2008 Woodie Awards
Grieving mother says amusement park rides should have ratings at Playland
Jim Fitzgerald Associated Press
Issue date: 3/19/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-Spurred by a woman whose son died at Playland, state senators are considering a rating system for amusement park rides, along the lines of movies labeled G, PG and R.
The guide could be in place by this summer, said Sen. Nicholas Spano.
"We have no choice but to make immediate changes so that they are in place prior to the opening of our amusement parks," he said.
Spano spoke during a hearing held by the senate's Investigations and Labor committees, prompted by four deaths at New York amusement parks last year. He had just taken testimony from Elayne Cassara of Norwalk, Conn., whose 7-year-old son, Jon-Kely, died on Aug. 3 at the Playland amusement park in Rye.
Jon-Kely was on a ride called "Ye Olde Mill," in which boats move gently through the dark through scenes populated by trolls and gnomes. Investigations concluded that Jon-Kely climbed out of his boat for some reason and then fell, dying instantly from blunt head trauma.
Cassara, who is suing Westchester County, the park's owner, testified that she would never have allowed her son to get on the ride by himself "had I been properly informed of the true nature of this ride, that it was designed to frighten the patrons, leading them through a long, dark, unsupervised, scary tunnel."
Jon-Kely had passed the ride's 42-inch height requirement, but Cassara's lawyer, Jeffrey Kimmel, told the senators that a height standard is "incredibly and horribly insufficient," given that immature children, the elderly and the mentally handicapped can get past it.
"We strongly believe that some kind of rating system for the rides and games offered should be established," he said. "Is it dark? Is it meant to scare or frighten? Is it fast? Is there water? Is it appropriate for young children?"
Kimmel noted that rating guides have been established for movies, music and ski slopes. He said amusement parks nationwide should be required to give all visitors a map or pamphlet describing each attraction in detail, and the rating _ whether movie-like letters, stars or some other symbol _ should be posted at the ride as well.
Joseph Montalto, director of Playland, that since Jon-Kely's death, patrons have been given brochures pointing out the dark rides. When asked his reaction to a more detailed requirement, he said, "We would consider anything. We want people to be informed. We want people to be safe." He added, however, that "We find we end up sweeping up a great many of the brochures we hand out."
State Labor Commissioner Linda Angello testified that 2005 "was something of an anomaly" and that there had been just three deaths at New York amusement parks in the preceding quarter century. Four deaths a year is the average for the entire country.
Besides the death at Playland, a patron and a worker died at Adventureland in Farmingdale and a worker died at the state fair in Syracuse.
The guide could be in place by this summer, said Sen. Nicholas Spano.
"We have no choice but to make immediate changes so that they are in place prior to the opening of our amusement parks," he said.
Spano spoke during a hearing held by the senate's Investigations and Labor committees, prompted by four deaths at New York amusement parks last year. He had just taken testimony from Elayne Cassara of Norwalk, Conn., whose 7-year-old son, Jon-Kely, died on Aug. 3 at the Playland amusement park in Rye.
Jon-Kely was on a ride called "Ye Olde Mill," in which boats move gently through the dark through scenes populated by trolls and gnomes. Investigations concluded that Jon-Kely climbed out of his boat for some reason and then fell, dying instantly from blunt head trauma.
Cassara, who is suing Westchester County, the park's owner, testified that she would never have allowed her son to get on the ride by himself "had I been properly informed of the true nature of this ride, that it was designed to frighten the patrons, leading them through a long, dark, unsupervised, scary tunnel."
Jon-Kely had passed the ride's 42-inch height requirement, but Cassara's lawyer, Jeffrey Kimmel, told the senators that a height standard is "incredibly and horribly insufficient," given that immature children, the elderly and the mentally handicapped can get past it.
"We strongly believe that some kind of rating system for the rides and games offered should be established," he said. "Is it dark? Is it meant to scare or frighten? Is it fast? Is there water? Is it appropriate for young children?"
Kimmel noted that rating guides have been established for movies, music and ski slopes. He said amusement parks nationwide should be required to give all visitors a map or pamphlet describing each attraction in detail, and the rating _ whether movie-like letters, stars or some other symbol _ should be posted at the ride as well.
Joseph Montalto, director of Playland, that since Jon-Kely's death, patrons have been given brochures pointing out the dark rides. When asked his reaction to a more detailed requirement, he said, "We would consider anything. We want people to be informed. We want people to be safe." He added, however, that "We find we end up sweeping up a great many of the brochures we hand out."
State Labor Commissioner Linda Angello testified that 2005 "was something of an anomaly" and that there had been just three deaths at New York amusement parks in the preceding quarter century. Four deaths a year is the average for the entire country.
Besides the death at Playland, a patron and a worker died at Adventureland in Farmingdale and a worker died at the state fair in Syracuse.