Younger Males Keep Falling From Chairlifts Out West

ChrisC

Well-known member
I have seen headlines that many guys are falling from chairlifts this year. Darwin. I was always slightly confounded by the refusal to use safety bars, but historically many lifts out West did not have them. I think all the Riblet chairs lack safety bars, so maybe that is how it became culturally ingrained.

However, I appreciated this article from a European perspective.


However, I am taller, 6-3, and while in Europe, I must use expletives 2-3 times per day because of getting the bar slammed on my head. Especially in the Germanic countries, they love to slam that bar down. No warning. Or even time to lean back. I have to wear a helmet for the aggressive Euros. What's even better is that when the bar bounces off my helmet, they try to slam it again. WTF?

I think the East Coast has a happy medium.




 
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getting the bar slammed on my head. Especially in the Germanic countries, they love to slam that bar down. No warning. Or even time to lean back.
It doesn't happen often; however, yes, I've had that experience. That said; I get annoyed even more in the western U.S. when it becomes an almost libertarian move, as if I'm impinging on their personal space. Once, when I asked someone if we could lower the bar, he dickishly said "you must be from the east."
 
I remember in the 1980s back east when lifties and patrollers would literally yell at you in the east if you didn't immediately put the bar down.

While more and more western lifts are gaining "comfort bars", there are still a ton without them. Officially there is no such thing as a safety bar. Just like there is no such thing as a guard rail on a road (Officially those are guide rail).

I'm generally ambivalent about safety bars. Occasionally will put one down of my own accord, but mostly not. But if someone else wants to I don't really care so not obstructive. One exception to that rule is American Flyer lift at Copper. A huge sofa style bubble 6pack. Slippery seat surface, it tilts ever so slightly forward and then the whole chair bounces surprisingly going over the towers. So despite the huge expense of the sofa bubble chairs, I find that lift to be the worst experience in the front range and always put the bar down.
 
One exception to that rule is American Flyer lift at Copper.
While there are too many chairs in the Alps to list that would make me feel very anxious without a bar, I've mentioned before that the stateside chair where I always had a death grip on the seat back (especially during windy weather) was the old Millicent double at Brighton. Even chairlift.org made a point of bringing it up, copied below. They say that it's a Yan but looks exactly like a Riblet with the center pole and no bar.


BRIGHTON, UT
MILLICENT (YAN) - Cruel for those with fear of heights. This chair replaced the original Millicent single chair in 1974. It is a rare Yan design with center pole chairs similar to those at Alta. It was replaced with the Milly's quad in 2007.

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It was worse than it looks here ^^ (the big drop was out of frame directly under the seat). A few Utards who ordinarily never used a bar confirmed that they would've preferred one on this chair.
 
My problem is not everyone skis. Sure, the safety bars without footrests are fine, but the ones with footrests can be a major PIA for snowboarders. I've cramped up/charlie-horsed several times in the past to accommodate a full HSQ. Then the fiasco of raising the bar before getting off, (and yes getting bopped in the head, too). If there's only 3/4 people on the chair, I can usually manage fine, and don't really care. I've used them (safety bars w/out footrests) on some of the scarier lifts, like on Ch 23 at Mammoth when they finally installed them. I do get the willies on some of the old center pole riblets, which the last one I think I was on was with Jamesdeluxe at Silver Mtn, ID.
 
I believe KT22 might have been a Riblet/Center Pole lift.

In WA state, the 7th Heaven life is a crazy high Riblet lift, and the upper/Edelweiss lift at Alpental—lots of Riblets at Mt. Spokane and 49 North.
 
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