Man banned from Kentucky Kingdom for riding coaster with his smartphone

According to him, he "forgot" that his hand was wrapped around a solid, physical object, and so, apparently, he had no choice but to wave it at the on ride photo camera...

http://www.wave3.com/story/35658459/kentucky-kingdom-shares-photo-o...-his-phone

What an idiot. He claims he accidentally took his phone out while on the ride. Good grief.

Of course, first thing idiot does it make a youtube video advertising that he's a victim.

Based on the on ride photo, he was clearly baiting the park. I'm glad the park released the photo; this dude is an ass.

I can't believe they actually made a news story out of this. If every person who brings their cell phone on a ride gets banned from any park, they might lose a lot of business. i understand that it is a safety issue, and i agree with the park for punishing him, but i do not agree that they need to ban him for life.

If people with cell phones are such a problem the parks should tell people that they do not want them to bring their phones or cameras to the park at all, or, suggest that they leave the items in their car. There are people who do a lot worse things at the parks then use a cell phone, like the jerks who insist on smoking in line, or the punks that purposely throw pennies off from moving rides, or dump drinks on unsuspecting walkers from cable cars.

If you look at youtube there are hundreds of on ride videos taken by cell phones and digital cameras. In fact, i was just watching on ride videos from the Mickey Wheel at Disneys california adventure. A lot of people are doing it, and unless the parks start searching peoples bags for cameras and phones, it isn't going to stop.

Any person at any park carrying a phone onto a coaster isn't going to banned; it depends, for one thing, what the rules are at each specific park. Any particular park won't catch all the rulebreakers.

He flouted the rules at the specific park he was in. He took the phone onto the ride, presumably clutched in his hand, waved the phone in front of the on ride camera, and then made the lame excuse that, golly gee, how did his phone ever end up between his leg and the seat?

If a park wants to ban, for life, anyone wearing tan shoes and pink shoelaces, that's their prerogative. Private property; the owners make the rules.

A polka dot vest and man, oh man.

Follow the rules. If this guy being banned saves anyone from having an object accidentally smash in to their face then so be it.

You are mixing up a lot of arguments here.

Timber-Rider said:

I can't believe they actually made a news story out of this. If every person who brings their cell phone on a ride gets banned from any park, they might lose a lot of business. i understand that it is a safety issue, and i agree with the park for punishing him, but i do not agree that they need to ban him for life.

Fair enough.

Timber-Rider said:

If people with cell phones are such a problem the parks should tell people that they do not want them to bring their phones or cameras to the park at all, or, suggest that they leave the items in their car.

How does making a more extreme, but equally unenforceable policy help at all?

Timber-Rider said:

There are people who do a lot worse things at the parks then use a cell phone, like the jerks who insist on smoking in line, or the punks that purposely throw pennies off from moving rides, or dump drinks on unsuspecting walkers from cable cars.

That's not an argument against enforcing the rule they already have.

Timber-Rider said:

If you look at youtube there are hundreds of on ride videos taken by cell phones and digital cameras. In fact, i was just watching on ride videos from the Mickey Wheel at Disneys california adventure. A lot of people are doing it, and unless the parks start searching peoples bags for cameras and phones, it isn't going to stop.

There are lots of things which aren't 100% enforceable but which are still a) worth enacting as a rule and b) worth enforcing when you can. In fact, I would say pretty much every rule or law fits this bill. (Get it? Bill?)

Good thing Michigan's Adventure only has water slides. You can't bring a cellphone on a water slide.

(Okay... I know you can, but just go with it.)

Clearly, this is a problem in society now. Everyone has instant fame and fortune in their hands now. We are obsessed with a me culture where we have to take pictures of ourselves doing everything.

I have already seen two coaster trains being stopped because someone feels the need to have their phone out. I mean for most people two minutes which I guesstimate most coasters average durations are, is too much time to sit back and enjoy life as its happening.

