June 17, 2008 6:00 AM
STOCKTON - Take a look at Ray Rieger's business travel itinerary and you might think he was a Cold War-era spy. Last week he was in Portland, Ore., and Fort Lewis, Wash. Monday he arrived in Stockton. Next week he'll be in St. Petersburg, Russia.
His past also suggests an unusual mission: long employment with an obscure government agency and expert knowledge of all kinds of mechanical, electrical and hydraulic devices that far surpasses anything 007 could claim.
But Rieger, 64, of Topaz, Ariz., isn't on a quest for danger. Instead he crisscrosses the globe seeking safety. Specifically: yours.
Now, Rieger is at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds inspecting carnival rides as they are being assembled. Before any roller coasters coast or any merry-go-rounds make merry, he will check the machines' naked parts for damage and watch to see they are put together properly.
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