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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think amusement parks should publish weight limits?

78 replies

oovetolove · 30/03/2022 21:26

I'm so sad and sickened by the death of Tyree Samson. Such a sad tragedy.

What I am shocked about is that I have visited many, many attractions and never have a seen a weight limit except at a local trampoline park.

It never even occurred to me that if over a certain weight it means the ride could fail you.

They have analysed the manufacturers manual for this ride and it states if the person doesn't fit the contours do not let them ride - the weight limits was 287 pounds and tyre was 350.

People have criticised the attendants and said they should have turned him away, but it would be difficult to know who is too overweight for the ride in every case just by looking. People carry weight differently.
. It's unfair to criticise the staff for this I feel. There should be a black and white way to tell if someone is overweight - not make it grey/subjective.

To solve this - why not just put weight limits in big bold letters and then it's up to the person to know if they're too heavy to ride? Individuals themselves know their weight better than park attendants.

It's ridiculous that I have never seen weight limits??worrying is this because of the taboo society we have become when weight is involved? It could have saved that boy.

AIBU to think we should be much more explicit about weight limits on rides or any other situation where someone could die as a result?

OP posts:

ForgedInFire · 31/03/2022 00:02

As an obese person I would love if every theme park would publish a weight limit for each ride on their website. And state it clesrly on each attraction. It would save a lot of blushes.

TurquoiseDress · 31/03/2022 00:04

I read the article about his death the other day.

Bloody horrendous, he was just a kid.

XenoBitch · 31/03/2022 00:08

@ForgedInFire

As an obese person I would love if every theme park would publish a weight limit for each ride on their website. And state it clesrly on each attraction. It would save a lot of blushes.

A lot of people do not know their weight though.

Clockstooforward · 31/03/2022 00:11

Agree.There was a thread about this a few days ago . People accused the OP of fat shaming…OP was just shocked that the poor child was embarrassed and didn’t speak up that he couldn’t do his buckle up.

ForgedInFire · 31/03/2022 00:15

Well then they can't blame anyone else if they are removed from a ride. I don't know my exact weight but if I was going to to theme park I would rather weigh myself at home then queue up and be in the position of not fitting on a ride.

LBOCS2 · 31/03/2022 00:17

You could have scales at the entrance to the park that allows you to stand on them and gives you a print out of the rides you can (or can't) ride for safety reasons. Completely private, no need for any measurements to come up, no embarrassment. Weight is a sensitive subject but this would take away some of the difficulty.

Flyonthewall01 · 31/03/2022 00:20

I used to work at a theme park and the rollercoasters wouldn’t run if the harness wasn’t clicked in past a certain point. So anyone who was too big whether that be in height or girth had to leave the ride. Although it would still run regardless of weight

Blossom64265 · 31/03/2022 00:20

A lot of parks do post weight and height limits. They also have test seats at the beginning of the line so people don’t wait in a long line only to be turned away.

Thewindwhispers · 31/03/2022 00:27

Totally agree OP.

I’m a size 16 but I once went on a ride where after queuing for ages and going theough various oartsnof the ride you had to sit on a bench and a bar came down to hold us while the room spun round. The bar did not fit my stomach. I just about made it work but was in pain and hating it the whole time. Why was there no sign warning me this ride was only for the thin?!!

nevergoesaway · 31/03/2022 00:29

@OnTheBoardwalk

Years ago I was on a two seater ride that spins round and up and down with a friend with a belly. I have one myself but not as big

They attempted to fasten the bar but couldn’t and walked off. We tried to get their attention but they ignored us and set the ride off.

It was only 20 foot off the ground but still terrifying trying to hold on with no bar. Again we were ignored by the operators trying to get their attention going round

All rides should have failsafes that mean the ride can’t start without all bars/harnesses locked

This is terrifying!!! Glad you were ok.

Wheniruletheworld · 31/03/2022 07:04

Having weight limits should be compulsory. But you can guarentee someone will try and challenge tgis in court because it's affecting their human rights, innit

Crimesean · 31/03/2022 07:22

@Lemons1571 why didn't you try the test seat at the ride entrance before queuing for 3h?

