Surfin USA
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- Flack
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Re: Surfin USA
All of this inside park knowledge could be turned into the setting of an interesting IF game...
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- Tdarcos
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Re: Surfin USA
We've had amusement park simulators like Roller Coaster Tycoon but people (usually) play games to have fun. I doubt there'd be much fun in a game where you had to do mind-numbingly boring, menial tasks, unless was a huge payoff. Now, if you had to do the work or design/program bots to do it for you, with all the problems of writing software, like specifying exactly what to do, completion tests, and proper shut down.Flack wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:57 pm All of this inside park knowledge could be turned into the setting of an interesting IF game...
Welcome to Park Maintenance™! You have 34 things (rides, buildings, vehicles, etc.) to clean, empty, or paint, which will take about 22 hours to do by hand. Management, however, gives you only 8 hours to do it all. Now, the owners of this park are not the type you can quit the job or leave it unfinished, as they will either leave you unfinished, or bury you under the concrete slab of the new roller coaster currently under construction. However, you have a bunch of programmable robots ("bots") to do the work for you. You just have to program the bots, and supervise the work...
Your window- / pool- / truck--cleaning bot wiped the glass/tile/chrome too hard and has ground down the glass / scraped away the tile face / scraped the bumpers to the bare steel...
or
Your pressure cleaner bot has failed to stop, it has sandblasted away the restroom wall, then sandblasted the occupants to death. "Go directly to jail, do not collect $200."
- - - -
That sort of game, however, might be very interesting...
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- AArdvark
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Re: Surfin USA
I instantly thought of Scooby-Doo and the haunted water park .
Now that would make a cool text adventure!
Now that would make a cool text adventure!
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Yeah!Flack wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:57 pm All of this inside park knowledge could be turned into the setting of an interesting IF game...
Like Aardvark mentioned.. a horror theme would probably be cool. Like working night shift and finding a dead body.
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- Flack
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Re: Surfin USA
Next time you're asking ChatGPT questions, ask it the difference between setting and plot.Tdarcos wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 4:13 pmWe've had amusement park simulators like Roller Coaster Tycoon but people (usually) play games to have fun. I doubt there'd be much fun in a game where you had to do mind-numbingly boring, menial tasks, unless was a huge payoff. Now, if you had to do the work or design/program bots to do it for you, with all the problems of writing software, like specifying exactly what to do, completion tests, and proper shut down.Flack wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:57 pm All of this inside park knowledge could be turned into the setting of an interesting IF game...
"I failed a savings throw and now I am back."
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Heh-hehFlack wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 9:49 pmNext time you're asking ChatGPT questions, ask it the difference between setting and plot.Tdarcos wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 4:13 pmWe've had amusement park simulators like Roller Coaster Tycoon but people (usually) play games to have fun. I doubt there'd be much fun in a game where you had to do mind-numbingly boring, menial tasks, unless was a huge payoff. Now, if you had to do the work or design/program bots to do it for you, with all the problems of writing software, like specifying exactly what to do, completion tests, and proper shut down.Flack wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:57 pm All of this inside park knowledge could be turned into the setting of an interesting IF game...
Today was a rough day. Mainly because I had to remove and lift many (roughly 40 of them at about 60 pounds each) large paving stones from a plant potting area and on to a pallets. Everything felt sore and weak after that, but a bit of painting and a lot of moving water out of the Lazy River yet again came after. Time to go to bed soon and go back in the morning, but I did get a couple of behind-the-scenes wave pool pictures for you guys today. I still need to get one from inside the "wall" showing the 4 chambers that the "wave" fills into and pushes out of. This shows the lower part of the front of the wall and the backside of the wall.


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- Tdarcos
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Re: Surfin USA
OSHA recommends a maximum lift weight for one person of 50 pounds. I'm presuming you know to never lift with your back, only with your knees; this mean you never bend over to pick up objects over about 20 pounds, you squat and lift them with your legs.Jizaboz wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:36 pm Today was a rough day. Mainly because I had to remove and lift many (roughly 40 of them at about 60 pounds each) large paving stones from a plant potting area and on to a pallets.
