9/12-9/13 Bad enthusiast encounter

Went down to the park for pass holder appreciation weekend. We left yesterday around 1pm and arrived at our hotel just before 3pm. We frequent the Econo Lodge on 250 and keep arriving to nice surprises every time we check in. The manager is super cool there, so quite often we get room upgrades and little extras since we stay so much. I think this was our 12th time in a just over a year.

We got into the park around 6 after dinner at Friendly's and a quick stop at the gas station. The park was pretty dead compared to the last month or so of Fridays. 45 minutes top for the Dragster, Millennium Force and Maverick. So we rode as much as we could nailing down 12 rides before Dragster ERT started. Magnum, Power Tower twice, walked on to Raptor, Sky Ride, Iron Dragon & Wicked Twister& Gemini. Pretty good night.

Then we went to Dragster after waiting about 15 minutes for the line to clear out we were in. It was pretty much a walk on from there on out.
The first 15 minutes of the ERT they had us walk from the ride entrance. So this meant going from the exit to entrance each time. During one of those times my girlfriend and I were walking through the long straight queue when two "enthusiasts" come walking up almost literally onto our heels. They start talking about how they can 15 rides in... then one of them makes the snide comment of "if it wasn't for this in front of us." At first I let it go and started to think about stepping aside to let them pass before one them blurted out loudly "LOOK A HEAD OF YOU."

I judged my speed, I wasn't "walking" but more like quick stepping. So no way because of the off handed comment I was going to let them pass. If they asked I would glad ly let them pass, but if you're going to sit back there and walk on the back of my shoes while making idiotic comments, you can wait. Then one of them started breathing heavy and asked to pass and just as I turned around one of them pushed my girlfriend aside. I don't mean brushed against her as they passed, I mean literally pushed.

I lost it.

I grabbed the older one by the glasses strap and pulled him back towards me. I put him aginst the queue told him to apologise to my girlfriend. He did. I then told him to slow down and start asking instead of pushing and to be polite. I made some remark about this not being the only night he got out of his parents basement to ride Dragster and it will be here for the next hour and let him go. When I got to the front I told an op what happened and they replied that they have these problems on a regular basis during these events.

I couldn't believe that someone who regularly rides would have such a blatent disregard for not only the basic rules, but those around them. It was sad to say the least. But none the less he was behind me later and didn't even ask to go around.

After 5 rides (2 in the front) we left after Tony said it was all over. I would say there was only 50-70 people who showed up. It was actually so light that unless you wanted to wait for the front seat (wwhich was a 2 minute wait) you got off and went up the exit ramp to ride again.

When we left we saw a roll back. Probably the last train.

This mornings ERT on Millennium Force went off without a hitch. It was a walk on, but we went for 3 rides and then headed to two Maverick rides.

A really great trip and awesome lines. Except for the enthusiast who couldn''t wait 20 more seconds, it was fun.

^Glad you got some good rides in. It's pretty sad that people are more concerned with their ride counts than showing any regard for other guests.

You're a better man than I, sir. I don't know if I could have let it go after the apology.

I had a great time at both ERT's. 7 laps on TTD Saturday night and 8 laps from 9:00 to 10:30 Sunday morning, including one with Tony onboard. I feel special now.

Good on ya for not taking that BS. I'm very pacifistic in most cases, but if you lay so much as 1 unwanted body part on me or anyone I know, its on.

Sounds like it was an otherwise great trip.

I think I should add that this particular brand of enthusiast looked to be about 50+ years old. I've seen him once or twice at past events and have never been pushed by him or anyone else. Single rider #2 was there and he was doing his usual run 'n gun, but wasn't pushing or even becoming upset at any of the other participants walking through the queue.

Now for the funny part, if I would have let him just pass in the first place at the point of our encounter he would have been on the same train with me. After our conversation he went to the right at the split while we went left. He ended up waiting a train while we walked on. Genius.

On Saturday night I had a stroke or something because I decided to ride Snake River Falls for the first time in my life. My girlfriend sat it out. I was the only one in the car and that drop is fun. Needless to say I was soaked and freezing. Cedar Point won and I used the haystack dryer. It was warm and toasty and at the time, worth the $5.

Cedar Point 1 Me 0

The numbers.
This weekend was park visit #19 & 20. Total ride count for the weekend was 27. 16 rides on Saturday night from 6pm-11:15 and 11 rides Saturday from 10am-12:00pm. It was a good weekend.

Are there prizes or something handed out if you ride a certain ride 1,000+ times in a season? I enjoy the rides, but come on. I'm still waiting for the day for one of these "enthusiasts" to try to run over me while i "walk" through the que.

If i heard them talking like that behind me, i would have slowed my walk to a crawl, then see what they do.

Coastern3rd said:
...When we left we saw a roll back. Probably the last train...

When I was going back to our locker after ERT I seen the train roll back and thought to myself, those lucky people. Then when it came down I noticed the train was empty and sat on the brakes for a while, before slowly rolling into relaunch position

And good for you for putting them in line.

Coastern3rd said:
...I decided to ride Snake River Falls for the first time in my life. My girlfriend sat it out. I was the only one in the car and that drop is fun.

I know, right? Before this year, I hadn't been on it in a long time, but decided to get a couple rides on this year, back when it was generally assumed it was going away next year. For being a one-trick pony (especially for one that costs slightly less than $25 million), its pretty fun. I'll make it a point to ride it every year from now on, whenever we plan a CP/SC day.

It was fun, until I got soaked. I expected it, but wouldn't ride it again. Its like Dragster in a way. Ride it once and come back later when there is no line.

Yeah, I should mention that at least half of our enjoyment came from the fact that there was no line at all.

Coastern3rd said:
Single rider #2 was there and he was doing his usual run 'n gun

Too bad he can't learn to do the shower n deodorant

Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 2016 :)

Aint that the truth.

I was in line for Maverick and a guy came elbowing his way thorough from the back of the line, cutting in front of everyone, saying "single rider...single rider...." as he went. He did this all the way through several turns of the queue to make his way to the "single rider" side of the stairs. I am certain he wasn't the only single rider in the line.

I have a funny story about my first time being a single rider. I always ride with someone so never have the option although on our last trip we were staying at the breakers and my wife slept in past the ert which made me a SR. I waited in the very short q line for maverick until I got to the bottom of the stairs where I proceeded up the SR line. There were no odd numbered groups and the people that were behind me in the normal line ended up passing me. Talk about your all time backfires! The worker felt bad and was very nice to let me go in after that. Very nice crew.

Aren't single riders supposed to wait in the line until they get to the SRL split?

They are supposed to wait until the split....I happened to be a single rider the time when the guy went elbowing by.

I agree, while I was a single rider wainting in line there was a very portly teenage girl bulldozing through the line. The worst thing is that most of them never even say excuse me or anything.

How depressing. I really really really dislike being associated with those people as a park enthusiast.

I agree about single rider #2. He was pretty strong at the Maverick ERT last year.