And insiders who say they work at Six Flags have raised alarms about turnover among workers who inspect rides at all Six Flags, including the park in Jackson, NJ, The Post reported. Several riders complained of back pain and five were taken to hospital after riding the 19-story wooden coaster Thursday night. El Toro riders posted that the ride jolted so much they broke their teeth and bit their tongues. After the news broke, one parent described the coaster as the “roughest ride I’ve ever experienced” in a Reddit post about a visit on July 18, adding that “My 10-year-old was sick for hours because of it.” Another parent wrote on Reddit: “The last 2 times my son rode it – last week and last month – he came home the next day complaining of pulled muscles.” “Last week I drove for the first time in a few years – both my child and I came away seeing stars. Such a shame as it was always sharp but never painful. Needs some serious TLC,” a third parent wrote on the social media site. Riders complained of back injuries from El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure.WVPI Following the El Toro incident, a Reddit user who claimed to work in the maintenance department wrote that the company was “going through a crazy staff shortage,” adding that “many of the team members who work [at El Toro] they were recently trained or don’t ride the ride very often so they don’t [really] you know the route more than how to handle it and what to do during the breakdown processes.” Other Reddit insiders said the Arlington, Texas-based company is struggling to hire and keep veteran technicians who inspect and maintain the equipment, The Post reported. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hire skilled labor to maintain our infrastructure and rides,” a Reddit user claiming to be a Six Flags employee wrote earlier this month. “We’re just recruiting at this point to fill the positions and that’s not good. Security will suffer.” Six Flags did not respond to requests for comment about the ride or allegations of staff shortages. Six Flags’ El Toro was partially derailed last year and had just reopened in April.WVPI Last year, El Toro partially derailed when the rear wheels of the rear car were raised on the track. Six Flags was fined $5,000 for failing to notify the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs by phone immediately after the incident, according to a NJ.com report. Selim Basul appointed CEO of Six Flags in November 2021. Takreem The ride reopened in April, but will remain closed now as the state investigates the latest incident. “Any maintenance and repairs that are necessary will be completed and the ride will be re-inspected by our engineers, maintenance professionals, our independent safety inspectors and the state of New Jersey prior to reopening,” said a spokesperson for Six Flags in Asbury Park. Press on Friday. The incident is just the latest blow to the company, whose new chief executive, Selim Basul, sparked controversy during an earnings call this month when he said the parks had become “cheap day care centers for teenagers ». Basul raised prices at 27 parks, angering longtime season ticket holders who say nothing has improved at the parks to merit such increases. The company also revealed it had lost nearly 2 million customers this year, largely due to higher prices. Bassoul says he wants to improve the quality of the customer who frequents the parks and discourage “raucous” teenagers from attending. The company’s shares were down more than 7% on Friday afternoon.
