US Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced the Amusement Park Ride Child Labor Act of 2004 to Congress. The legislation, if passed, will require that amusement ride operators be at least 18. Some states and some companie already make it a requirement. There is no research that pins more frequent accidents on younger ride operators.
I think this is dumb. We have other problems going on in this country, but we have time to cover an issue like this...
I know all that's happened with ride accidients and what not this year, but think about it. You let 16 yr olds drive cars and obtain a liscense. in my opinion, you're more likely to get killed in a car accidient by some punk 16 yr old kid, then if that same kid were operating a coaster.
It's not like a park will shove 2-3 16 yr. old kids on one coaster and make them operate it. The crew leader is usually older and can handle a conflict if one should occur.
^ Thats assuming it gets passed, which honestly I have no doubt it will. Like most bills that have to do with teens and limiting things they can do, it will easily be passed.
I guess I'm going to be the odd one out and say that I acually agree with this bill. 16 year olds cannot drive busses or trucks without a CDL which you cannot get if you are not 18 years of age. I would rather have a crew of 18 year olds running a ride (although most is computer controled) than 16 and 17 year olds.
And 2 years is not that long to wait to become a ride operator. You can still work at the park you will just have to work sweeps or consessions. in my opinion it gives you good park experience.
But sn't ride op sorta a young teen thing. I'm not sayin 14 year olds, but just a summer job 4 16-17 year olds. When your 18, you wanna look for a "real job" start persueing your career, or college.
And ride ops don't use busses and trucks. And the top of the chain would be six flags management, and they're far from that.
Yeah, this is dumb. If I'm 16 and I can drive a car but I can't check a harness and press a few buttons thats pretty dumb. Think of it this way try and tell me an 18 year old will do a better job then a 16 year old with a good explanation? I don't think it's possiblle because this is a dumb thing. Oh and also I'm betting that if all of these recent accidents didn't happen we would have never heard of this. Now they just want to make it seem like 16 and 17 year olds are to blame, at least that's how I look at it.
The only thing this would do raise prices for everything. That’s all. Prices will go up since they going to pay their workers more. They have no data whatsoever that shows that a 16-year-old person is more likely to do something wrong then an 18 year old. I believe all the accidents that have recently happened, has been 18 + ride ops running the ride. So it just a pointless Agenda.
Another thing is sterotyping. Not all 16 yr. old kids are dumb and stupid and "punks" as some might call them. Besides, wether you drive a truck, bus, or car, you're still driving, and it still can be dangerous. The car is the most dangerous weapon you will most likely ever use in your lifetime next to a gun (if you ever use one, that is)
If congress can give a vaild reason on how a person 18 yrs old will do a 110% better job than a 16 yr old, then maybe it would be ok. None of this crap about 18 yr olds being more responsible and mature, because 16 yr olds can be that way too.
I was just thinking about this the other day. In light of recent events, I think this is the right thing to do. I would imagine that most of the kids that want to work at the park want to be a ride-op because it's "cool" and "fun". But this is a very serious job. You are operating heavy machinery. The second you push the button to start the ride, every passenger is in your care. The ride-ops do a fine job from everything I have seen, but personally I would feel better if they were adults.
If anything, I think there should be at least one person working a ride who is an adult that could act as a supervisor for the entire group.
^ Yeah, but that is usually how it is. Most of the time the oldest person is the crew leader for the ride, watching over the other ops at all times.
I know it wouldn't be a bad thing, but when I'm 18, I'm outta high school and thinking about a real job/college years that lie ahead of me, not some part-time job at a theme park for the summer.
Aw come on. You cant be a moron and be a ride op. You have to pass tests and you are under the watch of everyone at the park. If you do something stupid the park is going to hear about it. I dont think this bill is really nessasary, because the parks are smart enough to get the right people doing the right job.
Interesting, it really does'nt apply to me, since I won't be working at SFGAm..........yet. But rest assured when I get out of High School, Gurnee here I come! Job opening at SFGAm, "I'll take it!"
Besides, I'll be 18 in about 6 months! So being a ride op at SFGAm, no problem!
This is stupid. The only reason why they want 18 year olds to work is because they are supposedly more responsible than a 16 year old, and they are now adults because they can vote.
If you think of it logically, how can two years make you mature? It takes a whole lot longer than that. So if you agree with this, think of when you were 10 and then 12. Did you mature in the two years besides (physical appearance)?
I give you an example of what I mean. I was at a Northern game in Dekalb because my dad went there before, and they won. So, the students decided to go on the field and tear down the top of the field goal posts. They ripped it off and dumped into a river. Real mature???? College kids are 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and higher. So, now do know why I say it's stupid??
And have you ever seen that at a high school game?..........NO!!!I think that this bill is the stupisest thing they can worry about right now with the war going on and all that.
This would be really bad news for SFGAm if it ever became a law. I'm sure that a lot of their employees are 16 and 17... It's already hard enough for them to find people, just imagine how short-staffed they'd be in the fall when all the 18+year olds go back to college. Who would work then?
Well, since SFGAm is open only when school is out, and closes when school starts (in most cases-not fright fest), I think this would make a big difference.
aero737 wrote:I would rather have a mature person at the conrtolls and be short staffed than have a 16 year old joking with his friends and have enough staff.
So would I. But SFGAm won't (at least they shouldn't) hire a joker for a ride op. A ride op has a responsibility to operate the ride safely no matter what age. So making impossible for responsible 16-17 year olds who want a ride op job is a terrible thing to do.
