Amusement Park Pet Peeves

[Greg]

Go ahead and vent. What bugs you when you're at a theme park?

I'm annoyed by the way some parents talk to their tired, cranky kids in the middle of a hot summer afternoon. I've heard parents say some of the meanest things to their kids when they should be enjoying a family day of fun. I understand that sometimes the kids may be the problem, but parents need to be patient and act like the adult. I'm not talking about parents who discipline their kids properly and with respect, but parents who yell and belittle their kids in inappropriate manners.
I once heard a mad mom calling her young boy a sissy because he was afraid to ride Batman. He ended up crying and she turned her back on him. When I was his age I would have been too scared to ride as well.

My daughter and I make weekly visits to SFSTL and whenever we see parents flipping out on their kids we look at each other and say, "Lets go to Six Flags for the day and yell at our kids."

My dad seems to hate how when he asks why a ride is broke down, the people just say, "I don't know." I am sick of him getting mad over it. There are so many other rides in the part too.

One thing that really got me was that at SFMM, They were cleaning off the train on Riddler's. They kept sending it empty so it was only a one train operation. They didn't know how to clean it off. It took us an hour and a half to ride it.

Line Jumpers... They used to get pwnt at Vortex. We would see them line jump from the station - and remember who they were. Then like 30 minutes later when they got in the train, we'd manually release their restraint and be like - you're not riding.

Another thing would be SOME acers... There is this one ACEr, he is like in charge of ACE SOAR. Well he rides Vortex alot - and leans forward to keep his restraint loose. Normally I don't have any problem with keeping it a little loose - and I will check it and go on. But his whole attitude about it - and leaning forward to keep me from properly checking it - yeah that definately got him a well earned staple...

^I enjoy when emplyees do stuff like that. For some reason, it makes me feel good. It also gives people a laugh.

[Greg]

It's interesting, TheKlockster, that as an employe you're posting peeves. I'm sure you have several stories to share, Without naming names, what else about guests ticks you off.

[Paul Drabek]

Here's my biggest amusement park pet peeve...basketballs! If it were up to me parks would give out deflated basketballs as prizes and fill them up as people exit the park. I can't easily count the times that Carrie, Bond or I haven't almost been beaned by some idiot playing hoops on a crowded midway. There's a time and a place for it and it is not at an amusement park. If you want to be Michael Jordan go to the playground not the queue of a coaster.

Have Fun

Paul

After years of "Didn't we agree to meet here at 3?" "Yeah, but we got stuck in line..." I think it's cool that there's readily-available technology to keep in touch with people all the way across the park, but man oh man do I hate that Nextel chirp. CHIRRUP. CHIRRUP. CHIRRUP.

Line Jumpers
This problem is really noticeable at SFOG. I have been so aggravated with this issue that one fine day My wife and I brought another friend with us to the park for the opening of Batman. The line was at least 3 hours long and it was pretty hot that day. By the time we got to the corral area under the station it was almost unbearable. I noticed two young African American Males skipping under the bars and forcing their way forward through the line. I am a pretty outspoken individual and I called them out. They acted like they did not hear me, so when I saw a security agent I informed him of their indiscretion. He did his job and pulled them out of line only to be berated by these idiots that the only reason I pointed them out was their race. They ended up getting to ride and I was informed that they could eject me from the park based upon the nonsensical alegations leavyed by these delinquents. They got to ride the coaster before us and they had cut all the way from far behind us in line.

Later on that a day, while waiting in line for the GASM another group forced their way past us claiming they wanted to join their cuzz in front of us. My temper was being tested at this point and I was close to leaving because if you pointed this out they would say that honkey is only pointing this out because of their race.

By this time me and my friend had come up with a new strategy that works. The next encounter that day was while waiting in line for FreeFall. Another group tried to force their way through with the same "My cuz is up therer" line. My buddy held the handrails firmly and I let one get between me and him. His compatriot was behind me and attempted to dislodge my hand from the railing in order to get up with his buddy. I struck him in the groin when he grabbed my arm because I had ignored his voclisations. I made it apear that I was startled and had accidently swung around to meet the person who had grabbed my arm. The other fellow turned around to confront me and my friend used a little seen elbow smash to his ribs. This ended their forray into our group as they left the line.

