Mentally challenged and Parks

Without trying to start a huge flamefest,

Why do people take groups of mentally challanged people to amusement parks?

I was at WOF yesterday and a group of mentally challenged was there. I went to ride the Detonator(S&S Space Shot) and about 8-10 of these people were in line to ride it. Most of them could not comprehend the idea of assigned numbers and assigned seats and did not understand that they had to pull the restaints down. Of those in the group 6-8 of them looked terrified on the ride and one was even crying when she got off

I just think there alot more inexpensive and more enriching things for mentally challenged people to do than go to amusement parks.

Maybe someone who works with mentally challenged people can explain the reasoning behind taking them to amusement parks.

Let me say that I have nothing against mentally challenged people but I just think that amusement parks are not the right place for them and they could have a much better time at a place like a zoo.

*** This post was edited by OmahaCPfan on 5/28/2002. ***

Let them eat cake, as John Adams said.

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Im the #1 Canobie Lake Park Fan!!!These are my top 3 coasters:
1. S:RoS @ SFNE 2. Yankee Cannonball 3. Cyclone

My dad works part time for community mental health and they take care of these people/"clients." They usally have a CP day and they take certain people there that day. The workers ride the rides with the Clients to ensure saftey. The clients have an enjoyable time and the higher "functioning" people look forward to going every year and talk about weeks before they go. The others that are to afraid to ride or uncapable of functioning don't go. The whole purpose is to get them around "normal" so they react better and can be later placed under less supervised care/independant living.

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“If you give a enthusiast a footer.......He’ll want a coaster!!!"
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If anything, it's good for *us* to be at the park on those days. I was once, and by the end of the day, not only was I not staring anymore, I had learned a great deal of patience, as person after person "cut" in front of me from the exit ramp.

For all you know, a mentally challenged person may love coasters or be an enthusiast "inside" but have no way to express it.

Note to posters: This topic has potential to be very edifying, or to turn very nasty. Please think before you type.

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He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking; can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

My sister-in-law is special. When I ask her what she thinks of amusement parks, she says that she enjoys the shows and buying stuff, but she doesn't like any of the rides. They make her very very nervous. A month ago, she and her group were taken on a field trip to a roller skating rink. And I thought THAT was the worst idea possible, suffice it to say. Have to say, putting special people on rides when they don't understand what is going on is almost cruel. There are more enriching things than to try to incorporate them into situations they can't handle. I mean, come on - would you take an infant on a Vekoma SLC because you think it's a good time?? These caretakers should really, really know much better than this.

Everybody has a right to have fun. A trip to a park can make their day.

I agree. I think the possibility for good far outweighs the possibility for bad.

Usually, and I say usually there isn't a problem. I know parks in the Cedar Fair chain has a policy with special access entrances where the person with the disability is supposed to be accompanied in most cases.

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Flume & Hydroblaster Crew for 2002!

I've dealt with similar situations in my line of work, where some of my salespeople have sold phones to mentally challenged people. It's difficult because you cannot refuse to sell the product if the customer wants it, yet there are cases where my people have knowingly sold a phone to someone who does not understand what they are signing. The customers caretaker/parent will inevitably call to complain that we sold his son/ward a phone. I then pose the question, "How would you feel if we had refused to sell it to him?" To which they reply, "I'd be upset...I see where you're coming from."

I have no idea how parks could regulate this. If a park refused to allow a mentally challenged person to ride, it would face massive lawsuits. If the same park allows that same person to ride, and something bad happens, again, they face a lawsuit.

You'd like to hope that the person responsible for the challenged individual would be sensible as to what is appropriate, but that may be too much to ask. It must be handled on a case-by-case basis by the respective individuals.

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Proud CB club member

I had the same problem on Sunday. I was in S:ROS at sfdl's station. I went for the "secret 2nd row" and this deaf retarted man started poking me and trieing to punch me because he thought I was cutting in front of him in line but I was actually going to row 2

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Check out CoastNY at www.angelfire.com/ny5/coastny

MagnumForce and myself grew up in a family that has taken care of mentally challenged people for two generations. My Grandmother took care of 6 who were so excited about going to CP that that was all they talked about for weeks.

There are also some like one of the women my mom takes care of that would get nothing out of a trip to the park and is more happy and content to sit at the kitchen table all day and look at old Sears Catalogs and point to real things in the house or outside when she sees the picture. I say that you must give these people the best quality of life that you can, for some that includes supervised trips to the store or yes your favorite ride.

The problem that I often see is that some supervisors tend to just let them run wild in public and let them embarase themselves. With proper guidance and care they can have a good time. To do this it takes much patients and a willing heart.

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Whats life if you never get to the Po!nt?