Due to safety concerns, the much-anticipated Giant Slide at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan, has been suspended indefinitely.
The Giant Slide is a much-loved and vital element of the Detroit environment, and it is usually packed with enthusiastic customers throughout the summer. The ride had been closed for maintenance, and the public had been waiting for it to return for the remainder of the summer.
However, just hours after the ride reopened, parents raised concerns that it was dangerous for their kids.
The Giant Slide is about 40 feet tall at the top. Riders sit on fabric as they descend the enormous metal slide, which has been fashioned into a ripple pattern of hills and valleys on the way down.
Videos of youngsters sliding too fast down the slide and collecting air as they came off one of the hills began to circulate online, including on YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
Giant slide in Detroit closed just hours after reopeningSPEEDY SLIDE: A giant slide in Detroit was closed just hours after reopening because the bumps in the slide sent people airborne. No one was seriously hurt, but the park decided to close the slide and make some adjustments to control the speed. 😲
Posted by ABC7 on Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Viewers can hear the riders thudding back down the slide in any of the recordings. Some of the riders were spotted losing control, being forced to lie down for the duration of the trip, or having their heads jostled in a dangerous manner.
Kenyatta Mcadney, a dad of 2 kids who rode the Giant Slide, made the following observation that what struck him was the force with which they descended from the heights. Someone would have been harmed if they had continued to go on that slide.
Keymarr Mcadney, Mcadney’s son, also commented on the ride that he was falling more quicker than he imagined. Gravity is painful.
Mcadney took the choice to part with the park tickets, despite the fact that they had been paid for and were non-refundable.
You can see more about the incident here in this video.
The announcement was also broadcast on Twitter, where viewers expressed a range of emotions.
Some were worried about injuries and how long the ride would be available.
Others remembered rides they’d been on as youngsters that were blatantly unsafe.
The giant slide at Belle Isle Park in Michigan was open for only 4 hours before workers shut it down to make adjustments.
— Art (@artcombatpod) August 19, 2022
I wonder why they decided to do such a thing 😳 pic.twitter.com/q7jpFdLdAO
At this moment, it is unknown whether or not the Giant Slide will reopen to the public.
However, given that this is not the first time the ride has been halted for safety concerns, something must be done to make it safer for consumers.
