TKC Blog Community Reconsiders Schlitterbahn Verrückt Weight Problem



This EXCEPTIONAL analysis offers a more thoughtful consideration of recent news of weight issues related to the tragic death of Caleb Schwab.

Checkit:

"Yes it was within weight limits but if they put the two ladies in back it went down like an airplane wing with full flaps. Nearly all the total weight was in back of center which would raise the front out of the water, especially pulling out of that initial drop. It likely caught serious air and launched coming over the second hill, hit the net and pulled poor Caleb out of his seat, even with the straps, while the two lady ballasts sailed under him. I’m guessing the decapitation was a result of the straps holding him at first and eventually failing but not until the net had done its worst.

"Surely this sort of thing had happened before to a lesser degree or in testing and so it would have been policy (or should have been) to put the weight in front to keep the front end down. If so, you likely have some poor employee loading who felt sorry for little Caleb having to ride behind a couple of Weight Watchers poster girls and put him in front.

"I feel sorry for whoever has to live with that decision for the rest of his/her life as well as the Porkette Sisters whose life choices indirectly led to a tragedy for which sadly, they will likely receive a disproportionate reward."

Developing . . .

Comments

  1. And 3-hours after you post this insightful analysis, the Star posts the police report from yesterday without any questions or insight. Not that anyone is surprised. http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article95909677.html

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  2. The Truth of the Matter8/16/16, 9:58 AM

    If that is true, then who ever had this thought on the subject can now say the kid killed himself.

    Everyone knows that the front seat is the hot ticket and the privileged kid probably got it over the fat hogs from the farm.

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  3. Milk, Milk, Milk, Milk, Milk. Jesus - Pathetic!

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  4. No, Verruckt rules state the lightest rider sits in the front.

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  5. 10:18--Jason Lamb--
    Where is that "rule"?
    I don't see it on the painted sign which is now online.
    It only shows minimum height of 54 inches.
    Caleb Schwab was 5 feet tall: 60 inches for Tony's slower readers!

    Please share any documentation you have, any conversations or emails with staff, please confirm your statement that the Verruckt rules state to load the lightest rider in the front!

    I was the first to blog about the physics that caused much of the problem.
    Tony then linked to it.
    DAYS before the Star thought about it, and glossed over it, in favor of gravity issues.

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    Replies
    1. Golly Tracy that makes you a jenius!! And all I only thought you knew about the velocity of semen ejeculating from a negro penis.

      Delete
  6. JoCoPost – the community is beyond tired of your baseless comments, innuendoes and speculation about this tragic event

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  7. 11:16:
    Are you billing your client for this anonymous bullying? Or cheating your employer by logging on during work hours?! I am part of the "community". But unlike you, Mr. Limp Dick Anonymous, I sign my opinions. I own my words.

    My comments are not "baseless", since it's been documented that I was first to question the loading protocol of the rafts. And illustrate it with a basic physics tutorial.

    But you, what have YOU done lately? What did you do to get to the bottom of this, to protect the public? Other than try to shame another commenter?

    Where's YOUR blog?!

    The public is speculating, and will continue to do so, HERE, on Tony's, and linked to my two blogs, kcmopost.com and jocopost.com, until the investigation is over--and made public...unless Schlitterbahn throws in the towel and settles out of court with everyone, including gag orders on the settlement terms and conditions.

    The point of this speculation and investigation is to PROTECT THE PUBLIC.

    So if you do something to support that, sign your name. Otherwise, go have some quiche for lunch, Mr. Pussy in Pinstripes. I see you there, at Andre's Tea Room.

    Then, if you're still tired of me, take a nap. You'll need your strength to keep bullying instead of contributing to the solution. 'Cause I'm not going away.

    Tracy Thomas
    former assistant to the 20/20 producer who won an Emmy for his story about the Hyatt collapse. Doubleday author. Civic and political activist. Former elected official. And a damn sight smarter and more effective at collective action and culture jamming than 11:16!!!!

    Would you like a salad with your quiche???

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  8. Sorry Tracy, but what difference does it make if some pissant local bloggers gets a scoop or drags this story out until hell freezes over. In spite of you folks sitting around bowing grandios smoke up each others asses no one actually cares. The blogger i respect is the one who doesn't beat a dead dog to death once over trying to have their way about something where they have no dog in the fight. The only think I an learning about bloggers is they are a bunch of needy people who are dumb enough to believe they have anything important to say. You can measure their accomplishments on a cut toenail.

