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January, 2025

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Safety Bars and Park Culture.

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Johngreenacre
Posts: 626 - Karma: 4,557
In the wake of the recent and unfortunate death in PA caused by a fall from a lift, I think it would be really interesting to discuss the culture about riding the lift without the safety bar down. I am certainly an offender, but also have no problem with riding with the bar down. It feels like one of those things where you think everyone else wants it up so you leave it, while everyone else thinks the same.

Does anyone really like riding without the bar? Does your crew ride with or without? Why?
Jan 4 2019 9:00AM
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Snowgoner
Posts: 5047 - Karma: 966
I almost never put the bar down. Grew up on a small East Coast hill and that was the norm. No clue why it stuck with me now that I'm supposed to be a fully rational adult.

Ironically, I still get this recurring nightmare of falling off a really sketchy lift at my home mountain. On windy days, the thing used to bounce off the lift towers from swinging so hard. My friend actually fell off it one year and broke his hip. Lift is still in operation with absolutely no mechanical improvements or added safety provisions lol #riskmanagement
Jan 7 2019 11:02PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
I wouldn't necessarily connect it to park culture, I'd say west coast culture in general is gapers put the bar down, unless you want to rest your legs/feet thats a different story. But, I do get a little bothered when tourist at the end of the 6pack lift wants the bar down, it only really pisses me off if I have camera gear/backpack with me.
Jan 7 2019 11:10PM
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Hansel9001
Posts: 197 - Karma: -74
Its not really necessary unless you have tourettes
Jan 9 2019 8:20PM
2 5
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SammyDubz
Posts: 2168 - Karma: 7,222
Never bothered me.

Honestly kind of like to have it down when your mitts are off and you’re fumbling around with a drink/phone/j/snack or something
Jan 10 2019 12:06AM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
eheathI wouldn't necessarily connect it to park culture, I'd say west coast culture in general is gapers put the bar down, unless you want to rest your legs/feet thats a different story. But, I do get a little bothered when tourist at the end of the 6pack lift wants the bar down, it only really pisses me off if I have camera gear/backpack with me.


I don’t get being bothered... Why you pissed off tho?? Do trivial things often make you pissed off? When they off load slow does that piss you off? You pissed off when gapers lose control off loading? .... it’s normal
Jan 10 2019 11:03AM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
skiguy04I don’t get being bothered... Why you pissed off tho?? Do trivial things often make you pissed off? When they off load slow does that piss you off? You pissed off when gapers lose control off loading? .... it’s normal

Haha whoa dude.

When I have my camera on a glidecam or my camera bag with all my gear on a full chair, there is no where to put my gear but on my lap and when someone pulls the bar down and smashes into my shit (has happened more times than you'd think) yeah that pisses me off.
Jan 10 2019 11:05AM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
Wow wow didn’t know how serious you are I was half joking. Hugs bruh
Jan 10 2019 11:14AM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
skiguy04Wow wow didn’t know how serious you are I was half joking. Hugs bruh

XD
Jan 10 2019 11:30AM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
eheathXD


Moments like that it’s good to stumble and pretend like you don’t know what you’re doing .... I know you know what your doing but it would definitely deter most people from getting on the lift with you cause they probably value their safety....

1. They take the next lift after you....
2. you get chair to yourself
3. ?????
4. Profit
Jan 10 2019 11:35AM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
skiguy04Moments like that it’s good to stumble and pretend like you don’t know what you’re doing .... I know you know what your doing but it would definitely deter most people from getting on the lift with you cause they probably value their safety....

1. They take the next lift after you....
2. you get chair to yourself
3. ?????
4. Profit


I just can't stand people who have zero awareness of whats going on around them, not people who use the saftey bar. I also don't like using the bar on the chair.
Jan 10 2019 11:36AM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
eheathI just can't stand people who have zero awareness of whats going on around them, not people who use the saftey bar. I also don't like using the bar on the chair.


Follow those 4 easy steps to save your gear...

