Chairlift Safety Bars

[PamGoodley]

Hi. I'm in northern California. Started skiing at age 50. Intermediate level now, although I had a couple of setback with broken bones from bike accidents (seasons missed plus PTSD of getting injured). I ski alone a lot. One thing I've noticed in California is that most people don't put the bar down on chairlifts. It's done for kids, but with adults, it's rare. If I get on the lift with others, I always say "Are you okay with the bar down?" and announce before bringing it down and also before raising it. People always say "okay" but I can tell some are grudgingly going along with it. Is it more common in other regions and countries to use the bar? If you don't like using it, I'm curious as to why not? And I'm not talking about those that have attached foot rests, which do seem annoying and useless. Thanks!

 

[Salomon]

Wow . I have only skied in Europe and have never come across that . Usually people try to get the bar down so quickly before checking everyone has their stuff together etc . I find that annoying but certainly preferable to no bar !

 

[geargrrl]

Most places I ski at don't even have them.

 

[santacruz skier]

Wow . I have only skied in Europe and have never come across that . Usually people try to get the bar down so quickly before checking everyone has their stuff together etc . I find that annoying but certainly preferable to no bar !

And in Tahoe, it is mostly the European travelers who immediately put the bar down without a warning "bar down." It's because they are used to it and probably more safety conscious. Many have been bonked on the head because of the sudden bar coming down on their heads, arms, etc.
Personally, I always put the bar down when solo on a lift. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking others on the lift, "ok to put the bar down." I always say "of course." And, sometimes I'm the one requesting bar down if windy or a huge drop.

 

[ski diva]

In Vermont it's a state law to have the bar down. I've never understood why people have issues with it. I mean, really, is having the bar down such a big deal?

 

[Jilly]

Pretty sure all of Canada for bar down.

 

[Pequenita]

And I'm not talking about those that have attached foot rests, which do seem annoying and useless.

I'm more inclined to put down the bar if there is a foot rest, actually. But, I generally don't put the bar down, except for in certain areas, although I guess I know of few cases of people being blown off lifts due to in-bounds avalanches or some other chair malfunction. I don't care if someone else wants the bar down, but I prefer they announce/ask and also wait until we're out of the lift terminal because I'm often still adjusting my poles or spacing, etc. It really sucks to have a bar come down when you're in the middle of putting your poles under your legs. The other thing that really sucks are when people aren't spaced right, and the bars have the little handles that come down between legs. I can't tell you how many times I've been squashed over in one side of the lift, in a space intended for half a person while some other person on the other side is sitting in a space for 1.5 people.

 

[santacruz skier]

It really sucks to have a bar come down when you're in the middle of putting your poles under your legs.

^^^^ Exactly.

 

[PamGoodley]

And in Tahoe, it is mostly the European travelers who immediately put the bar down without a warning "bar down." It's because they are used to it and probably more safety conscious. Many have been bonked on the head because of the sudden bar coming down on their heads, arms, etc.
Personally, I always put the bar down when solo on a lift. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking others on the lift, "ok to put the bar down." I always say "of course." And, sometimes I'm the one requesting bar down if windy or a huge drop.

I always try to ask with a smile, and then say thanks.

 

[scandium]

I find bar up weird, as I've only skied in Japan (they put the bar down for you as you get on!), Europe and NZ which are all places where it's automatically bar down. In NZ there's a mix of just the bar all the way through to various footrests with automatic locking, raising etc. and I don't think anywhere has chairs without a safety bar. It's courtesy to say "heads" or "bar" or something of that nature when you're pulling it down, but my understanding of the general rule in most NZ resorts is that you use the lift line/time between chairs to organise yourself to get on, and the bar goes down by the first tower or the lifties yell at you to get your act together. I've also seen the lifties in smaller fields put the bar down as the kids get on if it's shorter/smaller kids riding together.

