Safety On The Minds Of Ride Operators At State Fair
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DALLAS (CBS11) - Recent injuries and even deaths have added real fear to the thrill of amusement park rides.
That's on the minds of those setting up rides at this year's State Fair of Texas.
Many of the 73 rides travel the country throughout the summer.
A summer that has seen three girls fall off a ferris wheel in Tennessee, a boy die on a water slide in Kansas and a girl scalped on a carnival ride in Nebraska.
Ride owners coming to the State Fair of Texas were briefed on Wednesday night about what's expected of them during a meeting led by the man who selects each one that he calls the cream of the crop.
"I want to be able to sleep at night and if I can't sleep it's not going to be here," said Rusty Fitzgerald, State Fair Vice President of Operations.
If you have doubts about a ride, the State Fair's inspector suggests watching it for awhile, looking for working lights, and alert ride attendants.
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