Along for the Ride

More often than not, Tom Allen says, he can tell if there’s a problem with a carnival ride by just feeling its vibration.

A high-frequency rattle, he said, is a common symptom of a shredded bearing. A knee-buckling tremor indicates the foundation is off balance. A loud shaking usually means a few loose pins.

If anything is wrong with those here-today-gone-tomorrow attractions, Allen, a senior inspector for the California Fair Services Authority, and his partner, Audie Spears, are usually the ones who’ll find it.

“These pieces are made to run really smooth,” Allen said while poking around the bony steel supports of the “Hi-Miler” roller coaster. “Most of the time you can just listen and feel for anything that might be wrong.”

This week, Allen and Spears began their inspections of the more than 40 stomach-turning rides being readied for the 1997 Ventura County Fair, which opens today.

They have been poking and prodding every single ride, making sure each one will not only take fair-goers to adrenaline-pumping heights, but will return them safely to terra firma.

It’s a job that requires attention to detail, extraordinary patience and interpersonal skills, a love of heights and even basic mountaineering skills. Allen often straps himself into a harness to walk the length of a roller coaster to check the tracks and steel supports for cracks.

“There’s definitely a method to all this, and each inspector kind of has his own,” he said. “I personally like to start from the ground up.”

Allen and Spears began their inspections with a favorite called 1,001 Nights--a 10-story, pendulum-like behemoth festooned with lights that speeds a fiberglass boat in gut-busting circles.

Their first duty was to check each of the more than 50 foundation footings to make sure they were stable.

Next, they inspected the “diaper pins”--fasteners that anchor the hundreds of half-inch-thick steel bolts. Then it was time to plug in the juice and put the ride through its paces.

While Allen made sure that the control board responded to every push of a button, Spears, a mechanical engineer, stood quietly on the metal gangplank, listening for unfamiliar sounds.

“Smooth,” he said to himself as the boat whooshed by. “Real smooth.”

There was, however, one problem.

The magnetic switch fastened under the deck wasn’t telling the 10-ton machine that it was safe to release the lap restraints. Allen told the ride operators it would have to be replaced.

“Most of what I do is recommend that they do something,” he said. “I don’t want to close down any rides and they don’t either, so they do it.”

Established in 1986 to mitigate the concerns of cash-strapped insurance companies, the Sacramento-based California Fair Services Authority is a quasi-governmental agency hired by carnival operators to ensure the safety of the rides and efficient operation of the fairs.

The five inspectors employed by the organization focus their discerning eyes on carnivals throughout the state and, according to Allen, are generally pleased by the standards maintained by operators.

When problems are found, they are reported to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health and logged into a database kept by the fair authority for future reference.

In addition, Cal/OSHA officials check every amusement ride in California in an annual safety certification.

To aid their inspections, Allen and Spears tote a library of manuals issued by the ride manufacturers. The manuals detail everything from safe operating procedures to ride schematics to correct bolt gradings and corrosion warnings.

“I’ve got two kids, and I kind of approach my job with them in mind,” Allen said. “I want to be satisfied that every piece that I inspect is one that I’d let my kids ride.”

In addition to fueling a hunger for adrenaline-soaked excitement, carnival rides can inspire apprehension from would-be patrons who fear their quick assembly leaves little room for safety.

Both Allen and Spears dismiss such anxiety as unfounded. In addition to the careful inspections, Spears said that rides are typically “over-engineered” with many times more strength than they need.

“Not only that, but the fact that they have to be taken apart all the time lets people look inside and see if anything is wrong,” he said.

Allen said that in all his years looking at the innards of these steel beasts, he’s only had to close one down.

Even the operators develop a curiously loving bond with their rides that keep them cleaning, inspecting and maintaining.

“It’s called ride pride,” said a whiskered Victor Venne. “I put a lot of TLC into her. I keep her clean and running right because she’ll be with me for the rest of the season.”