The Great Metal Detector Debate

[RonaldsModernLife]

Not sure why a few people are saying cell phones won't be picked up by a metal detector. What phones are you using, Fisher-Price? You are confusing having a plastic casing (like the iPhone 5C) with having a phone that you claim as "mostly plastic". Cell phones have lots of heavy metals in the battery, camera, antenna, connection ports, hard drive and so on.

 

[MrRoamer]

Something I never understood is why they don't put seat pouches(like behind the seats) where you could put your stuff when you sit. (in the seat in front of you) Disney does that for some of their rides like the Aerosmith ride.
what if they had those type of ouches that would lock after you put your things? or have a zipper or something.

It would be a lot easier to be able to put your stuff in the chair, I really don't know why Men In Black needs lockers for example. You could just have a place to put your stuff

I think they tried that with Forbidden Journey and no one really understood it or used them. Dunno why I've always used them but no one even mentions it anymore except for Dumbledore.

 

[GAcoaster]

Everyone says "I know how to secure my stuff, my pockets are secure and I don't lose stuff", "I won't take out my phone/camera on ride", "They should just have bins" etc. All I can say is rides with bins that have the strict no cameras/no loose articles policy and offer bins still end up with idiots shooting on ride videos and dropping things, or complaining their stuff has been stolen from the bins. Short of either removing the pathways under every coaster in the park or removing the coasters, metal detectors are the ONLY solution right now.

As evidence of this I point out the nets under Manta, a ride with a very strict "no loose articles" policy which has both lockers and bins available, and those nets are filled with coins, phones, keys and lots of stuff all the time, and many on-ride videos of the ride taken by riders exist. While it may be "ghetto" to have to have metal detectors for a ride, if it's the only way to operate it safely then I will put up with the minor inconvenience of being kept honest of either having to leave the stuff from my pockets either in a locker or with a non-rider.

 

[Ajstriker26]

I'm an experienced, well-traveled theme parker.

That's the issue. The average tourist is not well informed enough to prepare in such a way for a day at the theme parks. And just because you have secured pockets on your pants doesn't mean you are actually using them.

No matter what happens, there is always going to be a guest who doesn't follow the rules and will slip through security. This method seems to be the best option to minimize that issue. Yes it may seem extreme, but just wait for the day when you almost get hit by a loose article. It happens way more often then you guys presume.

 

[adjjb]

It doesn't seem consistent that someone with zippered pockets for their wallet and phone has to go put it in a locker where it could be broken into, but they can still wear their Aviators on the ride.

The sunglasses are a loose article that could poke someones eye out.

 

[maxairmike]

Everyone says "I know how to secure my stuff, my pockets are secure and I don't lose stuff", "I won't take out my phone/camera on ride", "They should just have bins" etc. All I can say is rides with bins that have the strict no cameras/no loose articles policy and offer bins still end up with idiots shooting on ride videos and dropping things, or complaining their stuff has been stolen from the bins. Short of either removing the pathways under every coaster in the park or removing the coasters, metal detectors are the ONLY solution right now.

As evidence of this I point out the nets under Manta, a ride with a very strict "no loose articles" policy which has both lockers and bins available, and those nets are filled with coins, phones, keys and lots of stuff all the time, and many on-ride videos of the ride taken by riders exist. While it may be "ghetto" to have to have metal detectors for a ride, if it's the only way to operate it safely then I will put up with the minor inconvenience of being kept honest of either having to leave the stuff from my pockets either in a locker or with a non-rider.

To the bolded; absolutely not the only solution for "safe operation," and ridiculous overkill if the rest of the industry is any example. So, you're suggesting that Kings Island and Cedar Point, Knott's, Magic Mountain, etc. don't operate their rides safely as they don't have metal detectors at any rides, or even nets (or other coverings) over walkways where some rides travel in some cases? There are plenty of other coasters with vertical lifts, but I can't think of hearing any serious problems with items falling from them. That section won't be flinging anything like a projectile, so a good net should take car of falling objects short of an open knife (and if you have an open knife in a pocket on a ride, well, you're just dumb). The real "problem areas" are things like Hulks 0-G roll (there's a net), the Dragons passing by the exit path (extend a net above the fence if they're that paranoid), Rockit's treble clef and crowd surf elements (nets in both areas already). I don't see where they're any less safe than the previously mentioned parks. There has just been a string of bad luck with an overreaction. I can't imagine that Universal is the only park to have had incidents where loose objects from riders have hit or come close to hitting someone. That would just be ridiculously bad luck, and pretty much statistically impossible. Yet they are the only park to react to such incidents in such a severe way.

 

[MrRoamer]

I know they aren't the only park that has issues with falling items nor have they had the worst occurrences (from what I've heard my opinion being Space Mountain MK - Brain Damage), but they are the number two Theme Park Company in the world.

They are under fairly new ownership which has been striving to improve the parks every way that they can. It is getting harder and harder to not be front in center of the news when one of these horrible things happen, and for whatever reason Universal shows up more often than not for lower profile things (Gringotts breakdown, Hulk breakdown, Transformers breakdown).

