"Wicked" Ride Ops.

I didn't experience this myself, because I'm like 165lbs, 5'10, and no fat... however, I just got back from Cedar Point, and my friend had a little encounter with the ride-ops at the Wicked Twister ride that would have personally made me go a little irrate.

Keep in mind he's 6'2, and 250lbs... not a skinny guy, but by no means too large. He fits in Corkscrew ok so as long as he's got the front seat in the front car, all other rides are just fine, and the restraints work no problem...
When he was boarding Wicked Twister, they did the normal sphiel on how to load and such... and everyone got on and put the restraints down and buckled down the seat belt.

Well, my friend got his restraint down no problem... his problem was that he was fumbling a little with the seatbelt, and couldn't quite get it into the latch where it locks in. The ride op only gave him 10 seconds to do this, and then just kicked him right off the ride. She said "you're going to have to get off this ride, sir"... and that was that!
She didn't attempt to buckle it for him, she didn't give him any more time... and there was no issue with his weight or size. The restraint fit no problem, and there was plenty of room for the belt... but he just missed the lock a couple times, and the ride op rushed him so much, he couldn't get it, so she just blatently kicked him off, no questions asked.

Now tell me... has this happened to anyone else?
Anyone else at just Cedar Point, or any other park?
There's only 1 train on Wicked Twister, so why are they in such a rush? Why was the ride-op so rude as to not even do it herself? I'm sure if it was a little kid, she'd definately help him get it buckled... so why should she act differently if it was my friend's first time on this coaster?

Cedar Point is a great park, with a friendly staff and clean park... but I can't help but to think that this is wrong...

Ive had that happen to me on Top Gun at PC. They were rushing me and gave me like no time. They kicked like 5 other people off too.

------------------
My Florida Coasters Website

My Websites Forums

Speaking of CP ride-ops, the last two years I've been to the park I've noticed they have lost their enthusiasm. There was no "Welcome back riders how was your flight!?!?!" comments or the little Magnum speils they used to give like, "We'll take you up 205ft drop you 200, and then put you through not one, not two, not threee, but 0 inversions." Whats the deal with this? The employees I've encountered at CP on my last few trips have been no different than Six Flags. It's really dissapointing the ops don't make all their fun little comments anymore. That was one of the things that made CP different.

------------------
"This time I think ... I think it's ... it's going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

That's inexcusable. Certainly if your friend was too large to ride, I can see the reason for her reaction (but only if she was polite about it and at least tried to buckle it for him), but to completely ignore the fact that he was just having difficulty with the belt and rudely rush him off the ride is at the very least unprofessional. I would file a complaint with the CP's public relations department. That kind of thing should not happen, and it surprises me that it would happen at Cedar Point.

------------------
-Mike B.
Son of Hulk

If you go to a place like Islands of Adventure or to any Disney park, they ops are all nice and give you time. They welcome you and say hi. Those are the good ones. I have never been to Cedar Point so I dont know how there like there, but the ones at PC arent all that great. They barely said anythin.g
------------------
My Florida Coasters Website

My Websites Forums

Even the op at Six Flags Great America tried to help me a little bit before making me get of V2. I was damn polite about it to because she was polite about it. Last year they actually pushed on the restraint a bit. That is how I could fit last year ;)

I really need to get back on Operation Wicked Twister again....

------------------
Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

I was at CP last weekend with my Husband, while Coastermania was going on. Granted, we're enthusiests but we weren't there for the event, just our yearly trip. Went for TTD but...well...you can guess the rest ^_~

The ride ops were going on with their schpiels as usual, you know, joking around. It was actually good to see they WERE doing that, and it was on almost every ride. BUT...Dun dun dun...the ride ops strike back!

My husband is normal size, never has problems riding everything. We went to ride Mean Streak to get out daily dosage of rattled-brain-syndrome ( hehehe ). He always puts his lap bars down as far as they'll go, and after the HW incident, he's been practically stapling himself into the seats. But this one ride op was kind of crabby and giving people a hard time and, I kid you not, he came over and put one hand on the lap bar, then did a sort of half jump and put all of his weight on the bar just so it would go the entire way. My husband could barely breathe after that. He didn't complain to park ops or anything, just let it go, but he was sore for a good two hours after that.

I can appreciate that the ride ops are being dilligent and watching themselves after this tragedy, but come on. That was hardly necessary. Other than that though, our trip was great as ever ^_^

Dawgbyte,

If the story happened exactly the way you said it did then I would say that was ridiculous. Does it come as a huge surprise to me? No.

Cedar Point has been doing a good job the last few years of getting a relatively less enthusiastic generation to put on a happy face but as is the case at other parks (including Disney and IOA if you ask me) it is becoming more difficult to motivate these folkss.

Well... the sad thing is... when I got off the ride,

My friend said that the exact same thing happened to this older fellow that was supposed to board the same ride. He got kicked off by the same ride-op, and this guy was of normal size.
I even noticed the older gentleman over at the entrance where you can sit in the seat and try it out before you board... he clearly fit in the ride no problem.

If it were me, I would have complained, but my friend didn't want to.

Overall, the 2 days there had a great staff... they ALL said the correct sphiels asking each & every train how their ride was, giving the statistics of the ride before launch, and just getting into it.

It was an isolated incident... and I could see why they'd push you along on rides such as Raptor, or other rides where they have a full 3-train operation where it's in & out... but they shouldn't have kicked him off... just helped him buckle the belt.

Kenmei-

They did that to me as well...on opening day. I actually appreciated it after riding, as I got mad air at the top. I had also put mine all the way down...I think it's a procedure they're told to do...not sure though.

But they should at least try to fit people in, or at least, give people time to get in.
------------------
My Florida Coasters Website

My Websites Forums

I believe (and if this isn't correct someone will tell me) CP ride ops are not allowed to help the customer "fit" into the rides any more. Probably a legal thing and I don't blame them with a society as sue happy as ours.
------------------
tambo

By chance, was this ride-op a very good/nice looking blond teenager?? My group had some problems with her on WT during coastermania ERT! This girl treated us and others as poorly as I've ever seen from any park, including Six Flags! However, the rest of the rides and ops were pretty good the whole day! They were doing the "welcome back" bit and all the other good stuff! There was just this one nice looking blond who had a terrible attitude!

------------------
Give me wood or give me B&M! :-)
(330 plus and rising)

Not allowed to help the peolpe fit in? Most would do anythig to get people on the ride.

My Websites Forums

When I was on WT this past week they helped me with the belt. Of course I had taken my classes off and couldn't see to do it if I had to. It was the blond also that buckled mine. I could see that ;)

Even at Cedar Point, there seems to be one person like this on every crew. They generally don't last long in those positions.

------------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

That is a good thing. I cant stand the ops that are like that.

------------------
My Florida Coasters Website

My Websites Forums

While she's there she is good for somehting ;)

***somewhat off topic***

What is the maximum size for these Impulse coasters? I push the B&M restraints to the max (require a push from the operator) and I'm wondering if I'm too big for the Intamins? I have plans to ride SFMW's V2, but not for a few months. Will I have to do a crash diet in order to fit?

------------------
SCREAM with me... in 2003!

With the intamins it is not just how fat you are it also has to do with your shoulders. They built those restraints for small Europeans, not your average sized American who is like most of the population and is overweight or works out and has shoulders that are too broad. I need a push sometimes on the Beemers but I cannot fit in V2 without a really good push on the restraint and Six Flags Great America isnt doing that this season.

------------------
Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore