COUGH...Cough...couch...

I wonder if other amusement parks have the same issues with smoking -- Cedar Fair and non-Cedar Fair Parks?

I haven't been to many other parks in my life to really notice... but what happens at big bad Disney -- how do they handle smoking issues and violators.

Also, another random thought... is it more of a problem at seasonal parks that are not open year round? The reason I'm thinking that is because a lot of the employees, especially on the front-line are seasonal employees. They may come back year after a year for a while, but parks that are open year round, the employees may have more of a vested interest as they may be working for a possible career.

If I was a seasonal employee personally, I would probably rather not deal with the confrontation of smokers... especially since I'm not making a heck of a lot of money and I'm gonna be gone after the summer.

Just a few random thoughts.

There is a different demographic coming to CP for Halloweekends. They tend to be a younger more aggressive crowd. They tend to smoke more--and not always tobacco. They seem to have a sense of "entitlement" about themselves. Rules are for someone else. They either do not or cannot read signs. To them signs are just part of the scenery. And the map with schedule and rules you get when you enter the park probably found the trash can before it was opened.

It will be hard to reverse the trend this year but it can be done. IF uniformed security enforces the rules.

I

Bluestreaker said:
There is a different demographic coming to CP for Halloweekends. They tend to be a younger more aggressive crowd. They tend to smoke more--and not always tobacco. They seem to have a sense of "entitlement" about themselves. Rules are for someone else. They either do not or cannot read signs. To them signs are just part of the scenery. And the map with schedule and rules you get when you enter the park probably found the trash can before it was opened.

It will be hard to reverse the trend this year but it can be done. IF uniformed security enforces the rules.

I

Very well put... couldn't agree more.

I would much, much rather be around someone smoking "not tobacco" than an actual cigarette. That's just me, though.

The reason it happens is because there is more darkness during Halloweekends, and darkness allows people who are inherently assheads, to act like the assheads that they are. It's harder to police in the darkness, so naturally that means it doesn't happen.

Yes it's hard to enforce the smoking policy, even as an employee. You can tell a guest about the smoking policy until your blue in the face, but that would require guest to actually listen to employees and / or security. I have seen multiple times guests light out a cigarette - then as soon as the employee turns there back - it's lit again. Or they "try" to hide it, thinking that employees can't see it or smell the smoke.

Maybe they should try the same no tolerance policy Six Flags has. If you get caught smoking out of a designated smoking area, you are ejected from the park without a warning. If word gets out someone will be thrown out of the park for smoking outside of the designated area, I think a lot less people would take the chance of smoking anywhere.

nintendods said:
Maybe they should try the same no tolerance policy Six Flags has. If you get caught smoking out of a designated smoking area, you are ejected from the park without a warning. If word gets out someone will be thrown out of the park for smoking outside of the designated area, I think a lot less people would take the chance of smoking anywhere.

I agree. I wish we would start doing something like this. Guest will learn quickly...

I like your Idea nintendods. It seems like Cedar Fair's policy is too nice or lenient. I mean I have seen the signs that say if you are caught smoking in line, you will be removed from the line, but is that enough? Scotty f said it perfectly about the darkness of Hallo weekends. People think they can get away with it more because they know it's dark and they can just light one up whenever. Of course the incident I talked about on the last page, someone was lighting up during the day. I sacrificed my spot in line and told an employee about it. Don't worry, it was just a couple spots out of line that I sacrificed.

Nintendods, I like the Six Flags policy. Thanks for mentioning it. Cedar Point should start it this weekend. I know they won't, but they should.

I've been saying that for a long time now...

Bluestreaker said it best, there are a lot of people out there who have a sense of entitlement who don't care about anyone else. I have mixed feelings about Six Flags policy, I don't really want to see the park turn into a police state where the cops have a no tolerance policy. Cedar Point is a fun place that takes you away from the real world, a no tolerance policy on the smokers may just remind people too much of the urban problems we have to face everyday in the real world.

As for the man who booed the family with fast lane, what a classless, bitter individual. May he wait for the front seat of Millenium Force only to have the ride break down right before he gets on.

I see plenty of adults smoking, not just a younger crowd. There was a car load of younger people smoking dope in the parking lot when my daughter and I arrived a few weeks ago. I wondered why they were looking at us all paranoid. I thought about walking up to them and saying I was with the Sandusky police.

Six Flags makes an announcement stating the policy a few times an hour. It seems to be effective. I saw few if any smokers outside of the smoking areas on my recent visit. Maybe it's just the threat of ejection that helps keep people in line.

Kings Island makes frequent announcements too. Their announcement asks to people to refrain from smoking for the comfort of the other guests and does not mention any consequences. I saw fewer smokers down there than at CP, but still more than at SF.

I think people lighting up after dark makes them easier to spot. That little red glow moving in the dark is a give away.

I'm curious what the policy is on Electronic Cigs... I see a lot of people smoking them legally in non-smoking places.

Would a CP patron be allowed to smoke the electronic kind freely around the park?

I've been next to people smoking them and they truly do not give off any stink -- at least in my experience.

They may not smell, but they have yet to be shown as non-harmful to bystanders. Until that point, they should be treated as cigarettes.

That said, some states are already treating them like cigarettes, and momentum seems to be gathering for more states to do the same. The sooner the better, in my opinion.

Word, they are too good to be true, just like I wouldn't want someone electronically picking their butt and holding queue rails.

Obviously. That's an electrical hazard. ;)

Yes people light up and one or two people here or there is not really that big of a deal. I smoke but VERY lightly and a pack can last me a month oreven more. I was in port clinton last year at a park just walking around on a path and a family was walking in the other direction. I was smoking and moved my ciggarette to my other hand as to not have it near them as they passed and did not puff or blow smoke until they passed. Well the soccer mom made a very large commotion about her duaghter having to walk past me as a smoker and grabbed her away from me as I walked by and very dramatically covered her nose and face as I walked by and glared at me. I just started laughing at the situation since she was so ridiculous in trying to get her point accross even though I was gracious and did not smoke and moved my ciggarette away from them. She asked me what was so funny? I just just kept walking and she started yelling at me for smoking in a public park near her children. I just kept walking while she attempted to "start" a scene but when she realized that I nor anyone else was biting around was, she just kept walking. Some of you need to realize that these big scenes in trying to stop a smoker just make you look like fools. You are outside at CP, chasing someone down or running to tell on them is a waste of time because all they are doing is walking past you OUTSIDE. If it is in a line and people are stuck smelling it or breathing it in, thats a different story. I have personally smoked only a handfull of times at CP but only after a big meal and always in a designated spot. It sometimes isnt that big of a deal just to keep walking and that person that you confront may end up having a bad day or be in a very bad mood. It may come back to bite you.

It is a big deal.
You think it's not a big deal.
You were completely wrong in that situation.
You don't think you were wrong in that situation.

Did I miss anything?