as the train entered. The ride's wait times would often exceed three hours due to the frequent downtime, and the line would stretch as far back as the entrance to The Racer on the opposite end of Coney Mall. In light of mounting issues, the park closed the ride on July 24, 1981. Chipped paint was being patched daily before the ride opened, but it had the tendency to flake or drip during operation. The extended downtime allowed time to repaint and modify the alignment of chain dogs. The Bat reopened on July 28, 1981. Engineers from Kings Island and Arrow were staffed on site daily to keep The Bat fully operational. Park management had to routinely hand out free vouchers and coupons to guests waiting in line when the ride would close. They also relied on signs to communicate closures, including the digital park sign near Interstate 71 and sandwich boards placed around the park. On August 20, 1981, The Bat suffered another extended closure to allow time for Arrow Huss to analyze issues with the brake system. Each car had a fin underneath that would slot into a narrow channel containing "pinch brakes", which were responsible for slowing or stopping the train. The swinging motion often caused these fins to become misaligned, resulting in damage to the fins. Also, the brake system engaged from below the train and failed to adequately stop the momentum of the heavy chassis overhead, creating stress on the frames and carriage. The system was overhauled by extending brake runs and redesigning train guides, which reduced the ride's overall speed but helped control swinging where trains encountered stopping points. The Bat reopened nearly a month later over Labor Day weekend. After the 1981 season, Arrow began work to address other issues. The trains were overhauled, including a modification to the over-the-shoulder restraints, which were fitted with flatter collars to reduce head-banging and improve the ride experience. The safety monitoring system and its sensors were also modified extensively. Additional stress cables were installed in the support structure to help dissipate the strain caused by the outward pull when a train traversed the helices. The entire attraction was also repainted. The following season, The Bat briefly operated over the first four weekends until May 21, 1982, when the ride suffered another mechanical malfunction. A deeper analysis revealed that the high lateral forces from trains and the