DangerNGrayce

None of those things qualify you to build or especially operate a zip line. As evidenced by your accident which was 100% preventable had proper safety and inspection been done of the course by a qualified professional. Participants should be clipped in at all times- even if your stumbling drunk it should be impossible to fall off the zip line to the ground.

How is the world different now from what you had imagined when you were young?

Yikes. If your friend intends to keep this zip line in operation (which I honestly hope he doesnt) I would strongly urge him to look into an actual harness that clips the participant into the zip pulley on the cable as pictured here: http://imgur.com/Q2dMXGG

Zip lines are no joke and this is why it's so incredibly scary that there are no standards in the industry. ANYONE can build a zip line in their back yard with no requirement to adhere to any type of standard or have regular inspections. Yikes yikes yikes. Thank goodness you are "ok".

As someone who previously worked full time managing ropes courses with zip lines I have a million questions but primarily I'm most curious of the set-up of this zip. In reading some of your previous answers I see you say there was a stirrup and a girl was going to hold on and go down with you. When people go down this zip line are they physically clipped into anything at all or it's just a hang on for dear life type of thing?