Six Flags Handicap Policy.

Due to the American public suing over every little thing this is what
businesses are forced to do to cover their backsides. While it seems
terribly unfair I understand why the policy is in place and believe
that they have every right to protect themselves from a litigious
public.

It's not about discriminating against anyone it's about protecting
themselves. These are two very different things.

Did you ever ask yourself what sort of incident occured that caused
them to change their policy in the first place? Something happened to
put this policy change in motion.

You think that Six Flags makes money by disallowing disabled persons
onto they're rides? Can you explain that to me, because that sounds
like utter hog wash. Why do you think they have height limits for kids
on rides? It's for the kids safety and the safety of the other people
on the ride because children will not fit safely and securely in their
seats.

The "concentration camp" comment is vulgar I hope you rethink you're
statements because that is not the same equation and this I not the
companies intentions, comparing something like this to such a horrific
event only makes you look like the bad guy, because in no way is
situation similiar in any such way.

Plus... it's probably being looked at as FOD.


Foreign object damage is no joke.

Sounds like they may also be worried about the brace becoming
dislodged and fouling up the mechanics. And if that happens... "Just
this once, Rose - everyone dies!"

Same reason why some amusement parks demand I take off my glasses.

Simple - they don't want to have to pay the medical bills if she gets
hurt.


Can she not take the brace off for the duration of the ride? I mean
it's not as if she'll be standing on the foot in question while she's
sitting on a roller coaster.

Your wife's academic and professional achievements are 100% unrelated
to her wearing of a leg brace.

I'd be really ticked that you even SUGGESTED (whether it was said in
anger, jest or whatever!) that the disabled should be shipped off to
concentration camps. How thoughtless!

Who really has a problem with her condition?

And if being disabled in a mall or grocery store was hazardous to
either the patron or the other guests around them, there would likely
be a need to implement similar policies. Since it's not, they don't.

Your arguments about your wife's active lifestyle, while impressive,
have little to do with the fact that a body traveling at a high rate
of speed with a prosthetic that can not be definitively secured is a
hazard not just to the person whose prostehetic it is, but to everyone
around them. It's sad that you can't get over your own needless anger
to see that.

Perhaps instead of futilely posting angry public diatribes denouncing
6 Flags, you and your very smart and capable wife should put your
heads together and come up with a safe solution that would benefit all
differently abled people. There is clearly a need for solutions here,
not more problem!

I too was ok with your complaint until the concentration camp
comment.

I would feel very uncomfortable removing a prosthetic device so that
person would be able to ride on one of Six Flags rides as well as
helping them on & off the ride.

I would imagine that Six Flags wants every guest to have a safe visit.


As for suing the company...it probably has happened. This does not
pertain to handicapped individuals, but when I worked at a water park
as a teenager back in the 1980's, there was a sign at the front of the
park warning that when the wave pool is on, pregnant individuals,
individuals with heart conditions, & individuals who cannot swim are
not allowed in there. At that time I thought it was crazy that the
water park had to display a sign stating that since common sense would
tell you not to do that, but someone probably sued them.

It is unfortunate that policies like this have to be put in place, but
because other people do sue, it has to be done.

How does your wife feel about the policy? Does she feel that it is
discriminatory? Would she want a Six Flags employee to remove her
prosthetic device? Would she want you to organize protests? Would she
want you to e-mail everyone you know & then ask them to forward that
e-mail to others?

Your wife seems like a remarkable person.

I was ok with your complaint up to the concentration camp comment.

I dont see any problem with the new rule. Some people just have to
realize that they cant do things other people can. Should we remove
the "you must be this tall to ride" rule? I mean it discriminates
against short people. If they fall out or hurt themselves its their
choice, except the sue afterwards.

With all due respect Vincent, I am handicapped (I prefer disabled) and
I truly understand the reasoning behind this policy. You said it
yourself, people are not cookies cut out in the same shape but
unfortunately the young people running the rides do not have the
capability to determine who can or cannot ride safely due to a
disability.

Instead of becoming enraged how about supporting a policy that would
allow differently abled persons such as your wife to waive their
rights to sue if something happens to them on (from what I see only a
few rides). More than likely the policy came about because someone
sued after something happened to them on one of those rides.

Does your wife know you wrote this letter? I would think a person
with her level of education would understand better than most simple
physics and flying objects. It simply makes ssnse that sometimes the
safety of many outweighs the needs of others. Having suffered a
traumatic injury at such a young age I am sure she would understand
the potential hazard of a loose prosthetic.

Never mind I finally found it
http://www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia/assets/pdf/ADAGuide_SFOG.pdf

It applies to TWO rides. TWO.

Universal Orlando has rides as well that asks you to remove prosthetic
as well
http://www.universalorlando.com/Images/Riders_Guide_tcm13-26195.pdf

so do about 5 others that I found, including disney and dorney park
NJ.

Do you have a link to this policy? I looked on the site and could not
find it and actually really interested in what it says.

Firstly, this is a safety issue. If a leg brace or any prosthetic
comes flying off, it would be dangerous. Do you really expect staff
with no medical training to help people in and out of their
prosthetics? Where is that line going to be drawn - just after your
wife qualifies as a rider? My quadriplegic friend would probably have
something to say about how fair THAT policy is.
The other point is about dignity. The staff see your wife with a leg
brace. Are you OK with them questioning and inspecting her to see the
nature of her disability and if the brace is secure? Where would they
do that? At the start of the line or right before the ride?
It's unfortunate that your wife - or anyone else - is
differently-abled. But the reality is that there are just some things
that some people can't do. There's really no need for over-the-top
histrionics about banning people from places and sending them to
concentration camps.

Do you have a link to the policy?

I wonder if there was an incident that led to a lawsuit that prompted
this.

And Kudos to your wife for doing all she has.