Incident at Kings Island 5/22/21

[dtk1378]

While it would help. I don't think it would fix everything. I witnessed a different one, which definitely contained a decent amount over 16 & over 18 years old, so I don't know how much it would help there. I hope this is a one time thing, and hopefully, we won't have to worry about it later down the line. Part of me thinks everyone was already on edge from the crowds and lines.

I agree that that probably had a role in it. When you got so many people that barely can get anything to eat or drink it will make them do crazy things.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[silver2005]

Part of me thinks all that was a little planned a bit given the scale of it all. 

[CoasterJack]

The other thing is teens make up a good portion of visitor attendance. I understand it's for the safety of the guests, but punish the thousands of other teens wanting to enjoy summer with their friends over the poor choices of a few other peers. If KI can find another way around, I think increased security or crowd control might be in order, but as long as it isn't a repeat problem, I'd hold off on the chaperone policy if possible.

[coaster sally]

https://news.yahoo.com/felt-rough-fights-unruly-guests-193734139.html

 

From USA Today.  I feel PR should have tweeted or facebooked a message to help clear the air and put families at ease.

[JimParker85]

The potential PR issue is the ballgame, here. If a fight video goes viral or a major media outlet picks it up and it gets national attention, you have a serious problem on your hands. The park would be wise to take swift and significant action, in my opinion. 

[Benjamin22]

1 minute ago, CoasterJack said:

The other thing is teens make up a good portion of visitor attendance. I understand it's for the safety of the guests, but punish the thousands of other teens wanting to enjoy summer with their friends over the poor choices of a few other peers. If KI can find another way around, I think increased security or crowd control might be in order, but as long as it isn't a repeat problem, I'd hold off on the chaperone policy if possible.

I agree, this seems to be mostly a one off incidence. If this keeps happening sure institute new policies but this situation really seems to be blown out of proportion in some respects, especially with the video calling it an “extremely violent brawl”. While having fights in an amusement park is despicable, this fight didn’t seem like it put any guests in danger besides the ones engaging with the fight.

[coaster sally]

3 minutes ago, JimParker85 said:

The potential PR issue is the ballgame, here. If a fight video goes viral or a major media outlet picks it up and it gets national attention, you have a serious problem on your hands. The park would be wise to take swift and significant action, in my opinion. 

It's easy to hype a new coaster, it's difficult at times like this....

[AnyPancakes]

Just now, coaster sally said:

It's easy to hype a new coaster, it's difficult at times like this....

Maybe they should announce a new coaster!  Possibly a dive where Vortex was?

[Pedro Cerrano]

16 minutes ago, Benjamin22 said:

I agree, this seems to be mostly a one off incidence. If this keeps happening sure institute new policies but this situation really seems to be blown out of proportion in some respects, especially with the video calling it an “extremely violent brawl”. While having fights in an amusement park is despicable, this fight didn’t seem like it put any guests in danger besides the ones engaging with the fight.

I have seen videos of at least four separate incidents that happened yesterday. I also personally witnessed a “brawl” while leaving the park last Saturday (May 15) just outside the metal detectors. This isn’t “one” random fight. And one of the videos i saw happened in a quite crowded line for Delirium. When guests just standing in a queue with no place to escape to get caught in a melee  then you have a real problem. 

[Shaggy]

10 minutes ago, Pedro Cerrano said:

I have seen videos of at least four separate incidents that happened yesterday. I also personally witnessed a “brawl” while leaving the park last Saturday (May 15) just outside the metal detectors. This isn’t “one” random fight. And one of the videos i saw happened in a quite crowded line for Delirium. When guests just standing in a queue with no place to escape to get caught in a melee  then you have a real problem. 

100% correct.

 

 

[AnyPancakes]

3 minutes ago, Pedro Cerrano said:

When guests just standing in a queue with no place to escape to get caught in a melee  then you have a real problem. 

I agree. Maybe if Kings Island could put some policies in place that move people through queues instead of keeping them standing around in harms way it would be better.  Apparently only those that pay for Fast Lane are immune to seeing violence. 
 

Sorry I’m done trolling this thread. It’s just really weird to me that Kings Island has been terrible this year in almost every aspect, but people are only upset about some random idiots fighting. 
 

 

[Rallyomalley]

24 minutes ago, AnyPancakes said:

It’s just really weird to me that Kings Island has been terrible this year in almost every aspect, but people are only upset about some random idiots fighting. 
 

 

I'm with you 100% on this statement.  I've made 3 trips and it was a dumpster fire each time.

I really wish I could've snapped a few photos of the gold tags and upper management Saturday night.  The looks on their faces was shocking.  They were totally unprepared and it showed.  I've said for years that management at KI is lacking in so many ways.  This is just one more transgression in a long list that shows me just how inept they are.