Which is exactly why that recommndation is in place. Do you guys routinely have to move heavy (over 40 pound) items, or groups of them? You could try wheedling your boss by pointing out that if he got a lift truck with platform, you could move a group of items of up to 440 pounds without having to lift any item more than six inches. Since you're in an amusement park, it's all smooth concrete so it should not be a problem rolling it. A lift truck with platform has a flat surface with a vertical handle. He can get one from Amazon for about $60. You can point out that you can probably push several items that weigh up to 440 pounds faster than carrying them one at a time. And the truck folds up when not in use.
I am surprised by the number of places that will have people spending 20-30 minutes to pick up and carry a group of things that they would probably spend five minutes using a lift truck. The break-even point on these is four hours based on salary + benefits + overhead at $15/hour. If a device like this can save at least four hours of employee labor in, say, six months (an average of two minutes a day), that's all it takes for it to pay for itself, and all the rest of the time, it's still saving money. Hell, if it saves somebody five minutes a day on average, it will pay for itself in six weeks.
Let's try this: would it have allowed you to do that faster if you could have moved more than one at a time, e.g. lift the items onto the truck, push to the destination(s), then unload? It would also certainly have made your job easier.
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- Jizaboz
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- AArdvark
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Re: Surfin USA
Does the park do stuff to the rides to protect them in the off season? Besides draining and blowing out the pipes?
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Huh, honestly I'd never heard of the max lift of 50 pounds per person thing. Back when I was working construction in my 20s, I'd regularly carry multiple 80 pound bags of QuikCrete up flights of stairs. The correct lifting thing though yeah I don't have any choice! If I don't primary use my legs and arms to lift I'd fuck already-fragile lower back up baddddd. If I try to bend over and lift with my back, stuff starts popping to remind me not to do that lolTdarcos wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:02 amOSHA recommends a maximum lift weight for one person of 50 pounds. I'm presuming you know to never lift with your back, only with your knees; this mean you never bend over to pick up objects over about 20 pounds, you squat and lift them with your legs.Jizaboz wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:36 pm Today was a rough day. Mainly because I had to remove and lift many (roughly 40 of them at about 60 pounds each) large paving stones from a plant potting area and on to a pallets.
Thankfully, no. About the heaviest thing I usually lift by myself are 5-gallon paint cans. My back doesn't hurt at all today, but my neck and arms are still very sore.
In this case we were using a handtruck to a pallet about 5-6 feet away. The fork lift driver later came and picked up the pallets. I could see maybe a hydraulic lift being more useful than a handtruck so that we could lift the bricks level with the stack. At the time though it just needed to get done and we barely had time to get a prybar, much less something as fancy as a hydraulic lift.. if they even had one. (We used them at the coffee vending place I used to work at)Tdarcos wrote: You could try wheedling your boss by pointing out that if he got a lift truck with platform, you could move a group of items of up to 440 pounds without having to lift any item more than six inches. Since you're in an amusement park, it's all smooth concrete so it should not be a problem rolling it. A lift truck with platform has a flat surface with a vertical handle. He can get one from Amazon for about $60. You can point out that you can probably push several items that weigh up to 440 pounds faster than carrying them one at a time. And the truck folds up when not in use.
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Re: Surfin USA
great point, why don't they cover at least some of the attractions? This cleanup work has to cost over 10k a month. Maybe they want to lose some money for tax purposes at the end of the season?AArdvark wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:18 pmDoes the park do stuff to the rides to protect them in the off season? Besides draining and blowing out the pipes?
- Tdarcos
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Re: Surfin USA
A one gallon bottle of milk weighs 7 pounds. Estimating paint is 20% thicker than milk, that makes a gallon of paint weigh about 8⅖ pounds, meaning a 5 gallon tub of paint weighs about 41 pounds. Which probably explains why your arms are tired, if you're carrying one of those, you're almost certainly carrying with one hand, or, you're carrying two, which is about 82 pounds.Jizaboz wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:22 pmThankfully, no. About the heaviest thing I usually lift by myself are 5-gallon paint cans. My back doesn't hurt at all today, but my neck and arms are still very sore.
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
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Re: Surfin USA
Tdarcos wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 8:14 pmA one gallon bottle of milk weighs 7 pounds. Estimating paint is 20% thicker than milk, that makes a gallon of paint weigh about 8⅖ pounds, meaning a 5 gallon tub of paint weighs about 41 pounds. Which probably explains why your arms are tired, if you're carrying one of those, you're almost certainly carrying with one hand, or, you're carrying two, which is about 82 pounds.Jizaboz wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:22 pmThankfully, no. About the heaviest thing I usually lift by myself are 5-gallon paint cans. My back doesn't hurt at all today, but my neck and arms are still very sore.Tdarcos wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:02 am
Which is exactly why that recommndation is in place. Do you guys routinely have to move heavy (over 40 pound) items, or groups of them?
