Fight on the beast's loading platform.

I am surprised that there is not a security guard on the Beast platform at the end of the day. Perhaps it is early in the season, but at CP there is a guard at the rides that have longer lines at night.

It is too bad that some younger kids had to see that; it really puts a bad light on a great park.

I'll bet that there will be a guard on the platform from now on.

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dexter said:
White people can be considered "wannabe thugs" too, Rob. Now who's exactily being racial here?

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Hang on a sec dexter, I'm not refering to any comments on this board, sorry if I'm a little vague. When I was at the park on Sunday the first line jumping incident that I encountered was at Drop Zone. The group of 15 people that were kicked out of line just so happen to play the "race card" as they were shown the exit of the ride.

They believed it was a racial issue, where in reality it was a stupidity issue and I have zero tolerance for it. I can be a real jerk when it comes to line jumping. A few years back at the Festhaus the wife and I were waiting in line for pizza where these two white trashy broads decided to cut right in front of us while talking on their cell phones. After I repeatedly asked them to move to the back of the line (we had already waited 10 mins) they ignored me by keeping their cell phones to their ears.

So I decided to do nothing. That is until about 10 minutes later they were just about to get their grubby hands on their food. That is where I informed the person behind the counter the situation and I had about a group of 20 people behind me that would back me up. When the security gaurd asked them if they did cut in front of us they responded 'no' and laughed. Of course we and about 20 other people behind us shut that lie down pretty quick and the security gaurd asked them to leave the line.

So if you decide to make your wait shorter around me, I will do my best to make your wait much longer than what it would have been if you hadn't cut in the first place.

~Rob Willi

The last few times i've seen Line-jumpers it was at Cedar Point and they dealt with it quickly. It happened in the lines for Mantis, Gemeni and Iron Dragon, and they all got busted.

Fist fights in lines is stupidity in high gear and can easily escalate into far worse scenarios. I'm glad no one had a knife or gun.

^This is why we have metal detectors, and why they wont be going away.

There was a time 2 years ago that there was 2 kids that cut line on Beast, all it takes is bringing one of the operators to aside, telling them, they called security and right when they sat down on the train, police (not security) came up the ramp and pulled them off. The people in station cheered.

Sure the 'urban kids' jump line but so do the 'sub-urban' kids... and the rich 'north shore kids' do it, but they just pay for it :)

The few times I have let someone know they are linejumping, it usually turned out bad. If the person I was with was not a coaster geek, I usually got "shut up Billy, just let em go!" But if I was with a fellow coaster geek, then the cards were stacked in my favor.

People in the que are more likely to go with what the particular class/type is. If it's a more.. how shall I say (sorry not to be PC, not into politics), 'higher class' crowd (CP quite a bit and Disney) then the Mother holding her little boys hand returning to the Dad way up in line - then your screwed.

If it's more... 'urban looking' types in an urban looking type crowd, you're screwed too.

I've gotten it all.

Hey you know your cutting in line - "I'm with my girl"

but it's line jumping - "I'm wit my girl!"

hey your line jumping - "my little boy had to use the bathroom!"

"my brother is up there."

It's dumb, but I'll take the occasional line jumper over the fast pass and other forms of 'legal' line jumping. THAT is really the worst!

I really wish American schools would start to teach kids about living responsible lives, Karma, how to treat others, recycling, etc.

And whoever thinks it's usually not a racial issue, open your eyes, this country's racial tensions are massive. *** Edited 5/1/2007 7:48:24 PM UTC by J7G3***

When I worked at Great America, Santa Clara, the park had convinced the city to criminalize it. I was working in tower 3 of Rip Roaring Rapids and witnessed a fight start over line jumping. The cops interviewed me and asked if the suspects were line jumping. I said yes and they were taken downtown. Pretty satisfying actually.

The funny part was that the line jumpers also lost the fight.

J7G3 said: "I really wish American schools would start to teach kids about living responsible lives, Karma, how to treat others, recycling, etc."

Wow am I gonna sound ANCIENT here....remember the good old days when that kind of stuff was taught by those people we called "parents"? They went the way of the small-town traditional amusement park I guess.

Line-jump in MY park...you find yourself outside the front gate, no ticket, no handstamp, no season pass. Honestly, how long would it take for "the message" to get across?

