The Smiler Incident 02/06/15

[lf2001]

I think it'd be best opening with no announcement, and there will still be a handful of guests who will be put off because "it's not safe" (even though it wouldn't be opening if it wasn't safe!)

[homer22422]

The Mirror are at it again....
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/al ... ys-7158229" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sawboss]

Blah, who knew you could be proper journalist by just reposting the exact same photos literally 30 odd times.

I just can't wait to ride it again, my marmalisation wore off yonks ago.

[Dan]

I haven't clicked on the article, and I urge others to do the same.

The only reason they keep spewing the story out is because people keep reading it. If people didn't read it, they'd soon stop and move onto something else.

](*,)

[JCP]

I haven't clicked on the article, and I urge others to do the same.

The only reason they keep spewing the story out is because people keep reading it. If people didn't read it, they'd soon stop and move onto something else.

](*,)

Whilst I don't generally like The Mirror, you must admit that it's actually quite a fair article that even goes so far as to almost agree with the decision.

The UK's biggest Theme Park, that for many years self advertised as the UK's number 1, making a business decision to close on some mid week days is HUGE news, especially after the incident last year. They've just made 190 positions redundant (around a third of their salaried staffing), they are taking on less seasonal staff and have reduced operating days across the season including running with less days during Scarefest and Fireworks. No matter how we all wish to think of it - it is highly newsworthy and gives us an insight into the current state of the business.

So whilst I agree with the sentiment, for once this isn't just a case of The Mirror spewing something out. Many different companies have pushed this news for the reasons depicted above.

[NemesisRider]

I've just been flicking through social media and already the people who find The Smiler crash a joke have taken to Twitter.

Alton Towers new rollercoaster Galactica uses Virtual Reality so even if it crashes you still look like you have both legs.

We can't the General Public just accept it happened and move on? It's not really funny...

[Sawboss]

These are the people who are happy to stand a distance and make smug remarks about serious events, creating giggles or outrage from others, they don't care which. Were they to be in the centre of such a situation they would think differently, but alas, many people seem to lack the power of self analysis.

[theparklifekid]

I've just been flicking through social media and already the people who find The Smiler crash a joke have taken to Twitter.

Alton Towers new rollercoaster Galactica uses Virtual Reality so even if it crashes you still look like you have both legs.

We can't the General Public just accept it happened and move on? It's not really funny...

Its because now people have access to the internet pretty much everywhere, and the crash was pretty big, and as much as i hate to compare this, but its the same when people joke about 911, its not a event to joke about, but people do it for attention...

[MerlinFan]

Sick is all I can say.

[wamdue]

I've just been flicking through social media and already the people who find The Smiler crash a joke have taken to Twitter.

Alton Towers new rollercoaster Galactica uses Virtual Reality so even if it crashes you still look like you have both legs.

We can't the General Public just accept it happened and move on? It's not really funny...

but that is just internet culture, there is no getting away from it, its happened, they make far worse jokes about far worse things.

[Stan.H]

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but I noticed the other (when I was watching TV), they had would of The Smiler crash victims on, to give their view of it reopening and what it was like to be on board the train when t crashed, the called her a "survivor" (within the tagline - Alton Towers Crash Survivor Speak...). To my knowledge, I don't think anyone died, so how can they call her a survivor?

[Sawboss]

Exactly what I thought. 'Alton Towers survivor', ooh so like everyone who's ever been to Alton Towers? :P

People should think about what words actually mean before using them.

[JCP]

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but I noticed the other (when I was watching TV), they had would of The Smiler crash victims on, to give their view of it reopening and what it was like to be on board the train when t crashed, the called her a "survivor" (within the tagline - Alton Towers Crash Survivor Speak...). To my knowledge, I don't think anyone died, so how can they call her a survivor?

Exactly what I thought. 'Alton Towers survivor', ooh so like everyone who's ever been to Alton Towers? :P

People should think about what words actually mean before using them.

Because two people lost legs with one guest haemorrhaging so much blood the paramedics almost lost her twice. The resort entered into 'major incident' status and guests were air lifted blood from a nearby hospital in an attempt to keep them alive. I'd say it's pretty fair to call them survivors seeing as they quite literally survived.

I think it's pretty pour and ill thought for you to question that because someone didn't die. What a horrific outlook on a incident of this scale. I think people on here should think carefully about what words actually mean before using them.

[Sawboss]

My point was that it was another case of sensationalism by the media, but whatever, you take that moral high ground and you hold it like a trooper.

[JCP]

My point was that it was another case of sensationalism by the media, but whatever, you take that moral high ground and you hold it like a trooper.

There is no sensationalism though - to say they survived is a pretty fair statement of fact. Whilst certain tabloids have indeed sensationalised the event previously, they all seem to generally be providing positive PR at the moment for the resort and that is something that is desperately needed. Marketing is a fickle business and unfortunately the resort have to take the bad headlines along with the good, it's not a one way street.

I've taken no moral high ground.

[Sawboss]

That's fair enough, your reply just hit a nerve. I want to stress I've never said anything against the victims and have got nothing but respect for all the people on that train.

[Stan.H]

My point was that it was another case of sensationalism by the media, but whatever, you take that moral high ground and you hold it like a trooper.

There is no sensationalism though - to say they survived is a pretty fair statement of fact. Whilst certain tabloids have indeed sensationalised the event previously, they all seem to generally be providing positive PR at the moment for the resort and that is something that is desperately needed. Marketing is a fickle business and unfortunately the resort have to take the bad headlines along with the good, it's not a one way street.

I've taken no moral high ground.

Yeah but all of the media have completely burned Alton Towers, from Newspapers, to Social Media, to Youtube and TV they have made out what happened is much, much more worse than it actually is; yes, it was a major incident, but they have made it seem like it was way more bigger than it actually was.

[Aidan Lowe]

For anyone on the Alton Towers SW8 news group on FB a couple of security employees at Alton Towers took to the discussion of The Smiler re-opening.

One of them to some extent defended/sympathized with the people responsible saying "There's so much information that's not been shared and I'm not at liberty to say, but the whole blame being on the ride operator is completely unfair, because it's not." while the other simply called Alton Towers ran by "kids with no life skills what's so ever".

As soon as the news broke of this incident last year experts in the industry couldn't fathom how it happened and there and then said human error was involved.

I merely pointed out to these individuals that it had to be manually overridden by whoever was working that day, its the only logical explanation?! They started replying to me and others with vulgarity and in response said that information has been "filtered to satisfy the general public". Whether there is more to it than first thought I'm not sure and were likely to never find out.



Interesting. :-$

[Sawboss]

Wake up, sheeple!

Yeah if their first response is to insult you, I'm betting they've got nothing.

Also smacks slightly of disgruntled employees.

[theparklifekid]

have the towers said anything on the reopening of the ride?