Enthusiast ban list is real

It's very sad that it has come to this, but there is a real live ban list now of enthusiasts that have been banned from certain parks. It has been shared between parks and with clubs, and it has both names you know and some you don't. As I mentioned before, these individuals are also prohibited from joining CoasterBuzz Club or attending our events. Some of the people on this list have even been served notices that visiting certain parks will be considered tresspassing and they will be arrested if they show up.

It's an unfortunate way to end a season that carried with it a needless death, stupid actions (and comments) by enthusiasts and a tarnished reputation for the entire enthusiast community.

As I've said before, if you take this personally, you're looking at it all wrong. The parks don't need us, and the sooner we warm up to that fact and be grateful for the events and perks they offer us, under no obligation mind you, the better off we'll be.

If we're really their biggest fans and advocates, it's about time we, as a community, start acting like it.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
Blogs, photo albums - CampusFish
What time does the water show start?

Maybe this will be the wake-up call to get people to start behaving themselves. You would think that a death of one of our own this spring would have been enough, but I guess it wasn't.

I think that this is a step in the right direction, but wonder if it the parks will be able to enforce it? Especially at larger parks where tens of thousands visit on a busy day. How will they be able to pick out a banned person from all of the other guests in the park?

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2003 Parks: Cedar Point, SFWOA, Kennywood, PKI, MIA, SFGAM, SFKK and HW.
Still deciding where to go in 2004.

And those who were banned from these parks, clubs, and message boards have absolutely nobody to blame but themselves for their actions, no matter how much they try to protest it.

One in particular (who I had a personal issue with earlier this year) still refuses to take responsiblity for his actions (for what he did to me and for his banishment from certain parks and clubs.)

He has tried to blame his self-induced turmoil and issues on everyone but himself while trying to drag the parks and enthusiasts down with him. I am sure the other troublemakers on these lists have done their fair share of bridge-burning.

Jeff, I agree and it's unfortunate that it has to come to this, but I feel better knowing that clubs and parks are starting to *clean house* and take enthusiast behavior more seriously.

There are those who think that just because they are club members that the parks OWE them something, and it's downright embarrassing to the rest of us.

Then there are those like the psycho I dealt with that breaks the park rules by threatening to cause disturbances at parks or harrass park personnel and other club members with their personal tangents and psychotic rants.

I am hoping that the Koch's letter, as well as Mr. Kinzel's letter is a HUGE wake-up call to everyone in the enthusiasts community, whether they have broken park rules or not.

These parks DO NOT OWE us anything and do not need us. Roller coasters and club events are suppossed to be FUN but it does not mean you have the right to abuse it.

This *wake up call* should of happened a long time ago. It's just sad that it has to take something like rider stupidity or a few troublemakers to make the parks and clubs take action. They are obviously not going to take the crap anymore and neither should the rest of us.

-Tina
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Gimme speed, height, airtime and plenty of LAUNCH!!!

*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN 10/14/2003 10:16:24 AM ***

I don't know how they would enforce it, I'm sure security will have pictures posted on the wall in the office. That's what they did with the "banned" from Wild World (now SFA) when I worked in Security for the park. However, I wouldn't want to get caught inside the park after being served a no tresspassing order.

A trial, conviction and your life is ruined because you decided to do something stupid that could cost you your life.

I also venture to say, we will see security cameras on coasters by the beginning of next season, if they don't have them already.

I hope Alyssa (sp?) and her clan are on that list!

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Blue People fly sideways when it rains...

I assume that the first level of enforcement a park can take is to not allow a banned person to obtain a season pass. Most enthusiasts have season passes so this is a likely action for the park. Then, like mentioned above, pictures can be posted in the security offices or near the gates so that employees know who to look for. I am sure the parks will take other measures, but they will more than likely keep those a secret.

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Iy Phelta Thi ;)
University of Toledo Chapter

I feel that this is also a great way to clean up parks. Is this a temporary ban, or is it indefinite

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I am one.
I am Turbo.
Top Thrill in the front row... anything else is lame
X...Whoa

As I've said before, I can certainly live without enthusiast events if it must come to that. However, I hope that it doesn't have to, and I commend the parks for enforcing park safety by taking such action as banning specific people for breaking the rules. I don't particularly care for the reputation that these folks are giving our group as a whole, to say the least.

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-Mike Buscema

'No matter how skilled the designer is, every time we push the envelope we learn new things about coaster design.' --Dana Morgan
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Some of these individuals had to do nothing more than observe the simple, basic rules of good taste. Think about it: An episode of the 'Simpsons' with Roy getting attacked by a lion was funny several seasons ago, but would you broadcast it now? Absolutely not. Same difference with the 'one-click' photos. It just wasn't the time to have them available and even less appropriate to vocally defend them. They put their pride ahead of their hobby and now they're starting to pay the price. They worked hard to get that foot planted in their collective backsides and have no right to complain.

