Disney, Police and Fatal Accident

* Imagine the following, if you will. Three people are hurt, two seriously, by a flying object. Paramedics race to the scene. Eventually, the police are called. But wait, instead of rushing to the scene, they wait in a conference room for a corporate briefing of the events that transpired.

Meanwhile, the blood and debris the accident caused is quickly cleaned up. It’s not good for paying customers to see and, seemingly more important, it’s not good for business. To make matters even more preposterous, the flying object isn’t released to the police until four days later, as one of the injured dies.

Unfortunately, this tragic event actually occurred at Disneyland and the law enforcement agency guarding the public interest is the Anaheim Police Department.

Is Disneyland not located with the city limits? Apparently, the Anaheim Police Department isn’t so sure or waiting for a briefing is a commonplace occurrence. One wonders if a private citizen could ask the police to wait for an hour or so before they investigate a crime.

Or is it just Disneyland is the biggest corporation in the city and is used to having its way with the city, the county, the state and the country?

Obviously, this is another example of Disneyland run amok and the city nothing but a willing accomplice to Disneyland’s rule.

BOB BAKER

Anaheim

* Shawn Hubler’s Jan. 4 column complains that the Christmas Eve Disneyland accident has “barely created a blip.” In fact, a few days following the accident, I visited Disneyland and would likely have had no problem getting on the Columbia had it been open.

I don’t think the reason for this nonchalance, as Hubler put it, is a reluctance to see past the “magic” of Disneyland. Indeed, my comfort with going on that or any ride at Disneyland comes from a couple of things.

First, with as many visitors as Disneyland hosts each year, the number of accidents is remarkably low. I’m not expert in statistics, but I’d bet visitors are more likely to get into a traffic accident on their way to the park than be injured on or by one of the rides. Second, as a regular visitor I see rides being closed for maintenance. The new “Rocket Rods” ride was closed for several weeks following the reopening of Tomorrowland to ensure that it was operating safely.

I just can’t believe that Disneyland would jeopardize their reputation for safety by ignoring any known condition or concern or by improperly training its employees.

Regarding Hubler’s concern about Disney officials remaining tight-lipped in the face of questions only they can answer, I’d guess that in today’s litigious society they were only following the directions of their attorneys.

And that “locals [weren’t] any more demanding than usual about the facts,” I’d suggest was because Disneyland has earned our trust in the past three decades, and we really don’t believe they have anything to hide.

Not to take this particular incident lightly, as any fatality should and likely does give pause to reflect on how to further improve safety and prevent the same thing from happening again.

ROGER L. LONG

Orange

* How cozy! The entire Anaheim Police Department sits cooling their heels, willingly, while Disney workers tidy up the scene.

Only after it has been hosed down and properly cleaned up do they burst onto the scene! Is the fix in? Is Mickey the new Godfather?

TOM BARNUM

Laguna Beach

* Re “Bill Requiring State Checks at Theme Parks May Be Revived,” Dec. 29:

To prevent accidents at theme parks, it is hard to imagine that an inspection system driven by bureaucrats could be more effective than an inspection system driven by the self-interest of the theme park in not having an accident become a series of lead news articles.

Although the self-interest did not prevent the tragic accident at Disneyland, there is no way to guarantee that a state inspection system would have prevented it, either.

DAVID J. ARTHUR

Costa Mesa

* The Times’ marathon coverage of this tragedy is unfair to Disney. For the Times’ editorials to suggest profit versus safety is a cheap shot and unjustified.

Disneyland’s track record is unmatched when it comes to safety of the general public. Hiring “outside oversight” people to advise Disney would only confuse and slow Disneyland’s internal safety process.

I doubt that any proposed state inspectors would ever think to look at the Columbia ship, let alone a cleat from it. This is a very sad accident, period.

LARRY NOGGLE

Yorba Linda