Post by gary on Oct 26, 2007 10:06:50 GMT -5
So in the 60s and 70s, when a lot of these classic dark rides were being birthed, the climate was different. People, teens, kids... they were a little more respectful and it never crossed their mind to jump out of a haunted house car and fool around.
After reading articles like the one on the Tulsa,OK Phantasmagoria, it's clear that most areas have the vandalism problem.
While the techie in me wants to install optic sensors along the outer edges of the tracks of a ride to pick up on people stepping outside the normal path of the car, this is an extremely involved installation needing probably, on average, 30 to 50 sets of sensors to cover enough ground.
The real solution is probably car design.
Having a dark ride be operated by just one staff member is the most profitable model. If the ride car is restrictive enough, it will be a great deterrent from the lure of destruction and disobedience. But this typically requires an exit attendant to unlock the restraints.
What if the lap bar or "lid" came down and locked, with a slight spring installed to aid during the unlocking? The locking latch would click into place using a mechanism located at the base of the car on the side, at foot level.
As the car approaches the exit point, a hard bumper or wooden block is affixed to the outer edge of the car path, forcing the latch at the car's base to be pushed back into the unlocked position, and the spring would help pop the bar or lid up some, cuing the riders to release themselves from the restraint and exit the ride.
The concept obviously needs development but it sure seems like a low-tech mechanical solution to the vandalism problem, while eliminating the need for a constant second employee. The restraint would still be 'escapable' in the event of an emergency and considerations would have to be made for guests of large and small sizes, but the theory seems pretty sound. Thoughts?
After reading articles like the one on the Tulsa,OK Phantasmagoria, it's clear that most areas have the vandalism problem.
While the techie in me wants to install optic sensors along the outer edges of the tracks of a ride to pick up on people stepping outside the normal path of the car, this is an extremely involved installation needing probably, on average, 30 to 50 sets of sensors to cover enough ground.
The real solution is probably car design.
Having a dark ride be operated by just one staff member is the most profitable model. If the ride car is restrictive enough, it will be a great deterrent from the lure of destruction and disobedience. But this typically requires an exit attendant to unlock the restraints.
What if the lap bar or "lid" came down and locked, with a slight spring installed to aid during the unlocking? The locking latch would click into place using a mechanism located at the base of the car on the side, at foot level.
As the car approaches the exit point, a hard bumper or wooden block is affixed to the outer edge of the car path, forcing the latch at the car's base to be pushed back into the unlocked position, and the spring would help pop the bar or lid up some, cuing the riders to release themselves from the restraint and exit the ride.
The concept obviously needs development but it sure seems like a low-tech mechanical solution to the vandalism problem, while eliminating the need for a constant second employee. The restraint would still be 'escapable' in the event of an emergency and considerations would have to be made for guests of large and small sizes, but the theory seems pretty sound. Thoughts?