Graffiti in Diamondback Line Already

[MarketingExpress]

Did anyone else notice in the Diamondback line once you pass under the lift hill that people have already scratched their names and initials into the wood fence on the right side of the line. I noticed it while in line for my first ride on Sunday.

It's stuff like this that really p*sses me off. The ride wasn't even open two days and people are already trying to leave their mark. People have no respect for property or the hard work that it took to build this ride.

[Justin_M17]

I haven't seen it, but I am definitely mad that people are already doing it. This stuff is to be expected on landmark coasters with years of seniority such as The Racer and The Beast, but Diamondback isn't even a week old :\

[flightoffear1996]

I didn't see anything but come on people. The park poured plenty of money into the ride you don't need to go and ruin it. THe entire area looks nice. I really wish people wouldn't do these things. Why not post some cameras around the park and try and fight this off? The Racer tunnel is horrible too mostly with spit.

[skaterboy22101]

I saw that at 12:00 on saturday. THE RIDE HAS NOT BEEN OPEN FOR 2 FREAKIN HOURS!!!

[dare-to-fly]

The Racer tunnel is horrible too mostly with spit.

Only spit?? What about the gum? It needed some paint, but then so does the rest of the ride.

Flyer

[Captain Nemo]

I didn't see anything but come on people. The park poured plenty of money into the ride you don't need to go and ruin it. THe entire area looks nice. I really wish people wouldn't do these things. Why not post some cameras around the park and try and fight this off? The Racer tunnel is horrible too mostly with spit.

I hate graffiti as much as anyone else here. I just do not think that the park can prevent all artists from vandalizing. I do remember last year a lot of the graffiti that were on the handrails at beast were painted over, I am sure the park will make it one of their priorities to make Kings Island the cleanest it has ever been. I saw a lot of park staff cleaning the park during opening day.

[jzarley]

Here's something I've always wondered...you see graffiti & "gum walls" at KI, CP, the Six Flags parks, and even some Busch Parks pretty commonly. Unfortunately, it's pretty much par for the course.

But, you never see that at Disney? Why is that? I have to believe they have the same "bad apples" attend their parks as well...

[flightoffear1996]

They charge like $75 to get in and the teens can't afford to go there or if they do they are present with the family.

[dare-to-fly]

I am sure the park will make it one of their priorities to make Kings Island the cleanest it has ever been.

I completely agree. It gets cleaner every year, and I have no doubt that will continue.

Flyer

[gigacoaster2k]

While in line for Maverick at CP, I looked on the wood by the stairs to see someone had taken the time to arrange their stretched-out gum so that it read F*** U. I was slightly amused, but still horrified.

[Captain Nemo]

Here's something I've always wondered...you see graffiti & "gum walls" at KI, CP, the Six Flags parks, and even some Busch Parks pretty commonly. Unfortunately, it's pretty much par for the course.

But, you never see that at Disney? Why is that? I have to believe they have the same "bad apples" attend their parks as well...

Keep in mind the numbers Disney employs.

Cast Members

Disneyland - 8,000

Disneyland Paris - 14,000

Disney's Hollywood Studios - 2,800 to 4,500

Epcot - 5,000 to 7,000

Magic Kingdom - 6,000 to 8,000

Pleasure Island - 300

WDW Property-wide - 65,000

Tokyo Disneyland - 6,000

Typhoon Lagoon - 380

-http://www.wdwmagic.com/facts!.htm

[flightoffear1996]

While it is wrong I will give it to you some times its fun to see what others wrote on park property.

[tubaman]

Here's something I've always wondered...you see graffiti & "gum walls" at KI, CP, the Six Flags parks, and even some Busch Parks pretty commonly. Unfortunately, it's pretty much par for the course.

But, you never see that at Disney? Why is that? I have to believe they have the same "bad apples" attend their parks as well...

Keep in mind the numbers Disney employs.

Cast Members

Disneyland - 8,000

Disneyland Paris - 14,000

Disney's Hollywood Studios - 2,800 to 4,500

Epcot - 5,000 to 7,000

Magic Kingdom - 6,000 to 8,000

Pleasure Island - 300

WDW Property-wide - 65,000

Tokyo Disneyland - 6,000

Typhoon Lagoon - 380

-http://www.wdwmagic.com/facts!.htm

In addition, think about the extra step Disney usually goes to completely immerse park patrons into the created environment. I'm not saying that the other parks aren't doing a great job with their parks, but I'm simply saying I would find it more likely for Disney to go the extra step in cleaning park vandalism.

[The Interpreter]

And, sadly, this type of vandalism is not new. When Shivering Timbers opened at Michigan's Adventure, for the first couple of hours, no one but ACErs was allowed in the line. The rails were pristine. Before the ERT was over, there were initials carved into some of the queue rails. This was one of the first times I realized that being identified as an ACEr is not always a good thing. I could not believe that someone given such an incredible privilege as riding the ride before the public could so deface the park. Sad, real sad.

One of the worst graffiti walls I ever saw was at Geauga Lake/Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The Vekoma SLC, Serial Thriller's station rails were completely covered with initials and graffiti, mostly done with Sharpie markers. The park cleaned it all up, and put up a small board saying make your marks here. Soon, the entire rails were again covered with graffiti. Perhaps it was no coincidence that the lake under Batman Knight Flight was usually marred with drink cups, pizza plates, hats, gum, etc. And it was such a picturesque lake otherwise. Sad. Just sad. This didn't change under Cedar Fair's ownership either. If anything, it just got worse.

[HTCO]

I noticed this saturday and sunday.. all I could think the entire time was the nerve of some people. No respect. At all.

[shadow2k3]

While I do agree that this is not a commendable thing to do, it's not particularly easy to keep an eye on an entire queue line at all times. Guests may complain about the camera idea, and it would just snowball from there. If anything, CF is doing what it can to clean up this sort of defacing of property. Outside of that, I don't know what the company would do. It's up in the air, I guess.

[KIfan1980]

It shouldn't have to be about the company cleaning it up or camera's watching people. What happened to personal responsibility and decency?

[The Interpreter]

Sadly, for all too many people, they are things of the past. How is linejumping any different? Or smoking in non-designated areas? Or bullying other park visitors?

[CoastersRZ]

Or not depositing trash in the trashcans?

[gigacoaster2k]

Or not depositing trash in the trashcans?

That absolutely drives me insane. I work at Speedway and we have 7 large trash cans, 2 HUGE dumpsters, and 2 ashtray/trash cans outside. What do people do? They throw trash all over the ground, and empty their ash trays in the parking lot!

My number 1 peeve is when people throw trash AT a trash can, watch it bounce off the trash can, and keep walking. It's enough to make me want to choke them. I've actually reached over, grabbed the trash, thrown it in the can, and said to them, "The trash can is RIGHT THERE." I will completely clean the lot, go back the next day and it's trashed again.

[KIfan1980]

You guys are right, but I've got to add my favorite - arguing with, complaining about, and/or yelling at ride ops.

On Saturday, I took time to say "thanks" to a few of the DB ride ops and you can just tell that they are expecting the worst when you start to talk.

[The Interpreter]

Throughout society, all too many people who are nice to their spouses, kids and dogs somehow become total monsters when dealing with service people. Unless you have worked daily with the public in a service position (retail, food service, etc.), you have no idea how nasty some otherwise nice people can be. It's as if you are pond scum and don't exist, and their needs are...uh...paramount.

[windshawne]

I didn't see anything but come on people. The park poured plenty of money into the ride you don't need to go and ruin it. THe entire area looks nice. I really wish people wouldn't do these things. Why not post some cameras around the park and try and fight this off? The Racer tunnel is horrible too mostly with spit.

And words I wouldn't dare repeat on here....being in the service industry, I get my ass reamed at least once a day-and harrassed-it gets old.

One idea that used to be in Beavercreek was the graffitti bridge-alot of you younger folk don't know about it, but there used to be a bridge in Beavercreek that we all painted on-legally. Police even looked the other way if they drove up and saw kids painting on it. They tore it down in 1984 I believe to make way for I 675. There was a memorial painting right before it was removed-and now the graffitti is all over town.

