To Be or Not to Be... A Ride Op?!
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RACE FOR THE SKY!!
TOP THRILL DRAGSTER
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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Ultimate Coaster said:
At SFGAdv, I saw a child not allowed by the ride op of the swing spin ride thingy to ride. The kids mother made a huge scene, calling the op an unsensitive f-er, an @ss, etc. I felt bad for guy, he was just doing his job. So just be ready for anything if you want to be a ride op, including embarassment. The hardest part has to be getting criticized and screamed at and not being able to fight back except with an "Im sorry but he/she cant ride. Im very sorry, ma'am/sir." or you might lose your job. Its very difficult to stand up for yourself in most parks, as they are very strict on what you can do in a situation like that, or they may fire you.------------------
The worst is when you come onto your shift and you get a short kid. You say they're too short and cannot ride. Problem? The op on the previous shift let this kid ride ten times. How do you tell a mother that her midget child can't ride even though he just rode it ten times in a row? I did what I was taught - refuse the kid's ride. If the parents don't accept that and start to cop an attitude, call your manager. Don't deal with anything hard, the managers/supervisors are there for that.
-Danny
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we must choose our fate: freeze or burn
Fly with the Man of Steel in 2003
SFGAm
Dragon Mountain said:
The worst is when you come onto your shift and you get a short kid. You say they're too short and cannot ride. Problem? The op on the previous shift let this kid ride ten times. How do you tell a mother that her midget child can't ride even though he just rode it ten times in a row? I did what I was taught - refuse the kid's ride.You did the right thing, and its exactly as I do. Just tell that person that the other ride op should not have let the kid ride. And like they said, if they continue to give you trouble, your shift leader will be able to back you up.
Koaster King: It really is a fun job from an enthusiasts perspective. I love being at the park, so its a perfect thing. Its pretty cool to help people have a good time at the parks, very rewarding stuff.
Of course, confrontations and angry people will certainly be a part of your job, but if you can get past that (and consider how many people's days you made better compared to the one that became upset), you shouldn't have any trouble.
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Xcelerator- Put the Pedal to the Metal!
However, if you decide to go into the job with an attitude that says "this crap job is the only way that I can earn a buck", the job will be exactly that.
Now it does sound like you are not in it for the money, but to try something new and have a good time. At least you have an open mind. If you take the job, you may hate it or love it, but I think that you should at least give it a try.
Steve-SFEG Ride Operator 2002
Edit-Spacing
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"Look out kid. It's something you did. God knows when but you're doin' it again." -Bob Dylan
*** This post was edited by Mustang 2/24/2003 12:30:29 AM ***
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It's still me, here from the beginning back in 1999. Add 1500+ posts to the number I have in the info section if you care about such things.
-Danny
I've had numerous jobs including being a caddy, working in a warehouse, and even cooping at an engineering company, and I can honestly tell you that ride operating is the most challenging and fulfilling job I've ever had. Let me address the questions asked.
Do ride ops get much appreciation with their jobs? Absolutely!!! There have been several times when my crew and I have recieved compliments from guests for the outstanding jobs we are performing. For example, there is nothing more rewarding than hearing a guest say, "I haven't seen this ride this loud and crazy since the 1980's!!! Thanks for the memorable moment." If that isn't appreciation then I don't know what is. In addition, from my standpoint, an enthusiast for 12 years, one of the most rewarding attributes of the job is developing a relationship with season pass holders. Many of them know great crews from good crews, and they'll let you know it too. From this I have met many friends, some from this board, whose presence at the park fills me with ride pride. Seeing them on a daily basis and knowing that they appreciate what you do makes the job worthwhile. Furthermore, you get to meet many coaster enthusiasts from around the world. They are the ones wearing the X and Superman t-shirts. They are more than eager to tell you about their trip to Japan or that invigorating ride on X, and by doing this you create a welcomed atmosphere for your park, and more importantly, you're having fun.
Do you think of ride ops as an important aspect of the park? I sure hope so!!! Enthusiastic ride operators create character for a park. This character is what seperates one park from another. Just a single positive interaction with any employee, from any department, can make someone's day extra special!!!
As stated above, there are few negative aspects to the job, for example, upset guests. Nevertheless, if you become a good employee, you can turn any situation into a positive one. I believe that through practice, and the tools that the park gives you, you can act professionally in any situation you are put in. This allows you to professionally represent the park to guests in the hardest of positions. They will appreciate it.
Finally, if you do decide to become a ride op, there is one thing you should do, its learn something new everyday. I have been a ride operator for two years and I am still learning new things. Whether it be through asking questions, studying social aspects of people (I've actually studied to see where people put their trash), or finding out what works or doesn't work for you, your knowledge about the industry can grow and will better your opportunities for a future in the industry.
