The Smiler Incident 02/06/15

[Stan.H]

I feel that the media are ridiculing Towers so much, next time there is a small car crash (that would go unnoticed) will be compared to The Smiler ](*,

I agree with that. The media just want themselves to seem that they have more exclusive and new information than all the other sources of media. But they are just padding out the stuff we already know with made up stuff!!

[Stan.H]

Did anybody see the awful cgi reconstruction of how the two cars crashed on last nights BBC News? It was a very basic animation of the two cars crashing, and appeared to occur on the brow of a hill! It looked terrible and for the BBC, I thought it was very poor of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... n-16062015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The whole report starts at 13:20, but the animation is at 15:35.

Last chance on Iplayer!!! :lol

[xylyx]

A bit of time and it will all blow over, it will always have this legacy, but provided the HSE don't call for it to be removed in some way then I'm sure it will all pass. It's been 2 weeks and there are still people in hospital so a story can be drafted to make the generally uninterested and uninformed public tut about "those unsafe theme parks and greedy bosses running death machines just to gain profit"

Thankfully people who know what they're doing are in control and will make the decisions one way or they other.

The Mirror poll is as meaningless as the good morning Britain polls. Ie the main votes are from folks who read the mirror, and they have been primed to see The Smiler as death incarnate, without reasoned perspective from commenters (yeah I know, but amidst the insults and name calling there is usually someone who knows what they're talking about) or any alternate viewpoint.

Hang in there folks.

[Air15]

If the smiler is to have a re theme I hope the park goes for the original concept art and it makes it look more sinister and fits well with xsector.
Concept art video:
" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[homer22422]

Did anybody see the awful cgi reconstruction of how the two cars crashed on last nights BBC News? It was a very basic animation of the two cars crashing, and appeared to occur on the brow of a hill! It looked terrible and for the BBC, I thought it was very poor of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... n-16062015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The whole report starts at 13:20, but the animation is at 15:35.

Last chance on Iplayer!!! :lol

They also said that the carriage stopped on one of the loops for twenty minutes and then SOMEHOW it started to move again. Does anybody question the overall logic of the statement?

[Sentri558]

Did anybody see the awful cgi reconstruction of how the two cars crashed on last nights BBC News? It was a very basic animation of the two cars crashing, and appeared to occur on the brow of a hill! It looked terrible and for the BBC, I thought it was very poor of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... n-16062015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The whole report starts at 13:20, but the animation is at 15:35.

Last chance on Iplayer!!! :lol

They also said that the carriage stopped on one of the loops for twenty minutes and then SOMEHOW it started to move again. Does anybody question the overall logic of the statement?

I may be wrong but I believe he said before?

Maybe I'm hearing it wrong :/

[Adam.W]

Some people are so insensitive on how they can just make something like this, there's another's one I found and it's genuinely saddening

Thoughts go to those involved

[118hazaman]

If the smiler is to have a re theme I hope the park goes for the original concept art and it makes it look more sinister and fits well with xsector.
Concept art video:
" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Surely this theming would be worse from the ride's publicity. The theming seems to be based around a similar concept to the Smiler now, just even more gruesome and sinister. Surely if a retheme did occur the park would want to stay clear from this? It would be one step forward, but two steps backwards as I doubt the general public would take to it well.

[Prepare4Air]

I don't really think a retheme is necessary? I mean the general public don't really read into themes as much as enthusiasts do. When the ride reopens with the same theme the majority of AT's customers would just think it's a twisted rollercoaster with loud, yellow theming :lol It doesn't really have any relation to the incident at all.

[Adam.W]

tbh I've got to agree, a lot of people won't make links (but the media will). However the soundtrack would have to go, screams of agony, laughing, and the general sound. It wouldn't change the ride as such, a new sinister sounding one would do the job.

[missingaa]

I have to say that I'm not sure the GP are so ignorant to this accident, like they have been to others in the past. I think everyone will be watching the towers, and the smiler, very closely for a long time. I don't know one person who doesn't know of the smiler, and it's accident. Thanks to modern journalism, and social media this has been huge, huge news. It's theme will probably also be under the microscope when it reopens.

In complete contrast not one person I've asked (in response to them mentioning the smiler crash) knew about Hydro, and it's accident.

So yes, there have been accidents at parks before, and you're right, the general public on the whole could not even tell you on which rides (a point highlighted to me recently when a friend of mine posted their UE photos of Camelot, and them sitting on top of the knightmare, they thought that one of Camelot's accidents had been on that ride, which of course it wasn't.) let alone make any links between themes and the accidents. But unfortunately for AT, this time is different... Very different.

Do I think they should change the theme? No... Do I think they will change the theme? Not sure, possibly some elements... Do I think the public, and the press, will pick up on the negative elements of the theme if they don't change it? Absolutely!

[Benb]

The brand is clearly toxic as it is, and it is likely a rebrand would be damning of the towers (as if they were seen to be covering up the incident)...

The ride may have cost Merlin £18 million, but whatever happens it will always be remembered as that rollercoaster that crashed. As such I put in with a possible third option (over rebranding or leaving it as is), saying perhaps the ride branding may simply be removed altogether, letting it be quietly forgotten in the corner of the park. I would not be surprised that (if it reopens at all after H&S and the victims have had their say) it will be stripped to the bare essentials...

Just a thought...

[Luce]

I think it's difficult to predict what might happen once the ride re-opens (which I reckon it will) however my theory is that it could return with several aspects of the theme removed but I guess we'll have to see what happens.

[Themeparksandy1981]

I think they removed all the signage from the ride,around the area and the park to show guests that the ride is SBNO. Like they should block it out on the maps around the park and on guests park maps like they do for Feb half term event.
As a re theme it wouldn't take long to remove all the smiley faces on the trains,The pre show room can stay the same.
I have been reading that HSE may make the park change the layout of the track as they ain't happy that the train has stopped on the batwing many times in the past. Not sure if that would mean removing this part of the ride or having a new design batwing added.
I heard lots of schools have cancelled trips to the park cause the school and parents were worried about taking there kids there.

[Morgan]

Maybe a trim removal on the first airtime? That would stop it stalling.

[Master_feedback]

The brand is clearly toxic as it is, and it is likely a rebrand would be damning of the towers (as if they were seen to be covering up the incident)...

The ride may have cost Merlin £18 million, but whatever happens it will always be remembered as that rollercoaster that crashed. As such I put in with a possible third option (over rebranding or leaving it as is), saying perhaps the ride branding may simply be removed altogether, letting it be quietly forgotten in the corner of the park. I would not be surprised that (if it reopens at all after H&S and the victims have had their say) it will be stripped to the bare essentials...

Just a thought...

You are probably closer to the reality strip it and call it the spider . . At the end of the day the corkscrew had no theme at all well the ride was the theme...

That 18m cost is going to look like small change by the time this is all over so they're nit going to want to spend a penny more than they have to

[Ripsaw Raver]

how do you quietly forget a giant 14 inversion mass of metal lol

[Sr88]

Just on the note of changing the batwing (which I thought may end up happening), I can easily see them just removing the second part, or just lowering it maybe.

[Stan.H]

Just on the note of changing the batwing (which I thought may end up happening), I can easily see them just removing the second part, or just lowering it maybe.

It will be interesting to see what finally happens then! All my friends at school are arguing about what will happen with it (even though they don't have a clue!!). My theory is that they are all Daily Mail reporters (dumb facts, according to them it has 17 loops!!) :P

[Dan]

I really don't think we will see any modifications to the track layout.

Alterations to the ride system to greatly reduce the likelihood of a stall yes, but a layout change? I would be very surprised.