rumpius wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:

[snip]

Every above ground lift I have ever seen has some type of metal bar
that you lower in front of your waist after getting on, and rasie just
before getting off.



Not around here. "Safety" bars are common on high speed detachable
lifts but there are plenty of older lifts left around, often on the
more desirable terrain for kids. Safety bars seem more common in the
east and Colorado tourist towns than farther west - I don't know about
the SW. Even when we do have bars lots of folks decline to lower them.

When there is a small child (although 3 is
definitely too young for this, and probably 5 would be) the lift
attendant makes certain they are riding up with someone older enought
to handle the bar. The kiddie ski classes/day care tend to work around
using the lift.


[snip]

lal is right about a significant number of lifts in CO, i.e. they are
without safety bars. The bars are reassuring but don't really hold one
on the chair.

BTW, when sharing a chair, it is common etiquette to inquire whether the
other person minds having the bar down or, at least to mention that one
is putting the bar down, before yanking it onto the other person's head
or leg.

In the East, all chair lifts are required by law to have saftey bars,
and the skiers are required by state law to use the saftey bars (and
yes, I've seen people get warnings, and even have their lift tickets
revoked by ski patrol).

For the OP:
As for the kids, put them in the age appropreate ski school program.
They will learn with other beginners their age from instructors that
know how to teach kids. And DO NOT project YOUR fears of children on
chair lifts onto the kids. The ski instructors will teach them the
proper way to ride the lifts, and the "lifties" do slow down the chairs
so kids can get on and off - besides, chairs in beginner areas go slower
than in other parts of the mountain. The only surface lift useful for
little kids are the magic carpets. Forget about the old fashioned
surface lifts - there's a reason they are not really used anymore - they
are NOT better than chairs just because they are on the surface. It's
much more difficult for a beginner to learn to ride a T-bar, poma, or
rope tow than it is to use a chair lift.

Janet

p.s while your at it - take a lesson - it's really the best way for any
beginner (adult or child) to learn. And look for beginner lift, rental,
lesson packages. Saves money vs getting each thing separately.