From what I gather, you have the right approach to significantly make an impact on any park that you work at. Just remember, with the right attitude, anything is possible. I wish you luck on your decision to become a ride operator. See you at the Island.
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Beast Crew 2001/2002/2003
Flyer said:
Danny,I've had numerous jobs including being a caddy, working in a warehouse, and even cooping at an engineering company, and I can honestly tell you that ride operating is the most challenging and fulfilling job I've ever had. Let me address the questions asked.
Do ride ops get much appreciation with their jobs? Absolutely!!! There have been several times when my crew and I have recieved compliments from guests for the outstanding jobs we are performing. For example, there is nothing more rewarding than hearing a guest say, "I haven't seen this ride this loud and crazy since the 1980's!!! Thanks for the memorable moment." If that isn't appreciation then I don't know what is
That's all very true. Back in '02 at GASM one guy came up to me, looked pretty gruff (as if he was about to gripe) and said "man, this is the best operation in the park." Later in the season, an older gentleman came up to me and said he thought I was the best foreman in the park. I asked him what he based that on, and he said that he worked on that very ride and was happy to see someone having fun working it again. That really meant a lot.
Eventually I was given a merit award by the GM (John Odum) for speils and guest satisfaction.
I've has many other jobs and working at a park is like no other. As Mustang said, it's all what you make of it. If you want it to be fun, it will. If you want it to suck, it will.
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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Jo
2000/2002 Raptor Crew
Lifetime Raptor flights: 708 :)
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It's all about getting around the barrels or over the fences, right leads, no faults, fastest time and still looking pretty when done. What's so hard about that? :)
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Beast Ride Op in 02, 03
Flyer said:
Do you think of ride ops as an important aspect of the park? I sure hope so!!! Enthusiastic ride operators create character for a park. This character is what seperates one park from another. Just a single positive interaction with any employee, from any department, can make someone's day extra special!!!
I couldn't agree more. The "best" parks that I've been to are the ones where employees interact with the guests. Now admittedly, it isn't possible for a single employee to interact with every guest. But if all the employees try to interact with a bunch of guests each day, you can make the experiences of a good percentage of people that much more special! :)
When I worked Magnum in '01, I took pride in trying to be consistently the best crewmember that I could and I hoped that my actions and attitudes would be passed along to other crewmembers. We had a darn good crew for a while, but for one reason or another, a lot of people left and toward the end of the summer, only a fraction of the people were left. But the ones that were left, were probably among the best and we were able to maintain a pretty good operation.
Some things that I tried to do to be a better crewmember on a coaster were as follows:
1.) When you're at entrance (some parks might not have this position) stand out on the midway ever so slightly and encourage people to come ride your ride. Smile and say hi to people as they come by. Don't sit on the stool all hunched over looking like you're going to die. One of my fondest memories was when myself and Corey (rollocoast) were down there at the end of one June Saturday yelling at the top of our lungs for people walking by to "come ride Magnum - the number one steel coaster in the world - NO LINE!" We probably got 500 extra people to come ride that night and helped us get over 23,000 riders for the day.
2.) Also at entrance, if someone asks you a question, don't give them a half assed answer. Many times guests won't know of a program that the park offers (parent swap for example) and you can make their day a lot better by informing them about it.
3.) If you are at turnstyles and you stop the flow of people into the station, strike up a short conversation with the people in front of you. Ask them how their day is going or what rides they have been on so far. I even asked people what other parks they've been to sometimes and compared experiences with them.
4.) Take pride in moving your line quickly and getting your numbers up. We played games such as "Magnum Eights" where we'd try to get eight trains in a row, all full (no empty seats) and all intervals hit. The interval was rarely a problem, but you have to bust yourself to try to get every seat filled. Filling seats DOES make a difference though.
5.) If you're going on break and you see someone staring at a park map on the midway, ask them if they need help finding something. It's one of those things that people don't really expect to happen, but every once in a while, you can make someone's day.
Thee job is totally what you make of it. When I tell people where I want to work this summer, I get a wide range of reactions. Some people say, "that's awesome - I wish I could do that!" Others say, "wow - how do you deal with all the stupid people." And then there's a few people who think that working at a park should be totally beneath me and say something like, "couldn't you get a better job?" The truth is I could go elsewhere and work half the hours and make as much or more money. But it isn't what I want to do. My parents said when they visited me in '01 while I was working that it was the happiest they had ever seen me. And they were right! :)
Being a ride-op is not for everyone, but it can be a pretty unique experience if you can handle it. :)
-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew
2003 Magnum Crew
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