Jack Yesner Week 21- Questioning My Safety

 Three weeks ago, I went to Universal with my family and rode the ride Doctor Doom Free Fall. The nearly two hundred foot tall drop tower shoots riders up into the sky and bounces them back down to the ground quickly. While I have ridden this ride many times before, it had been my first ride on it in over two years, and I had become unaccustomed to the remarkable forces the ride produces. As far as drop towers go, the height of Doctor Doom is actually rather small. Drop towers can reach well upwards of three hundred feet, like the Busch Gardens Ride Falcon’s Fury, which I only narrowly missed out on due to a torrential afternoon rainstorm. But none compare to the massive 430 foot tall Orlando FreeFall, built at ICON Park in the heart of Orlando. I did not get to ride this relatively new attraction, but after hearing that a fourteen year-old rider fell out of their seat and plummeted over two hundred feet to their death, I was glad I missed out on the experience. But hearing of this tragedy had a far larger effect on me than my initial relief, and I am still questioning my values today.

My first thought after my initial relief was dread. Would this ride shut down? Would other drop towers follow suit? Is it safe to ride these rides any more? My questions were only heightened when my mom proclaimed at dinner that this was a “horrible tragedy” and I must not “ride any of these rides ever again”. But what about the other ten times I had ridden these rides in the past? Should I let one incident spoil these rides for me forever?

My inner conflict did somewhat resolve itself over the following few days. After extensive investigation into the practices of the Orlando FreeFall and ICON Park it was determined that many safety practices were not being followed to the highest degree. Lazy workers of the park did not check safety restraints and made riders secure themselves before launching the ride. On the exact ride where the death occurred, a video taken by a bystander shows riders questioning their security in the restraints and doubting they were in safely. This is in stark contrast to the policies of Universal and other theme parks, which take large priority in safety by creating multi-step harnesses which are checked by attendants before every ride. 

So is it still safe to go on these rides? In my opinion, yes. One incident should not be the sole reason we stop taking part in activities. We still ride in cars and planes despite deadly crashes occurring often, so why should this circumstance be any different? Instead, what this tragedy has taught me is to always be alert and safe in any situation. Now, I will make sure my harness is completely secure before a ride departs, and if an individual attraction seems unsafe, I will protect myself and refrain from riding.

Have you ever ridden a ride such as Orlando FreeFall? Would you now after hearing of this tragedy? Can an incident occurring in the present affect your past perceptions and experiences?