Too Much Federal Regulation? Caleb Died at Schlitterbahn.

This makes me sick to my stomach. This stupid "water park" has been 'in the works' for 8 years now.

Their ridiculous "world's tallest water slide" has been abortively opened several times.
Last week a little kid - a ten-year-old - was killed due to ineffective safety restraint systems.

HOW does this happen?

Oh. Wait - I know how it happens! Schlitterbahn is promised millions in tax benefits (paying no taxes) if they build their park in Kansas. So they do. It was a grand scheme, a lovely plan ----- I've been paying attention to it since 2008, and it's STILL not totally open.

But anyway - they built the Verruckt (or whatever). Never mind the other stuff.....they get visitors. So - this water slide.
Kid and two women who were strangers to him. Their raft flies off the ride.....the kid's 'neck injury' results in his death (some say "he was decapitated").

THIS IS KANSAS. Kansas offered Schlitterbahn this fantastic incentive to build their park here ---- promising NO OVERSIGHT worth mentioning!!! Yay!
So - protracted construction project goes on for years ------ fallow some years, bustling during others ---------- the "water slide" went up first.

IT STILL DOES NOT WORK RIGHT.

"KANSAS" inspectors are in charge.
You see? You see what happens when private companies are given tax breaks and not inspected or regulated?

Because, Amusement parks aren't under Federal Regulation. NOPE. It is the fault of KANSAS "regulation" and "inspection" that this adorable kid is now DEAD.


Weight of riders in fatal Schlitterbahn accident was within limits, according to police report

The three people riding the raft involved in the death of an Olathe boy at Schlitterbahn Kansas City water park, weighed a total of 545 pounds, according to Kansas City, Kan., police.

video from KC Star

Yeah. This adorable kid was killed (either decapitated or from a "neck injury") riding this damn thing.
The video gives a very good explanation about how lax has been the oversight, inspection process, etc. And why is this such a big deal?

That kid (God love ya, Caleb) was the son of one of our State legislators who promote such crap.

Gave the company a tax break and promised a blind eye. MANY years later, aborted "openings". Now, a kid has died. HOW LONG are we supposed to say "this is fine....meh....stupid kid...."


NO!!!!!

No. This is not okay.
Kansas under Brownback has failed, has so miserably failed. We residents are still treading water somehow, though ------- *blows emergency whistle*

Not more than a couple of weeks ago, we voted a lot of those people OUT OF TOPEKA......
yeah.

Kid is dead. "Business favors" and 'brotherhood handshakes' are NOT OKAY.
Anyway - maybe this should be in rant, but I'm putting it here. It is yet more fallout from the debacle of Brownback's stupidity....
in fact, last week he denied it was even about his policies!


Brownback in election denial

Our editorial last Sunday asked whether Gov. Sam Brownback would listen to voters and be willing to change course. An interview he did recently made clear the answer is “no.”

I'm just going to leave this here. And see if anyone is actually paying attention.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs


But, Buzzy, we have to deregulate and let the wisdom and good intentions of corporations take care of these things. Let the 'Hidden Hand' prevail. Once more kids are killed on this venture, maybe a dozen or so, enough customers will see it is not safe, quit going to it and the venture will fail. Eventually that is. In the mean time............

If he wasn't "adorable" would this still be an issue? Kinda offensive to all the not so adorable kids out there.

Seems like you are using this kid as prop for bashing this project. How many kids die a day from accidents?

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I'm going to have to say that you're barking up the wrong tree--a lack of federal regulation is not what got this kid killed. There are numerous things that are regulated by the government that get people killed--prescription drugs, cars, restaurant food, vaccines, baby cribs, etc., etc. The list could go on forever.

Yes, it's POSSIBLE that federal regulation could have avoided this incident, but it's impossible to prove.

It's a terrible story all around, though, because I'm quite certain that there is not a single person involved in this park or the deal with the state that wanted something like this to happen.

