Accident at Stampede - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

frinkprof · 07-16-2010, 11:47 PM

Possibly the most alarming piece of information to come out of this thread:

NarbeZ has kids!?

Otto-matic · 07-16-2010, 11:49 PM

Even the Giant Wheel gave me the willys. Hearing the metal creek everytime the car starts to shake, I wanted off immediately.

Titan · 07-16-2010, 11:57 PM

I am less concerned about the kids running the rides than the potheads that set them up and maintain them. A cursory look at the rides gives the impression they are not cared for well.

Russic · 07-16-2010, 11:59 PM

A firefighter buddy of mine was working tonight at the grounds. I'm guessing he'll have a story tomorrow.

henriksedin33 · 07-17-2010, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I hope this A-hole is banned from twitter for his over exaggeration of the situation.

what a dick.

gotta love when people spread false rumors as first-hand fact

STeeLy · 07-17-2010, 01:58 AM

Ok... This is an ALMOST first hand account... I was actually standing right next the candy apple place just in front of it when it happened.

It was not the ocean motion, it was the one directly to the left of it if you're facing the c-train tracks and the ocean motion was in front of you.

I don't remember what time, but it was still bright out. I work with a group of teens who have slight mental disabilities. We were just standing around then I heard a bunch of screams (but didn't pay attention to that because people scream at rides) then I saw a bunch of people just rushing off the ride and wondered what was going on. I lost sight of one of the person in my group and then saw a crashed set of carts (They were green) on the far side of the ride. Not knowing WTF just happened, I went around and saw the guy I lost sight of there. These guys were my first priority, I had to make sure they were safe before anything else.

Then I noticed a few people just lying there on the ride's platform (no idea if they were conscious or not), then there was one on the ground about a foot away from me and there were about 5 people crowding around him.

Security, Paramedics and Police came by very quickly to clear the area once the operator shut it down. A few of the surrounding rides temporarily shut down to make way for a fire truck and 4 - 5 ambulances (There was another fire department vehicle there as well). Yellow tape went up pretty quickly and then red tape also went up around the ride. A tow truck came after the fire truck and ambulances went and had those metal fences and closed off the immediate area around that ride completely.

I sent out a text to the other leaders in my group (a group of 12, 3 leaders, we split up) to tell them of what just happened and stay clear of that area because it was honestly a mess with a whole crowd of people surrounding it, gladly no one in our group was on it or was injured by it. I called home and told my mom to call another friend's mom to see if her daughter was ok because I saw her maybe an hour beforehand (I didn't have her number or else I woulda called/text myself).

It honestly, nearly scared the out of me seeing a guy lying down a foot or so away from me.

SebC · 07-17-2010, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckluck

A merry go round? those things are more dangerous than any ride at the stampede.

Weren't the ones in Calgary all removed a long time ago because of safety concerns?

Russic · 07-17-2010, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SebC

Weren't the ones in Calgary all removed a long time ago because of safety concerns?

Chinook centre still has one.

Draug · 07-17-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titan

I am less concerned about the kids running the rides than the potheads that set them up and maintain them. A cursory look at the rides gives the impression they are not cared for well.

For the cost of the ride tickets, you'd think they could hire some high quality and responsible staff....

The ride tickets cost $1 each (or about 95 cents each) if you buy a large amount. The average ride takes 5 or 6 tickets. For $5 or $6 a rider, the money should be there to not be forced into hiring potheads...

mrdeeds · 07-17-2010, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draug

For the cost of the ride tickets, you'd think they could hire some high quality and responsible staff....

The ride tickets cost $1 each (or about 95 cents each) if you buy a large amount. The average ride takes 5 or 6 tickets. For $5 or $6 a rider, the money should be there to not be forced into hiring potheads...

That would cut into their profits though. In the end, that is the important thing to them. Some low-level heads may role, but this is just a minor setback.

Mirajj · 07-17-2010, 10:30 AM

Additionally, who else would do that short of sh*t job? Stand there, watch folks do the amusement thing for minimum wage. We're lucky they can get anyone at all.

peter12 · 07-17-2010, 11:53 AM

It's basically part of the chance you take when you go on any carnival ride. Old machines set up by incompetent carnies. I don't know why anyone would bother in the first place.

macker · 07-17-2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter12

It's basically part of the chance you take when you go on any carnival ride. Old machines set up by incompetent carnies. I don't know why anyone would bother in the first place.

My kids went on 74 rides on Wednesday and went from 9am to 11pm and they would tell you the main reason they did so was because it was fun....I don't quite get it anymore either as most of the rides make me dizzy and sick but kids love it. I don't think this will stop many...I still go on the West Edmonton mall roller coaster btw...

arloiginla · 07-17-2010, 12:45 PM

Yikes I was there at that time but went on that green ride that spins you around and then moves sideways. Didn't hear anything happen until after.

peter12 · 07-17-2010, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macker

My kids went on 74 rides on Wednesday and went from 9am to 11pm and they would tell you the main reason they did so was because it was fun....I don't quite get it anymore either as most of the rides make me dizzy and sick but kids love it. I don't think this will stop many...I still go on the West Edmonton mall roller coaster btw...

Read my first sentence.

chalms04 · 07-17-2010, 03:20 PM

I'm surprised it wasn't the Zipper. Half the fun of it is hearing it creak and wondering if it's going to break on you.

Russic · 07-17-2010, 03:24 PM

Had a chat with my fireman friend ... sounds like it was quite the scene. They were in charge of the grandstand show and only had a section of land that they were "allowed" to cover. If anything happened elsewhere on the ground they were to inform the stampede, as the stampede has it's own staff to handle situations like this.

They had an hour to walk the grounds before their shift started and the other guys were giving him a hard time because he said he'd never let his kid ride the rides because he didn't trust the carnies. They called him a wuss and asked when the last time there was a horrible accident. About 20 minutes later they got a call for help as a ride had toppled over and there were "multiple casualties" (they can only go off of the 911 call). Apparently they had to stop a guy in a golf cart and "borrow it" to haul ass over to the crash site. They were yelling at people to get out of the way (who weren't very co-operative) and at one point somebody got hostile with them and wanted to fight.

He said the scene was quite the ****-show with people laying all over the place. Sounds like quite the night.

Frequitude · 07-17-2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titan

I am less concerned about the kids running the rides than the potheads that set them up and maintain them. A cursory look at the rides gives the impression they are not cared for well.

They are apparently inspected every morning.

Mirajj · 07-17-2010, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russic

Apparently they had to stop a guy in a golf cart and "borrow it" to haul ass over to the crash site. They were yelling at people to get out of the way (who weren't very co-operative) and at one point somebody got hostile with them and wanted to fight.

No kidding. I worked a couple summers there, and one day during the event, some drunk chuckleheads moved one of the enormous cement planters close to the edge of the bridge, apparently with the intent to chuck it off. They were run off by Stampede Security, who then couldn't move the planter back into place.

I was working on Grounds Maintenance (which, for the 10 days of the event basically means I just showed up to work and was told to 'go get lost for 8 hours') and got the call to come back to the vehicle depot, get a forklift, two buddies, and go get this thing back to where it was supposed to be.

It took my buddies and I 3 HOURS to get the forklift from the Saddledome to the bridge down by Indian Village...because folks refused to move out of the way. I was both stunned and amused. You'd think that if folks saw a vehicle coming at them, they'd move. But no...they didn't give a damn at all.

Table 5 · 07-17-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macker

My kids went on 74 rides on Wednesday

Your kids spent 400-500 bucks on rides?