Steel Vengeance no longer allows cell phones on the ride or in line with you

[silver2005]

I was about to say, I can think of quite a few rides where it'd be plausible to implement that course of action as well.  

[KI Guy]

3 hours ago, Magenta Lizard said:

But if they don't want my money so they can make a few extra bucks on lockers, so be it *shrugs*

I think that may be the reason behind Banshee and Mystic Timbers, but not this policy. I HOPE this is a stop gap until they think of a better idea. This is pretty drastic. I'd imagine a lot of people will be upset by it.

[AintNutinElse2Do]

4 hours ago, silver2005 said:

In my case, all my ICE numbers are on my phone and my health can take a nose dive in the blink of an eye on a whim. 

With upmost respect to you,  and I'm sorry to hear of your health concerns.  However would there be any reason not to put the I.C.E. numbers on a card or piece of paper and keep in your pocket?

[silver2005]

^Or just keep my phone in cargo shorts.  I mean, I'll suck it up and get a locker when I go Monday (I don't suspect I'll re-ride it much if the waits are as long as I'm hearing), but it seems wildly inconsistent to do so on just SV when several CP rides fall into the category of ones likely to end up losing a loose phone.

My phone has stayed in my cargo shorts just fine on rides on par with SV.  

[JAHill]

I really feel that station bins would help stop some of this, and cause a whole lot less uproar and anger among guests than this policy does. Other CP rides have them and they cause few problems. But the problem for CF is that they're free for guests to use.

I'm not sure I buy that adding them negatively affects capacity in a major way. People forgetting to fasten seatbelts before lapbars or heavier-set people needing that extra push or escorted off adds the same amount of time (if not more).

[spooky21]

Well they have PLENTY of time to sort with loose articles from guests. So I don't see why they aren't adding them.

[BeeastFarmer]

15 hours ago, flightoffear1996 said:

Just curious as to how a phone is a medical device 

For me, it is a medical device in the following way:

I have Type I Diabetes.  

I have to carry an insulin pen, glucose tablets, and up until a little over a year ago, a glucose monitor kit.

I was approved by my insurance to get a continuous glucose monitor.  I have a sensor that I insert into my skin about every 10 days and it reads the glucose levels in the interstitial fluid and updates every 5 minutes.  The app is installed on a smart phone and they communicate via  Blutooth.  It checks every 5 minutes.  I don't have to carry a glucose monitor kit around anymore because the CGM takes the place of it.  If I "go off" of the CGM for a trip to a park, I loose the value of the sensor (about $70 after insurance) plus days of valued data.  In addition to giving me "now" ability to treat hypo or hyperglycemia, it contains thousands of data points that allow my health team to see trends and make long term treatment decisions.  Having missing data interferes with that data collection.  In addition, my blood sugar levels are especially vulnerable on park days because of the increased activity, the perspiration, the food choices I make etc.

 

Not sure if you wanted that long winded explanation, but I will always take the opportunity to educate folks about Type I Diabetes!

[King Ding Dong]

@jtro223 If you do go to CP stop by Guest Services and explain the situation and request a boarding pass.  You will still need to wait the standby line time and may need to get a locker but unless there is a ride malfunction you should only be out of range for 10-15 minutes tops.  

[BeeastFarmer]

Thanks, @King Ding Dong.  I am going to call this park this week to see if I need documentation from my provider.  I won't be back at CP until mid August, so I have plenty of time to find an answer.

While T1D is considered a disability, for myself I would hate to use a system designed for people who have ambulation or sensory issues.

I get what the park is trying to do and support the safety initiative.  I don't think it is a money grab, but then again, we are in a very strange year it seems.

[BeeastFarmer]

I spoke to the park this morning. Stopping at Guest Services, I will get a medical tag. I will need to have a fanny pack with my items in it. I'll show that at the ride entrance and then proceed to the station. The items can remain with me during the ride. They will give me a contact number if there are issues. Plus, First Aid is in Frontier Town and they can verify the medical necessity.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[KingsMills79]

21 hours ago, silver2005 said:

^Or just keep my phone in cargo shorts.  I mean, I'll suck it up and get a locker when I go Monday (I don't suspect I'll re-ride it much if the waits are as long as I'm hearing), but it seems wildly inconsistent to do so on just SV when several CP rides fall into the category of ones likely to end up losing a loose phone.

