Latest from Kansas City: it looks like a handful of rides are still closed. According to the latest from the Kansas City Star Schlitterbahn is feeling a bit singled out with the new random inspections imposed by the State. Per the quotes in the article it seems they feel it is unfair when none of the other rides at the park have resulted in the death of a patron. It is like they are saying: Come on guys, you can trust us! We only killed one boy and injured others by operating a ride that insulted safety standards and is now an alleged murder weapon.
Now all that this could be is just good 'ole fashioned PR work attempting to cast the failed inspections in the best possible light. I mean they missed the opportunity to restore public trust by having a clean inspection so who can blame them for trying to spin this a little? After all, resentment is a powerful force in America. If they can successfully portray themselves as the poor little embattled business owners taking on onerous new regulations than they are going to hit a rich vein within the American Zietgeist. Given Trump is the President I am scared to ask who else has the gall to think that they're being singled out by a State Agency after they settled a wrongful death civil suit and are fighting murder charges. I'd really hate to know. But I'm sure that when the time comes the right-wing political machine will hold this park up as an example of 'regulations out of control' better 'take your country back' again again from those Evil Liberal Killjoys (and I'm certain the reactionaries running the Democratic Party will respond with yet another surefire strategy to make certain that Nancy Pelosi is still on the gravy train).
The whole regulation as the Insurance Journal reminds us in an emotional manner (for, surely, mercenary reasons) was a tough sell in a State like Kansas:
[Gov. Sam] Brownback had promised to follow [father of the victim State Representative Scott] Schwab’s lead. Schwab didn’t comment on the bill until he gave an emotional speech in support of it last month in the House. He told fellow House members that he didn’t come to the Legislature to increase regulations and he wouldn’t hold it against anyone who didn’t vote for the bill. “But I will never deny government has a role,” he said. “And you can get to a point where there’s just not enough.” Schwab told lawmakers the bill wasn’t about Caleb, but rather for “the next kid who goes some place in Kansas for a fun weekend.”Also from the insurance journal:
Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said there is no other ride like the Verruckt slide in the Schlitterbahn system, making it difficult to review practices and make potential safety changes to other rides.
And as the criminal indictment alleges:
9. On August 7, 2016, a 10-year-old boy, C.S. (xx/xx/2006), was decapitated and two adult women …were severely injured when raft B went airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting affixed to the VerrĪckt waterslide located at the Schiltterbahn Waterpark of Kansas City, Kansas.10. A video recording of C.S.’s death confirms that, at the time of his death, C.S. was obeying all rider instructions.11. The death of C.S. appeared at first to be an isolated and unforeseeable incident until whistleblowers from within Schiltterbahn’s own ranks came forward and revealed that Schiltterbahn officials had covered up similar incidents in the past.12. Experts in the field of amusement ride design and safety examined [the ride] and found physical evidence which indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting before the fatality. Theses experts noted that [the ride]’s design violated nearly all aspects of the longstanding industry American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM – from Key Individuals and Entities portion: ASTM sets technical standards for amusement ride safety that are recognized and accepted nationally and internationally as the minimum industry safety standards).Later:40. HSC hired an outside engineering firm to perform accelerometer testing of the rafts as they went down [the ride]… one week before [the ride]’s grand opening – the accelerometer test result data indicated that rafts in the weight range of 400 pounds to 550 pounds would likely go airborne at the crest of the second hill.41. Investigators recovered the accelerometer data from HSC’s own project records, meaning HENRY and SCHOOLEY both had access to this data. HENRY and SCHOOLEY either: (1) completely disregarded the accelerometer report; (2) they lacked the education and training to interpret and understand the results; or (3) they understood the results but opened the ride nonetheless.
Come on guys. You can trust us. There's NO reason we should be singled out here, right? Funny that that is coming from a park that made sure to have a 'legislature appreciation day.' I'm going to have to look into that; is this common practice for theme parks or just for ones that receive financing via STAR bonds?
