Summer heat deters some gondola-goers
Unusually warm summer temperatures Saturday – not fears of being stranded – turned off potential riders of the city’s gondola ride, which left 18 passengers dangling for more than two hours Wednesday night.
Attendance was normal early Saturday evening at the Skyride, which carries riders from Riverfront Park over the Spokane River and back, said cashier Mindi Campbell. But several families decided not to take a ride in the enclosed, non-air-conditioned gondola cabins after she warned them about the heat.
“We’re just warning people before they go on,” Campbell repeatedly told costumers when alerting them about 90-degree temperatures onboard the ride, which reopened Thursday.
Firefighters used a ladder truck to rescue a mother and her young daughter Wednesday night after a problem with an electrical relay halted the 2,250-foot ride. Several other passengers were able to step a few feet to the ground before operators restarted the ride, allowing the remaining passengers to exit normally.
On Saturday, red signs warned patrons to “USE EXTREME CAUTION!!!!” before buying tickets, which are $4 to $6.
“Elderly guests, infants and those with medical conditions that are affected by heat are advised not to ride the Skyride in these hot conditions,” the signs read. “Other guests should also use caution.”
Campbell sold cold water and other drinks to some passengers, suggesting that others come back after dark.
Spokane resident Kelly Prasser received a spray bottle to cool off 19-month-old Dylan Prasser and herself. Prasser, 22, said that although she knew about Wednesday’s malfunction, she didn’t tell her friend the details before they embarked.
The ride shook scarily when it started but was fine after that, Prasser said.
Other passengers decided a trip over the river was worth the risk.
“We talked about it at first,” said Amy Williamson, 26, of Walla Walla. “We figured it wouldn’t be going if they didn’t have the problem fixed.”
One man complained as he disembarked about the heat inside the cars but no circulating air. It felt like 110 degrees inside, he said.
“It’s a sauna,” he said. “That’s no exaggeration.”
The ride runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays.
Between 100 and 300 people ride daily, Campbell said.