 

Edited to add: Many many years ago in another lifetime I was head of risk management and also part of the team that developed our security protocols for a very large entertainment venue.  So I do have some knowledge on the topic.

[Pedro Cerrano]

13 minutes ago, Rallyomalley said:

 

Edited to add: Many many years ago in another lifetime I was head of risk management and also part of the team that developed our security protocols for a very large entertainment venue.  So I do have some knowledge on the topic.

Interested to hear your thoughts on all of this. In my two trips this year I noticed a serious lack of “security”. Other than at the metal detectors I saw NO one inside the park with a shirt identifying them as security. That being said what I witnessed in person and on video makes me think the people fighting are not going to be deterred by a 19 - 20 year old kid with a security shirt and a radio. 

[BeeastFarmer]

34 minutes ago, Rallyomalley said:

I'm with you 100% on this statement.  I've made 3 trips and it was a dumpster fire each time.

I really wish I could've snapped a few photos of the gold tags and upper management Saturday night.  The looks on their faces was shocking.  They were totally unprepared and it showed.  I've said for years that management at KI is lacking in so many ways.  This is just one more transgression in a long list that shows me just how inept they are.

 

Edited to add: Many many years ago in another lifetime I was head of risk management and also part of the team that developed our security protocols for a very large entertainment venue.  So I do have some knowledge on the topic.

I would imagine what happened is probably in their top five worst nightmare.  Give them a break they did not throw a punch.  I would imagine that most of us would have the same reaction.  I don't think their risk managers could have prepared for this, but they can learn from it.  

[FUN&ONLY!]

I think Kings Island has been improving each week operations wise. Lines have been moving faster and almost all food locations have been open. Kings Island could have done nothing to prevent what happened yesterday. Let’s just hope an incident like this never happens again. I know Kings Island will now probably do everything in their power to prevent such an incident.

[dtk1378]

Also have to remember this is only their second weekend open to the general public. In normal seasons this is like the 5th or 6th weekend in with most of those weekends spent doing real world training for the busier weekends like this past weekend. Also have to remember last season was very different than a typical season and a lot of the security team wasn't around for a "normal" season where their main focus wasn't social distancing and masks over noses.

I have faith KI will correct things, it'll take some time though.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[Rallyomalley]

21 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I would imagine what happened is probably in their top five worst nightmare.  Give them a break they did not throw a punch.  I would imagine that most of us would have the same reaction.  I don't think their risk managers could have prepared for this, but they can learn from it.  

What does throwing a punch have to do with anything?  There are plenty of ways to defuse a situation short of throwing a punch.

You're incorrect regarding risk management.  This is exactly what they do.  Identify potential threats to a business and prepare plans and contingencies accordingly.  

 

[King Ding Dong]

34 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Kings Island could have done nothing to prevent what happened yesterday. 

I can’t disagree with this statement more.

IMO the problem is their risk managers have been ignoring the problem for years and have failed to take the steps to prevent these types of incidences.  Starting with shoulder shrugs at running, smoking and line jumping. Not suggesting tossing their asses out on Columbia Road for a first offense but taking proactive deescalation measures.
 

Short story back in 77 or 78, a year or so before the infamous Skyride accident at SFSTL my buddy an I took the long bus ride out to the park for a summer day of fun probably in 6th grade.  We got the dumbass idea to have bombing runs with ice cubes, got reported and 2 security guards were waiting for us at the station.  They chewed out as for a couple of minutes but then lightened up and just started talking to us about what fun was to be had the rest of the day and shortly let us on our way.  We probably passed them half a dozen times the rest of the day and they always waved or stopped briefly to ask what we had just ridden and maybe made a suggestion of where we should go next. We also knew if we screwed up again they would have our parents on the phone or just boot us out.  
 

They problem as I see it is the total Laissez-faire approach KI has taken towards the small incidents in the past years is leading to these kids to think there are no consequences for their actions.  So when the park does get overcrowded and there is nothing to do but wait in ginormous lines for the simplest things problems will arise they can’t control.  The old idiom “Idle hands are the Devil’s tools.” comes to mind. 
 

IMO what the park needs is more security roaming the grounds, not out to bust heads but getting out ahead of the situation with small talks with guests about expected good park-goer behavior.  
 

If management remains laser focused on only next quarter earnings and not the long term health of the park unit holders need to start thinking about an exit strategy.  

[chuck norris]

If I was a local I would be hesitant to support a chaperone policy too quickly---I'm sure many that live around the park have kids that behave 100% of the time or at least such that no one would notice. I have the utmost faith that KI will figure this out one way or another though. In very general terms they need to send a message to those that might be inclined to cause trouble that KI is not the place to do it. It won't be tolerated, so let's not go there---let's go somewhere else to cause trouble, it's no fun to do it there.