In my experience, the WORST line-jumpers are white females aged 12-17. And I get out ALOT... ;)

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J7G3 said:

It's dumb, but I'll take the occasional line jumper over the fast pass and other forms of 'legal' line jumping. THAT is really the worst!

I really wish American schools would start to teach kids about living responsible lives, Karma, how to treat others, recycling, etc.

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Oh the irony.

Forget the Karma crap and the recycling... get back to teaching good old fashioned capitalism driven Economics... and then folks would not have a probem with fast pass, qbot, etc... because they would understand the iron clad rules of Economics...

1. "Them that has, gets"

2. "There ain't no such thing as a 'free ride'."

3. "You get what you pay for."

(not to mention things like "supply and demand")

*** Edited 5/1/2007 8:20:57 PM UTC by SLFAKE***

I've gotten over trying to stop anyone from line-jumping. Now that I'm at the age where I'm more than twice as old as some of these teenagers, it's just not worth any potential violence. I have to keep working to pay my bills, I work at a businesss that depends on me, and being in the hospital won't allow me to do that.

I'm not however condoning line-jumping. These kids have gotten it into their heads that it's okay to do this from someone. I'm guessing it's mostly from peer-pressure, but it could be learned from Mom or Dad as well and the way they behave--perhaps the way they drive.

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SLFAKE said:

understand the iron clad rules of Economics...

1. "Them that has, gets"

2. "There ain't no such thing as a 'free ride'."

3. "You get what you pay for."

(not to mention things like "supply and demand")

*** Edited 5/1/2007 8:20:57 PM UTC by SLFAKE***

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yep, the American way :) We are in a state of De-evolution (devo).

I truly belive in karma and positive attitudes, and all that 'crap'.

Look what happens to 'nice' business that treat their customers right (Holiday World, Hersheypark).

HW has grown from a little spec on the map a little over ten years ago, to the top 'rated' in several categories. And people love the place. *** Edited 5/1/2007 8:39:55 PM UTC by J7G3***

It's not just an American way, many times while snowboarding overseas in Europe, there would were a few people that would ski over my board so that they could get towards the front of the crowd (there wasn't much of an established queue at most lifts).

Anyone care to guess where these people were from? If you guessed France, you were right.

God this reminds me so much of my two trips that I made to SFGadv in 2005. The second time we were there (late July) every line was horrendous(3-5 hour waits for just about every coaster) and line- jumping was running rampant. I had the pleasure of having to confront 3 16-18 yr. olds "trying" to line jump everyone in line for S:UF. After being jumped in front of twice already in the day on other rides, I had enough of this s*** and went ballistic!!!!! I basically handed my car keys and wallet to a friend of mine and his wife (in case I needed to be bailed out of jail) and went psychotic when they reached the place we were at in line telling them "If they wanted to cut past us , they would have to physicalymove my big a** out of the way" as I latched onto both sides of the switchback with each hand. After they realized that I wasn't going to stand down at all and that I would stomp a mud hole into all of them (they were all of about 5'10" and 150lbs. each and I stand 6'3" 300lbs.)I proceeded to "march" them verbally to the back of the line untill security met up with us at the entrance of the queue and removed them from the park. As I returned to the place where my friends were at, I was met by numerous "thank yous" from others in line. It just irritates me that so many people want to tell others what kind of choices they should make in their own lives (state voted cigarette bans, fastfood bans etc.)but the minute that someone tys to dosomething like this, they bite their tongues and don't say crap. If more people would grow sets and stand up to these undisciplined idiots that act the way they do because they were never disciplined (beaten the hell out of) by their parents, the world might be a little bit better place.

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J7G3 said:

I really wish American schools would start to teach kids about living responsible lives, Karma, how to treat others, recycling, etc.

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Do you really think teachers don't attempt to teach their students about responsibility and fairness? I'm sorry but I only see my students for 50 minutes a day. There is only so much that I can do. Their family should and is a larger influence on the majority of students.

I reallly think that people cut in line because they feel a sense of entitlement. I certainly don't teach them that.

I believe it was at kings dom that had people in the lines watching for line jumpers. It only takes 1 worker to watch over people.

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mulfdog said:

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J7G3 said:

I really wish American schools would start to teach kids about living responsible lives, Karma, how to treat others, recycling, etc.