Let's share a story here for those less inclined to think a loose article policy is so unfair. Last Friday to be exact someone obviously thought it was funny to open a bottle of water on a certain worlds first giga coaster. Later when said water was let go and the bottle it was being contained in flew to the back row almost hitting girls in the row in front of me, well you get the picture. It would not be pleasant taking anything to the face or body at those speeds. I was lucky to corral said bottle, unfortunately I don't know who let it go but I know that was no coincidence that we were pelted by water on the first drop and then a bottle came back. Too many people lack common sense.

The loose article policy has become what it is because of cell phones mainly. Guest safety is a priority for any park. Let's say had this guy got hit by said cell phone, bet he'd be blaming the park. I can almost guarantee that, but look at this guy I can almost believe he can't read ride safety signs.

MagnunBarrel said:
Clearly, this is a problem in society now. Everyone has instant fame and fortune in their hands now. We are obsessed with a me culture where we have to take pictures of ourselves doing everything.

That seems like a generalization. While those people exist, they aren't "we." Just as my parents before me, I'm obsessed with taking pictures of my kid doing everything, because he won't be 7 forever.

You're both right.

Taking pictures of a child, a parent, a wedding, a birthday party, a thrilling moment (I'd rather not admit how many photos I took of Dolly Parton during her mini concert at ACE's convention in 2012) is absolutely a must.

But a lot of people these days are taking photos or videos not because they're capturing a moment, they do it because they can. I get taking a selfie just before you walk into Chicago's PrivateBank Theater to see Hamilton. I don't get taking a selfie when you're standing outside of CVS because you're standing outside of CVS.

Forget outside the theater... gotta do it in #theroomwhereithappens

#andpeggy

slithernoggin said:

I don't get taking a selfie when you're standing outside of CVS because you're standing outside of CVS.

Perhaps they're CVS enthusiasts? Maybe they think it's weird that people take pictures in front of roller coasters.

Sfne doesn't stop the trains anymore on their coasters for cells, now they just wait for the train to get back to the station where security escorts the idiot right out of the park. A lot of the problems are with the ops at Kentucky kingdom. When i was there last year i rode stormchaser 5 times in the morning with cheap sunglasses on and when i went back to ride it in the afternoon i was told i couldn't wear them. The park trys to enforce all these stupid little rules meanwhile people were getting their bags stolen in the watetpark and they didn't care about that. I talked to a supervisor and said they should concentrate on enforcing rules that endanger someone or ruins someones day.

It does not say that he was banned for life anywhere in the article however. By revoking his season pass, he is obviously banned for this season but they will probably allow him back next year hoping he learned his lesson.

Thought I'd read elsewhere that it was a lifetime ban...

In either case, having this much publicity should help the park keep that (dangerous) behavior to a minimum.

I've always said the best way to curb people being dumb (be it using a camera/phone on a ride, or entering restricted areas, or other things) is to make a public example of a few idiots getting banned, clearly explaining what rules were broken, and why those rules exist. You'll never eliminate it, of course, but I think most people would be less interested in filming the millionth POV for that ride with their phone if they know there's a high chance of their day coming to an end.

In the queue TVs most of the regional parks have now just show clips of the park's official POV for the ride and tell friends to send them this link to watch the ride.

Raven-Phile said:
Perhaps they're CVS enthusiasts? Maybe they think it's weird that people take pictures in front of roller coasters.

Hmm. Possibly. Doubtful (have you been to a CVS?) but possible. I recently learned that there are people who have a fetish for watching guys blow up balloons until they burst, so anything is possible. But still ....

I was watching the Rachael Ray show (not my choice, blame my parents and the available TV options at the Four Winds casino) and they had a story about a mother and daughter who had lost hundreds of pounds. One of the pictures in the story showed the daughter lifting weights with her smart phone clamped between her teeth. And I thought, she couldn't put her phone down long enough to lift weights?

But I'm old and a curmudgeon, and I have to go yell at those kids on my lawn now...

I hate CVS, but I love it at the same time.

it's slow, full of crabby old people, and a lot of times expensive, but there is one within walking distance of my house, and I don't keep much junk food around - so it makes me work for it if I want something. Plus, there are times I can get good deals on random stuff like halloween decorations - but the biggest draw? if I lose my tape measure, I can always count on their receipts being at least 8 feet long, so I at least have a backup.