Smoker escorted out of Six Flags Great America.

Interesting story. I will say I don't completely believe this woman's account of what actually happened. We don't have the park's side of this story.

Good to see a park taking this rule seriously (and I am a smoker) :)

Click here.

"Melendez said she and a friend were then escorted out of the park"

They were probably in love with each other.

Huh?

I agree Moosh as far as HUH? to Matt's reply.

Back to the topic.

I am a non-smoker. If what she said in the article is correct then she might have a reason to complain and ask for reimbursement. I believe the park policy does say that you can be escorted out of the park if you violate their policies. This is not stated as such on the website however. So take that as a grain of salt.

I agree taking it seriously is a good thing but this borders on excessive and possibly bad customer service if her account is accurate.

I am just curious what the park's side of the story really is. I bet there is more to this than that.

^That would be a joke, due to the reaction that a similar remark in the BGE ejection thread got.

LOL @ matt's post.

For those confused: http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=47774&page=1

-Nate

Is that an opinion article or "news"? It sure sounded like an opinionated piece to me. Geesh.

I'm glad to see the park enforcing their rules. Now, if they would just eject people for taking out cameras on rides! Unless they are strict on enforcement, the abusers will just keep it up.

I am one of the biggest "NON-smokers" I have ever know. I think this is a little heavy handed though. Unless the park tells every single person to their face as they come in, that rule, that's just a little crazy.

I mean, can't they just give em a time out in the security office or something?

PS -- especially from a park(s) that let's people pay to get to the front of the lines! *** Edited 9/13/2007 12:08:33 AM UTC by J7G3***

I can't the woman missed all the signs and the announcements. You can't miss the big sign at front gate.

I was at the park this saturday and all the staff were wearing buttons with a big no smoking logo on it. And from the article:

"If a person becomes belligerent or abusive or is bothering other customers, they may be asked to leave the park," the spokeswoman said.

I am also wondering why she didn't talk with guest relation or the park duty manager at the time of the incident.

Gradv has ejected over 1,200 and SFNE over 200 this season. You would have to be pretty stupid if you dont see the signs posted everywhere. I wish CP would take notice to the way SF is enforcing their nosmoking policy because they dont even tell people to put them out or anything when i was there. I don't even know why CP has a nosmoking policy.

Terrible article, but if that woman's story is true it was handled terribly by the park.

matt, that was too funny. Maybe they were using cigarettes to jam up the restraint releases on the coasters. ;)

I am extremely impressed and pleased with how well some Six Flags parks are enforcing their smoking policy now. I was at Six Flags Great Adventure in New jersey for two days. It was very crowded and I did not see (or smell) a smoker lighting up outside of the designated areas the entire time. I was amazed and very happy about it.

The smoking rules are VERY clear and you have to be pretty blind to not see the signs. I am glad they are doing things like this and it is having a great impact on the atmosphere inside the park!

Could the policy vary at each SF park? At GADV, they have handed out pieces of paper with the policies including smoking policies. As someone else mentioned, a lot of people have been thrown out from the park for smoking.

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Ajrides said:
I don't even know why CP has a nosmoking policy.

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I totally agree with you on that one. I was appalled at my visit this year to the Point in regards to smokers. I saw more smokers on the midway than I ever have. If they're not going to "advertise" the non-smoking policy or enforce it, why even have it?

I'm too lazy to look in my closet, but I'm pretty sure the back of the SF employee polos even has a no smoking sign on it this year.

There are numerous signs and designated benches. SF employees are to give one warning to a guest who is breaking a rule and notify them of the consequences and if you see them behaving in this way again you are to call security. (Unless they are being disrespectful to an employee during the first warning - then they are to get security involved right away)

I'm all for SF backing up their rules.

Though, soon they won't have to because Illinois will be a smoke free state, woo!

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J7G3 said:
I am one of the biggest "NON-smokers" I have ever know. I think this is a little heavy handed though. Unless the park tells every single person to their face as they come in, that rule, that's just a little crazy.

I mean, can't they just give em a time out in the security office or something?

PS -- especially from a park(s) that let's people pay to get to the front of the lines! *** Edited 9/13/2007 12:08:33 AM UTC by J7G3***

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Hmmm...I'm with you and I'm not. Is it heavy-handed? Yes, but what are they supposed to do, hand the person a warning?

Back in high-school when I was on a ski-team trip to 7Springs, I had my lift-ticket hole-punched by the ski-patrol because I was speeding in a slow zone. Had I sped again that night, I could've lost all lift rights that night.

There is nothing that is like that at an amusement park. If they were to have handed the lady a warning, what would keep her from lighting-up again after the two employees walked away? An amusement park is private property. Once you enter, you agree to follow their rules.

I was at Great America last summer and the "Six Flags has gone Smoke Free after 45 years" announcement came on frequently and loudly over the loudspeakers. I don't recall how many smoking areas there were, but I dictincly remember one up by the lockers at the entrance, so they couldn't have been that hard to find.

Lastly, I think your final comment is not analogous at all. There is nothing against the rules at Great America about paying extra if you want to buy a Flash Pass.

I agree. There are signs posted all over the place saying that it's against park policy to smoke. I'm not a smoker and it couldn't be more obvious. While the park's actions may have been extreme (if that story is to be believed, and I'm not sure I do believe all the details), it will take that kind of action to stop people from using the "gee, I didn't see any signs" excuse.

Even though I'm not a smoker, I usually side with smokers when it comes to being against all the crap that's usually aimed at them in the form of bans and taxes. However, I really enjoy walking amusement park midways without drifting clouds of cigarette smoke and cigaratte butts littering the midways. I always felt that if smokers could do that in public, I should be allowed to walk around drinking and tossing beer bottles on the ground.

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halltd said:
Is that an opinion article or "news"? It sure sounded like an opinionated piece to me. Geesh.

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Well the author is listed under the "Columnists" header so I think it's safe to assume that this is an opinion piece not "news" per se.

Anyway, with the state of sheer oblivion that most amusement park guests are in, I'm not suprised that she didnt notice the signs. If people are dumb enough to ask worker "When will the rain stop", is missing signs that hard to imagine?

And yes, I think it's vastly heavy-handed. If they have no problem with frog-marching a 'guest' out of the park, then I can propose a "one warning" type of solution. Instead of escorting them straight out the park, take them to Guest Relations/Security. There, take their picture or copy their ID and have then sign a warning slip. If they violate again that day, boot them with extreme predjudice.

Granted, it is the park's right to boot them upon first violation. I just think that in the name of customer service, a warning process would better fit the situation. Essentially, the average smoker is not harming other guests as in the case of a fight or a pickpocket. I'd just like to see a bit more flexibility.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm an eight year ex-smoker.
lata, jeremy