I am a local… the chaperone policy from KK only impacts kids 15 and under. That seems totally reasonable and has no impact on kids 16 and over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FUN&ONLY!]

1 minute ago, chuck norris said:

I am a local… the chaperone policy from KK only impacts kids 15 and under. That seems totally reasonable and has no impact on kids 16 and over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So a violent group 16 and 17 year olds pose no threat, but 12 year olds do?

[Rallyomalley]

4 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

I can’t disagree with this state more.

IMO the problem is their risk managers have been ignoring the problem for years and have failed to take the steps to prevent these types of incidences.  Starting with shoulder shrugs at running, smoking and line jumping. Not suggesting tossing their asses out on Columbia Road for a first offense but taking proactive deescalation measures.
 

Short story back in 77 or 78, a year or so before the infamous Skyride accident at SFSTL my buddy an I took the long bus ride out to the park for a summer day of fun probably in 6th grade.  We got the dumbass idea to have bombing runs with ice cubes, got reported and 2 security guards were waiting for us at the station.  They chewed out as for a couple of minutes but then lightened up and just started talking to us about what fun was to be had the rest of the day and shortly let us on our way.  We probably passed them half a dozen times the rest of the day and they always waved or stopped briefly to ask what we had just ridden and maybe made a suggestion of where we should go next. We also knew if we screwed up again they would have our parents on the phone or just boot us out.  
 

They problem as I see it is the total Laissez-faire approach KI has taken towards the small incidents in the past years is leading to these kids to think there are no consequences for their actions.  So when the park does get overcrowded and there is nothing to do but wait in ginormous lines for the simplest things problems will arise they can’t control. 
 

IMO what the park needs is more security roaming the grounds, not out to bust heads but getting out ahead of the situation with small talks with guests about expected good park-goer behavior.  
 

If management remains laser focused on only next quarter earnings and not the long term health of the park unit holders need to start thinking about an exit strategy.  

Agree with what you're saying regarding their blaise attitude.  Every. Single. Interaction. I've had with senior management has left me scratching my head.  

[FUN&ONLY!]

5 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

I can’t disagree with this state more.

IMO the problem is their risk managers have been ignoring the problem for years and have failed to take the steps to prevent these types of incidences.  Starting with shoulder shrugs at running, smoking and line jumping. Not suggesting tossing their asses out on Columbia Road for a first offense but taking proactive deescalation measures.
 

Short story back in 77 or 78, a year or so before the infamous Skyride accident at SFSTL my buddy an I took the long bus ride out to the park for a summer day of fun probably in 6th grade.  We got the dumbass idea to have bombing runs with ice cubes, got reported and 2 security guards were waiting for us at the station.  They chewed out as for a couple of minutes but then lightened up and just started talking to us about what fun was to be had the rest of the day and shortly let us on our way.  We probably passed them half a dozen times the rest of the day and they always waved or stopped briefly to ask what we had just ridden and maybe made a suggestion of where we should go next. We also knew if we screwed up again they would have our parents on the phone or just boot us out.  
 

They problem as I see it is the total Laissez-faire approach KI has taken towards the small incidents in the past years is leading to these kids to think there are no consequences for their actions.  So when the park does get overcrowded and there is nothing to do but wait in ginormous lines for the simplest things problems will arise they can’t control. 
 

IMO what the park needs is more security roaming the grounds, not out to bust heads but getting out ahead of the situation with small talks with guests about expected good park-goer behavior.  
 

If management remains laser focused on only next quarter earnings and not the long term health of the park unit holders need to start thinking about an exit strategy.  

I agree that Kings Island could have more security guards roaming the park, and that would likely deter most violent incidents. However, once the fighting started yesterday, Kings Island really could not have done anything to stop it besides closing early.

[BeeastFarmer]

12 minutes ago, Rallyomalley said:

What does throwing a punch have to do with anything?  There are plenty of ways to defuse a situation short of throwing a punch.

You're incorrect regarding risk management.  This is exactly what they do.  Identify potential threats to a business and prepare plans and contingencies accordingly.  

 

My wording was unclear--what I meant was that the gold tags and senior management were  probably standing there mouth agape because they could have never expected it.  They were likely as shocked as most of us are.  They did not throw a punch, the idiots who engaged in the behavior did, the blame is 100% on them.  I didn't mean to imply that they should have.

I am not an SME of risk management, my knowledge is cursory.  But I would think that weather, mass shootings, fire, medical emergency, ride malfunction and even tower jumpers are things they have prepared for.  Something as large scale that required a complete pivot of operations that happened yesterday, I would imagine would be unexpected.  But they can add this to the playbook to prevent it and know how to react if tht fails.

