This is an all-too-common problem. many carnivals have poorly maintained electrical equipment. I've seen much deteriorated wiring and cords, broken cord and plug conns., GEC connections to ground rod that can be moved/removed with your little finger.
At one carnival in a city park, I was the city inspector assigned. One ride had conductors were so weathered that the insulation was cracked and chipping off. I got 20 v. or so from the ride frame to ground. SO I told the carnival operator to shut it down and disconnect. He said that the state inspector (CA) was just there and cerified it. So I told him to shut down the generator because it powered hazardous electrical. The ride or the power, what's it going to be? He chose the ride. We passed the word to CIty Fire & they made sure the ride was off all weekend.
To be fair, I've seen carnival ride companies that do a good job, & maintain their eq., but it's not the majority.
My kids don't do carnival rides!!!
