I have read many post concerning ride ops. And I was wonderign if everyone on these forums just do ops or if there are people on here that do the real work. Jobs such as Food service, grounds, retail, life guarding, etc...
I have for the past three years worked Food service sorta (never worked for the park jsut worked there) at SFSTL. Its a great job and beats ops any day. How could anyone do the samething over and over hundreds a tiems a day.
-----------------
"Would you like a sports bottle with that? Its only an extra 2.35$ and your soul. For the extra cost you will receive the privilege to fill your cup with soda for only an additional $3.00. And if you act right now we'll throw in a straw (may be broken) an
-----------------
Wood Rules!
-----------------
Rob
"Some people spend an entire LIFETIME wondering if they made a DIFFERENCE. The MARINES don't have that problem." -President Reagan 1985
-----------------
Wood Rules!
No, I have done just about every theme park type of job and ride ops is the most mundane of them all. They appear to be the glorious jobs but let's be honest: Anyone can lift a bar, raise a thumb and push a button.
The unsung heroes of amusment parks are the custodians, food service workers, graveyard crews, etc.
I have worked at GL 9 years ago as a sweep for a season. I'm also thinking of appling for a ride maintenece(full time is possible) job at either SFWoA or CP for this up coming season.
Edit: Working as a sweep was one of the best jobs I ever had. And the girls, oh wait, this is a family site, I won't go there then, ;)
-----------------
Is it May yet??
http://www.zerognetwork.com
*** This post was edited by shaggszgn on 1/6/2003. ***
-----------------
Acrophobia-"So who up there is scared(everybody screams)? I want everyone who is scared to hold their hands out..."DROP
*** This post was edited by Chris the Coaster Freak on 1/6/2003. ***
Trust me Food service workers have to get there before you (not everybody) and leave after 11 12 or even 1 like you do. Try getting up at 5am so you can be at work by 6 to spin hundreds of bag of cotten candy and then work through the day at a stand and not be allowed to go home till 11 at night.
-----------------
"Would you like a sports bottle with that? Its only an extra 2.35$ and your soul. For the extra cost you will receive the privilege to fill your cup with soda for only an additional $3.00. And if you act right now we'll throw in a straw (may be broken) an
Ok, you take things a little too seriously. I will admit that there are some ride op jobs that are "challenging". Working a spiel ride, a manual ferris wheel, a go-kart ride, etc I would say present some physical challenges.
Most other rides/coasters keep you busy with guests and with dispatch but the work itself isn't all that difficult.
Let's not forget that without these people who can lift a bar, raise a thumb, and push a button, there would be no rides, hence no amusement park, hence no work for those "unsung heroes". I know many park's have different training procedures, but I know a good majority of them require these ride ops to be trained and take tests, some of them being quite difficult/long (Partcularly ride operators of major coasters). To me, it'd be much harder fully understanding how to operate a first generation freefall, then say, sweeping up garbage or making burgers. And I'm in no way bashing the non-rides people of the amusement industry, in fact, I can't say if their job is harder because I've never had that position before... but it shouldn't be a competition anyway, a good amusement park will have good employees in all areas.
Speaking from my experience, I loved every minute of being a ride op, and while sometimes the basic mechanics of it was repetitive, there was always plenty of twists and turns when it came to guests and shutdown/breakdown situations. You wanna talk about repetitive, try being a telemarketer lol. And in my case, working hard and having fun, led me to be a supervisor, where I now have no more repetitive days and enjoy my job very much.
ALF is cool:
Only midnight when the park closed at 10? Thats nothing. Last year at PKI during the Bring a Friend Nighmare (thats what I am calling it) we closed the park at 11. I minor violated at 1:30, and I waited for my crew, and they werent done until almost 3 in the morning. Most of us had to work the early shift the next morning too.
Every job in the amusement park is equally important. Each job, no matter how big or small, leans on another. For example, without ride ops you dont have running rides. Without food/drinks, people will not go to the park. Without Ecology, people would complain about the junk and not come to a trashy park.
