Disabled man with no hands left furious after Texas theme park bans him from its roller coasters

  • Michael Green queued for an hour so he could ride the Texas Giant
  • But park staff refused him entry on the white-knuckle ride
  • He was then told he could not ride anything at the theme park by customer service department

By Anthony Bond

Published: 04:43 EST, 13 June 2012 | Updated: 11:37 EST, 13 June 2012


A disabled man has been left furious after he was told he could not ride a theme park's roller coasters because he does not have any hands.

Michael Green queued for an hour at Six Flags Over Texas theme park so that he could ride the Texas Giant.

But he was not allowed on the white-knuckle ride by park staff.

Furious: Michael Green, pictured, was told he could not ride a theme park's roller coasters because he does not have any hands

Furious: Michael Green, pictured, was told he could not ride a theme park's roller coasters because he does not have any hands

Furious, he went to the theme park's customer service department but was told he could not ride anything at the park.

The incident follows the death last year of an amputee Iraq war veteran who died after falling from a roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort, near New York.

Speaking to 9news.com, Mr Green said: 'I always get stared at a lot, but I never get discriminated, people telling me that I can't do something when they don't even know what I can do,' he said.

Unhappy: Mr Green queued for an hour at Six Flags Over Texas theme park in Arlington, Texas, so that he could ride the Texas Giant. But he was refused entry

Unhappy: Mr Green queued for an hour at Six Flags Over Texas theme park in Arlington, Texas, so that he could ride the Texas Giant. But he was refused entry

Mr Green lost both of his hands following a fire at his home when he was just 15 months old.

But despite this, he still manages to live as normal a life as possible.
He says he can cook, drive, clean and type on a computer.

He also told park staff that he had been to Six Flags Over Texas many times in his childhood and had never been refused entry onto a ride before.

But the theme park in Arlington, Texas would not budge.

Mr Green said: 'I thought I was normal, and then I get treated like I am not, like I'm an outsider again - and that's the worst feeling in the world, to feel like an outsider,' he said.

A spokesman for Six Flags Over Texas said its policies are customised by each individual ride and developed for the safety of its guests.

He added: 'Our policies and procedures are reviewed and adjusted from time to time to ensure we continue to accommodate the needs of our guests while simultaneously maintaining a safe environment.'

Controversial: After being turned away from the Texas Giant, pictured, Mr Green went to the theme park's customer service department but was told he could not ride anything at the park

Controversial: After being turned away from the Texas Giant, pictured, Mr Green went to the theme park's customer service department but was told he could not ride anything at the park

According to Disability Rights Texas, safety can be a reason to prevent somebody from taking part on a ride.

However, the group said each case must be judged separately.

Last year, an amputee Iraq war veteran died after falling from a roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort.

Tragic accident: Iraq veteran Sergeant James Hackemer visited the theme park with several members of his family, including his two daughters

Tragic accident: Iraq veteran Sergeant James Hackemer died after falling from a roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort last year

Army Sgt. James Hackemer, who had lost his legs to a roadside bomb, was lifted from his seat near the end of the Ride of Steel coaster and thrown to the ground on July 8.

The 29-year-old father of two died of blunt force trauma.

State investigators said operators did not follow rules posted at the ride's entrance, which require that riders have both legs.

Comments (0)

Share what you think

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now