Even though sharpies are not allowed in the park, perhaps a wall should be erected somewhere in the park to allow those artists to draw. Once a month, paint it white again. May not be feasible, but graffitti was not a problem in Beavercreek when that bridge was up.

It sickens me that carvings are already in the new wood...scum lake was an eyesore before, and now it is beautiful with the waterfall. But you all are right-most people just don't give a darn about others property. It's too cool to spit, litter, carve and swear-and wear your pants around your knees

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

I remembered when I was in Ecology, I would pay lots of attention when my area to clean also included Skyline in the Coney Mall area. Guests would sit and eat their coneys or 5 way chili and leave lots of cheese and chili on the ground or on the benches. They would do this even though there a lots of trash cans in the park. The same would be when I had to clean in fron of LaRosa's Pizza in International Street. During the noon time, that area can be very busy and just a very few might leave their pizza slices on the tables or on the ground. I can see a few crumbs but entire meals left on the benches or ground? But like mention if other posts, defacing fences just shows people think they have the right to leave their mark. How would they feel if guests to their homes did the same thing? I doubt they would be happy about it.

[The Interpreter]

I can only imagine what these same people do to motel rooms. Ugh.

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

I can only imagine what these same people do to motel rooms. Ugh.

I used to clean for Holiday Inn at Fields Ertle and you do not even want to know! You name it and it happens.

[RingMaster]

Or not depositing trash in the trashcans?

That absolutely drives me insane. I work at Speedway and we have 7 large trash cans, 2 HUGE dumpsters, and 2 ashtray/trash cans outside. What do people do? They throw trash all over the ground, and empty their ash trays in the parking lot!

My number 1 peeve is when people throw trash AT a trash can, watch it bounce off the trash can, and keep walking. It's enough to make me want to choke them. I've actually reached over, grabbed the trash, thrown it in the can, and said to them, "The trash can is RIGHT THERE." I will completely clean the lot, go back the next day and it's trashed again.

There's roughly over 900 trash cans in the park.

Guests somehow only bother to use 300 of them.

And it's bad enough to have someone deface park property through the use of graffiti. It's worse when said offender BRAGS about it outside the park.

The incident in question was back around 2006 on a Kings Dominion fansite (PKDPlace) to where one of the posters had made a new topic in which he shows off some of his "works of art" (such as sticking gum on trees and etching obscenities on the wooden queue rails of Grizzly) to other forum members. Needless to say, after 30 pages of arguing and telling him what an idiot he was, they finally decided to close the topic and have his information forwarded to the park so that he was banned from the Dominion. I believe the reason for why it took so long was this was around the same time the Flight of Fear fiasco began (pointless bickering between members and numerous attempts to hop the fence and take pictures of what was going on).

[Jess]

It bugs me too how people can ruin stuff. Just because it's nice and clean doesn't mean it needs to be messed up. The trash thing bugs me also. People can be standing right next to the trash and just throw it on the ground.

[marlfox_21]

It's sad to see how society functions sometimes. Granted this has always been around. Does anyone else recall the gum trees at White Water Canyon? Society has driven many young people into a seamingly subconscious destruction spree. Not to say that everyone contributes. I was taught in zoological park management at the University of Florida that only 1% of the entire population is willing to cause these types of problems. And another .5% is persuaded by their actions to follow suit. If these statistics are true, then 98.5% of the population has to suffer for their mistakes. Very Disappointing when you think about it. And again, if these statistics are still relatively accurate, how much money should be invested to control such a small percentage of guests in any one park? I don't pretend to have the answer.

[Reclaimer]

Here's something I've always wondered...you see graffiti & "gum walls" at KI, CP, the Six Flags parks, and even some Busch Parks pretty commonly. Unfortunately, it's pretty much par for the course.

But, you never see that at Disney? Why is that? I have to believe they have the same "bad apples" attend their parks as well...

Part of the reason you don't see a huge gum problem at Disney is the fact that gum is not sold anywhere on Disney property. Even if you stop by the Hess gas station outside the park gates to fill up, you're still on Disney property and can't buy gum (or Pepsi products. ugh) Now, that's not stopping people from buying gum before they get on property, but it does amazingly stop most of the gum problem.