 

[PamGoodley]

I find bar up weird, as I've only skied in Japan (they put the bar down for you as you get on!), Europe and NZ which are all places where it's automatically bar down. In NZ there's a mix of just the bar all the way through to various footrests with automatic locking, raising etc. and I don't think anywhere has chairs without a safety bar. It's courtesy to say "heads" or "bar" or something of that nature when you're pulling it down, but my understanding of the general rule in most NZ resorts is that you use the lift line/time between chairs to organise yourself to get on, and the bar goes down by the first tower or the lifties yell at you to get your act together. I've also seen the lifties in smaller fields put the bar down as the kids get on if it's shorter/smaller kids riding together.

My home resort requires lift operators to put the bar down with kids on lifts. So I always like it when I can grab a chair with a ski team kid.
My resort enforced chairlift safety as part of a settlement about 10 years ago after a ski team child fell from a lift and died. But still it's not mandatory for adults and I see very few using the bar. I also get the idea that it's viewed as "not cool" to have the bar down. My nephew is working at a resort in Colorado. He told me he sometimes uses the bar but not all the time. He started skiing about three years ago (life-changing for him). I fear that he feels the social pressure of going along with no bar down when riding with fellow workers who don't use the bar. My nephew wants to fit in with the ski group (all more experienced than him) so as a young male, probably feels that unspoken pressure to just go along with what the others do.

 

[scandium]

It's times like these that I like being too cynical and cranky to care about being cool. With your nephew, it may well be important for ongoing social acceptance in his workplace - my thought would be that if it's a larger chair, I'd at least try to sit on the side so there's something to grab in event of unexpected gusts etc.

 

[Pequenita]

Where do you ski, @PamGoodley ?

 

[PamGoodley]

It's times like these that I like being too cynical and cranky to care about being cool. With your nephew, it may well be important for ongoing social acceptance in his workplace - my thought would be that if it's a larger chair, I'd at least try to sit on the side so there's something to grab in event of unexpected gusts etc.

I'm cynical and cranky anyway, so works for me...haha. If only I can persuade my nephew.

 

[PamGoodley]

Most places I ski at don't even have them.

May I ask where you're located? I'm wondering if the lifts are older or if it's just not something they have in your locale. Thanks!

 

[PamGoodley]

Where do you ski, @PamGoodley ?

Sugar Bowl in the Truckee/Tahoe region.

 

[Abbi]

In Vermont it's a state law to have the bar down. I've never understood why people have issues with it. I mean, really, is having the bar down such a big deal?

I have always wondered that when I was skiing in Utah. If you wear a seatbelt, which I’m sure most do, why isn’t this equally safety conscious? People have fallen off of chairlift with unpleasant results.

 

[Pequenita]

Sugar Bowl in the Truckee/Tahoe region.

Yeah, I'm there, too. If it's any relief, one of the lifties last year kept putting the bar down seconds after I sat down on Christmas Tree one day. It was a little surprising -- for the "adjustment" issues I wrote about above -- and I actually thought for a moment that there was something wrong with the lift where the speed was changing or something, causing the bar to automatically come down.

 

[PamGoodley]

Yeah, I'm there, too. If it's any relief, one of the lifties last year kept putting the bar down seconds after I sat down on Christmas Tree one day. It was a little surprising -- for the "adjustment" issues I wrote about above -- and I actually thought for a moment that there was something wrong with the lift where the speed was changing or something, causing the bar to automatically come down.

Whether it's me, another person on the lift, or the liftie, it should always be announced that the bar is coming down. And not announced as it's happening. Although for kids, the lift operator needs to be getting the bar down before they're out of reach so it could be simultaneous.

 

[WaterGirl]

Bar down for the foot rest. And if it's mid week and slower and someone wants to "join me" I always let them know I plan on putting the bar down while in the lift line. Sometimes that deters them ;) Not all lifts have bars where I ski, and the ones that do have either have the foot rests or are in areas where you really feel like you need one - Chair 23 anyone?