acfinn Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 While working at Kings Island these last few days. I have notice an ABUNDANCE of times the Ride Operator must talk over the lift-hill intercom about cell phones. Within the last 3 days I have worked at the park, The Racer Operator has called the lift-hill at least 50 to 70 times. Usually about 20 per 7 hour day. This has to stop, and one group at a time can VERY much help out the community, and all other park-goers. I'm not saying it's Kings Island Central members. I'm not saying it's any major amusement park group that knows better. But it's ridiculous how many times the ride has been interuppted by "Ladies and Gentleman currently aboard the (blank) Racer, Just a reminder that the use of all electronics are strictly forbidden here at any ride in the park. So if you currently have an electronic device, or cell phone out, please put it away at this time (Once again if you have a cell phone out, please put it away at this time) Thank you." (Yes I am able to recite the whole thing because of how many times I have to hear it on a daily basis.) That's how ridiculous it has gotten. Anyone else feel this way? This happened twice while I was riding Racer and once on The Beast. Neither time could you hear what the heck the person was saying as it did not interrupt the regular programming just spoke over it. I kind of figured it out but some people might have had no idea what the announcement was. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 While working at Kings Island these last few days. I have notice an ABUNDANCE of times the Ride Operator must talk over the lift-hill intercom about cell phones. Within the last 3 days I have worked at the park, The Racer Operator has called the lift-hill at least 50 to 70 times. Usually about 20 per 7 hour day. This has to stop, and one group at a time can VERY much help out the community, and all other park-goers. I'm not saying it's Kings Island Central members. I'm not saying it's any major amusement park group that knows better. But it's ridiculous how many times the ride has been interuppted by "Ladies and Gentleman currently aboard the (blank) Racer, Just a reminder that the use of all electronics are strictly forbidden here at any ride in the park. So if you currently have an electronic device, or cell phone out, please put it away at this time (Once again if you have a cell phone out, please put it away at this time) Thank you." (Yes I am able to recite the whole thing because of how many times I have to hear it on a daily basis.) That's how ridiculous it has gotten. Anyone else feel this way? This happened twice while I was riding Racer and once on The Beast. Neither time could you hear what the heck the person was saying as it did not interrupt the regular programming just spoke over it. I kind of figured it out but some people might have had no idea what the announcement was.I hear it almost every train that goes up the hill for Racer when I'm over in Coney.Baby Crawford coming 2016! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 So, this is a thing, apparently... 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 While working at Kings Island these last few days. I have notice an ABUNDANCE of times the Ride Operator must talk over the lift-hill intercom about cell phones. Within the last 3 days I have worked at the park, The Racer Operator has called the lift-hill at least 50 to 70 times. Usually about 20 per 7 hour day. This has to stop, and one group at a time can VERY much help out the community, and all other park-goers. I'm not saying it's Kings Island Central members. I'm not saying it's any major amusement park group that knows better. But it's ridiculous how many times the ride has been interuppted by "Ladies and Gentleman currently aboard the (blank) Racer, Just a reminder that the use of all electronics are strictly forbidden here at any ride in the park. So if you currently have an electronic device, or cell phone out, please put it away at this time (Once again if you have a cell phone out, please put it away at this time) Thank you." (Yes I am able to recite the whole thing because of how many times I have to hear it on a daily basis.) That's how ridiculous it has gotten. Anyone else feel this way? This happened twice while I was riding Racer and once on The Beast. Neither time could you hear what the heck the person was saying as it did not interrupt the regular programming just spoke over it. I kind of figured it out but some people might have had no idea what the announcement was.I hear it almost every train that goes up the hill for Racer when I'm over in Coney.Baby Crawford coming 2016! You b can hear it from the midway but it's hard to hear it while your on the train. Yes they are cameras on the lift. My question why not follow Cedar Point b and stop the lift and go take article away? They used to do this but not in last several years.Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italian Job 2005 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 So, this is a thing, apparently... Pppssshhhh that's obviously still a ride. They even sell $5.00 hats for the ride in the Coney Confections store.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCandyManCan Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I'd love to see them stop a lift for a loose article. I would even go to hand the ride op a $20 bill for doing it. Safety is of utmost importance, always. Just because you tell someone to do something doesn't mean they're going to do it and listen. Now it becomes a potential safety issue. I don't like the word potential when it comes to safety. I'd rather have assurance instead knowing that person's phone is off the ride considering they don't care if they have their phone out on the ride. Also, Racer has cameras on the lift hill: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thoe124 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 They stopped it last time I was there for about an hour. I think it was about a camera. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I have had 2 incidents with loose articles on rides. One was at Kings Dominion's Rebel Yell where they did stop the ride, which ruined the racing aspect of course, for someone with a camera (back in '04). The other was a few years ago at Haunt where some kid had the flash on his camera on a constant strobe throughout his ride on Beast, after which, security was waiting for him at the station. So it does happen. Perhaps not very often? I hear Racer crews getting on people all the time for loose articles. You can hear the loudspeaker on the lift from as far away as WindSeeker. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCandyManCan Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 They say it, but don't enforce thoroughly and consistently like other parks within the chain. One day I want to just go and count & videotape the rides dealing with things like this. It's been an issue for sure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsus Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Of the countless times I have witnessed riders on my train with loose articles (i.e. smartphones), only twice has the train ever been stopped. Both of those were on Adventure Express, and said guests had the nerve to have said devices out as the train was departing the station. Yep, we moved about five feet and then they stopped us. Not even once have I seen security waiting for one of these individuals. It does happen, I'm sure it does, but I do not have the impression that it happens nearly often enough. For those convinced that every ride op on every ride at Cedar Point will do a lift stop on every cycle, nope. It's very rare that I witness such a thing, and never when I was on the ride. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan73 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I wonder how long it will be before amusement park rides are built around the parameter that people will refuse to put their cell phones away (much like car manufacturers are; see: Lane keeping assist systems, auto braking, as well as self-driving cars in a few years). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCandyManCan Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Sometimes the ride ops don't see the loose article and can't address it. Not every ride has lift hill cameras, and not everytime is a phone or camera seen. Some even know they're not supposed to do it and wait until right at lift crest to pull it out and start recording. Cedar Point does enforce it much more than Kings Island. I can assure you of that. In Opening Weekend alone I saw more rides stopped and ride ops running to the lift hill than I have at Kings Island to this point in the season, and I've been there just about once per week at minimum, sometimes a whole weekend at maximum after taking time off of work. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph88 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Maybe I'm a bit harsh, but I wish they'd do a year long ban/negate season pass/etc. for outright ignoring the multiple loose article warnings. I guess they can't ban EVERYONE because they'd lose a lot of customers. But I feel like if they tried it and it happened a few times and it was highly publicized people would finally start taking the rules seriously. These people may not care that they can seriously injure another person, but they'll care if they lose money. Or find some other way to get them to take the rules seriously. Verbal warnings aren't cutting it. I miss the days before smartphones. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 We did learn yesterday that it is a bad idea to get mouthy when another rider chastises one for having one's camera out during the whole ride. The ride op may not have taken the calling out seriously (seriously?! Is it going to take a phone to someone's face before policy becomes actually calling security when these complaints are made?) but if an ensuing verbal argument between guests on the exit ramp lasts long enough apparently they /will/ eventually call security (and arguing that you are too special for the rules long enough gives time for security to show up). If the guy had just said sorry or acted in any way abashed when he was reprimanded rather than getting an attitude, I doubt he would have been escorted out of the park, which I believe to have been the ultimate outcome. Which should always be the outcome, at the very least, in my opinion. Since it is against state law as well as park policy, as far as I know, I don't think an arrest would be too harsh. I really want the park to begin to make their policy abundantly clear, before someone gets hurt (anyone else gets hurt?) getting hit by a phone. And to take it /very/ seriously when someone is so brazen that it angers another rider to the point of complaining, or when the employees themselves see it on the cameras. Even the brim of a ballcap hurts enough when you get hit at the speeds of Diamondback, for example. Getting hit in the face by one of these jerkwads' phones could cause someone to lose an eye. I don't want that to happen, or for the park to lose money in a settlement or lawsuit when an accident happens and their employees' history of blowing off complaints comes to light. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCandyManCan Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 This goes to show it isn't a few ride ops being a problem, or a crew problem, it's a park and management problem, and management allows this to happen. Instead of dealing with the issue before, or even after it is discovered, security and ride ops didn't intervene until a scene was caused and then called security. I also wouldn't be surprised if many of the minor majority staffed rides have an increased number of issues like this as well. I'd love to see an adult only staffed ride op population, but I do understand the difficulty in doing so in regards to Kings Island. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohioparksrock Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Saturday, a guy was on Top Thrill with his hands up and a camera in one of them. They kept telling him to put it away and it led to a long delay. The other people on the train were very annoyed (as they should be) but that could've caused some serious injury. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandjgoods Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 We did learn yesterday that it is a bad idea to get mouthy when another rider chastises one for having one's camera out during the whole ride. The ride op may not have taken the calling out seriously (seriously?! Is it going to take a phone to someone's face before policy becomes actually calling security when these complaints are made?) but if an ensuing verbal argument between guests on the exit ramp lasts long enough apparently they /will/ eventually call security (and arguing that you are too special for the rules long enough gives time for security to show up). If the guy had just said sorry or acted in any way abashed when he was reprimanded rather than getting an attitude, I doubt he would have been escorted out of the park, which I believe to have been the ultimate outcome. Which should always be the outcome, at the very least, in my opinion. Since it is against state law as well as park policy, as far as I know, I don't think an arrest would be too harsh. I really want the park to begin to make their policy abundantly clear, before someone gets hurt (anyone else gets hurt?) getting hit by a phone. And to take it /very/ seriously when someone is so brazen that it angers another rider to the point of complaining, or when the employees themselves see it on the cameras. Even the brim of a ballcap hurts enough when you get hit at the speeds of Diamondback, for example. Getting hit in the face by one of these jerkwads' phones could cause someone to lose an eye. I don't want that to happen, or for the park to lose money in a settlement or lawsuit when an accident happens and their employees' history of blowing off complaints comes to light. To add on to this, think how painful just a little raindrop can be on a coaster when its raining; Now imagine a cell phone hitting you. Ouch 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freaks76 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 They did stop Gatekeeper when I Was up there for someones phone out. As far as I could tell, they took the phone and gave it back once the ride was over. Wonder if they gave them the option of giving up the phone or exiting the ride/park. Can they even eject them from the ride on the lift? It did look to me that they did give up their phone, I didn't pay any attention what happened after the ride was over. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'm certain that the ride operator would climb the hill, say "No loose articles are permitted, and the phone you're holding can't be safely stowed so I need to take it before the ride can resume." I doubt they were taking it away as a punishment. If they were, they wouldn't get far. Imagine the scene that would be caused if Cedar Point played "principals office" and said, "Sorry, you can't have your phone back." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCandyManCan Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I have seen ejections due to loose articles on the ride. Usually it's from lack of compliance or the person gets angry/cops an attitude and makes threats, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieseltech20 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Hate to say it but a few people need to get hit with a Phone or Camera. Perhaps even a major injury. Until then the parks will continue their lackadaisical enforcement of this rule and folks will continue to ignore it. Just the way the world works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'd love to see them stop a lift for a loose article. I would even go to hand the ride op a $20 bill for doing it. Safety is of utmost importance, always. Just because you tell someone to do something doesn't mean they're going to do it and listen. Now it becomes a potential safety issue. I don't like the word potential when it comes to safety. I'd rather have assurance instead knowing that person's phone is off the ride considering they don't care if they have their phone out on the ride. Also, Racer has cameras on the lift hill: I saw them do that on The Beast once. Some guy had a camcorder out, so they stopped the train, walked up there, snatched it, brought it back, and resumed operation. I was on the next train so I don't know the outcome, but I wouldn't be surprised if security was waiting for him when he got back.Baby Crawford coming 2016! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Saturday, a guy was on Top Thrill with his hands up and a camera in one of them. They kept telling him to put it away and it led to a long delay. The other people on the train were very annoyed (as they should be) but that could've caused some serious injury.Seriously?! Did he REALLY think he could hold on to a camera going 0-120 in a few seconds? Shoot that force alone can severely injure or break your arms, hence why they have the track "hands down!" on loop until all hands are down... smh...Baby Crawford coming 2016! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohioparksrock Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Really, he did that. Those of us watching kept telling him that's why the train wasn't going and he kept blowing us off. Not very bright! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freaks76 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Sadly, not everyone's light burns real bright. Some people I don't think ever even had the switch turned on. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I take back what I said earlier about the person with his cell phone out being escorted from the park. I found a video he posted that touches on the incident, and while he was taken to a room somewhere where he filled out a written statement he was apparently then allowed to return to the park. Even though he directly told security that he had his phone out on the ride. I'm not going to post a link here because I don't want to bring him more internet attention. I know I personally won't ever bother trying to report jerks with their phones out after seeing how this was handled. If one hits me, you can bet I'll sue everyone possible, including the park although it pains me. They really need to take this seriously, because their current laissez-faire attitude is laying them wide open for liability. It isn't a question of if someone will be injured, it is only a question of when. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 ^ It's possible that he received a misdemeanor citation for violating Ohio's Rider Responsibility law. Assuming that park police decided to give him a warning rather than cite him and/or ban him from the property, the outcome would certainly be different if he got caught pulling out a camera again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 You mean, like video recording inside a water slide later the same day? I don't ever go to the wet side, but I'm assuming it's not allowed over there either. At least he wasn't endangering anyone else at that point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yes. Photography is prohibited on all rides except KI&MVRR and the Eiffel Tower. This includes Soak City. He apparently wasn't caught again, or his in-park video would have abruptly ended. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medford Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 While the complaints of cameras on rides are legit, and sadly it seems like KI is not taking a strong enough approach to deal with the problem before it becomes a real problem, I thought I'd take a minute to switch gears and post something a park employee did that was above and beyond. last evening, after a bite to eat at the Reds HOF Grille, we headed to Planet Snoopy. Our 2 kids decided to get on the bumper cars, however, the car that our 3 year old daughter choose wasn't working. After the first round, our son jumped off his, and our daughter, looking quite sad wasn't sure what to do, we told her she could go again (the crowd was light, so there wouldn't have even been a wait) At that point, the operated came over, she had seen what had happened, and thought that perhaps the car had just come to rest in a "dead" zone and moved it over a few feet and let our daughter remain in the car before opening up the gates and allowing a few more kids to join. When she started the next round, she immediately noticed that our daughter's car wasn't just in a "dead zone" but was not working, so she immediately hit an e-stop and had the 8 or so kids jump off the ride and get back in line. She then opened up the side panel where they load cars and moved the car off the track, then when re-opening the ride, she made sure our daughter got back in first so she could have her pick of car. Once everyone was back on the ride, she fired it up and our daughter could not have been happier. The young lady operating the ride went above and beyond the call of duty to help ensure that our daughter had "the best day possible" And yes, in addition to thanking her several times, my wife was sure to report her good work to guest services when we left the park. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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