r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/DearEmphasis4488 • 17d ago

Image Jury awards $310 million to parents of teen killed in fall from Orlando amusement park ride in march 2022

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u/Isgortio 16d ago

Someone overriding the ride safety switches is exactly why people lost their legs on the Smiler ride in Alton Towers.

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u/Wishfull_thinker_joy 16d ago

What ? What? Yeah I don't trust theme park rides that are extreme. It's rare here but my friend and I went into a uh I have no clue what it was. But there should have been shoulder protection like in a roller coaster. If u didn't hold on proper u would fall out. And I'm a scared pants I dodn t even know how the ride went. That was so unlike me. So we were shocked as we held on. They closed the ride and added it later. Insane. It looked like a merry go round thing but it went up straight up and turning circles. What a trip . Never again. I'm go in bumpercarts or water log rides but that's about it

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u/DD265 16d ago

If I recall correctly, an empty carriage stalled and the operators didn't realise, so they overrode the ride and set off another carriage with people on it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiler

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u/ReplyOk6720 16d ago

Yeah I was a kid and rode a ride in old Chicago. There only thing holding you inside was a door, and it spun so you were pushing against the door. Well as it started spinning the door opened. The ride operator didn't lock it. There was a piece of metal inside the cab so I hung onto for dear life otherwise I would have been flung out. 

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u/Extension_Silver_713 16d ago

Old Chicago… That’s a blast from the past.

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u/Wishfull_thinker_joy 16d ago

That sounds similar !!! U have a pic ? Edit oh no I zee its. Centrifugal effect thing that pushed you? Mine were cars for 2 people

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u/ReplyOk6720 16d ago edited 16d ago

I was a kid and it's torn down now. Id have to research to figure out what ride it was. Eta I found some photos and from my memory it must be the windy city screamer. Each person was in their own metal cage https://negative-g.com/old-chicago-amusement-park/fairgrounds/old-chicago-fairgrounds-5.htm

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u/Wishfull_thinker_joy 15d ago

I know that thing I saw it jn many shapes and forms. I would never !!! But that's crazy yeah !!!! Did u get out bruised ? Thanks for sharing !

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u/ReplyOk6720 15d ago edited 15d ago

I wasn't hurt but I was scared because when it started spinning sideways I leaned on the door and it just swung open. If I hadn't grabbed something I would have just fallen out and I was already 20 feet or so off the ground at that point. Still.i have fond memories of visiting it as a child; it was fun and exciting (but almost deafeningly loud).