Eldora parents start petition for safety upgrades

**EWG** · 03-16-2019, 12:54 PM

A six year old fell off a lift at Eldora a couple weeks ago. Terrible, for sure.

In the wake of it, some parents have started an online petition asking for changes that would require, among other things, any kid under 6 or under 48" tall to not be allowed to ride the lift without an adult. If an adult were not available, Eldora would have to allow the parent to ride up with the kid for free. Also, it would require all lifts to install safety bars. It's getting some pretty good local press.

Petition:
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/...54sM1w3xO80SIE

**Bunion 2020** · 03-16-2019, 01:01 PM

Kids fall out of lifts all the time in spite of everything already done that is being asked by this petition.

Eldora would have to allow the parent to ride up with the kid for free.

Sorry, that is a bullshit request.

**m2711c** · 03-16-2019, 01:02 PM

Free skiing is best skiing.....

if this passes i will be gettin me one of them free skiing rugrat tickets.... my offspring seems to love the double black cliff bands. thank
ullr

just gots ta get a willing female skier bro ta go along.

**Rasputin** · 03-16-2019, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Not bunion

Kids fall out of lifts all the time in spite of everything already done that is being asked by this petition.

Sorry, that is a bullshit request.

Ding Ding Ding!

People who sign this petition should not have kids on the slopes, they should keep them securely tied to a couch at home so they won't have any chance of getting hurt. "Safety bars" only serve the illusion of safety, there is plenty of space for a kid, or most adults, to fall off a chair with the bar down, if they do stupid shit, or if the lifties don't give a proper boost to the little ones to get them seated.

Free lift rides to adults accompanying kids? That is beyond bizarre on the stupid things to ask for scale.

**ACH** · 03-16-2019, 01:39 PM

smh

When we were kids we didn't have "safety bars" and fell off chairs all the time, and we liked it that way...

These days "safety bar" is a smoking hut in the woods, amiright?

**Rasputin** · 03-16-2019, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by ACH

These days "safety bar" is a smoking hut in the woods, amiright?

Well played sir.

**Ottime** · 03-16-2019, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by ACH

smh

When we were kids we didn't have "safety bars" and fell off chairs all the time, and we liked it that way...

These days "safety bar" is a smoking hut in the woods, amiright?

I actually use the safety bar as a smoking aide. I can even attach my pack to it if I do choose. Keeps me from falling out if I drop my stash and try to catch it. Also use it to hold me in while I unbuckle my boots. Love them.

What a BS petition. They should star a petition that requires parents to be responsible for their own children or GTFO.

**TBS** · 03-16-2019, 02:05 PM

It’s not a safety bar y’all, it’s a footrest,
a footrest

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 03-16-2019, 02:06 PM

I think the kid who fell was taking a lesson (hence the "parents ride free" demand). A couple of the beginner lifts at Eldora have no bars. While the petition is ridiculous, bars on beginner lifts is kind of a no brainer. But the people who run Eldora, much like the clowns circulating this petition, have no brains.

**Talisman** · 03-16-2019, 02:14 PM

I have seen five people fall out of aerial lift chairs, one adult and four children. In every case the chairs had "safety bars" that were down. Kids can easily fall through the gap under the bar. I am not saying the bars can't keep someone in the chair, but the bar create a false sense of security and getting the lift rider to understand their role in loading, riding and unloading a lift is key.

Or Eldora could just ban kids and make the place adults only with beer sleds, a strip club, dispensary or two and dot the woods with smoke shacks.

**Danno** · 03-16-2019, 09:02 PM

I don't know about y'all, but petition or not, I'm not comfortable with a 6 year old kid in a lesson routinely going up on a chairlift without an adult.

**old goat** · 03-16-2019, 09:21 PM

One of the places I ski, random adults are asked to ride with kids in lessons, presumably to keep the kids from goofing off. These have to be kids that can load by themselves; nobody but a parent should be responsible for boosting a kid, although I've seen lift ops slow a lift down and load a kid. Don't know how much good having a strange adult on a chair does; I rode up with a couple of kids where the kids were beating on each other and when I tried to intervene one of them started punching me. Maybe they should give any adult who volunteers to do thaI the authority to pull a pass. I could also see some asshole parent suing the adult of the kid fell off a chair and the adult failed to prevent it.
Sugar Bowl lifts ops pull the bar down for any kid.
Solitude has bars with a vertical piece between your legs, which makes sense if you're going to have bars. Squaw has vertical bars on some lifts that come down between riders, although most often the vertical piece stabs someone in the thigh as the bar comes down, or sometimes the head.
I like bars--I like to lean forward on the bar, which really helps my bad back.