Later that very same day a group of Females attempted the same thing while in line for the Log Flume. We captured a rather large specimen in between us and while she tried to press past my buddy, I slid close to her back and whispered "I always wanted a little hot chocolate" in her ear. She started screaching and left the line very quickly.

I am just relating the experiences of a frustrated park goer. This is by no means the way anyone should conduct themselves at a park nor am I condoning our actions that day. I am an easygoing guy, but sometimes you reach your limits. Nor are these actions only commited by African Americans, but on this particular day, this is a factual account of what occured.

Thank you for reading my rant.

Paul - I have to agree with you on the Basketballs...

I actually have a funny story about that. These guys rode Troika - known among guests as Shake, Rattle and Roll. They had a black basketball and asked if they could set it on the counter, and I said yes. Well during the ride, I was driving, and I heard this creaking. I look down and the ball is growing! It is getting bigger and bigger. By the time the ride is over, and the guys come over to get the ball - it is about twice as large as it should be - and kind of acorn shaped. The guys were in shock! I told them to go to the booth where they got it - and get a new one...

I don't really have alot of pet peeves, as an employee - ther than people line jumping and leaning forward to prevent me from properly checking their bar. If they want a little bit of space fine. But when they want it really loose, and lean forward, they get stapled... I do have pet peeves about other employees though. One is when their thumbs-up signal looks like theyre just holding a closed fist up in the air.

One more pet peeve for now - when im driving and the person on load side plays with the dual-dispatch button to make the brakes open and close during dispatch. So the train is like stop-go-stop-go-stop-go-stop-go all the way out of the station. I am sure the 28 guests on board the train don't appreciate it either. It is annoying, not friendly to guests, and for reasons I cant say on here - bad.

Here's my biggest amusement park pet peeve...basketballs! If it were up to me parks would give out deflated basketballs as prizes and fill them up as people exit the park. I can't easily count the times that Carrie, Bond or I haven't almost been beaned by some idiot playing hoops on a crowded midway. There's a time and a place for it and it is not at an amusement park. If you want to be Michael Jordan go to the playground not the queue of a coaster.

I ahve heard and seen so many bad things about basketballs and plush items... So bad!
I saw one guy request a deflated ball.

I HATE line jumpers (even though I've did it like 2 times ). You've been waiting there for an hour then some people come trotin past you and jump right on up ther. I've noticed on Deja' Vu @ SFOG that if they cetch you, you have to go to the end of the line, Also I hate when people say false facts about a coaster. Like @ Cedar Point some one said "Wow! A coster that goes 129 feet in the air at 420 M.P,H!" see what I mean. sometimes I just laugh at it but if I'm ticked off you better get the facts RIGHT!

[Greg]

Seems like SFOG has a line jumping problem. I see this at SFSTL, but rarely. What's up with Georgia?

The park has been overrun by large groups of unruly, ruffian, juveniles during my last few visits. I hope Sharpiro will address this problem soon.

I think its pretty much a theme park standard that line jumpers leave the line...

I busted a line jumper one time, when I was in the park as a guest. I was walking down the long line getting ready to experience the awesomeness of Son of Beast. Someone coming down the Top Gun exit hopped the queue rail and into the SOB line in front of me. I said to my group - watch this - and ran down and said "stop!" They stopped and I told them - you can't do that. The kids were like "who the hell are you?" So I pulled out my associate ID - and said "park security". So the kids left the line...

It seems line jumping is mostly only a problem where the design of the queue makes it easy to line jump. Like Vortex and Son of Beast for example.

[Mental Rose]

My biggest pet peeve at amusement parks is rude park patrons. The people who plow through the middle of your group, shoulder you aside, get in between you and your child, never say "excuse me" or "Oops, I'm sorry". The people who watch you struggling a wagon full of child, souveneirs and swimming gear to a restaraunt and then leap to the door, go through and then let it slam shut in your face. Yeh, those people.

It takes such a little time and effort for people to be polite, say excuse me, hold a door or even just watch where they are going for a moment that it really burns my butt when they don't. There's no excuse other than laziness or selfishness and frankly neither one of those is a valid excuse in my mind.