Line Cutting PSA

The one I've seen more frequently in the last few years is when the parents send the kid racing in front of you *JUST* as you reach the ride entrance...then the parents come up behind you and explain that they need to get up with their precious child.

Teaching the next generation about manners, one extended middle finger at a time...

In that case, I'm not sure the parents necessarily send their kid up ahead, it's just that the kid makes a break for it and no one corrects him/her.

That's a general loss I see all over the place and in all parts of society. Everyone seems to so worried about appearances (or something) that they refuse to discipline or teach their kid in public...when it matters most.

We had an entire family run and squeeze themselves between us and the entrance to Zombie High School last year, parents and all. When we caught up to them in line I made a point of loudly explaining to my kids that being rude got those people nowhere because we are still standing right next to them and will probably be going in together in the same group anyway. I could see them pretending to not see us. As annoying as it is when it happens I don't think it's worth devoting too many resources to the line jumping issue. I just do my part by making the jumper uncomfortable when the urge strikes me and making sure that my kids know that behavior won't be tolerated from them no matter how many other people they see get away with it.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I never noticed this issue, but then again I tend to avoid high crowd days.

Gonch and a few others make a good point. If...

1) Parents do not think there is a problem with line jumping, future generations of line jumpers are not going to understand that this is a no no,

2) Parents cannot hold onto their child or control them enough to get in line together and not cut in front of other people, there is a discipline problem that has more to do with parenting issues than park policing

...then the park can put into place policies and consequences, but how are they going to win that battle? If no one thinks they are doing something wrong, all the signs in the world aren't going to make a difference. Sure, security and ops and attendants can say something and do their best, but the customer services center would likely be overrun with complaints by offended patrons that can't even comprehend they're in the wrong. What provides more customer satisfaction in the end? That's what the park is going to go with.

I'm not saying I agree with it, and I see line jumpers all the damn time, and some instances have been in front of security guards/line attendants, who did and said nothing (even in the most blatant circumstances). It irritates me to no end because I was raised differently, but I can't see the culture changing to be stricter. If anything, I think line jumping policies will continue to be less enforced as years go by. I will certainly be the grumpy old lady waiting in line and shaking my head as the punks and ProstiTots cut in front of me, shaking my head and grumbling about things "back in my day". *laugh*

What's the phrase? Get off my lawn? These damn kids? A bit of both?

slithernoggin said:

To be honest, what I'm taking away from this thread is that some folks are bothered by line jumping, bothered enough to complain about it on enthusiast websites, but not bothered enough to take action.

I took action. With my wallet.

In fact, that may have been our last visit to SFA, in 2003.

Has line cutting subsided since then? I don't know, as I haven't been back since, but if it has I'd like to think my "inaction" was in some minuscule way responsible. Even if it hasn't, other improvements have been made to elevate guest satisfaction over the last decade...or so I've heard.

Edit: something is screwing up my posts and it's irritating. I copy/pasted the quote from my post above and it shows up in the text box, but doesn't post it or anything I type afterwards.

It occurred to me that parks have, at least (and profitably), addressed the line jumping issue among the coaster enthusiast demographic by selling FOL passes, going by a few responses here. :-)

I agree: there's a segment of the parenting population that just can't bring themselves to discipline their darling little angels, in public or private. And so the rest of us end up sharing restaurants, stores and lines at amusement parks with, well, brats running around screaming. It's a good thing for the producers of Supernanny and Dr Phil, not so much for us.

Bunky hits it on the head: parks are between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Line jumping is hard to police, and outside the most egregious instances, can become a customer service nightmare. My ASD brain likes rules and structures, but even I see a difference between five teenagers flat out line jumping their way to the station and Dad trying to catch up to Mom and the family because Little Johnny absolutely had to go to the bathroom right away.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to join Bunky on the lawn. Those damn kids! Get off the damn lawn!

Look like wicked Twister in the background but don't call me out if I'm wrong

Sorry I see that it's Fahrenheit.