Lawyers and law firm staff are often portrayed as being "fun killers," meaning we're often accused of taking all the fun out of everything by pointing out how unsafe it is. When these accusations are thrown around, I'm usually the first guy in line to chime in as the self-appointed voice of reason. "Now, now. Everyone relax. That's not how it actually works. Yadda, yadda." However, today I'm going to prove the stereotype right. You see, I took my family to Dallas Karting Complex and I got hurt pretty badly. Naturally, I'm now asking the question, "Is this place too dangerous?"
A Little Backstory
When most people think of go karts, they imagine little lawnmower-engine-powered kiddy karts that will maybe go 10 mph, like the kind you find at Putt Putt mini golf. Those go karts are fun in their own way, but fast they are not. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there exist true racing go karts called shifter karts (because they have transmissions with multiple gears and you must shift them). Shifter karts are not that popular in America, but pretty much every famous Formula One driver you've ever heard of got his start racing these special karts.
Shifter karts are ungodly fast. They weigh very little, have incredibly sticky tires, sophisticated brakes, and they'll often have about 30-40 horsepower. That may not sound like much, but in a vehicle that weighs less than 400 lbs, it is an insane amount of power. But the power and acceleration isn't the draw; it's all about the handling. Shifter karts are the closest thing to Formula 1 racing that people of average means and decent ability will ever experience. It is pure racing in a vehicle that can corner better than any Ferrari road car could ever dream of. I know, I've driven them in anger, and let me tell you that shifter karts are nothing short of proof that God loves us and he wants us to enjoy life. They really are that great.
Dallas Karting Complex is a go kart racing facility about an hour east of Dallas in Caddo Mills, TX. The appeal of the place is that for about $20, you can allegedly strap into a real-life racing go kart and fly around the track at speeds up to 60 mph, or so their advertising states. The truth is that their standard rental go karts (they call them "adult karts"), while plenty awesome, are not in the same league as shifter karts.
You can indeed rent real-deal shifter karts from them, but only if you've proven yourself worthy by achieving an expert-quality lap time in their adult karts. Having driven real shifter karts before (in Grand Junction, Colorado), the first time I went to DKC, I was a little disappointed to find that their adult karts are not nearly as hardcore as their advertisements lead you to believe, but they are still incredibly fast machines. I'm skeptical that they'll hit 60 mph on the DKC track, but they're very, very fast. Rib-breakingly so.
Where It All Went Wrong
On the day in question, I coaxed my father-in-law and brother-in-law, who were in town visiting me and my wife, to come with me to DKC. They were a little apprehensive. My mother-in-law was a lot apprehensive. Nevertheless, after a good dose of me explaining how these karts are not as dangerous as they sound, everyone was sufficiently convinced that it was a good idea to go. I wasn't twisting anyone's arm or stretching the truth, I had gone to DKC three or four times before, and it seemed like the facility was as safe as could be expected. Heck, I'd even taken the entire law firm there once before, so I felt pretty comfortable sticking up for the place.
We arrived on a very busy holiday weekend and the track was packed. Much to my surprise, rather than 10 or so karts being on the track at a time, per the usual, the track was littered with karts. While I can't quote an exact number, there were easily 30 karts on the track in any given session. 30 karts on DKC's track looks like rush hour traffic on 635. It was a madhouse. This was only further aggravated by the fact that the DKC staff used portable barriers to cordon off part of the track, making it even shorter in length. I suspect they did this to cut out the fastest part of the track, the main straightaway, but the result was even less real estate for dozens of go karts to occupy, a veritable traffic jam.
This had me a little concerned, so I took the time to explain to my in-laws what to do if someone crashes in front of you (accident avoidance) and where the safe parts of the track are if you need to go off track, etc. Nevertheless, I felt like the traffic on the track wasn't that big of a deal, and we waited our turn.
As we waited, things got worse. Before long, they were letting the adult karts out on the track at the same time as semi-pro racers who were driving MUCH faster shifter karts. The speed disparity between the amateurs in the adult rental karts and real racing shifter karts being driven by people who race competitively is staggering, and I witnessed many close calls that made me cringe.
