What Major Malfunction Caused The Texas Giant At Six Flags Over Texas To Kill A Woman?

Six Flags Texas Giant Killer Coaster

I was more than a little appalled to learn this morning that a woman was thrown off the Texas Giant Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Texas, last night, and killed.

How could this happen?

The sketchy reports indicate the woman was concerned, prior to the coaster car taking off, that the restraining bar had not clicked securely in to place. A park employee assured the woman she was successfully clicked in.

Even if that restraining bar was not secured I don't see how someone would go flying out of the roller coaster car.

And to add to the horror, two of the woman's children, a man and woman, who people watching the horror described as being in their 20s, were screaming when the coaster car returned to start, yelling "My mom! My mom! Let us out, we need to go get her!"

I have only ridden the Texas Giant once. I hated it. It was just way too rough and jarring. And not in a fun way. Since I rode the Texas Giant, way back early in this century, or late in the last century, it has been re-modeled, with the new version making, supposedly, for a smoother ride.

As I remember the Texas Giant ride the G-forces pulled me down into the seat and back against the seatback. I don't recollect there being moments where I felt secured by the restraining bar from pitching forward and out of the seat.

I suspect this is going to cost Six Flags a fortune. With this particular roller coaster possibly demolished.

I'd already decided I'd never ride it again. If I had not already decided that, the fact that it is now the Texas Giant Killer Coaster would have me never waiting in line to get on board ever again.

I Got My Annual Six Flags Pass And Am Ready For Robots From Mars

You are on the observation deck of the Oil Derrick Tower at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, in the picture, looking down at the Texas Giant wooden roller coaster.

The Texas Giant is currently out of commission while it gets renovated. I do not know if this means it loses, by default, its position as the World's #1 Wooden Roller Coaster.

I have ridden the Texas Giant one time only. The same day John F. Kennedy Jr. died. After the Texas Giant is rebuilt it is supposedly going to be a smoother ride. I would not get on it again in if it remained as it was the day JFK Jr. died. It was the most bone-jarring, back wrenching, uncomfortable carnival type ride in my memory.

Til about an hour later when I got on Six Flags Roaring Rapids Ride. It being a raft ride through rapids and waterfalls that had been deadly for at least one person, if I remember right. I did not care for the Six Flags Roaring Rapids Ride because it got me soaking wet.

And then once you are soaking wet there are signs warning you not to take off your shirt. I did not obey, instead choosing to try and dry out and risk the shirt police throwing me out of the park.

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington went into daily operation this past Friday, May 14, now open every day until August 22. Six Flags is only a few miles from my abode. On a quiet night I can hear screams in the distance. I assume these are screams from roller coaster riders. But it is Texas, you never know from whence a scream might be coming.

Of course, fun loving boy that I am, I got my Six Flags Season Pass. It was a choice between the regular Season Pass or the new Play Pass. The Season Pass is $59.99 and gets you into Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, plus you get free friend passes. The Play Pass is $49.99 and gets you unlimited visits to all Six Flags Parks all over the country, but does not include waterparks or friend passes. Since I do not see any non-Arlington Six Flags in my future you can likely guess which was my Six Flags Pass choice.

I can't tell you how much I am anticipating checking out the new Robots from Mars attraction, where you get to help a Mad Doctor and Sparky the Robot save the Universe from the evil Bad Man who runs Mars.

From what I understand, the designers of the evil Bad Man who runs Mars used the visage of Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief as inspiration.

So, obviously, Robots from Mars is a very scary attraction.

I Forgot About The Switch To Standard Time, Seattle vs. Dallas & Last Day For Texas Giant

I thought I slept in this morning, getting up at 6:30. I was half an hour into staring at the computer monitor when I realized I'd forgotten about the time change.

One benefit of the change is the sun lit up the place an hour earlier than it did yesterday. I thought my morning swim would be warmer than yesterday's, due to the fact that we got into the 70s yesterday. But the water didn't seem to pick up any of that heat.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., felt compelled to once more opine that she questions my sanity regarding going swimming. Apparently she stuck her hand in her pool and had to use a heat pad to recover from the shock. I think she exaggerates.

The Seattle Seahawks are in town, playing in the new Dallas Cowboy stadium for the first time. I suspect Dallas will defeat Seattle. I learned of this game whilst reading this morning's Seattle P-I. It starts at 10am Seattle time, which would make it noon here. Do all those football fans do the beer drinking, barbecuing, tailgating thing when the game starts early?

I have only been to one NFL football game in my life. Years ago in the Kingdome. I have no memory of who Seattle was playing. I do remember thinking watching football on TV is a lot easier than watching it from seats up high in a stadium. When you're there in person and the game stops for a commercial break it seems disorienting. You couldn't really watch the cheerleaders do their thing during the commercials because they were so far away and tiny. This was before the invention of giant TV screens.

I'd go Arlington and try and walk amongst the hoopla and take pictures, but I can think of no way to do this without paying $40 to park. Which I'm not going to do.

Today is the last day you can ride the Texas Giant Wooden Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Texas. The last train leaves the station at 7pm. It is being re-built into a faster, smoother, less bone-jarring ride with new elements never before seen on a wooden roller coaster. Or so the hype says.

I have ridden the Texas Giant exactly once. I found it back wrenching in addition to bone-jarring. I like roller coasters. I did not like the Texas Giant. The new version of the Texas Giant is supposed to be ready to go for the opening of the 2011 Six Flags season.