My phone has stayed in my cargo shorts just fine on rides on par with SV.  

One thing they could do is use the Universal Studios tactic. For example, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges use large plastic bins for guests to store their items while on-ride. (see pic) 

An option CF could use is to somehow incorporate those see-thru plastic waterproof cell phone bags (Velcro though not zippered) on the front wall of each seat for folks to drop their phone in to keep it secured during the ride. Probably not cost-effective for the Point, but just thinking outside the box as this seems to be a "hot topic" of debate right now.

 

Pic sources: Shutterstock / Amazon

[coasterfanatic83]

Via CP Rundown on Facebook... 

This leads me to have a few questions/comments. 

What happens if there aren’t enough lockers? Do people not get to enter the ride because Cedar Point doesn’t have enough locker space?

Does this policy include my wife’s asthma inhaler? She needs that on hand all the time, especially on a hot summer day in the sun.

Why is the park promoting Battle for Cedar Point, their app, in-park WiFi options, etc... if phones are such an issue? Take all mobile-related content off of the Fun TVs.

If you are going to prevent guests from entertaining themselves in line, get all three trains running first. 

If you can’t tell by now, I strongly disagree with this policy. I would prefer to see the New Texas Giant zipper pouches if it is such an issue.

 

[malem]

^ Her inhaler isn't a phone, so it shouldn't be an issue at least for now.

See also jtro223's comment above; Guest Services will evidently issue a tag for medically necessary phones to be allowed to the station. If the loose article policy is expanded beyond phones, I assume the procedure will be similar.

Yeah, the policy stinks for guests responsible enough to secure all loose articles in zipper pockets before getting to the station. On the bright side, the length of time people are willing to go without phones might limit the length of the line.

[silver2005]

So this sign is gonna pop up on rides like Maverick, TTD and Millennium Force, right?

[coasterfanatic83]

6 hours ago, malem said:

^ Her inhaler isn't a phone, so it shouldn't be an issue at least for now.

The sign says “phones or loose articles” though... I guess we will have to wait and see how it is being enforced, but it looks like they are trying to take a pretty firm stance.

[FoolCrzy]

I have a few of the clear, waterproof, phone bags. I use them at the park constantly.  I loop the line through my belt.   The chance of my phone hitting someone is approaching zero.

I understand what they're doing, but there are better ways to make it happen.

[flightoffear1996]

They could sell park endorsed phone straps!  IT would be a good way to make a nickle.  

[alsoran]

4 hours ago, coasterfanatic2012 said:

The sign says “phones or loose articles” though... I guess we will have to wait and see how it is being enforced, but it looks like they are trying to take a pretty firm stance.

This firm stance should have been addressed better when others were caught with a phone out on a ride.  I truly believe that if a person or 2 would have been asked to leave because of having their phone out, or having the phone taken from them until they left the park, there would not be an issue of this content now.  People talk, it will get around, let the problem police itself and it would have happened.  Obviously, I am not a fan of the drastic changes made as much as I agree with the loose articles, there is a better way to do this.  

 

The Loose articles?  How is a phone or others articles considered loose when in a zippered or buttoned pocket.  (Yes, I use button pockets, some I trust, some I don't) I have never lost anything out of my pockets.  Just a vent.  I also wear a hat every time I go to an outside event.  It fits fine into another one of those pockets I have.  I am a elding balding white guy knowing there is not much worse than a sunburned bald head.  I like to keep it covered as much as possible.  

 

I see where people are happy to see many say they will not ride this because it will keep lines down.  I have to agree, but there is also another thread now that says they are cutting hours and other things because attendance is down.  How will this affect it?  I personally would love to ride SV, but I have keys and other things with me when I am in the park.  If a phone in a covered pocket is a loose article then so is everything else.  Rant over.