As if that was not bad enough, for one session, they let only a handful of shifter karts with semi-pro drivers out onto the track, only they had them running the track clockwise instead of the standard counter-clockwise direction. The problem was that there was a big pile of dirt -- probably a few tons of it -- stacked up near a corner. In the counter-clockwise direction, this pile of dirt was meaningless since you never drive straight toward it. It's merely a thing to the side of one of the small straightaways. But in the clockwise direction, the pile of dirt was now in the runoff area right after a fast turn, meaning that the shifter kart drivers could easily come flying out of a turn, aimed right at a 12-foot-tall pile of dirt. They might as well have been speeding toward a brick wall. Had any of these drivers lost traction, they would've slammed into this barrier at 40+ mph, which could easily kill someone. As I watched in shock, I thought, "It can't get any more dangerous than that." Boy, was I ever wrong.
Moments later, I waited in the pit area where the majority of DKC's staff was working. Said staff members were very young men. If I had to guess, I'd say the oldest one was 19, but I could be wrong. The impression I got was that they were probably all in high school, or fresh out of it. The only adult I saw was a middle-aged man working on racing karts in the garage section of the facility, and I only saw him because he popped out to ask someone a question. Other than that, the kids were clearly managing themselves.
Now, I can only imagine how much fun it must be for a young guy to work in that environment, yet I don't think any of these young men realized how close they came to killing themselves, just in the time that I was there. I saw one of these fellows smoking a cigarette as he was pushing a rolling kart with several open cans of fuel. I saw one of them filling up a running go kart while a customer was buckled in. He too was smoking. In case you're thinking, "What's so bad about that?" bear in mind that gasoline will immediately catch fire upon coming into contact with the exposed exhaust manifold of a go kart. Had the employee sloshed the fuel a little, the kart would have erupted into flames, and the man buckled into the go-kart would have likely been cooked alive. Even with a steady hand, the employee could have barbecued the customer simply by letting his lit cigarette get too close to the fuel can's fumes.
Next, while the track was full of karts, I watched an employee dart across traffic to the grassy middle section. I thought for sure he was going to get run over, which would have utterly obliterated his legs, but he made it to the other side of the track just in the nick of time. Not to be outdone, one of his co-workers decided to stand on a go kart and ride it like a surfboard while steering one-handed. He was wearing no helmet, was not buckled in, and, once again, was riding it like a surfboard as he pulled out of pit lane. If that wasn't bad enough, speeding toward him were a few dozen go karts. He pulled out in front of them with seconds to spare, then whipped the steering wheel, did a couple of doughnuts, and pulled back into pit lane, going against the flow of traffic, narrowly avoiding being run down by the approaching karts. At this point it was clear that the inmates had taken over the asylum.
In their defense, these kids were all very nice. One of the sad facts of life is that all of the cool stuff to do is usually overrun by know-it-all jerks or ultra hardcore enthusiasts who take themselves way too seriously. You go to play paintball and the front counter guy makes fun of you for not having a $1,000 paintball gun. You go to the batting cages and some Bro Dimaggio will be there to look down his nose at you and offer unsolicited advice. You go to the gym and some gym bro is going to shake his head as you bench only a buck twenty. But not here. Aside from the girl working the front desk, who very clearly wished she wasn't there, everyone at Dallas Karting Complex has always been very polite to me and the large group of people I usually bring with me. They've always been forthcoming with suggestions on how to cut down my lap times, and I've even had one staff member go out in a kart in front of me to show me the racing line he takes, which is the racer's way of giving someone an inside tip. Because of this, I must say that I feel a little bad about discussing their transgressions, but, my God, these young men seemed to have no clue as to how dangerous their antics were.
The Crash
Against my better judgment, I chose to ignore all of the warning signs and strapped into a kart to show the world how it's done. I had put down dozens of laps at this place, and I felt like I was really starting to get to know the track. Yet I decided that all my past attempts were simply reconnaissance missions; this one was going to be the real deal. When I crossed the start/ finish line, I punched the throttle and completely nailed the first turn. I drove like a man possessed. I felt myself transforming into the world's toughest tough guy. No, manlier than that. I had transcended human form and had become speed itself...and then some kid bumped the rear of my kart, I spun out like a moron, and a middle-aged woman plowed into the side of me, breaking my ribs. I joke about it now, but I thought I was in deep trouble there for a while.
Let's rewind a bit. When my kart was spun (which happens often when someone behind you gets a little carried away and bumps you while you're mid-corner), it was unintentionally positioned right at the exit of a very fast corner. In fact, this turn is so subtle that you can go through it flat-out. I came to rest in such a way that I had to look over my right shoulder to my 3 o'clock position to see oncoming karts. Anyone who knows anything about racing (or common sense), knows that you need to get the heck out of the way when you are blocking the track, but track etiquette dictates you must do so in a way that doesn't hurt anyone else's lap time or cause them to crash. I was in a vulnerable spot, but I wasn't about to bust a U-turn into a crowd of oncoming karts, so I sat still, waiting for the karts immediately behind me to pass by.