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  9. Question, why so many photos of different rafts on internet? Which one, rather was the type ridde? The UK papers describe totally different ones than US. What gives? In photos, most don't show chords or straps at inside. Just cups? I took the photo of the kid hold inning on in the back without a strap as the most true. What say you? Just asking ? I am confused. A lot lately....

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  10. Question, how is that raft engaged to the top, rather retrieved? Who checks it in gets it together Before it goes U p? They have to check it before going back up. To the next group of riders. Who was Down below with the raft?

    If the front chord was lose wouldn't you see it flapping in the wind on the way up on the conveyor belt? If not then someone down below saw that it was messed up and sent it up....why? Supervisors around? It was lunch time. Most disappear and leave young ones on their own so they can eat and get out of sun. Just asking. What do I know?

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  11. Where is everybody's phone? Locked up locked down massive erasure who knows who cares....ytube you rock.the power that be.

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  12. In terms of design, how is down, to gain speed, and then sharply up a second hill to take flite not exactly the same as a Winter Olympic ski launch - gain speed, then up and out, into space, all of the way to landing? This ride is not justified just to give some nutcase a thrill and certainly not for children.

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  13. 11:16:

    So now I have come to believe you work for Jeff Henry, the arrogant fool who lied to the Travel Channel, just to get his uninvented, unengineered slide on TV, as the opening segment of the Travel Channel about Xtreme Sports. And then rushed the slide into existence, cutting corners on testing. Or perhaps you ARE Jeff Henry. Or maybe you are just Winter Prosapio, the Vanna White /Communications Director for Schlitterbahn, feigning caring.

    Whoever you are, you seem quite intent on suppressing discussion about how your Verruckt waterslide decapitated a little boy.

    You write today that the "community" is tired. Well, no we are not. our town, greater Kansas City, is a community. And if someone drops the baton, others pick it up. We are like a STARfish. Cut off one appendage, eg the in depth investigation resources of a well-heeled newspaper, then we grow another arm. That arm is the blogging community. Asking questions.

    So no, we are not going away. And you reveal your intent when you keep writing, anonymously, without contributing ANYTHING to the conversation. Just trying to bully the commenters.

    Our "community" is watching you. And the UG. Might be a race to the bottom to see how much you two try to perhaps destroy evidence. Already the UG is backtracking on Mike Taylor's statement that it was the UG committee that ordered Schlitterbahn to install the DeathNet.

    I know this. Schlitterbahn would love to sweep this under the rug. Make a few cosmetic changes, fire a few summer workers at the top of the slide. Maybe even throw the Gang of Five at the UG under the bus. Schlitterbahn is highly motivated, as is the UG, to GET BACK OPEN. Make millions of dollars.
    So every attempt may be made at out of court settlements. And sealed lips.

    THAT is why we are asking questions now. Before you cover this up like the Nazis hid the death camps.

    We are watching you. Do the right thing. Tell the truth. Reveal ALL. Answer Steve Vockrodt's questions. And how about this: apologize. Before you pay. Own up. Because even if it's not ALL your company's fault, most of it is. This was not an "accident." It was inevitable.

    We are watching you.

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    Replies
    1. Good one Tracy!!! Yes, the death of a child is equivalent to the death of six million Jews. You tell 'em!!!










      Tell 'em how fucking deranged you are.

      Delete
  14. Yeah Tracy I'll bet Schlitterbahn is quaking in their boots with this enlightened commentary:

    "lady ballasts?"

    "Weight Watcher poster girls?"

    "Porkette Sisters?"

    Just when we think you can't sink any lower, Tony, you manage to slither further into the sewer.

    Amazing!

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  15. Yes it takes a village...especially to support all those bastard kids out there.

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  16. 10:18, Jason Lamb at Fox 4

    I see that you played in the jazz band in high school in Great Bend with Scott Schwab. You claim today there was a Schlitterbahn "rule" that the lightest weight raft rider sit in the very front.

    https://www.facebook.com/fox4kc/photos/pcb.10152520324993645/10152520324463645/?type=3&theater


    Please, for the sake of your lifelong friend, share that info.

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  17. From a Class Near You8/16/16, 5:04 PM

    Teacher: Students what do you call a person who talks all the time and shrills about what others say while claiming it's her own thoughts?

    Little Julie: Opie?

    Little Johnny: No, Julie you ignorant slut, the answer is Tracy Thomas

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  18. 4:28, a "lesson learned" is not "an equivalent".

    Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

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  19. "The lifeguard, who shared experiences on the condition of anonymity, said passengers were read safety briefings, weighed and then loaded into a raft in order of lightest to heaviest." That sounds to me like something some where was in writing or a part of job training.

    This slide was a ride in to uncharted territory. Much as anything new that hauls or carries people has been all through history. Accidents will happen and even some REAL EXPERTS will maybe be at a lost to know what really happened.

    So to all you armchair non-educated wanna be structural or engineers of any kind I might suggest you wait till all the findings are released before you start your gashing of teeth and making statements you don't have the knowledge to make or advising others your statements are fact when they are as much hearsay as anyone elses at this point.

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  20. Superdave, thanks for citing the claim about raft seating, lightest to heaviest. Do you know where you got that quote, please?

    And I take your point about experts vs. armchair speculation. By the way it is gnashing of teeth, not gashing! The challenge here is: in many such cases the findings are NOT released! The defendant pays off every claim and seals the report and demands absolute sealed lips--or they claw back the payoff.

    The history of Schlitterbahn is out of court settlements, and lowball offers. Per the Star. Often, grieving families just want the whole pain-filled story to GO AWAY. So they sign. The defendant promises it will "never happen again". Well, then why have they paid thre previous claims for lesser injuries but related issues? This WILL happen again unless there is a public demand for change.

    Add to that: the STAR is strapped for money. They haven't paid so much as a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in many years. Nor have they, to date, hired an expert witness--a trained licensed structural engineer, to lead their investigation!! Shocking, actually.

    In the case of the Hyatt collapse 35 years ago, they immediately hired Wayne Lischka, a local engineer--to investigate. He barely got to see the evidence--the design change--the tie rods, the I beams-- before it was being swept away the next morning by Hyatt management. Destruction of evidence!!
    The Star and Lischka won a Pulitzer prize for solving the mystery and preventing it from happening again. It transformed how architects are trained and licensed.

    This time, Lischka has not been hired. Nor anyone else, at least not as reported today.

    Today the Star's story (a week after I first raised the issue) was about load distribution. Steve Vockrodt and Laura Bauer have no budget --they just phoned four engineers or physics professors and INTERVIEWED THEM!

    That is weak reporting.

    Now what else is different from 35 years ago besides no retained professional engineer on the Star's team? Well, the Hyatt was not a big advertiser. Whereas Schlitterbahn is.

    So if everyone makes nice, stays cool, acts contrite, the families are paid off, then Verruckt is back in business. And without a published report, the public will be none the wiser.

    "a serious neck injury". That's what the Star initially called it. Talk about a possible coverup or glossing over the news!!

    So, Dave, we will ask questions. Hopefully not making absolute statements of fact, but we can point to the likelihood. The "possible" explanation. Same as some assistant engineering professor from North Dakota State, like the Star interviewed.

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  21. safety can't be complicated and work with real people in the real world.

    the thing never should have been allowed.

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  22. I meant it as I said it you idiot, to rip and tear with non supported opinions. I didn't mean it as it's common use in the bible as you seem to think.

    Stop living in the past, your Hyatt crap is irrelevant, and not a factor here.

    And to be honest you don't really have a clue what you are jabbering about.

    The lifeguard, who shared experiences on the condition of anonymity, said passengers were read safety briefings, weighed and then loaded into a raft in order of lightest to heaviest."

    If you had done your homework you would known where that came from, but making non-supporting and irrelevant statements is more your speed.

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  23. Super Dave - nicely said, we thank you.

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  24. So the life guard is another "anonymous coward", but since he allegedly says what someone wants to hear he is all of a sudden hero of the day?

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  25. keep at it Tracy. fuck em all,especially ,stupid dave

    we need you to not give up on this and we don't believe you will.

    to the dick head who said , all stupid & shitty like.."the death of a child is the equivalent to the death of six million jew"s

    to the mother of that child ,it doesn't matter.you ignorant mother fucker !!


    YES,YOU DO GO TRACY..GO GET EM !!!!

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  26. BTW- Tracy ,id say more than two thirds of the people who comment on TKC have no idea who you are and what you've accomplished in your life..
    I do,some of it any way...So hey all you snot nosed fuck face dweebs,let me fill you in on something, Tracy has been a REAL "MOVER & SHAKER" in KC politics for a long time .she's a difference maker.she knows how to get things done

    things that you fools haven't a clue about ..KEEP AT IT TRACY.THEY ARE HIDING SHIT AT THIS MOMENT.

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  27. 10:35 Hi Tony, ya ass kiss!

    ReplyDelete

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