Sea Dragon Center Mast: Are Recall Notices Sometimes Too Burdensome?

Let's Take a Closer Look at the Sea Dragon Center Mast Design: Are Recall Notices Sometimes Too Burdensome Upon Owners of Products Containing Defects?

You can see the technical service bulletin (recall) from Chance Rides, the manufacturer of the Sea Dragon pirate ship ride, by clicking on this link. The recall notice should open up in a separate window. Chance Rides issued the recall for the center mast of the pirate ship ride. 

You'll notice that the recall, like recalls generally, places the burden on the owner of the item to jump through a few hoops to get the product defect fixed. Specifically, to comply with the recall, the owner of the Sea Dragon ride must:

1.   Take the affected mast parts apart;
2.   Carefully inspect the parts for wear;
3.   Measure the pin holes;
4.   Order the Mast Hinge Rework Kit;
5.   Install the Rework Kit;
6.   Use only qualified personnel capable of understanding the parts and their functions to do the rework install (the recall does not specify how one is to determine if a worker is "qualified" for this task);
7.   Grind down the original hinge weld if it's cracked and re-weld it;
8.   Fix and reinstall the mast;
9.   Perform all of the above within 30 days of the recall; and
10. Inspect the mast annually thereafter.

The recall further specifies that the center mast is only thematic décor, and is not necessary equipment for the ride. (In other words, if a Sea Dragon owner finds all of this reworking and re-welding too burdensome, that owner can simply remove the center mast from the ride.) I confess that had I been a Sea Dragon owner, after reading this recall bulletin, I probably would have taken the easy way out and simply removed the center mast permanently from the ride. Because this recall is only 1 of 8 that Chance Rides seems to have issued for the Sea Dragon. Those 8 service bulletins stand in addition to another 8 that they issued for all of their rides. (Look at the list here.)

And these 16 service bulletins are only for the Sea Dragon from Chance Rides. If I owned a whole amusement park, I would probably own many rides from several different manufacturers, all of which might be sending me periodic recall notices. So I might be just plain weary of fixing defective products. And if a service bulletin stated that I could safely operate a ride without the decorative piece that formed the subject of the recall, I would probably just take that piece right off the ride.

I doubt that there's a single rider whose inclination to ride the Sea Dragon would be much affected by the presence or absence of the decorative center mast. If you enjoy such pendulum pirate ship rides, you're probably looking for the thrills of acceleration through changing G forces, not a particular decorative touch.

If you own a car, you may have received a recall on your auto at one time or another. At least on a car recall, you don't have to do the fix yourself or at your own expense. But you still have to take time out of schedule to drop your car off at the dealer. You may have to rearrange plans to account for the time your car spends being fixed, and you may have to arrange for other transportation for a time. Anyway you look at it, it's pretty inconvenient.

Of course, it's infinitely better that the manufacturer of a defective product notify you and tell you how to get it fixed than if he simply lets the matter go. Without a recall notice to tell you to fix the defect, you might go merrily on your way until the product defect injures or kills you. So while I could wish that recalls were less burdensome or inconvenient at times, I am definitely all for issuing recalls to product owners whenever a defect is found. If I unwittingly own a defective product, I want to know about it before it harms me.