Dailywalk · 31/03/2022 07:32

The red or green traffic light type symbol makes sense to me. If everyone had to use it then it would save embarrassment and nobody needs to know the person’s exact weight just that they’re within safe limits.

Dailywalk · 31/03/2022 07:34

@LBOCS2

This is a good idea.

contactornotthatisthequestion · 31/03/2022 07:38

trouble is its not just about the weight. i was a size 16, so was my friend, both same height yet she weighed over 3 stone more than me. so a scale or a test seat wouldnt nessecarily work, a test seat with built in scale would be better and it should be everyone tries it before being allowed to queue

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 31/03/2022 07:39

I suspect the training the attendants are given doesn't stress people will die if this isn't adhered to. I honestly didn't think death could be the result of being too heavy for a ride

Their salary nowhere near meets the level of life saving judgement you expect them to undertake. And the subsequent aggression they may face if standing up to patrons.

Futuroute · 31/03/2022 07:46

Girth measurements would be more sensible than weight, as you can't judge someone's girth from their weight because height is also a factor.

SheWoreYellow · 31/03/2022 07:46

Yeah, contactornot , it wasn’t weight in this case, but size. The safety restraint couldn’t close (and staff didn’t check).

gettingolderandgrumpy · 31/03/2022 08:01

It’s gross negligence the attendant didn’t make sure he was secure . Yes he was overweight but a slim person could also have failed to secure themselves. I hate rollercoasters but on the odd occasion I’ve gone on I’d at least hope they’d check I’m secure .

Aprilx · 31/03/2022 08:19

I think anyone could clearly see that Tyre’s harness was not secure without knowing his weight. I don’t think this tragedy would have been averted by having a published weight limit, it would have been averted if somebody had checked him properly or if there had been a safety device built into the harness.

Laiste · 31/03/2022 08:25

Apparently there's video footage of the staff shouting that yes, they checked and ''the light was on''. Over and over. The light was on.

Could the buckles have failed despite being done up initially?

Surely these rides shouldn't be technically able to start unless all occupied seats are green light?

daisychainsandrainbows · 31/03/2022 08:27

Even putting weight limits in big, bold letters you are still relying on people a)knowing their weight
b)being literate enough to understand what the sign means
c)potentially being able to convert between stones/pounds/kilograms depending on which unit they know their weight in compared to how it is listed.
d) caring enough about the potential safety risks to sacrifice their turn on a ride they want to go on

It's not going to work and you can't just palm basic safety checks/responsibilities onto the general public as we know that a lot of the population don't make decisions that are best for their own health and safety.

Either all guests should be weighed upon entering the park and given a colour coded wristband according to whether they will have restrictions on what they can ride or rides with specific weight restrictions should weigh all riders beforehand. Yes it's bloody mortifying for the overweight rider but there are times when people's safety must be prioritised over their feelings.

PrivateHall · 31/03/2022 08:29

I don't think weight is actually the issue generally, it is more about harnesses and stuff being able to close. Therefore it seems having a seat for someone to see of they fit in seems more appropriate. Though I do like pp's idea of weighing at the entrance and getting a printout for any rides that really do have an actual weight limit.

Nubnamechange · 31/03/2022 08:36

That’s an excellent point @contactornotthatisthequestion - it’s probably more about BMI because a heavy but very short person feels even more at risk of slipping under a bar.

Original poster

oovetolove · 31/03/2022 09:02

@daisychainsandrainbows I see what you're saying hit as with driving a car for example, personal accountability has to be accepted for some things.

Tyre is exempt from personal responsibility because nothing is as telling him the risks - but if he has been told the risks and went against them that would be a different story.

It's like if someone dies in a car because they don't wear a seatbelt it then becomes the drivers issue - they can't sue the manufacturer and expect the manufacturer to take responsibility for that.

If people don't know their weight or choose not to care because they want to ride the ride it's then the riders/guardian of the riders issue IMHO. But he wasn't given the risks or choice which is what leaves responsibility with the fair/manufacturers.

OP posts:

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