Or do what I do just tell them not to get on the lift with you and they won’t && I don’t ever carry a bag, I just don’t like putting the bar down.... society has shaped people to do what they’re told and follow the heard better than you think
Jan 10 2019 11:39AM
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lil.Boye
Posts: 2736 - Karma: 12,519
we sometimes forget to put it down. since we always have good conversations in the lift, some older lifties yell at us for not putting it down.
in scandinavia in general there is a lot of focus on safety so i have been on chairlifts with a bar that goes down automatically

**This post was edited on Jan 14th 2019 at 11:39:02am
Jan 10 2019 6:12PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
lil.Boyewe sometimes forget to put it down. since we always have good conversations in the lift, some older lifties yell at us for putting it down.
in scandinavia in general there is a lot of focus on safety so i have been on chairlifts with a bar that goes down automatically

Pretty soon police officers are gonna be on the hill with radar guns giving out tickets for skiing too fast
Jan 11 2019 12:54PM
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SteezyCD
Posts: 8 - Karma: 26
BAR!!!
Jan 11 2019 3:03PM
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 16,912
eheathI wouldn't necessarily connect it to park culture, I'd say west coast culture in general is gapers put the bar down, unless you want to rest your legs/feet thats a different story. But, I do get a little bothered when tourist at the end of the 6pack lift wants the bar down, it only really pisses me off if I have camera gear/backpack with me.


Maybe it is a West Coast thing because back in the day at Schweitzer we really made a big deal out of it. I think its because most of the backcountry area lifts were typically doubles with the quads with bars only servicing the front side. Thus if you put the bar down it was showing you couldn't handle the sketchy lifts like Snow Ghost to take you to the back bowls etc.
Jan 11 2019 4:46PM
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Cryptno
Posts: 176 - Karma: -11
JohngreenacreIn the wake of the recent and unfortunate death in PA caused by a fall from a lift, I think it would be really interesting to discuss the culture about riding the lift without the safety bar down. I am certainly an offender, but also have no problem with riding with the bar down. It feels like one of those things where you think everyone else wants it up so you leave it, while everyone else thinks the same.

Does anyone really like riding without the bar? Does your crew ride with or without? Why?


I honestly like it for some lifts. There are hard plastic chairs that get way too slippery when wet, you go over the rollers at the tower's and your whole body moves. I'm not afraid to say that that feels sketch
Jan 11 2019 4:49PM
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Paulage
Posts: 521 - Karma: 102
When I was young it was a defiance thing, then I did the instructor shit and its mandatory and doesn't lead by example, realistically its comfortable and good practice, always bar down.
Jan 11 2019 6:05PM
2 1
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CharlzHub
Posts: 1167 - Karma: 8,558
Call me a pussy but when you’re on the lift with the bar up and it suddenly stops and the whole this swings forward, that’s scary. So I kinda like the bar down
Jan 11 2019 7:15PM
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Ian.Ham
Posts: 1700 - Karma: 1,206
I grew up in Montana with two slow, sketchy, two person chairs, with no bars. Sometimes the leg rest is comfy but it's not a safety necessity unless you don't know what you're doing. If little kids can not fall off a swinging two person chair from the 60's then you can keep your cheeks on a plush quad. To each their own though, just gotta be considerate when you put it down.
Jan 11 2019 8:38PM
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BigScaryLarry
Posts: 1448 - Karma: 2,732
being a regular offender i have grown to call the bar the 'foot rest' and it comes down when i wanna kick back and put my feet up unless im with kids or someone puts its down. also when its windy af im not tryna get blown off the chair.
that being said if you just slam the bar down without warning or checking to see if the rest of your chair is ready for the bar then FUCK YOU. cant even say how many times ive gotten on the lift adjusting my boots only to sit up and almost get knocked out by some joebag slammin the bar down before we even leave the terminal
Jan 11 2019 8:49PM
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Dooberz
Posts: 158 - Karma: 1,009
I had no idea anyone even gave thought to it, if I remembered it was there it would go down if i forgot so what, I felt comfortable either way. The only times I thought about it was when i was riding with someone new to chair lifts.
Jan 12 2019 12:44AM
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YoungWookiee
Posts: 708 - Karma: 518
I used to not like it down until about 3 season back when I realized how comfy it is to lounge out with my skis press against it. A lot better than weights hanging off the chair after a good run in my opinion. Let’s the feet get a good resteroonie
Jan 12 2019 7:03AM
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HypeBeast
Posts: 9868 - Karma: 73,712
I enjoy resting my feet on the bar foot rests.... Sucks for snowboarders tho cuz those bars weren't made with their comfort in mind.

