At Luna Park on Coney Island, it’s all about the nuts and bolts.
“You got to check all the cars. Then you got to walk the track underneath and then you get a cherry picker or a man lift to check the bolts on top,” Craig Gualtieri, an inspector with the city’s Department of Buildings, said.
Every year, Gualtieri and his fellow inspectors swap elevators and escalators for the beach and boardwalk as they examine the city’s most iconic roller coasters.
“It’s fun for me to come here,” Gualtieri said. “It gets me away from doing elevators and stuff, and I enjoy doing this. It’s for the safety of the kids. It all comes down to the kids.”
Luna Park opens for the season on Saturday, March 23. But before thrill seekers of all ages can strap in, rides like the Thunderbolt must be deemed safe by the city.
“It’s just a way to give New Yorkers as well as the thousands of tourists that come here every year in order to visit this peace of mind to know that when I go on this ride, I’m gonna make it on the ride to the end, and be in one piece,” Christopher Silva said, who’s been inspecting rides at Luna Park for the last three years.
Last year, the city's Department of Buildings conducted 280 inspections on permanent amusement rides and more than 700 inspections on temporary rides. Inspectors also conduct anywhere between 1,000 and 5,000 spot checks annually to make sure rides are safe and up to code.
“Part of the character of this park is the ride staying. That we could point to the ride and say, ‘This has been here for 30 years, 40 years.’ That we’ve not only made sure that it’s safe, but we’ve also up-kept it and maintained it in a way that it does live out that lifespan,” Silva said.
According to the city, injuries and accidents on amusement rides are rare in the five boroughs. Since 2022, a total of five people suffered minor injuries.
“They’re either having their cellphone out, hats on, glasses on and you’re supposed to take everything out of your pockets because these things do go upside down,” Gualtieri said. “It’s also up to the operators too. They’re the defense line for the customers, so if they don’t do their job, then something could happen.”
Each line of defense is intended to make sure the scares for the tens of thousands of people who ride these roller coasters every year are all in good fun.