[spooky21]

If they would have enforced the no phone policy on rides before then this wouldn't have happened.

[BloodBlade21]

CP might want to consider banning hot sauce packets or patrons from entering the queue line....

 

From the Sandusky Register:

Police arrested an Amherst boy Saturday after he allegedly threw a packet of hot sauce at a Steel Vengeance train at Cedar Point, which apparently exploded and hit some people in the face and eyes.

The 17-year-old boy was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

A Sandusky officer responded to a call from Cedar Point police at about 4:20 p.m. about riders being hit by hot sauce, according to a Sandusky police report.

Link to the original article: Lay Off the Hot Sauce

[Honorarius]

5 hours ago, spooky21 said:

If they would have enforced the no phone policy on rides before then this wouldn't have happened.

This is the part that irks me... Rules that are not enforced will not be obeyed...

[Fye Coasters]

I agree with all of this, also I agree with the safety being #1, but also agree with the waiting 2-5 hours for this ride. I waited 5 hours on opening day for this and it broke down, due to the accident. If i did not have my phone in line, then 1, the one time i did ride it i couldnt of got all the awesome shots inside the ride like i did. 2, it would of been a longgggg wait. I understand safety is 1st and i am all for that. But dont take away what is modern now days? Put bins in the station. 

[flightoffear1996]

I guess now we wont be aloud to bring anything in the park.  What is wrong with people?

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/story/201807230034

 

 

[disco2000]

19 hours ago, Honorarius said:

This is the part that irks me... Rules that are not enforced will not be obeyed...

And I suspect that the ride-ops don't like the new policy and don't want to be enforcers.  Let's look at it from a different perspective - these teenage kids have their heart set to apply for rides and operate their favorite ride, not be a policy enforcer (other than like seat belts must be fastened but you get the idea). 

Unfortunately our society has changed and park operations have not adapted.  Look at historic photos of amusement parks and people are showing up in suits and dresses and compare that to what we see today (I am making a point to that in a minute lol). 

Society of old generally respected rules and procedures and chain of command, etc. (always exceptions I know because we still had police and jails then too). 

Current society is me-centered and all about themselves and they are entitled to their opinion AND their opinion is always right, even if it isn't.  We must have a selfie while driving and FaceTime our roller coaster ride and try to get a POV to go viral on YouTube.  We are turning into a disrespectful society - look no further than all the negativity on social media.  What ever happened to if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all and be respectful of those enforcing rules, laws, polices, etc.  Look at the disrespectfulness parents have towards ride-ops doing their job and enforcing the height requirements.  The people smoking in the queue and when asked to put it out by a ride op they are ignored...  I would suspect if you ask anyone that has worked for a long time in customer service (or being a ride op) and they can probably confirm that their dealings with the public have become disrespectful and negative as time goes on.

I think amusement parks need to consider ways to combat this other than more of the same.  Adding more signs with no enforcement isn't going to cut it.  One suggestion would be to increase security staff and have someone in a security outfit be the one doing the height measurements and enforcing the policies at the rides and not ride-ops.  Most teenage kids that wanted to work rides does not want to be an enforcer, so decrease the ride staff and replace it with the policy enforcer security staff.  That doesn't mean that some of the public will still not be disrespectful when their child doesn't meet the height requirement or security takes someone's phone, but it would probably have more teeth than a teenage ride-op that doesn't want the confrontation to begin with and is counting the minutes until they can get back into the ride station! 

Make the penalty severe too - kick them out of the park, take their phone away for the day and they can retrieve when they leave, revoke season pass, etc.  But simply adding a sign and not enforcing it will just result in more knee-jerk responses and ruin it for those that know how to properly secure their items...

For the ride-ops on this forum - if you are comfortable saying so, would you agree that you would rather not be the enforcer of these policies and let someone in security handle these?

And get off my lawn

[silver2005]

There is another layer to the enforcement that I saw to supplement the guy at the entrance.  They have ride ops patrol the line looking for people with phones out in line as well.  

[disco2000]

11 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

There is another layer to the enforcement that I saw to supplement the guy at the entrance.  They have ride ops patrol the line looking for people with phones out in line as well.  