**Rasputin** · 03-16-2019, 11:29 PM

I like bars, they're a good place to rest my beer between drinks.

**grinch** · 03-17-2019, 05:36 AM

WHY! WONT!THIS!BAR!GO! DOWN! Oh!?! Sorry mam

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

**Core Shot** · 03-17-2019, 05:42 AM

JH installed between the legs posts on the beginner lift. I guess it helps keep the kids from sliding out, but don’t let it hit your Johnson

**narc** · 03-17-2019, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by beece

If an adult were not available, Eldora would have to allow the parent to ride up with the kid for free.

In France they just randomly assign you someone's kid to look after

**Bunion 2020** · 03-17-2019, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by Danno

I don't know about y'all, but petition or not, I'm not comfortable with a 6 year old kid in a lesson routinely going up on a chairlift without an adult.

2 words, Magic Carpet.

When I was patrolling I thought nothing of hanging out and riding with the little ones, but I was getting paid and it was part of the job description.

I could also see some asshole parent suing the adult of the kid fell off a chair and the adult failed to prevent it.

As a free skiing member of the public I am not responsible for anyone's children and do not want to be placed in that role.

**californiagrown** · 03-17-2019, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by narc

In France they just randomly assign you someone's kid to look after

Yup. I had to grab one by the collar to get em all the way up and on the seat. On the bright side, the two tykes couldn't reach the bar so it was the only lift ride I had ample time to settle in before the bar came down.

**Bluebird** · 03-17-2019, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Danno

I don't know about y'all, but petition or not, I'm not comfortable with a 6 year old kid in a lesson routinely going up on a chairlift without an adult.

Everyone has different ideas on this. That said, my just turned 6 year old and her friend are now riding together on double chairs. And they ride the single chair alone as well.

**Conundrum** · 03-17-2019, 10:14 AM

Eldora should take the petition seriously. Then they should implement a policy that if your child is under six or 48", you the parent have to buy a pass and ride the chair with your child. If the child is in a lesson, they should charge more for lessons and hire more junior instructors to serve as chair riders for the littles groups. Ski resorts can be safe for kids if their parents don't expect the resort to serve as babysitting services.

SB · 03-17-2019, 10:41 AM

They should sue the manufacturer of the ski lift and the ski area.

**concretejungle** · 03-17-2019, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Eldora should take the petition seriously. Then they should implement a policy that if your child is under six or 48", you the parent have to buy a pass and ride the chair with your child. If the child is in a lesson, they should charge more for lessons and hire more junior instructors to serve as chair riders for the littles groups. Ski resorts can be safe for kids if their parents don't expect the resort to serve as babysitting services.

I like this idea but given Eldora’s track record they’ll manage to fuck this up beyond belief. I can’t wait.

**skiJ** · 03-17-2019, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Eldora should take the petition seriously. Then they should implement a policy that if your child is under six or 48", you the parent have to buy a pass and ride the chair with your child. If the child is in a lesson, they should charge more for lessons and hire more junior instructors to serve as chair riders for the littles groups. Ski resorts can be safe for kids if their parents don't expect the resort to serve as babysitting services.

This.

**old goat** · 03-17-2019, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

I like bars, they're a good place to rest my beer between drinks.

Let's start a petition to install cup holders on the safety bars. What better way to assure that people will bring the bar down.

**skiJ** · 03-17-2019, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Eldora should take the petition seriously. Then they should implement a policy that if your child is under six or 48", you the parent have to buy a pass and ride the chair with your child. If the child is in a lesson, they should charge more for lessons and hire more junior instructors to serve as chair riders for the littles groups. Ski resorts can be safe for kids if their parents don't expect the resort to serve as babysitting services.

This.

( I still Love skiing. but some of the B.s. ( - and I recognize it is not unique to skiing - ), but is a (function or product (?) ) of society today.

the petition can be used in several different ways. . . potentially(,) even constructively...

and anyone who signs it needs to be prepared to make both a financial commitment and a commitment of Time to make Eldora safer .

skiing has Risk. riding chairs has Risk.
Safety starts with personal behavior ( even for six year olds. )

( I'm Sorry. end of rant ) )