There were about eight of them in a group behind me that I had passed in the earlier part of the lap. As soon as I spun and came to a rest, I knew they'd be coming up fast, and they did. However, they all had the presence of mind to drive around me, and all did so cleanly. I wasn't that far in the way, and there was plenty of track available to maneuver around me. But, suddenly, I looked up and I saw a heavyset middle-aged woman coming toward me. I recognized who it was since there were very few women there that day. I could see the moment that she realized I was there, she seemed surprised, and then I knew I was in trouble. She pointed her kart straight toward me, never steering away, and without hitting her brakes or lifting her foot off the throttle, she sped toward me, took her hands off the wheel to shield her face, then she rammed the side of my kart at close to full speed.
I heard my ribs break. It sounded like tree branch snapping. I said, "Oh my goodness. That was my ribs," only I managed to utter the entire sentence exclusively using four-letter words, which came out all guttural-sounding since I was winded. My kart was shoved pretty far by the collision, and the kart's side cladding was damaged slightly. I pulled onto the grass and tried to yell, but I had already expelled what little breathe I had. She was parked probably 20-30 feet away from me, still on the track. When I got my breath back, I screamed at her and waved for her to drive onto the grass since I thought for sure that she was going to get hit, and she seemed discombobulated. She eventually got the message and slowly limped her kart onto the grass. I then stood up and waved for one of DKC's staff to come help. By the time they got there, I had walked far enough infield that no one could possibly hit me, and a staff member came and picked me up in a golf cart. Now, I'm a pretty small-statured man with a big mouth, so getting hit in the ribs isn't exactly a new experience for me, but I can definitely say that I have never taken this hard of a hit. Not in a fight. Not in a car accident. I had gone 31 years without a broken bone, and I wasn't really enjoying the new experience.
When I got back to the pit, I paced around waiting for my brother and father-in-law to finish their race. I could tell that I'd survive, so I fell into my default position of being kind of ticked off, but not too worried. I chatted with the staff members who were all keen to see how I was doing. All in all, I was okay, so I told them not to make a big deal about it. I inquired as to the well being of the woman who hit me, and they explained that her husband was rushing her to the hospital since she had broken her wrist in the accident. They explained that she was pretty mad at me, which is preposterous. She did everything as wrong as was humanly possible. I wasn't mad at her, and I'm still not, but she really did hurt us both pretty badly because she reacted in the worst possible way when faced with a very common on-track scenario.
There Are Some Things This Place Can Do Better to Avoid Injuries.
Just so we're all on the same page, I do not think that Dallas Karting Complex is responsible for my broken ribs. At least, not very much. If I were to be particularly cynical, I could say that it's kind of a terrible idea to have a place that allows any person with green money and a pulse to drive one of these machines without any kind of rudimentary training at all.
For instance, if you go play laser tag (laser tag, for Pete's sake), they make you watch a video wherein you are briefed about common hazards and how to avoid injuries. The same thing holds true of indoor skydiving, airsoft and paintball fields. Even the local in-door trampoline facility explains verbally how to avoid injury. The shifter kart facility in Grand Junction, where I drove a much faster and more dangerous kart, would only let you do so after you drove a kids go kart, an intermediate go kart, and then something comparable to DKC's adult kart. But before any of that happened, they fully briefed you regarding safety, track rules, racing etiquette, and how the flag system works (this is a big deal in all forms of racing). But Dallas Karting Complex has never done any of these things, any of the times I've gone.
I could argue that DKC is at least somewhat responsible for letting that woman out onto the track in the first place, or perhaps for allowing the track to be so densely packed, but even if that is a fair assessment, as a causal factor in the chain of events leading to my broken ribs, DKC's supposed shortsightedness pales in comparison to the woman's poor decision making. I think that what happened is what we call an on-track incident, which is just a part of racing.
