This
is a recent letter sent to our Chairman, Andy Hine from Holiday World
President Will Koch
It is time to add my voice to the discussion about coaster enthusiasts
and
ride safety. During the investigation that followed the tragic accident
at
Holiday World earlier this season, we became aware of actions taken by and
encouraged by a number of enthusiasts. We are appalled
to learn that this minority of
enthusiasts continues to practice unsafe and even illegal behavior at
parks,
and brag about it on the Internet. For this reason, we will not host
any
special events for coaster enthusiasts in 2004. We are also initiating
a Zero
Tolerance Policy in regards to safety. In the past, we have relied on
a stern
warning and ejection from the park when a rider broke a safety rule.
Effective
immediately, a park guest who compromises his or her own or
others safety will be
permanently banned from the park. This Zero Tolerance Policy extends
to false
and harmful information spread on the various Internet newsgroups and
forums.
This includes posting advice about how to defeat safety devices and how
to
sneak cameras (when forbidden) onto coasters. It also includes making
libelous
claims regarding park policies and procedures. Coaster clubs are at risk
of
losing the trust of parks. The future of these relationships and special
events
may well be at stake. We urge you to take a Zero Tolerance stand with
your
members. We encourage you to communicate with other clubs as
well as parks as we
work together to weed out the bad influence that threatens to erode a
friendship we have grown to treasure over the years. Please share this
letter with your
members.Sincerely,
Will Koch
President and General Manager
Holiday World and Splashin' Safari |
