Kenversations™
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Guests
What can you do?

Plan ahead. Find out what kinds of attractions await you. Does anyone in your group have any conditions that you need to keep in mind? Do they have dietary or medication needs that will need to be taken care of during your visit?

Peer pressure works wonders. Disapproval of dangerous behavior discourages it. This is especially true of those who are in your group. However, if individuals or an entire group that you’re not with are being hostile, reckless, or disruptive, don’t play cop. Stay aware, keep clear, and make sure the proper people are informed. There’s a difference between speaking up to a rude person on behalf of an employee who isn’t allowed to (or in the absence of an employee) and sticking your nose where it really doesn’t belong, or where it could get broken.

Parental supervision works wonders. Make sure your child is prepared:

Tell your child to do as told, and to follow what you do. Make it clear to them that when they’re on a ride, they need to follow the rules and remain seated until asked to disembark. They shouldn’t move to leave until you do.

Determine if an attraction is suitable for your child’s temperament, size, and experience level.

Do not force your child to ride something to ride something they are afraid of. They can become irrational and hysterical, even jumping out of moving vehicles. Do not lie to the child to get them to ride. Most will grow out of their fears naturally, but forcing them into what amounts to a traumatic experience where they have no control is not the way to go, and lying to them about how "scary" something is will only diminish their trust in you.

If you are already riding an attraction and your child starts to panic, do not jump off. Seemingly harmless parts of attractions can actually be dangerous.

Observe the height restrictions and warning signs. Do not argue with, berate, insult, plead with, or try to circumvent a park host or hostess who is enforcing safety guidelines. Those guidelines are in place to protect you and your child. Neither you nor your child is an exception to the rules. The park employee is not getting paid enough to put up with such nonsense, and such behavior on your part exposes you as a bad parent and a jerk in general.

Self control works wonders:

Know your limits. Over-exertion, heatstroke, exhaustion, dehydration, lack of sleep - these are all things to look out for. Also, some people are better than others at handling rougher or more thrilling rides.

Customer demand works wonders. If you notice something that needs attention, let park management know while you are there, and follow up after your visit with an e-mail, letter, or call.

Pay attention to warning signs, observe restrictions on who should ride an attraction, and listen to directions from park workers. Take all of these things seriously. Ask questions if you do not understand something - explain your concerns.

Observe the equipment and physical condition of the facility. If it looks run down and isn’t supposed to, don’t ride.

Observe the operators. Are they attentive? Do they seem competent?

Remain seated until asked to disembark. Keep every part of you and your belongings in the boundaries of the vehicle.

For the love of all that’s decent, do not touch, splash, or drink flume or "river" water. Rides where you are supposed to get wet have treated water, but you still shouldn’t drink it, and splashing it involves putting your hand where it should not be anyway.

Listen to the operators, and do what they say, unless they are clearly confused. They know the machinery much better than you do.

In the extremely unlikely event that you are present when something goes wrong, don’t interfere. No matter how good your intentions are, you can make things worse if you don’t understand what you are doing. Follow directions instead.

Do not, and do not allow your children to climb or stand on something that isn’t specifically intended for that purpose. I’ve seen the results of such behavior, and it ain’t pretty.

Don’t go anywhere you clearly aren’t supposed to, or through doors marked "Employees Only", "Authorized Personnel Only", or anything similar. Do not go through doors marked "Emergency Exit" unless there is an actual emergency or you are directed to do so by a park employee. A ride breaking down is not an emergency.

Some other things you might not be thinking about when it comes to theme park safety, but should be considered anyway:

Wear sunblock. The last thing you want on your vacation is a horrible sunburn.

Theme park shows and rides are often very loud. You may want to carry hearing protection.

Wear comfortable clothing, including comfortable shoes. You’re going to be walking all day. Be careful about long hair and wearing clothes that are too baggy.

Drink lots of fluids - water, first and foremost. Anything with caffeine will contribute to dehydration. Drinking too much alcohol, especially on a hot day, is not a good at a theme park.

Eat healthy meals. Do not try to save money by eating too little. You are going to be working your body hard while having all of that fun, and you need nutrients, strength, and energy. You might want to carry something like snack bars with you. If you do carry actual food with you, be mindful of spoilage so that you don’t get food poisoning. Don’t overeat while enjoying those themed restaurants. Don’t let your kids overdo the sweets.

Wash your hands before eating anything, and after any visit to the restroom. This sounds like common sense, but plenty of guys visit the restroom and never wash their hands - just so that you know, ladies. Furthermore, just putting your hands on railing is probably exposing you to germs.

Getting back to actual ride accidents…

I believe "rider responsibility" laws can actually help reduce theme park accidents and should be supported if theme parks are going to be regulated specifically by states. Without them, people may feel free to be more reckless, assuming that it is the park’s responsibility to protect them from their own gross negligence and that, even if they are injured, it will mean they’ll be financially set for life. Unfortunately, their stupidity can also result in others, like you, getting injured.

In general, however…