I'm no stranger to speed. I have owned several highly modified cars and I've done everything from quarter mile drag racing to casual door-to-door racing on a road course a time or two. While I consider myself more of a builder (read: car nerd with a wrench) than a true racer (read: suicidal cowboy with a helmet), I am a gear head, through and through, and I like to go fast, so long as it's legal and the risks are mitigated. But the single best way to mitigate the risks of racing is to race with people who have half a clue how to race in a respectful way, and the woman who hit me clearly had no idea how to do it right. She really turned a minor incident into a serious problem when she panicked and failed to take any evasive action. In a place like DKC, you have no control over who you race with, so it's highly possible to get stuck on track with a clueless simpleton who will do something like take their hands off the wheel and spear you rather than steer around you.
To add insult to injury, these karts stop on a dime just by taking your foot off the gas, never mind the brakes. And if you can't stop short of hitting someone, these things handle like they're on rails, so simply turning the steering wheel solves most of your problems. She didn't do any of this stuff, which is on her. Again, I can't help but wonder if maybe she would have known what to do if they had just had her watch a three minute training video, but I digress.
I'm not upset about my broken ribs. What hurt far worse than my injury was having to explain to my wife why I enticed her brother and father into doing something that turned out to be dangerous. My wife and I had a date scheduled that night, and, I'm proud to say that I made sure the date happened. The way I saw it, it's better to have broken ribs at a nice restaurant than in the dog house!
But in all seriousness, all I have been able to think about is how terrible I would have felt if one of my relatives had been injured. In that sense, I'm truly glad that it was me that got hurt and not them. But, when I reflect on that day further, what really kills me is the (probably) 10-year-old boy who was out there on the track with me. He was there with his dad who watched proudly from the sidelines. The kid held his own out there on the track, but can you imagine how terrible it would have been if he was the one that got hit like that? I can, and it really kind of ticks me off. I'm a grown man and I can decide to engage in risky activities, but he's just a kid with a dad who was as unaware of the danger as I was. Looking back, it now seems ludicrous that this place was even willing to allow that child onto the track, especially under those conditions. In short, I'm glad it was me who got hurt instead of one of my loved ones or that little kid, but it wouldn't be that hard to make it safer for everyone.
It Doesn't Have to Be So Bad.
Every single time I've gone to this place before it wasn't like this. In past trips, there appeared to be adult supervision, there were many small groups of racers, not everyone piled on the track at once, they never ran the uber-fast karts at the same time as the adult karts, and I didn't see any of the suicidal antics by the staff members. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that the owner must have been out of town or something. Maybe, this was just an odd coincidence and it's never been that bad before or since.
But no matter how you slice it, it was that bad on this particular day. My father-in-law, who is an engineer by trade and who makes his living in the energy industry, commented on how out of control the whole place seemed. He laughed it off with a comment along the lines of, "OSHA would shut that place down in a heartbeat," but he's really on to something there.
But in a close second was all of the stuff I saw the employees doing to endanger themselves. Just out of curiosity, I looked up Dallas Karting Complex in the Texas Department of Insurance's workers' comp database, just to see if they carry workers' comp coverage. Unless they have their coverage under a different business name, DKC does not appear to carry WC coverage. This would mean that if one of their young employees were injured on the job, Dallas Karting Complex could be sued. (If they carried workers' comp coverage, they'd be immune from work injury lawsuits.) This would stink for DKC, since it would expose them to huge liability, but it would also stink for any employee injured on the job, because he would not be eligible to receive the automatic benefits that come with workers' comp. Instead, there would likely have to be a lawsuit, tons of money spent, and no shortage of bad blood.
If you are considering going to DKC yourself, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with on-track etiquette and the rules of safe on-track driving before you go. And once you get there, honestly evaluate whether it seems like anything unsafe is happening. If it is, just come back another day. However, if you are a parent and you're considering letting your kids drive the adult karts at this facility, please reconsider, or, at the least, understand that I'm a grown man who didn't even get hit on the fastest part of the track, and I was badly hurt. A kid would get hurt worse.
Lastly, I want to offer a disclaimer of sorts. I'm not at all risk averse. I go hunting, I'm an avid shooter, I've gone rock climbing in the desert, I've raced race-prepped cars on a real road course, and I've done all manner of full-contact, high impact type of activities. In other words, I'm not advocating living a lifestyle wherein you hide under your blanket and never leave the house. But at the same time, every single one of those risky activities that I've engaged in in the past featured some willful attempt by the organizers and participants to respect and acknowledge the risks involved and to take proactive steps to mitigate them. The way I see it, racing go karts will always be risky and you can't eliminate that risk completely. But there is a difference between risk and danger, and what I saw that day was dangerous behavior that exposed employees and customers alike to risks that have nothing to do with racing.