Although running rides looks like its mudane, where else do you have to think about safety aspects of at least 80 people? I know in foods, its a lot of hard work because you do see more guests than rides do, but all those guests have to do is order from a menu and pay. But, where else in the park do you have to do quick math (although easy IMO) on the fly? Where else do you have to make a pizza exactly to specifications? It is a lot of hard work, but you cant say its harder than other areas. Just certain areas are harder in certain aspects than others.
-----------------
SOB crew in twenty 02
111 SOB laps, and wishing the park was still open
-----------------
- "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
True anyone can "lift a bar, raise a thumb, or push a button" but it takes a very very special kind of person to serve guests on a continual basis with a high level of enthusiasm, excitement and service. I worked at Cedar Point for a full summer and then a month of the next summer, and let me tell you the pride I felt just of being a part of that park, and being on certain rides was amazing. When I was doing spiels on the Magnum it was innately felt that you had a certain level of respect and honor you needed to uphold. Even more so, you just know the guests are expecting something better out of you. Finally, when you deliver the experience they know that is expected, and even go beyond that with the small things it just truly is a rewarding experience. There is nothing I loved more then making guests days specials just with good quick, yet cordial service and being enthusiastic on spiels.
wahoo skipper said:
No, I have done just about every theme park type of job and ride ops is the most mundane of them all. They appear to be the glorious jobs but let's be honest: Anyone can lift a bar, raise a thumb and push a button.
The unsung heroes of amusment parks are the custodians, food service workers, graveyard crews, etc.
*** This post was edited by JasonPSU20 on 1/6/2003. ***
Flippin burgers and making fries aren't repetitive??!! Or what about standing at metal decectors at the front gate with a stick checkin peoples bags??? With ride ops we have to deal with break downs where we have to deal with paniced and angry guests. Now that's hard work
BTW chiller1472 is the best supervisor i've ever seen. He He
"Real" work is standing there in the hot sun 65 hours a week, dealing with people that have no concernfor their actions, for their lives, the lives of others on the rides, or the ops lives for that matter. Dealing with pissy people because they dont want to wait in line just like everyone else in the park, cause stress among others waiting in line and hold up operation because they cant fathom why you cant fit 8 people in a boat that has only six seats. The "Real" work is being called a racist because you dont allow an infant on a ride because you would rather not have to jump in the water to get them out, or wtch them be run over by a rollercoaster train because they were too small for the restraints to hold them in properly. "Real" work is having the presence of mind and care to stop operating a ride when you sense a potentially dangerous situation, then having to deal with the 2 hours worth of people in line because you inconvenienced them by shutting down a ride instead of waiting for one of the arms to fall off, or a cable to snap. I'm sorry if you get up a little earlier or stay a little later to squeegee the floors and wash the grills out, but I would consider a bunch of people complaining about the price of a funnel cake for 65 hours a week a vacation compared to some of the things I have seen, prevented, or been called over the past 5 years. "real" work...ha.
-Tink, who hates her winter job, and really wanted to rant for a few minutes. :)
-----------------
"If two coaster trains almost hit each other, why is it called a near miss and not a near hit?"
Its teamwork guys. All of you working for an amusement park have one common goal, and that is to make the guests experience as satisfying as possible.
Whether that be a ride-op, food worker, games worker, sweep, janitorial, security, guest relations, show performer, landscaper, wardrobe, etc, etc.
No-one is more superior to anyone else. This applies to amusement parks or any other kind of business. The part that you play makes a difference and impacts the bottomline of any business that you choose to work for.
Remember this and realize it whether you choose to make the amusement park industry your choice for a career or any other career you choose in the future.
'Chitown'== Who was a food worker at SFGAm back in 1987
-----------------
2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity.
*** This post was edited by Chitown on 1/6/2003. ***
You must be logged in to post