Oddly enough though the higher profile things tend not to be in news stories as often, there were no giant headlines for the Dueling Dragons occurrences nor was there anything for the incident on Rock It. The only reason we know these things are because of insider information because Universal is the primary park that we follow. I'm sure that people get struck by falling objects quite frequently at all of the amusement parks, and I feel that even though it is a mild inconvenience to put extra security checks in place it far outweighs the alternatives of having something terrible happen ruining a families vacation or much worse life.

I don't think it is a fair assessment to say look at X they aren't doing it so Universal doesn't need to either, they also don't do HHN or have the number of attendees every day show up. County fairs don't have tight security either but I am not about to risk my life trusting in something a carnie put together.

 

[Mad Dog]

To the bolded; absolutely not the only solution for "safe operation," and ridiculous overkill if the rest of the industry is any example. So, you're suggesting that Kings Island and Cedar Point, Knott's, Magic Mountain, etc. don't operate their rides safely as they don't have metal detectors at any rides, or even nets (or other coverings) over walkways where some rides travel in some cases? There are plenty of other coasters with vertical lifts, but I can't think of hearing any serious problems with items falling from them. That section won't be flinging anything like a projectile, so a good net should take car of falling objects short of an open knife (and if you have an open knife in a pocket on a ride, well, you're just dumb). The real "problem areas" are things like Hulks 0-G roll (there's a net), the Dragons passing by the exit path (extend a net above the fence if they're that paranoid), Rockit's treble clef and crowd surf elements (nets in both areas already). I don't see where they're any less safe than the previously mentioned parks. There has just been a string of bad luck with an overreaction. I can't imagine that Universal is the only park to have had incidents where loose objects from riders have hit or come close to hitting someone. That would just be ridiculously bad luck, and pretty much statistically impossible. Yet they are the only park to react to such incidents in such a severe way.

All excellent points. Pure over reaction & over kill. Accidents will still happen regardless of all of these safety precautions. The percentage of injuries to rides is so infinitely small that no other parks, especially the coaster parks that have four to five times the coasters that Universal has in two parks, has done anything like this. Universal security has a rep for over reaction, from photos, to water bottles & now coasters. This is what happens when you get over zealous security people & lawyers involved in company operations.

 

[maxairmike]

I know they aren't the only park that has issues with falling items nor have they had the worst occurrences (from what I've heard my opinion being Space Mountain MK - Brain Damage), but they are the number two Theme Park Company in the world.

They are under fairly new ownership which has been striving to improve the parks every way that they can. It is getting harder and harder to not be front in center of the news when one of these horrible things happen, and for whatever reason Universal shows up more often than not for lower profile things (Gringotts breakdown, Hulk breakdown, Transformers breakdown).

Oddly enough though the higher profile things tend not to be in news stories as often, there were no giant headlines for the Dueling Dragons occurrences nor was there anything for the incident on Rock It. The only reason we know these things are because of insider information because Universal is the primary park that we follow. I'm sure that people get struck by falling objects quite frequently at all of the amusement parks, and I feel that even though it is a mild inconvenience to put extra security checks in place it far outweighs the alternatives of having something terrible happen ruining a families vacation or much worse life.

I don't think it is a fair assessment to say look at X they aren't doing it so Universal doesn't need to either, they also don't do HHN or have the number of attendees every day show up. County fairs don't have tight security either but I am not about to risk my life trusting in something a carnie put together.

While that may be the simple way of stating it, I can assure you I've reached that statement/conclusion by more than just a cursory look at these things visiting the parks as a guest. My position comes mostly from having been on the operational side of the curtain, picking up the items that people lost at the end of the day, knowing very well the dynamics of the rides, safety policies, etc. If this were a necessary, reasonable reaction there would be a lot more parks than just Universal Orlando that would have reached this point sooner, given how common it is to have headlining attractions go over/near guest areas as part of the design at large regional parks that actually do draw similar daily numbers during their peak summer stretch from June through August (35-45k was a typical busy summer day at Cedar Point, and Halloweekends crowds are notorious for courting the 60-70k mark some weekends, numbers at Kings Island aren't very different).

 

[Kevin38]

I'm an experienced, well-traveled theme parker. I wear cargo shorts with buttoned or zippered pockets and I know how to place my stuff in my pockets in such a way that THEY ARE NOT COMING OUT, PERIOD. I shouldn't be jumped on and forced to secure my already-secured loose articles in a locker and then be strip-searched to get on the ride. Secured pockets should be given a quick glance by the entrance nazi and then you're on your way. For those with pockets or loose articles that cannot be secured, then lockers should be mandatory.

Regardless, nothing says "ghetto theme park" like metal detectors. If Universal is trying to emulate Six Flags, great job! If they're trying to be in the top-tier with Disney, a change is needed.

I am sure Universal will may an exception for you if you get a 10 million dollar insurance policy .

 

[traveller]

They could make all the coaster areas a hard hat area, They can set up a booth and sell the
hard hats which would be a cool souvenir.

 

[Teebin]

A toddler in a hard hat with perhaps a lexan face mask. What a novel thing that would be.

