GP or Enthusiast - CoasterBuzz

This might come off as preaching [it isn't] but allow me to add one more thing to what others have said:

When we, as enthusiasts [or whatever we label oursevles] visit parks on a regular operating day we should NEVER, ever expect any kind of special treatment. Even if we may know more about coasters, help the parks with our good word of mouth, or be friendly with ride ops or other park employees the park considers us a regular paying guest and we should act accordingly. And no matter when we visit a park, be it on a regular day or at an event, we should always follow park rules. Nothing bothers me more than seeing a coaster lover trying to circumvent a park policy because they see themselves as "special."

OK...end rant...LOL!

As far as I'm concerned, the one thing that separates an enthusiast from the average person is a willingness to spend time on finding out more about coasters and parks. Ignoring the jerk contingent inherent in any group, that should be all that should separate the two groups.

Besides, label or no label, if you enjoy your hobby, and you can share with others, it's one of the best feelings in this world.

You dont think enthusiasts are a secret club? From the Holiday World SRM site:If you do not belong to a club, then you must come as a club member's guest. The club member will serve as your interpreter throughout the event

I guess they have a secret handshake and all too heheehe.

BTW: Ms Maven, did you ever announce that the 2002 SRM flyer was done? It looks GREAT (I love the 'eye chart')
jeremy
--"take measures to ensure you do not become a victim of bladderium explodi, an affliction that is becoming quite common in Southern Indiana" :HW 2002 SRM flyer

I have to agree with the statements made earlier. There is definitely a group of "enthusiasts" that make themselves sound better than others.

My take: If your family and friends laugh at you because you know way too much about rollercoasters that you see the Aflac commercial and can tell them the coaster, or you write papers in school that have mentions of rollercoasters in them, you are an enthusiast.

Websters - enthusiast: n. -one who has an intense feeling for a subject or cause.

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Super K!

Georgia: The peaches aren't the only sweet things!

Super K: I guess then by that definition, I'm both a Raptor and an Incredible Hulk Coaster 'enthusiast'.
jeremy
--nobody said that "intense feeling" had to be positive did they?

If you're reading this...guess what...you're an enthusiast.

My latest signature came about because I was sick of people on this site putting down people with the term "general public". I have friends who really enjoy some of the same coasters I do, but don't know the manufacturers or statistics as well I do. Who cares? Do people at football or baseball games differentiate other people based on what statistics they know about the players? No, everyone is a fan regardless.
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Until you get a parking space with your own name on it, you're still part of the GP.

Great sig, I-Fan!

i became enthused about roller coasters when i started riding them over & over instead of just once or twice a visit.

A person in the GP is the person in front of you in line that THINKS they know what they are talking about (related to parks & coasters), but really don't (they give wrong facts and things like that). A enthusiast is the person in front of you in line that knows what they are talking about and gives mostly correct facts.

I want to clarify that I'm not insulting the GP. If a person does not know a lot about the parks and coasters than that's fine. I just don't like those that act like they know everything even though they know very little.

Zimm

*** This post was edited by Zimm on 1/10/2002. ***

Zimm says... "I just don't like those that act like they know everything even though they know very little"

I agree 100%... that is why many of the self proclaimed "Enthusiasts" bug me so much! Not sure which is more bothersome... someone tells wrong information to friends of theirs while standing in line, or the person, a perfect stranger, who over hears this wring information and sees it as their duty to butt into the conversation and "inform" them of their errors.
Also, you have to look at what different people consider "wrong facts..."

Person in line talking to friends: This coaster is 200feet tall and goes 80 miles per hour! Its great!
Evesdropping self proclaimed "Enthusiast" in line behind them: Excuse me, but I am sorry... you are wrong. It is actually 200feet 3.75 inches tall and actually only goes 79.4 MPH. It actually really sux because there is another coaster very similar to it at (insert name of park here) that goes 79.76mph and has a drop that is 3/16 of an inch taller.

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 1/10/2002. ***

I agree a lot with what's being said. Labels are just ridiculous in the first place.

However, if I had to draw the line, I think anyone who spends time on coasters when not at a park is an enthusiast. This can include web surfing, knex, RCT, trip planning, wishful thinking, dreaming, etc.

Hopefully this definition doesn't carry a lot of negative connotations that some people think enthusiast carries.

And just for the record, I always thought calling yourself an enthusiast was elitist, just because it's a label that implies some higher understanding. When someone else calls you an enthusiast, well that's a different story.
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The legend lives!

Very, very rarely will I correct someone I suspect is not an enthusiast. We've all heard countless errors from people while we wait in line. I just smile and laugh and only give my opinion if its requested.

HOWEVER...if I'm in line and having a conversation with an enthusiast and hear an error of course I'll point it out. Politely, of course!

Along the same lines I'm also very honest with people when asked "is this ride scary or intense?" The last thing I want to do is convince someone to ride only to have them be miserable. During X previews I stood next to a woman at the exit waiting for a child-swap. She was considering riding but was VERY nervous. I spoke to her honestly about the ride and asked her what other coasters in the park she had ridden. When I found out she'd ridden them all I told her I honestly felt she'd enjoy X, too.

She was extremely nervous all the way up the lift and she screamed her head off down the drop but when I heard her laughing as we went thru the raven turn and throughout the rest fo the ride I knew she was enjoying herself. As we reached the unload she thanked me profusely for convincing her to ride and said she couldn't wait to ride again.

That, IMHO, is one of the best moments an enthusiast can have with a member of the "GP."

I'm not an enthusiast, I just love to ride. I don't pretend to know 1/15th as much about coasters as anyone else here. All I know is that I'd rather be at IOA today than in my office ;)
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Doesn't it seem as though morons always have the caps lock on?