Anyway I feel like it's a culture thing. It's definitely more common on the east coast for people to put the bar down, not necessarily a gaper thing so don't start that shit; otherwise I could say keeping it up is a bring cool thing which isn't usually the case. It's funny when some folks keep the bar up yet everyone on the chair has their arm around the back of the seat for stability cuz they're clearly not comfortable with just sitting there--put the bar down.

Anyway as long as people make it clear, "hey bar coming down" and do it slowly and make sure everyone is ready, no one should have a problem with it. If you do, then I guess you can fuck off cuz it's usually still coming down.
Jan 12 2019 7:33AM
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beckums
Posts: 342 - Karma: 631
Tend to ride with it down but either way it doesn’t matter. A year or so ago a friend of mine got his ski pole sucked into the wheels of a lift pole while screwing around on the lift, and he was thrown off the chair at a high part. Bar wasn’t down of course. I’m also accident prone so I kinda just do it to make sure I only hurt myself skiing and not on the lift
Jan 12 2019 10:08AM
1 0
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superpowderpig
Posts: 9 - Karma: 27
The main reason why i wear a helmet is because some gaper brings the bar down as soon as you get on the chair as hits you in the back of the head because they are afraid they might fall off the chair. Bring the bar down once everyone is settled and life will be good.
Jan 12 2019 12:45PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
superpowderpigThe main reason why i wear a helmet is because some gaper brings the bar down as soon as you get on the chair as hits you in the back of the head because they are afraid they might fall off the chair. Bring the bar down once everyone is settled and life will be good.


And your parents told you that you have to which is he real main reason
Jan 12 2019 5:47PM
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Narcopus
Posts: 148 - Karma: 556
I do it for footrests and just don’t give a shit if there isn’t footrests on the lift. I think a map and a nice footrest could motivate people to use bars at a place where this is a problem, but chances are if someone isn’t using a bar, they don’t need it
Jan 12 2019 9:05PM
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HypeBeast
Posts: 9868 - Karma: 73,712
NarcopusI do it for footrests and just don’t give a shit if there isn’t footrests on the lift. I think a map and a nice footrest could motivate people to use bars at a place where this is a problem, but chances are if someone isn’t using a bar, they don’t need it


Oooooo I do love when maps are on the chairlifts. Let's me plan out my next move if I haven't already
Jan 13 2019 1:16AM
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sNaubi
Posts: 1633 - Karma: 2,357
i dont care, but if the lift is super high or its windy af or snowing, im putting it down.
jk, in sweden they pull your pass if they see you
Jan 13 2019 6:53AM
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DildoSwaggins
Posts: 39 - Karma: 83
Being 6’5 with a helmet, I won’t put the bar down by myself. If someone asks or there’s kids riding up with me, I have no problem with it. However, if you don’t let me know when you’re putting it down/ lifting it up is when I’ll start to judge and get pissy
Jan 13 2019 4:29PM
1 0
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skiguy04
Posts: 1620 - Karma: 1,187
DildoSwagginsBeing 6’5 with a helmet, I won’t put the bar down by myself. If someone asks or there’s kids riding up with me, I have no problem with it. However, if you don’t let me know when you’re putting it down/ lifting it up is when I’ll start to judge and get pissy


Judge... that stings
Jan 14 2019 1:48AM
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