As for the ban: No system is perfect, but you only have to be caught once. End of story.

-CO

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The scholar, the eternal question and a lot of stupid jokes. Celebrate Pancake Day 10/27. Check your local listings for events.

*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya 10/16/2003 3:25:02 PM ***

Turbo, I would guess it is indefinite. Especially if these parks truly want to send a message to the enthusiast community as a whole.

I for one will be going the extra mile to make sure I dont get banned from anywhere. I hope others will to.

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Junior,

That's a very good idea about the season pass thing. It would further discourage those who are already banned to attempt from entering the park.

Having photos of those who are not allowed in the parks will really HELP. Also, they should brief ALL employees, especially those working at the ticket booths and security as to who to look out for.

I also think we should take it upon ourselves to report any misbehavior going on at parks, whether they are enthusiasts or not or whether it's an event or not.

We have to remember that enthusiasts are not the only ones breaking the rules. The only difference is the enthusiasts who do these horrific things thinks it's OK for them to do it, whether it's unbuckling a seat belt or leaving threatening notes on other enthusiasts' vehicles at parks or sending harrasing emails/letters to park personnel, club memebers, and others.

It's all abuse and the park and clubs will not and should not tolerate it.

For anyone who disagrees what these parks and clubs are doing as far as cracking down on enthusiasts' misbehavior just remember one thing....

If you don't break any rules then you have nothing to worry about. :-) It's that simple.

-Tina

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Gimme speed, height, airtime and plenty of LAUNCH!!!

*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN 10/14/2003 10:45:10 AM ***

Ain't no extra mile to go. Who cares anyway? I'm not going to cry for these people. They should be ashamed of themselves...grown people getting banned from parks? What a joke!

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

Agreed Jan, however these people are no exactly grown-ups, at least mentally.

Why they feel the need to try to make a nuisance out of themselves I will never understand. Maybe that's why you sometimes see the kids behaving more appropriately than their parents. How many times have you seen a parent make a fuss about their kid not be tall enough to ride something when it's obvious that the parent is more concerned with making an arse out of themselves than the kids' safety? We see it all the time.

-Tina

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Gimme speed, height, airtime and plenty of LAUNCH!!!
*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN 10/14/2003 1:15:54 PM ***

There were times when I would notice some questionable behaviour and I'd simply mind my own business, with the exception of one time when I chewed someone out for having a very loose seatbelt and high lapbar.

But this weekend at CP I got very angry at some kid sitting in front of us on Gemini who pulled out his digital camera and was taking pictures...not only on the lift hill (he just laughed and me and kept taking pictures), BUT ON THE DROP. I was livid and told one of the ops when we got back to the station, but there wasn't much she could do as he was already down the stairs and onto the midway.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

Sad, sad, sad. If a death, cancelled events (add CAC to your list now too), banned people, and letters to us doesn't do it, we're toast. :(

I hope certain people grow up!

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson

OK, i'm kind of just a fringe member of this place and dont check in that ofter, mostly for the RCT games section. Could someone explain for any newbies what kind of behaviour these people engaged in, and how did the death occur. And even though i dont know the specifics I am quite sure they deserved it. I deal the public alot and there really are some real losers out there.

A couple of thoughts...

How did the parks come up with this list? Was it based upon someone from the park actually witnessing bad behavior, or was it because someone "said" they saw it? Was everyone on this list notified that they're on it? Who made it up in the first place? Seems like this could easily be abused, by allowing people to "suggest" who should be on the list, unless there were some checks in place. Not that anyone in the coaster "community" would ever go on any sort of personal vendetta or anything...*cough*

It's a sad day that a list like this exists. The events of the last couple of years, and the amount of bile tossed about by people towards each other, have pretty much turned me off to coaster events. I only went to one this year (PPP), which was actually fun, though Ellen and I stayed to ourselves most of the day. But I didn't witness anyone acting innappropriate or anything, so perhaps everyone is more aware of how they're supposed to behave. Still, it's a little concerning that someone may be added to some blacklist based upon third-hand information. At least that's how I feel...

dt

Most if not all of these issues can be accessed via the search function.

Tina, care to email me?

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

Magic Man, people who are banned would be those who have broken the park rules in various ways, and I would expect they've broken them more than once. This would include ignoring safety regulations on rides (unbuckling seatbelts, trying to take video or pictures from rides, etc).

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

I can only speak for Holiday World...

The people who have been banned from our park were caught red-handed behaving unsafely--even illegally. They are all aware they've been banned.

And yes, the list includes both enthusiasts and general public. The only people we are "picking on" are those who insist on behaving unsafely. They are not welcome here.

Meanwhile, we still treasure the friendships we've formed with many, many enthusiasts over the years. That has not changed!

Thanks, Paula

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Paula Werne
Holiday World PR
www.holidayworld.com