 

[Mad Dog]

A toddler in a hard hat with perhaps a lexan face mask. What a novel thing that would be.

And they'd probably be stopped by one of the gung ho security personnel for impersonating construction workers...LOL

 

[GAcoaster]

To the bolded; absolutely not the only solution for "safe operation," and ridiculous overkill if the rest of the industry is any example. So, you're suggesting that Kings Island and Cedar Point, Knott's, Magic Mountain, etc. don't operate their rides safely as they don't have metal detectors at any rides, or even nets (or other coverings) over walkways where some rides travel in some cases? .

Those parks (with only a few exceptions) also don't have inverting coasters that go OVER the pathways with no coverings between the ride and the guests below. The only exception to that I can think of is the Corkscrew at Cedar Point where the ride is directly above guests heads. Just about all the other coasters are off to the side of the pathways safely behind fences.

 

[maxairmike]

Not only, Corkscrew but also Raptor and maXair at Cedar Point invert (or nearly so) over guest areas. But inversions are only one part of the problem. In fact, Universal has less rides that invert over guests than Cedar Point, and less total inversions (one cycle on maXair is good for 4+ nearly inverted weightless moments over wide open, uncovered guest areas). Phones fly from Dragster in every direction going up and down, people lose items on Millennium Force on the island section (they have nets over sections of the walkways because of that), Raptor sends phones flying at multiple points in the ride well above the fence surrounding the ride area. That's just a few at that park. There are at least 3 rides I can name at Kings Island, two at Knott's, a few at Magic Mountain. A lot of major rides are more than capable of sending loose articles into guest areas even though the ride path doesn't go directly over a guest area, especially if sections of the ride that are likely to dislodge articles are above the typical height ride area fencing (and they usually are). Look at the distance between the curve on Dragons by the exit area, as well as the cobra roll, yet a phone flying into that area is said to be a reason for putting this in place there quickly.

In fact, look at Rockit's treble clef element and note where the net for that element is. It isn't over the guest path below the wide turn coming off the block brake, it's actually behind the top of the element's overbank and keeping objects from flying back onto backstage areas and roofs, not really guest areas. I found that interesting.

 

[DJ Snow]

The first night of Grad Bash is in a couple of days, and they've now made their way to all the big coaster rides with this "test." Does anyone think that these measures may be have been developed for that (and similar) event(s) in particular, rather than day-to-day normal operations? Kind of makes sense that a night full of high schoolers could mean an unusually large number of guests trying to bring phones, GoPros, etc., on board the rides.

 

[Lucky Planet]

I still don't understand why they don't just cover all the areas with nets...
the detectors are annoying everyone but the park still has the problem of things falling out.... what is the solution here? what is their other option?

clearly they need to do something, right? if they take out the detectors (which they will eventually) then how can they solve this problem of falling objects?

 

[Mad Dog]

If you have outdoor coasters you will have falling objects. It's inherent in the placement & design. All of these prevention measures just decrease the probability in a minor way, but they do not eliminate the possibility. Since the percentage of people hit over the years is so infinitely small, what they are doing is insignificant. Accidents will still happen.

 

[Ajstriker26]

You guys also have to remember that the majority of attendance at Universal is typically International visitors. Many other countries aren't as safety conscious when it comes to amusement parks and therefore, there is not an expectation for those guests to follow those rules of emptying pockets and stowing belongings in lockers. Not to mention the ever present language barriers that can be difficult to overcome.

Other local theme parks don't need to take extreme measures cause their audience has already been exposed to those potential safety concerns and have been trained on how to avoid them.

As stated above, nets will never be a 100% solution because there will always be an exposed area or a situation that cannot be planned or prepared for. Metal detectors are probably the best solution for the current time being.

 

[Lucky Planet]

If you have outdoor coasters you will have falling objects. It's inherent in the placement & design. All of these prevention measures just decrease the probability in a minor way, but they do not eliminate the possibility. Since the percentage of people hit over the years is so infinitely small, what they are doing is insignificant. Accidents will still happen.

so the only solution is to get rid of the Coasters and add other type of rides in those areas? is that really the only way to avoid people getting hurt?
That's the only way to go about it? I dont meant to sound sarcastic, it's just that... I can't believe there is no other way.

What if they put some kind of roof or something over those areas? instead of nets with holes.

You guys also have to remember that the majority of attendance at Universal is typically International visitors. Many other countries aren't as safety conscious when it comes to amusement parks and therefore, there is not an expectation for those guests to follow those rules of emptying pockets and stowing belongings in lockers. Not to mention the ever present language barriers that can be difficult to overcome.


Other local theme parks don't need to take extreme measures cause their audience has already been exposed to those potential safety concerns and have been trained on how to avoid them.

As stated above, nets will never be a 100% solution because there will always be an exposed area or a situation that cannot be planned or prepared for. Metal detectors are probably the best solution for the current time being.

Excellent Post!
that's the same reason why other Halloween Haunts and haunted houses around the country don't need people with flashlights on every room or stuff like that either.
there are places that don't even check your bags before going into the haunted house. Or places where they have minimum security, Because the locals know what the rules are.
but look at how much security HHN has.