And if I recall correctly, were a few other people interviewed who said that their restraints malfunctioned on the ride, too? It seems as though the restraints were of a poor design. But like with everything else in the world, it takes multiple accidents in order for change to happen, and I am willing to bet that these restraints will absolutely get changed because of what happened sooner rather than later. It is a shame that Caleb (the name of my son, so it's a little creepy) had to die, but I'm willing to bet that the federal government wouldn't have stopped it from happening, as is proven by the myriad other things that it regulates that still result in the deaths of people.

a reply to: Orionx2

That dozen or so kids I mentioned above, among them you will find the 'not so adorable' ones. Now all is well and corporate greed is sanctioned because adorable and un-adorable kids will be killed equally.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I get so tired of the whole regulation vs deregulation stupidity. It's about the proper regulation -- no more and no less -- to protect the best interests of the people. And safety is at the absolute top of the list.

This is a tragedy that never should have happened... but if any good can come of this, let's hope this is a shrill wakeup call for legislators going forward. Sometimes we have to learn our lessons the hard way it seems. However, those are also the lessons we learn best.

RIP Caleb.

Unfortunately, I only foresee one thing coming of this tragedy. The park will put up signs (probably in small letters) in the park and in front of the slide that you use it at your own risk.

Now, had a cop been involved (saying handing out candy in the line) in any way, there would already be rioters and protestors outside the park.

Oh yeah, I forgot the whole regulation thing (mostly because I got to the point where I really don't care for the argument anymore but...), and regulations are not the problem. Instead of regulating theme parks, how about holding them legally liable. i.e. ~ a death on a ride means manslaughter charges for the manager on duty or the person responsible as well as the park owner. And that is prior to civil cases for negligence.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Believe me, I have shed many tears for Caleb over the last week. I have a little boy his age and this death really hit close to my heart.

I don't see why this slide was ever built with a second hill that effectively serves as a ramp. I'm surprised the park even found a liability insurer -- and I hope they have to pay millions to the family. That should undo promised tax incentives and, hopefully, force the park to make changes. I assume that's how the Kansas state government decided an industry-regulated approach would work.

So, it seems Kansas' state laws on regulation are part of the problem --leaving it to the industry to regulate itself. Most/Many states have an agency that inspects amusement park rides.

I'm not sure federal regulation would have helped though because the federal government does regulate transportable amusement park rides and people are injured and killed on them, as well, due to safety issues. So, federal regulation is not fail-proof either.

I think it's in Caleb's family's hands now to make sure the park and their liability insurer are hit hard in the pocketbook because that's what is going to force the most change within the park and hopefully serve as a lesson to other amusement parks in Kansas.

In the land of free-market, unrestrained/deregulated/unregulated capitalism, these things are allowed to happen. The solution is that, when one has a problem with a company over its operation or product, one takes the company to court. So, in Kansas, the grand Koch ideology experiment, the parents will now be able to use their only power that they have under the Libertarian govt; they can sue.

My husband and I were discussing this accident the other day. Yes, the weights were within tolerance, barely, but we wondered if that does take into account weight distribution with two massively larger adults as an effect, or outside factors such as wind. It was reported that the two women had minor facial injuries. At the time, there was a news interview with a couple who said that their restraints had become detached when they rode.

It was a sickening accident.

originally posted by: Orionx2
If he wasn't "adorable" would this still be an issue? Kinda offensive to all the not so adorable kids out there.

Seems like you are using this kid as prop for bashing this project. How many kids die a day from accidents?

Well, just think, 545lbs minus what, 80lbs for a 10 year old. 465lbs for the pair of women, he was riding with altogether 2 very heavy woman. Someone wasn't paying attention.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: JDeLattre89

Less regulation but more laws. I see that as six of one and half a dozen of the other. Except lawyers will get richer in one scenario.

sure, put a 10 year old in a rubber raft,send it down a water slide at speeds of up to 65 MPH, what could possibly go wrong? I have to question the parents judgement for allowing him to use the water slide.anything that travels at 65 has a an extremely high probability of killing you if something should go wrong,and there is always a chance that something could go wrong.
people need to take some personal responsibility for their foolish decisions,just because a big corporation might tell you that it would fun and perfectly safe to dive off of niagra falls doesn`t absolve you of personal responsibility if you should dive off niagra falls and things go very bad.

