When the s*** fly`s it always roll`s down hill. The blame had to go in some direction why not the 16 year-old ride operater....

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Many states have child labor laws that do not allow minors to operate most mechanical equipment. Not sure if OSHA actually goes that deep.

Doesn't osha standards require someone to be 18 to operate a piece of heavy equiptment? and does amusement rides fall under heavy equiptment? I had walked away from rides operated by young people, just didn't feel like they payed attention close enough. I know training can be extensive, but when you have teenagers running rides, they have a tendency for their hormones (male and female) to take over. Leave the games and food to under 18 and let the over 18 to run the equiptment.

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Originally posted by flamo

Age doesn't matter, common sense and lack of complacancy does. Training helps but a good operator will hear or see something when no one else does and then reacts without thinking He knows what to do with out being told

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I definitely agree with you on that, I'm willing to go a step further and say that running a ride comes natural for some people. I will always say I feel and have always felt safer when I was running a ride as compared to someone else regardless of their age.

Age doesn't matter, common sense and lack of complacancy does. Training helps but a good operator will hear or see something when no one else does and then reacts without thinking He knows what to do with out being told

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Originally posted by 2ndgencarnie

But the younger generation doesn't have the same responsibility and/or work ethics of those who have came before them.

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There..perfectly said. You have hit the nail on the head. I work with college kids every day and it gets worse every year when the new ones come in there is a lower work ethic with each group.

It's hard to gauge the maturity level of a 16 year old, but i've seen some adults thatare less compentant than my 8 year old grandson

When I used to own rides, i remember constantly having to be on my workers behind, pay attention to the riders and the equipment. I'm not sure if your 16 or 35 if you have no attention span, your gonna stink at running a ride. If that kid in KY would have been watching the ride like he was supposed to be, he could have reacted quicker, maybe the outcome wouldn't have been so severe.

I think it's just part of the progresion that our industry is going through. Unfortunately the old days are over, I say unfortunately because myself and alot of other people truly enjoyed the way things were when this business was just a little more simple. I remember being 11 years old and running our Frolic, my dad never thought twice about it. But the younger generation doesn't have the same responsibility and/or work ethics of those who have came before them.

My dad had an entire crew for his show the was loyal to him for many years and was Proud to be a part of his show and the amusement industry as a whole. Nowadays that is hard to find. Im not saying that there is no one out there who is proud of being in this business, im just saying the number of those who are is shrinking.

But back the the subject at hand, my only question is, If the kid was 18 years old instead of 16 years old, would the same distraction not have caused him to be looking away? I think it's a rather simple answer to that, but maybe the law makers know something I don't.

This is a true story,couldn't make this stuff up.Had this kid running a kid ride,I think his name was Dominick.16 or 17 years old.Ted Knew his mother so he used to work with us whenever we were around Schenectady.N.Y.
Mother puts her kid on ride,asks Dominick if she can stand behind him and hold him.The mother obviously thought the platform and all moved. Burnout said sure, started the ride,sat down with his back to the ride and lit a cigarrette.I did not see it but the story going around the lot for several days was that the lady kept up for a few times around and was ready to drop when Ted ran(hard to picture Ted running) up and killed the ride,Cuffed Dominick upside the head,and life went on.Got to keep an eye on the kids .This was around 80 or 81.......jeff