They've had a lot of complaints about it and not without reason, everyone I know who works there is sick of embarrassedly explaining that it's the first physiological rollercoaster ever as though it justifies it being rubbish, the gas mask men are there because they got so many complaints they panicked and had to do something to try and improve it.
The problem with alton towers is ever since oblivion they've been trying to do firsts because they know it gets them publicity in a way that makes them look cutting edge which is all well and good if the results are good, but often they're not, Hex was a first, Charlie too... The general public at large want big rides and it just somehow always misses the mark as of late. When I was working there I suggested to the at the time park manager that they should just concentrate on big rides I got a written warning about how they want to create a magical experience and that big rides do not do this, excuses really. It's small wonder they're actually in trouble financially I suppose the only thing that would make the management listen was if enough of the general public told them outright that they need to buck their ideas up because falling numbers year on year certainly haven't made them listen.