Ok, Jizzaboz, we're gonna need to know the brand of paint to sort this out.Google Search wrote:How much does a 1 gallon bucket of paint weigh?
A gallon of paint weighs between 6 and 12 pounds, dependent on the type of paint being used. Latex, oil-based, acrylic, and enamel paints will all have different densities and weights. The weight of the paint may be essential to know if you plan on transporting it before painting
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Not much comment on this one per the shit I signed lolAArdvark wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:18 pm Does the park do stuff to the rides to protect them in the off season? Besides draining and blowing out the pipes?
However, I can tell you there are high fences and cameras, though I think there were signs of someone breaking in to skateboard in certain areas that don't even look fun to do so and it left mad scuff marks

These pool areas are WAYYY too massive to "cover". In this part of NC even when we have a "deep freeze" it generally doesn't completely crack/ruin most concrete. The company decides to instead cram all preseason cleanup and restoration within the span of about 2 months. While so far I've had no complaints about this as I see how work is progressing, I have overheard another at the company mention about more being done around November-January to make the process produce better results and be less painful. The tint of the paint fades once bright sun and the chems bombard it for weeks, which is another reason the paint is slapped down in the last couple of months up to opening.Casual Observer wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:12 pmgreat point, why don't they cover at least some of the attractions? This cleanup work has to cost over 10k a month. Maybe they want to lose some money for tax purposes at the end of the season?AArdvark wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:18 pmDoes the park do stuff to the rides to protect them in the off season? Besides draining and blowing out the pipes?
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- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Thanks for breaking that down, TDarcos. I mean that, you've actually put a lot more thought into this than I have just lifting this stuff to get things done.Casual Observer wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 8:28 pmTdarcos wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 8:14 pmA one gallon bottle of milk weighs 7 pounds. Estimating paint is 20% thicker than milk, that makes a gallon of paint weigh about 8⅖ pounds, meaning a 5 gallon tub of paint weighs about 41 pounds. Which probably explains why your arms are tired, if you're carrying one of those, you're almost certainly carrying with one hand, or, you're carrying two, which is about 82 pounds.Jizaboz wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:22 pm
Thankfully, no. About the heaviest thing I usually lift by myself are 5-gallon paint cans. My back doesn't hurt at all today, but my neck and arms are still very sore.Ok, Jizzaboz, we're gonna need to know the brand of paint to sort this out.Google Search wrote:How much does a 1 gallon bucket of paint weigh?
A gallon of paint weighs between 6 and 12 pounds, dependent on the type of paint being used. Latex, oil-based, acrylic, and enamel paints will all have different densities and weights. The weight of the paint may be essential to know if you plan on transporting it before painting
CO: For fuck sake man can you please be bothered to spell my name correctly? lol However, yes.. the paint..
Here we go. Chlorinated rubber paint. 1 gallon weighs 14 pounds. (this is some THICC shit. Also pricey.)
https://waterlinetechnologies.com/ramuc ... ool-paint/
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Re: Surfin USA
Sorry Jizaboz, I can't imagine why mi mind ads the extra z.
Wow, 70 pounds ain't light, you're an animal.
Wow, 70 pounds ain't light, you're an animal.
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
Casual Observer wrote: Tue Apr 11, 2023 9:49 pm Sorry Jizaboz, I can't imagine why mi mind ads the extra z.
Wow, 70 pounds ain't light, you're an animal.

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- AArdvark
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Re: Surfin USA
I was thinking like a big industrial sized bucket of Armor-All and a mop to coat all the fiberglass tubes and shit
- Jizaboz
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Re: Surfin USA
I'm not sure what the tube coating is yet. The outside appears to be more rubberized paint (but we aren't painting those) I know Bombs Away has a special coating applied inside it not on the other slides to prevent guests from trying to stop themselves when the trap door activates lolAArdvark wrote: Wed Apr 12, 2023 2:51 am I was thinking like a big industrial sized bucket of Armor-All and a mop to coat all the fiberglass tubes and shit
Wave pool is just about done! It's looking much better than that previous picture. I'll probably post pictures of the after tomorrow.
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- Jizaboz
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