It`s a shame that a 10 year old had to pay with his life for the poor and reckless decisions that his parents made.

The water slide owners will duck their responsibilities also by blaming the company that made the safety harness,which more than likely is a chinese based company that is immune to U.S. lawsuits.

Government regulations? no amount of regulations will make something accident proof or fool proof. If people need the government to tell them that riding a rubber raft down a man made water fall at 65 MPH has a very high risk of causing death should something go wrong, then those people shouldn`t be allowed to leave their house without adult supervision.

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: Orionx2
If he wasn't "adorable" would this still be an issue? Kinda offensive to all the not so adorable kids out there.

Seems like you are using this kid as prop for bashing this project. How many kids die a day from accidents?

Well, just think, 545lbs minus what, 80lbs for a 10 year old. 465lbs for the pair of women, he was riding with altogether 2 very heavy woman. Someone wasn't paying attention.

Cheers - Dave

Right, crap happens.. So it is the lack of federal regulations or whatever the OP was on about? I think it was lack of parks maintenance not some tax break for Kansas, but I digress.

a reply to: Orionx2

Right, crap happens.. So it is the lack of federal regulations or whatever the OP was on about? I think it was lack of parks maintenance not some tax break for Kansas, but I digress.

WTF is wrong with you?

Do you honestly not understand how politics influence "businesses"? You are unaware of the slip-shod organizations that are milking the state [taxpayers], and promising crap that never actually happens?


Yes, you 'digress' and also speak about things you don't understand.
So - go back to start. Do not collect $2000......

a reply to: Tardacus

I have to question the parents judgement for allowing him to use the water slide.anything that travels at 65 has a an extremely high probability of killing you if something should go wrong,and there is always a chance that something could go wrong.

Right?!!!

And he was the son of a Congressman......

Edited this out because it was bad even by my standards.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

I think it's in Caleb's family's hands now to make sure the park and their liability insurer are hit hard in the pocketbook because that's what is going to force the most change within the park and hopefully serve as a lesson to other amusement parks in Kansas.

YES. That. Thanks, MotherMayEye.

This has gone on for long enough. And Brownback has the demented audacity to say that the ouster of dozens earlier this month had nothing to do with his "failed policies."



It's despicable, and disgusting.

Really?

originally posted by: Orionx2

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: Orionx2
If he wasn't "adorable" would this still be an issue? Kinda offensive to all the not so adorable kids out there.

Seems like you are using this kid as prop for bashing this project. How many kids die a day from accidents?

Well, just think, 545lbs minus what, 80lbs for a 10 year old. 465lbs for the pair of women, he was riding with altogether 2 very heavy woman. Someone wasn't paying attention.

Cheers - Dave

Right, crap happens.. So it is the lack of federal regulations or whatever the OP was on about? I think it was lack of parks maintenance not some tax break for Kansas, but I digress.

All I know is you don't stick two hippos into a raft with an impala and send it down a 30 degree incline hoping nothing bad will happen. The regulators are idiots for not checking this out properly, the park owners are idiots for not having a safe design commissioned and built, the Kansas goverment are idiots for hiring idiots and giving idiots tax breaks and the guy who runs the ride, he's just a moron hired by idiots supported by other government idiots.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: SlapMonkey

I'm going to have to say that you're barking up the wrong tree--

a lack of federal regulation is not what got this kid killed.

Lack of ANY serious regulation was what "got this kid killed."

Wow. Do you have a kid? A son?

There are numerous things that are regulated by the government that get people killed--prescription drugs, cars, restaurant food, vaccines, baby cribs, etc., etc. The list could go on forever.

Yes, the list could go on forever.

Yes, it's POSSIBLE that federal regulation could have avoided this incident, but it's impossible to prove.

I'm sure Caleb's mom will be relieved. Because - Caleb's dad is a Kansas legislator. I have to say ----- no. There is NO EXCUSE for this negligence.

Is that what you really want to go with? Because, NO.