CP 8/29/04 Why no one should bring items on a coaster...

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Ride of Steel said:
All I can say is wow about your Magnum experience. I noticed at Cedar Point that the Magnum ride ops are fast but they aren't the friendliest or most helpful like the Raptor crew is.

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Yeah its because I was not over there this year. I am can not belive that the didn't at least tell you where first aid or that they were on there way. I wish I was there, I would of made sure I would of told you where to go.

Lesson to guests at CP and GL, this is why we have rules about stuff not going with you and putting them into a locker. Even with a map, people can get injured.

Phoenix thanks for the concern. :) I do have to say that the rest of the day I definately noticed a heightened sense of warnings, ride ops telling us to keep stuff stowed in a locker and security guards standing with the riders in front of MF and TTD. But yeah the fact that they said nothing kind of ticked me off later...I was too busy blubbering like a baby to be angry when I got off the ride. ;) Still bruised from that goofy thing.

I invested in a new hip-pack this year that zips and stays nice and secure, and it seems to do the trick. STayed put on Force, thankfully.

While we're on the subject, I assumed it was for security/theft reasons but why have a lot of parks taken out the holding boxes on platforms? I mean I know that if it's a popular ride it can hold up the works. I'm just curious. :)

So the park can get more of your money ;)

*smacks head* duh. Well we never said I was the smartest individual. Musta been that up close and personal look at a map. Scrambled what was left of my brain. ;)

No we don't do it for the money, if anything I do suggest either putting most of the stuff back into the car(free), or getting a all day locker. Yeah its money, but at least you can get in all day.

Do you "own" CP, PheonixRizing? YOU may not do it for the money, but maybe the park's management does. It's nice that you take ownership with your job, but that's just what any smart employer wants from it's non-permanent employees. It helps make the job's slave wages more appealing. My point is that YOU are not the person who decides why the park doesn't allow loose articles on rides.

(No offence intended, PheonixRizing. My opinion differs, that's all.)

If it's not about the money, maybe it's about theft. I doubt that though, because if they have a sign saying so, they can not be responsible for valuable items that one would be stupid enough to leave behind on a ride.

I believe that it has more to do with saftey than anything else. This helps keep insurance prices lower. Extra income from lockers is a bonus.

The storage bins on the platform slows down the loading process, too. Magnum would be a nightmare with the small station, people getting off the ride trying to collect their stuff and the people getting on trying to put stuff in a bin while eveyrone else is trying to filter down the exit.

And you can't use them at all on rides with seperate load/unload stations.

And Kenmei; what did you do with your monkey? :)

I stuffed it in my husband's pocket. Trust me, it was the subject for many a joke in line. *snort* ;)

Its ok dexter, I know what you mean. Thats why I try to have some more options for the guests. I know I don't want to spend money on a locker. Chaindog is right though, if your running a coaster that has 3 trains, and you need to get the trains moving, its hard to have people put there stuff in there. I know on thunderhawk if they want to put bins in, they would have to move the platform around on the unload side, becuase there is no room what so ever for stuff.

I really like how HersheyPark's Great Bear does it. They have a wall that slides and bocks access to the boxes used by the opposite train. I know that I've seen this on other rides, I can't remember which ones though.

My solution is to not bring a lot of stuff, although sometimes I feel that I will be unprepaired and bring stuff anyway. Sometimes I will put my backpack in a locker for most of the day until I need whatever change of clothes that I brought. I then carry the backpack for the rest of the day. It usuially depends on what the weather is like all day and how big/what kind of park it is. Ohh and if there is a kid or Two with me or not.

Wow. I've gotton a little off topic here.

Nice TR, Kenmei

I would think that the threat of lawsuits would be the reason why the ride opps at Magnium didn't even talk to you. Maybe they were instructed by management not to say ANYTHING until help arrived.

I remember being told when I worked at CP to not say things like, "This ALWAYS seems to happen", or, "I'm sorry, it's our fault this happened." They told us to comfort the injured by telling them that help is on the way. Maybe that has changed a little.

Talon has a similar setup.

You know the more I think about it, some rides just don't allow for that sort of thing. Look at MF or TTD. The way the load and unload people just doesn't allow for boxes to stow stuff. *bangs head* I suppose I can see the advantages. I just know that sometimes it's a heck of a lot more convenient to have those silly boxes there.

I always try to bring as little stuff as possible in the park with me. One hip-pack usually hides away my glasses-case, my hubby's smokes, sunscreen, the camera, and loose change for DDR.

While on some rides lockers just wont work, there are others that make you use lockers no matter what. Wicked Twister is a prime example of this. The station has a huge shelf for just about anyone on the train who could possible want one. Yet the still tell you to put your stuff in a locker. This wasn't done to reduce loading time, as it is still allowed and suggested to put lose stuff in your pockets over there. This is a case when the rule is in place just to make a few extra dollars.

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stljason1 said:
Hmmm...some guy at SFGAM the other day, while I took pictures of superman from the station, was trying to tell me that I couldnt take pictures. That they would take the camera away if they saw me doing it...I was trying to explain to the guy its only if you use it while riding, but this guy wouldnt listen...some people are just clueless.

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The same thing happened to me in line for Wicked Twister once. The train was parked in the station, and I was taking pictures of the wheels, restraints and everything else on the train. One of the ride hosts told me to put the camera away. I didn't get it.

Once I was getting in line for Top Thrill Dragster, and a ride host named Adam stopped me and told me my camera needed to go in a locker. My camera was securely zipped inside its case and securely strapped to my belt. I'd ridden TTD numerous times with my camera, and I told him that. He said I couldn't wear it like that because my lap bar wouldn't come down. Obviously this guy's never ridden the ride. I took the camera out and put it in my cargo pockets, and he told me it was OK.

Sometimes the ride hosts get me mad when even they don't know the correct operating procedures.

Your experience with the ride hosts on Magnum kind of sucks. I don't understand why no one would tell you anything. You should write a complaint.

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Mark Burleson said:
While on some rides lockers just wont work, there are others that make you use lockers no matter what. Wicked Twister is a prime example of this. The station has a huge shelf for just about anyone on the train who could possible want one. Yet the still tell you to put your stuff in a locker. This wasn't done to reduce loading time, as it is still allowed and suggested to put lose stuff in your pockets over there. This is a case when the rule is in place just to make a few extra dollars.

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Sometimes I don't understand this rule. I understand not putting some things in the cubbies because they could fly out when the train rushes by, but that's a rarity. The backpacks, purses and stuffed animals part makes no sense. The cubbies are in the station for a reason, but they only allow glasses and loose-fitting shows in those things. *** Edited 9/2/2004 2:53:23 PM UTC by haux***

You know I seriously thought about issuing a complaint, but the security people heard me blubbering so it was pretty obvious that I was upset. ;) And in all honesty, I lucked out. The injury wasn't horrible, just got a bruised eye and a good solid dose of panic. Once I got some advil in me and calmed down, I was alright and I still ended up having the best day ever at CP, so I opted to leave the complaints for another day. Seriously I have more issues when I go to SFGAM than I have ever had at CP.

The picture thing is weird though, I'll give you that. But I can understand the bit about the camera strap on Dragster. They were making people take off everything and zip them in cargo pockets and what not. Can't be too careful when you're dealing with a ride that intense, at least in my opinion.