Six Flags Over Texas continues to enforce Covid mitigation protocols

Governor is putting employees of businesses open to the public in a horrible spot.

Ugh. The job of enforcing a private business mask mandate in Texas right now would be awful.

The question now becomes one of what standard will the park apply when deciding when to change its protocols? It's understandable to not follow the State in this case; in fact the State seems to encourage individuals and presumably businesses to be responsible, just without the State demand. So if you're an amusement park...what standard do you use?

I ask the same of other organizations. In Ohio the Governor has set a clear goalpost. When it's reached, he promises to sunset the restrictions and orders. Will cities, counties, retailers, and amusement parks do the same? Or will they decide on their own timelines?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Queue up a whole new wave of Karen videos...
I know I’ve brought up the sad situation at Knoebels several times, but it’s the thing I’m most familiar with. Not only did I feel bad for response to their mask mandate on social media, but I really felt sorry for the employees that had to deal with the situation face to face. Many I spoke with were seniors that were happy the park was open and grateful to have their jobs back. Well, until they were faced with the unexpected and exhausting task of policing people’s behavior and having to deal with belligerent guests.
I can’t imagine how that situation plays in Texas, where people tend to be especially opinionated.

Is it really a question about whether to follow the CDC or the governor of Texas?

Well, the optics are totally not this way, but the governor is saying “Use your own judgement”, so technically they’re not in direct opposition.

Six Flags also has a strict line jumping poli.... I'm sorry... I can't...

I know I stated earlier that I cancelled my involvement in a TX trip this week because of the Gov's mandate, but I did get my first vaccine shot in the meantime, so I've decided to go after all. I have no intention of arguing / fighting with a bunch of emboldened Texans and will probably just double mask it the entire time I'm at the parks.

I'm sure I'll say something about my experience on here at some point.

Isn’t the vaccine not considered fully effective until 2 weeks after the second dose? Seems strange to be scared to travel before and change your mind that quick on that basis.

Texas is a train wreck as usual. The governor lifted the mask order and gave counties and businesses the discretion to keep them in place. Businesses that kept them, and there were a lot, are being vilified and the state’s own attorney general sued Travis county to get their mask order covering the city of Austin overturned. The business I work for switched from masks required to masks encouraged and kept capacity restricted. So we’re finding a way to make both sides mad.

I think the first shot ramps up your protection to about 50% and the second ramps up to about 95% (10-14 days after the innoculation). So what if Steve gets the first shot and then 90% bangs in the Chili's parking lot? I guess there's a 45% chance of a baby.

Well, I travel for a living and have been okay so far by keeping a steady state of paranoia in crowded airports and recirculated air on airplanes.

The lady who shot me told me it's about 60% after the first shot, from which it'll be about 2 weeks since I got it. I specifically asked her "should I go to a Six Flags?" and while her answer was more of a politician style non answer, she didn't say anything along the lines of "Hell naw." Yes, I realize that I'm flip flopping here and that I'm still at risk, but I plan to double mask at all times and am considering buying the cheapest Flashpass for the 3 of us, my treat, not to reduce waits, but to reduce time spent in crowded switchbacks.

This trip is more of a favor to my friend, who really kinda needs this trip for his sanity after being a high risk shut-in for a year (exaggeration) before finally getting vaccinated early, and is expecting his first child soon, effectively making him a shut-in yet again. :)

For the most part, I feel safe in environments where everyone is masked. I do not feel anxious walking through crowds as long as everyone is masked.

You can be a little less paranoid in the plane. The air isn't recirculated, it's fresh.

It's 50% recirc, but yes, refreshed every few minutes.

Trust me, I know this. :)

"That's why they sent me, I am expert." - Karl Hungus

Make sure to hold your breath when the A/C packs are off for engine startup! No air circulating or filtration those precious few minutes :P

(I kid about holding your breath, but not the lack of air movement or filtration during pushback and engine start).

And don't even get me started on de-icing!

I suppose if you are leaving an airport in icing conditions...

Y'know, the whole airflow on flights discussion caused me to reflect on my health the past year. I've come down with something flu-like (not the flu, but usually a really bad cold with similar symptoms) at least once every single year of my life. I'd often get sick shortly after a 2-3 day business trip (3 to 5 a year, typically). Not every time, but enough to make me blame sharing the same air as the hundred or so other passengers on each flight.

That said, I haven't had anything beyond a few occasional morning sniffles since fall or winter of 2019, possibly earlier. Say what you will about 2020 and the global pandemic, but I've never been this consistently healthy* in my life.

*On the flip side--and I suspect this it true for many--I'm more out of shape than ever. I started hitting the gym in my office building at the beginning of January 2020, and stopped in March when we were forced to work from home. The most exercise I get these days is heading upstairs to my home office.

Same here... I am usually good for a cold or two per year and have not anything since COVID hit. So that's awesome. Many coworkers have said the same thing, it seems like nobody has gotten sick (if it wasn't for COVID itself). I kind of hope even post-COVID, come flu season and such that people mask up and protect themselves and each other just a bit more. Plus all the new cleaning/sanitation processes everywhere.

I too, tend to get sick after flying anywhere even though I try to be careful not to touch my face, wiping down tray tables and such, etc... But I don't have much luck.

Shape wise, still the exact same weight as I was pre-COVID, so thankfully it didn't hit me in that regard. We exercise about the same though, primarily because our dog (Husky... he needs his long walks each night!) so always a solid 45mins at least of a pretty spirited walk if nothing else. Nothing really changed otherwise. I have a pretty typical cubicle type job anyway, so it's not like my activity has changed much aside from the commute to/from. If anything, I may move around more at home since I'm playing with the dog more, working around the house, drumming, washing or working on cars, yardwork, etc... Where otherwise I would just be sitting in my cube. So that helps.

Side note... Only because I had read about consumption of alcohol going up quite a bit (which could lead toward weight gain, obviously). My drinking really hasn't changed either, surprisingly. Still putting back the same few (or more) beers over a few hours 2-3 days a week. Basically is the date night for the girlfriend and I a few nights a week... I brew as a hobby, so I have 4 beers on tap in my 'taproom' at all times which is always awesome. Our own little party a few nights a week between the beer, playing music loud with dual 500W RMS subwoofers to give that punch in the chest, LED mood lighting all around, fireplace when needed and a crazy dog... We don't mind having to stick at home having our little parties together and a friend once and a while. Granted, we did this before COVID, but it's been a great way to keep sane in a weird world this past year. Without it, I think I would have gone insane!

Yeah, same. Outside of allergies (which are particularly bad this year in Orlando), no illness in the last 15 months. But fitness, meh, not great. I mean, I'm lucky that my fridge is 40 feet from my office.

I view vaccination as an inspiration to take better care of myself, but after the first shot, I'm only a little more motivated. Luckily, I got bored with drinking probably last fall.

We just noticed the same thing. No one in our house got sick with anything this fall or winter, which is unheard of, especially with two tiny people in school and us teaching. This includes an (albeit shortened) indoor track season and the kiddos in school all year. It's almost like masks work or something.

Side note: our campus has zero active cases for the first time since we went back to live-college in August. Peaked at about 60 active cases in February (we have about 2,500 residential students), and it's been a steady decline since then. We get a little email alert whenever one of our students has to quarantine (contact tracing), and after getting about 20 per week, my inbox has been blissfully quiet for at least a month.