Ride Inspections underway for Georgia National Fair

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – You can finally have funnel cakes, play games, and get on rides, because the Georgia National Fair opens tomorrow!

Richard Reithoffer is a ride inspector who wants you to have fun. The first step to making that happen, is checking every ride daily.

“You know, just like a car you’ve gotta check it and stay up on your maintenance, so you can keep driving down the road,” Reithoffer said. “We do the same thing everyday. We want these operating and be ready for the people of Perry Georgia.”

Keaton Walker is the Marketing and Sponsorship Director for the fair. She said there are inspectors who travel with the fair and check rides and then the state of Georgia send people to check rides also.

“We want to make sure that each ride is safe for all of our fair goers to come and enjoy,” Walker said. “Making sure that everyone can enjoy their time while they’re here at the fair, feel safe when they get on a ride, and then safe when they come back the next time.”

Reithoffer said it’s important for multiple people to check on rides.

“It’s definitely good to get as many sets of eyes on the equipment as you possibly can,” he said.

Reithoffer said you can feel safe coming to the fair because inspectors are checking rides from the top to the bottom.

“You start at the bottom of the ride at the base and make sure your base is still secure, all your blocking and things and your supports for the ride are secure,” he said. “And then you work your way up and check anything that the passenger ride in, where they connect, how the lap bars connect.”

So whether you get on a big or small ride, inspectors say you’ll be safe. So hurry to the fair, so you don’t have to wait in the long lines.

The fair opens tomorrow at 3:00 P.M.

Armbands are $20.