Is that a job the ride op really wants to be doing?

What happened to guest that had cell phone out in line - were they removed from line?

What happened if the guest ignored the ride-op?

[silver2005]

2 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

Is that a job the ride op really wants to be doing?

What happened to guest that had cell phone out in line - were they removed from line?

What happened if the guest ignored the ride-op?

To answer the 2nd question- yes.

I also noticed at least 1-2 park security staff members around the entrance plaza every time I passed it. 

[Magenta Lizard]

Let's not get all nostalgic for a past that never existed. People didn't used to be less rude or follow the rules more, AND there were fewer rules. Some people then, as now, regularly broke rules whenever they thought they could get away with it. There also was a lot more disrespect of other people's safety or comfort than there is today.

When I was a kid visiting Kings Island in the 80s, it wasn't against the rules to smoke in queues, but it was obviously rude to do so when people are going to be stuck next to you for an hour or two (with fewer big rides, lines were regularly MUCH longer than now). Still, there was typically someone smoking on each of the rows next to you in the queue, if not someone right next to you. People would light up on the coasters even though that was obviously against the rules, not quite as frequently as phones come out but arguably more dangerous each time. 

There's a reason for those signs about not standing on Beast or Racer, because when the buzz bars made it possible, people /would/ even though it would seem to be obviously dangerous.

Teenagers were WAY worse than the current crop. Say what you want about them having their noses in the phones, at least they're entertaining themselves without disturbing others. It used to be that many if not most teenage boys were a bit like a pack of goats, running around and ramming into each other and anyone else who happened to be near, climbing all over everything, being loud and rude to other people. 

The only reason why there were fewer major injuries back then due to negligence of other riders was that the speeds were slower, and everyone didn't carry a pocket-sized device to take video or have the ability to easily share that video with the world if they did. 

[Honorarius]

10 hours ago, silver2005 said:

To answer the 2nd question- yes.

I also noticed at least 1-2 park security staff members around the entrance plaza every time I passed it. 

Yet they couldn't have security on hand to deal with the people pulling phones out on the ride???

[disco2000]

1 hour ago, Magenta Lizard said:

Let's not get all nostalgic for a past that never existed. People didn't used to be less rude or follow the rules more, AND there were fewer rules. Some people then, as now, regularly broke rules whenever they thought they could get away with it. There also was a lot more disrespect of other people's safety or comfort than there is today.

When I was a kid visiting Kings Island in the 80s, it wasn't against the rules to smoke in queues, but it was obviously rude to do so when people are going to be stuck next to you for an hour or two (with fewer big rides, lines were regularly MUCH longer than now). Still, there was typically someone smoking on each of the rows next to you in the queue, if not someone right next to you. People would light up on the coasters even though that was obviously against the rules, not quite as frequently as phones come out but arguably more dangerous each time. 

There's a reason for those signs about not standing on Beast or Racer, because when the buzz bars made it possible, people /would/ even though it would seem to be obviously dangerous.

Teenagers were WAY worse than the current crop. Say what you want about them having their noses in the phones, at least they're entertaining themselves without disturbing others. It used to be that many if not most teenage boys were a bit like a pack of goats, running around and ramming into each other and anyone else who happened to be near, climbing all over everything, being loud and rude to other people. 

The only reason why there were fewer major injuries back then due to negligence of other riders was that the speeds were slower, and everyone didn't carry a pocket-sized device to take video or have the ability to easily share that video with the world if they did. 

Now that is a valid argument to my old person's post and I certainly agree with everything you said!

Sorry, I was having a grumpy old person moment when I posted mine because I heard a commotion outside and see that half the neighborhood and cars were being TP'd and egged by the neighborhood punks lol.

Certainly in retrospect there were a lot less rules in years past...and the reason for every new rule/law/regulation is the direct result of stupidity of someone that necessitated the rule to be developed in the first place.  If we didn't constantly have people doing stupid things, these additional rules wouldn't need to be created...

I still believe though that overall our society respect towards each other and rules/policies/etc. have declined from yesteryear.