Evolution of the Hand Signals

[NightRider785]

I remember the hand signals from the mid to late 90s on rides like Demon, AE, Viper, etc. Simple thumbs up, while the person on the back start button also had their index and middle finger out to indicate 2 riders in the back car (I am curious why they needed to do that back then, but do not now). Today it's like a big show, which my personal opinion is that it's too much. Gotta wave the arm back and fourth, the main operator says (correct me if I am wrong) "Take 5"?? Then before the next train can enter the station the main op has to say "Track Clear".
Anyways, does anyone know the full evolution of this, and why it has gotten so complex?

[FParker185]

Well back in the day, Six Flags had no real insurance, they were self-insured, so they made their own rules, the idea behind 2 people in the back seat had to do with if someone flew from the train, there'd be at least 2 witnesses, unless of course someone in the back seat was up to no good or flew out or whatnot, which of course rendered that policy kinda pointless which is why it was dropped when Time Warner sold to Premeir Parks.

For now, the Take 5 is a physical representation of each employee visually inspecting the entire train and/or operating area of the station/ride to make sure it's clear to start the ride. Part of it probably has to do with a guest being in the ride area of the Polyp/Monster at SFNO when the ride was started and they were killed by the ride. I guess the person was making sure their child was properly secured. It may seem over the top but when it comes to safety really nothing is over the top.

Plus if you want to get super technical, now every single employee can be held responsible for whatever happens, so if something bad happens, each employee can be held personally responsible and can be named by name in a lawsuit rather than just the park in general, so if someone is in the ride area and get's hurt/killed each employee that put their arm up and visually scanned the area for safety is now liable. And if they didn't actually look and just went though the motions, they they are in a big old heap of legal trouble, it doesn't just automatically roll back down to improper training and onto the park.

[NightRider785]

I had always assumed the two riders in the back was a weight thing. Such as the ride possibly needding the proper weight in the back to ride correctly.
That makes more sense. I just assumed it was a PR thing and within a year they'd be required to do a 30 sec dance before the train could leave also.
But I guess if they can be held personally responsible it's a good idea to sort of force them to look, regardless of how goofy it looks

[sixflagsgurneeboy]

I remember as a ride attendant for the first time starting in 1991 how the signals were basic thumbs up. I first noticed the new signal at Xflight and I thought it was just some thing they were doing to add to the ride atmosphere (clear for take off kind of thing) until I saw it was being done park wide. I thought the previous way with the thumbs signal and all attendants pressing enable and controls acknowledging the signal and sending the ride was enough, but I guess they want to be sure like previous post mentioned. Better safe than sorry....

[coasterkid94]

Here's the rundown:

1. The control booth operator announces "Take Five" over the microphone.
2. All of the operators (except the control operator on multi-operator rides) must visually scan the station by rotating their fully extended arm and hand around their field of vision. As they do this, they must check to ensure that the gates, guests, restraints, ride area, and safety zone are all clear (they're checking for five things, hence the name "Take Five").
3. Upon completion of the Take Five safety scan, each operator raises his hand straight in the air (the elbow must lock) with his thumb extended and says "Clear". The operators do not do this all at once; their is a specific order they must follow in giving the "Clear signal".
4. Once all of the platform operators have given the "Clear" signal, the control booth operator ensures that the ride is safe for dispatch and then says "All Clear" and initiates the ride sequence. On roller coasters, the platform operators must continue to raise their hand until the train has left the station.
5. Also on roller coasters, the control booth operator must ensure that the station is safe and say "Clear In" before the next train enters.

[Ilovthevu']

I know this is probably obvious, but the take 5 thing means 5 seconds before the train gets sent. Make sure the area is clear within that 5 seconds because the train is soon going to go after the 5 seconds of the area being clear. It's really a warning to the other workers, and they are checking the area. I think part of the reason you have things like this, is because of an incident I seen a couple years ago. The train was being sent, and a kid was either before the turnstyle at Batman, or he was just outside of it, and he was going to the train, when it was being sent. That could have been a fatality, but thank goodness they stopped the train before it went. That's part of the reason you really have to be on guard when you send a train.

And for rides like V2, and they even look underneath the train for clearing the area which is pretty obvious why.

[Ace]

Here's the rundown:

1. The control booth operator announces "Take Five" over the microphone.
2. All of the operators (except the control operator on multi-operator rides) must visually scan the station by rotating their fully extended arm and hand around their field of vision. As they do this, they must check to ensure that the gates, guests, restraints, ride area, and safety zone are all clear (they're checking for five things, hence the name "Take Five").
3. Upon completion of the Take Five safety scan, each operator raises his hand straight in the air (the elbow must lock) with his thumb extended and says "Clear". The operators do not do this all at once; their is a specific order they must follow in giving the "Clear signal".
4. Once all of the platform operators have given the "Clear" signal, the control booth operator ensures that the ride is safe for dispatch and then says "All Clear" and initiates the ride sequence. On roller coasters, the platform operators must continue to raise their hand until the train has left the station.
5. Also on roller coasters, the control booth operator must ensure that the station is safe and say "Clear In" before the next train enters.

