Johnson writes again:
|> >
|> >
|> >|> At least two people died on the Bat, I remember that vivdly.  One of
|> >|> the cars fell off and the people in the front were killed, the ohers
|> >|> were hospitalized.  About three years ago, two people died on the
|> >|> King Cobra when 3d hospitalized.  About three years ago, a man was
|> >|> killed on the King Cobra when his seat fell off  of the main chassis.
|> >|>  I remember this one also because I was there the day after it
|> >|> happpened.  I was dissappointed that it was not running and was
|> >|> told by my father that he saw the story on the news
|> 
|> And again, I did not write the above.  It was Rob again.
|> 
|> 
|> I needed to clarify that.  Watch those attributions!  Nobody likes to be
|> misquoted!  
|> 
|> Now, then...
|> 
|> [...]
|> 
|> >these accusations about deaths at Kings Island are not true.  Two years
|> >ago I was up at KI about a week after the Flight Commander accident took
|> >place and I got a Sunday Cincinnati newspaper with a realy big article
|> >on the accidents, and in it they claimed that this was the only death at
|> >this park in the 20 years it has been in existence.  They did also have
|> >either the same day or very close around it another death at the water
|> >park owned by Kings.  I have never heard of any other deaths at KI. 
|> >They did have problems with the Bat but there was never any bad press
|> >from anyone getting seriously injured.  There was also an accident with
|> >the King Cobra where the train did come off the track but I don't think
|> >anyone died.
|> 
|> Actually, the other death occurred the same day in the giant fountain at
|> the base of the Eiffel Tower.  Somebody tried to rescue another person who
|> had fallen in, and was somehow electrocuted.  (I suppose there wasn't
|> sufficient insulation on the wiring for the pump or the lights in the
|> fountain).  KI was cited by OSHA for violating some workplace regulations
|> in connection with the fountain incident.
|> 
|> I agree with everything else you say, though (hey, I've already said most
|> of it!).  :-)
|> 
|> >Sorry but I don't believe that KI has had other
|> >deaths on their coasters.
|> 
|> Well, since neither the Flight Commander nor the picturesque fountain is a
|> roller coaster, KI hasn't had any deaths on any of their coasters.  (So
|> there's no "other" about it...)  Sorry to be so picky!  :-)
|> -- 

Sorry about all the confusion David.  I can understand how you could be
upset about being misquoted especially when you are defending something like
the honor of KI against a major inaccuracy.  I know it is not justification
for making the mistake but it must have taken me 4 hours to finally get the
above post ready to send.  First, I kept getting interrupted, then I had a
meeting to go to, then I came back and worked some more on it, then I had
another meeting, so when I finally got back to it I didn't remember who said
what.

Let me say something about one of your comments.  When you said (hey, I've
already said most of it!) that is true.  Our responses were quite similar
considering we don't know each other, and didn't confer with each other. 
When I wrote my initial response there wasn't another response out there so
everything I said was original.  Just wanted to clarify that so no one
thinks we got together on our answers.  

		Bill "amusement parks are very safe places" Figie
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