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Do you really think teachers don't attempt to teach their students about responsibility and fairness? I'm sorry but I only see my students for 50 minutes a day. There is only so much that I can do. Their family should and is a larger influence on the majority of students.them that.

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Alot of my teachers, especially around the Jr. High level (when kids REALLY learn how to be mean, I think) spent alot of time telling me how bad I was, that I have no friends, and fail everything. Learning disabilities, etc.

You and I have the same attitude about school, J7G3. I wish I could accept responsibility for my problems, but I blame my stupid High School for the majority of them.

Most parks don't want to schedule an extra person to monitor a ride line because it would cut very deep into their profits, you know, about 7 bucks an hour.

And I agree 100% that PARENTS should teach their children some morals and values. This issue is all about treating people the way you would want to be treated. It is a parents duty to make sure that their kids make the right choices when they are not there to watch them.

Sometimes when someone is cutting in front of me, I want to go find a security guard, but I am afraid of losing MY place in line. It angers me to have to choose between losing my place in line or being accused of trying to get in a fight, so it seems much easier to just let them go.

Just how sad that a big brawl broke out over a silly rollercoaster ride. Some of the responses I see here are just as concerning to me. I have seen some responses blaming the park. Blame the people who are doing it. You really think a guy or gal in a security uniform is going to stop a fight from happening? People don't have respect for cops anymore let a lone a security guard. Most of the security guards would make things worse. I have seen countless line-jumpers at countless parks. Some white, some black, a wide range of ethnic groups. I have heard the responses when they are dealt with to. "Your picking on me because I'm 'fill in blank' ". It's just really sick how careful we have to handle the jerks who cause all the problems. It's just getting worse so be prepared for a hight level of stupidity this summer when you all ventrue out to the various parks. You wonder why people don't want to get involved as witnesses or stand up against the thugs? Before it's all said and done, your the one to blame because your mean, insensitve, or racist. I have to go, I have a sudden urge to use a toliet now.

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Winston said:

You wonder why people don't want to get involved as witnesses or stand up against the thugs?

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Yesterday I was talking to a co-worker about the possibility of Trimpers at Ocean City MD closing (see thread in news section) and that led to her talking about visiting her son in Ft.Lauderdale (sp) FL. She, her husband, daughter, son in law, and two grand children went down there to visit her son who lives there and she said that in Ft.Lauderdale it was hard to find things for the "family" to do... not even a mini-golf course to be found. She said her son found a place called "Boomers" (which we all know as the home of the Dania Beach Hurricane). She said that it was a "seedy" experience... with groups of young punks that would walk right across the mini-golf green that she and her family were on with a look that sort of just dared anyone to say anything to them.

This same mentality of punks, disrespectful of authority and rules, trying to be tough and daring anyone to challenge them is spreading. I can see why a lone security guard (or two) may not want to confront them... they are out numbered and out toughed (not to mention in some cases "out gunned" or knifed as the case may be).

Back to my earlier comments about teaching good old fashilned capitalist driven economics and instead of "Karma" (which I still think is crap) and respect in school... that was mainly at those who pee and moan about Q-bot, fast pass, and other so called "pay to cut" plans. IF a park offers Fast Pass (etc), then those using it are with in the rules (Economic rule #3 - "You get what you pay for") so forget it. Complain all you want about parks offering it, but don't complain about those people who opt to use that option because they ARE operating with in the rules that the park as set in place. These people are operating with in the set rules of the park by using Fast Pass (etc) that are available to all under "Economic Rule #1" ("Them that has, Gets").

Now the punk who pushes his way in front of you with out regard to anyone but himself and who is truely line jumping... that's the guy you personally want to complain about and have thrown out.

As far as teaching respect for others, of course... but it is the parents, not the schools repsonsibility.

Referring to the success of HW or Hersey due to friendly customer relations. That's not Karma, that's good buisness sense, which most parks clearly don't have. *** Edited 5/2/2007 1:31:21 PM UTC by TXRider*** *** Edited 5/2/2007 1:32:28 PM UTC by TXRider***

When someone walks past me when I'm in line I clothesline them. One good swift arm to the adamsapple slows them down. Unless it's a drink seller. I dispise people that line jump. It's rude and it's unjustified.