This is the exact method. the reasoning behind it is to give every operator a chance to catch an accident before it happens.

[Necropolis]

Wow! This is kinds cool to learn. I didn't know about this! (Ive never worked at the park) But isn't it slightly dangerous and paranoid to do the 5 part checks in under 90 seconds. I know that at raging bull they have that timer thingy on the wall behind the ride operator and I think it counts down from 90. I take it the most experienced operators are on raging bull? Or whats the reasoning behind that timer clock?

[scottm13]

Wow! This is kinds cool to learn. I didn't know about this! (Ive never worked at the park) But isn't it slightly dangerous and paranoid to do the 5 part checks in under 90 seconds. I know that at raging bull they have that timer thingy on the wall behind the ride operator and I think it counts down from 90. I take it the most experienced operators are on raging bull? Or whats the reasoning behind that timer clock?

The take 5 is meant to be a final check before dispatching a train or starting a ride. You are supposed to be checking those things already while you are doing your duties at the ride. The time clocks on certain rides are there so the crew can get a good idea how fast the are moving/should be moving. Bull's clock counts down from a minute from when the train arrives, and you should be able to dispatch the train before the clock finishes or you will start to stack. The clock on Bull only means anything when there are three trains in operation, and you should just ignore it if there are only two.

[Goku1910]

Wow! This is kinds cool to learn. I didn't know about this! (Ive never worked at the park) But isn't it slightly dangerous and paranoid to do the 5 part checks in under 90 seconds. I know that at raging bull they have that timer thingy on the wall behind the ride operator and I think it counts down from 90. I take it the most experienced operators are on raging bull? Or whats the reasoning behind that timer clock?

You'd be surprised at how much experienced employees can do with 90 seconds....Some like me can do more than expected.

[PfightingPolish]

You'd be surprised at how much experienced employees can do with 90 seconds....Some like me can do more than expected.

This sounds more like a pickup line than a safety thing.

[Goku1910]

not really, once you've worked there for a year, you get so used to it that you don't even need to think about it. You literally just do it.

It like that everywhere, the longer you do something, the better you get at it.

[PfightingPolish]

not really, once you've worked there for a year, you get so used to it that you don't even need to think about it. You literally just do it.

It like that everywhere, the longer you do something, the better you get at it.

I have no doubt you are certainly one of the best ride ops and I thank you for being as fast and as good as you are.

Nonetheless, the humor of my post ... methinks you missed it.

[Necropolis]

Wow! This is kinds cool to learn. I didn't know about this! (Ive never worked at the park) But isn't it slightly dangerous and paranoid to do the 5 part checks in under 90 seconds. I know that at raging bull they have that timer thingy on the wall behind the ride operator and I think it counts down from 90. I take it the most experienced operators are on raging bull? Or whats the reasoning behind that timer clock?

The take 5 is meant to be a final check before dispatching a train or starting a ride. You are supposed to be checking those things already while you are doing your duties at the ride. The time clocks on certain rides are there so the crew can get a good idea how fast the are moving/should be moving. Bull's clock counts down from a minute from when the train arrives, and you should be able to dispatch the train before the clock finishes or you will start to stack. The clock on Bull only means anything when there are three trains in operation, and you should just ignore it if there are only two.

Wow! Cool! Thats great info to know. I just let the ride ops do their job. Im usually one of the first to put my arms up in the air when they are checking me on the ride. (Shows how much I go to the park ) I appreciate the ride ops and people being so friendly. Although one girl who operated East River crawler almost hurt me putting those lap bars down. She literally slammed em on my lap. I was like "ow" for a few seconds. My friend and I looked at each other like, is she mad? That was like 3 years ago. Anyway, again thanks for being so careful and quick and friendly about it!

[jkurtzweil2]

I asked a ride op yesterday what take 5 meant. She told me them very fast and quietly and I picked up
1) Train is Secure
2) Gates are closed and LOCKED
3) Guests are safe
4)?
5)?

[DeathbyDinn]

^

2. All of the operators (except the control operator on multi-operator rides) must visually scan the station by rotating their fully extended arm and hand around their field of vision. As they do this, they must check to ensure that the gates, guests, restraints, ride area, and safety zone are all clear (they're checking for five things, hence the name "Take Five").

[FParker185]

you take 5 seconds to scan the train, guest areas, gates, etc to make sure everything is secure n' safe

[Foltzy]

I just noticed it this year on viper but saw it on other rides this year. The ops on the side of the gates make a karate chop-like motion with their hand on each gate. If they staple the whole train they do it for all the gates. On rides like bull the two split it in half. Is this new or has this already been practiced.

[NightRider785]

They were doing it last year too. I think it's supposed to be them "checking", in a way noticeable to guests, that there are people in line for each row