[King Ding Dong]

These type of incidents are not unexpected at some other parks. *cough* Gurnee, Illinois anyone? *cough*.  As Cedar Fair follows that other chain’s lead I would expect more.  

[Rallyomalley]

3 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

My wording was unclear--what I meant was that the gold tags and senior management were  probably standing there mouth agape because they could have never expected it.  They were likely as shocked as most of us are.  They did not throw a punch, the idiots who engaged in the behavior did, the blame is 100% on them.  I didn't mean to imply that they should have.

I am not an SME of risk management, my knowledge is cursory.  But I would think that weather, mass shootings, fire, medical emergency, ride malfunction and even tower jumpers are things they have prepared for.  Something as large scale that required a complete pivot of operations that happened yesterday, I would imagine would be unexpected.  But they can add this to the playbook to prevent it and know how to react if tht fails.

You mean to tell me that a place that regularly plays host to tens of thousands of people doesn't have a plan for unruly crowds?

Is crowd control not a thing?

This just plays into my statement about senior management.  It is their job to be prepared for this kind of stuff.  To say this is "unexpected" is disingenuous at best.

[disco2000]

Should our resident pollster start a poll on what the measures will be that KI is referring too... "We are taking immediate steps to address the situation so that our guests enjoy their future visits."

https://www.wlwt.com/article/parkgoers-say-weekend-kings-island-fighting-was-scary-terrorizing/36512698

[FUN&ONLY!]

14 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

Should our resident pollster start a poll on what the measures will be that KI is referring too... "We are taking immediate steps to address the situation so that our guests enjoy their future visits."

https://www.wlwt.com/article/parkgoers-say-weekend-kings-island-fighting-was-scary-terrorizing/36512698

My guess is that Kings Island will post something tomorrow regarding yesterday and at least say something to ease guests’ concerns with some sort of enhanced security procedures or a chaperone policy. It is also notable that Kings Island has been very silent on social media today.

[Browntggrr]

Faulting the park for people not being able to control themselves is incredibly unfair.

There was a garage sale in my neighborhood this past Saturday.  It's a nice subdivision with home values $200,000 to $350,000  Cars lined on both sides of the street.  Moving cars could not pass by. Garage sale cars illegally parked in many driveways.    Police had to block off both entrances to my subdivision from letting more cars enter.  Then the fights started.  And a stabbing....no joke.

PGA Championship took place in South Carolina this past weekend.  Crowd rushed Brooks Koepka and knocked him around causing more pain & injury to an already injured knee.  Crowd was way out of control.

We have all seen fights over stupid crap like facemasks, or those butthurt because their entitlement is not acknowledged by someone else.

Road rage videos everywhere.

There is one similarity of the above examples- no teenagers were involved.  They are all adults committing these horrific acts.

Covid has mentally affected many people negatively where social interaction was lost.  Combine that with everyone's head in their phone for the past decade plus and it's not a massive surprise people have zero clue how to act socially.

We all need to just be nice to each other.  Not everything is meant or intended to be malicious.  Agreeing to disagree and move on is SO MUCH easier than fighting like wild animals.

There is no magic wand to solve all these issues and more rules and restrictions will only create more animosity.  We all need to take a step back, breathe, and really ask ourselves- is getting mad over the little things really worth it and what is the endgame you are looking for by getting so uncontrollably mad?

[shark6495]

Tons of factors, but I do wonder if that was one of them. I agree that the retail landscape has changed a lot in the past 20 years, but I wonder if the youth policies of the past couple of decades damaged the relationship enough to affect current foot traffic. I’m not saying with authority that it’s a factor, but I do speculate. 

No that’s fair and what a weird comment chain for me to break my current lurker status for. (Us old timers....).

No I think you’re right. It’s for sure a factor but I’m not sure it’s the driving force and if there is a decline in parks in the future I don’t think an unattended minor rule will be a driving force either.

Too many variables to make anything make sense!! Aaaa!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CheetahDrew]

I think one thing is pretty clear here and this is more in response to some of the things I’ve seen elsewhere rather than here really but still Important. 
 

this situation got out of control so quickly it isn’t fair to blame the employees for this, does Kings Island have some responsibility yes, however a lot of these kids it was their first or second weekend at the park working.

 

security is understaffed and it’s important to understand that a lot of them are new. The employees always ask for your patience the weekends up to full time season for that reason. 
 

my point being not that I think anyone here is, but that it isn’t as simple as blaming the employees for what occurred, I actually think they did brilliantly given the unfortunate circumstances.