Enthusiasts on notice

Whoooooa nelly!!Looks like someone got caught!!!Cant wait to see what sky kickers got to say about this one.

Well, i'll give you credit for admitting it, but that still doesn't exempt the fact you lied. I understand your intentions but in my book you practice what you preach. This is just one of the many reasons why enthusiasts are sometimes given a bad rap. As the old saying goes "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

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"I just wanted to sign the banner"
TTD=14

WT=56
*** This post was edited by sky kicker 9/3/2003 10:17:23 PM ***

you know, all this arguing and fighting over this isnt helping our case here. doesnt this just prove the point that Enthusiasts are as bad as people think they are?

face it, folks. people made mistakes and got really arrogant and ignorant. they got caught and now we are all getting a warning about behaviour. isnt a warning better than a sudden stoppage of ALL events at ALL parks??

come on people. arent we all more mature than this? it isnt who did what and when they did it. we need to take this warning as another chance to prove ourselves as a community and make the needed changes in our behaviour. if we, as a community, and as individuals, cnat do that, then we get what we deserve. and it AINT ERT.

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meleth nin Balan in Andrann

it aint the size of the arrow, its what you do with the bow....

Why do they need to single us out tho? why send a letter? It isn't like the people who break the rules didn't know it was wrong! Like a letter is gonna do anything for the people who do break the rules, "oh my god! i can fly out if i don't wear a seatbelt!", it just isn't gonna happen. All this does is warn the people who do break those rules to be more careful at not getting caught. It is tragic that someone died, but in all honesty if they had common sense they would be here with us today.

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Ed Markey is my anti-drug.
Rollercoasters have proven to cause brain damage in stupid politicians. DAR-HOOT

trips to CP:6 Dragster:2 MFer:6 Magnum: 13 What? CP closed on a monday...Oh yeah its September!

TheOne, you are exactly the person that I don't want to be associated with when being labeled "enthusiast."

Do us all a favor and at least try to think about things for a little while before you start spouting off on random tangents about stupidity.

Oh, and here's a useful link for you: link or even more useful and applicable: link
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- John
I Snap Flyers
*** This post was edited by Michael Darling 9/4/2003 12:21:30 AM ***

Why single us out?

Because while we represent a tiny portion of the total park attendance, we are--
:) Readily identifiable and contactable as a group
:) Influential in that 'normal people' see and emulate us
:( Apparently guilty of inappropriate behavior and riding practices

I'm sure that in the interest of loss prevention, if Cedar Fair could send a strongly worded letter to the Association of Parents Who Take Their Children to Amusement Parks and tell parents not to force their screaming kids onto coasters, put lifts into their shoes, and encourage them to jump off of moving kiddie rides, they probably would. But there is no such organization. There are organizations of amusement park and roller coaster enthusiasts, though, and the nature of the organizations is that they have mechanisms for contacting membership. We are certainly not the only problem group that amusement parks have to deal with, but we're a problem group that they can identify and contact.

I just think it's a crying shame that "park nut" and "problem group" would ever appear in the same sentence.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Taking off a seatbelt during a ride? yeah that is called common sense, we get blamed for it

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Ed Markey is my anti-drug.
Rollercoasters have proven to cause brain damage in stupid politicians. DAR-HOOT

trips to CP:6 Dragster:2 MFer:6 Magnum: 13 What? CP closed on a monday...Oh yeah its September!

What I wouldn't give for a crushed Ritalin tablet, a hypo and a blowgun...

Thanks for that post RideMan - I agree. It would be nicer if they even had a method for addressing the continual line jumpers who think it is okay ("Oh the rest of my group is up there" folks) and those others that smoke in the queues. Of course that is just me on my little soapbox.

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cyberdman

I just got my ACE news and read about what happened at HW (I had not reallized that the accident was at an ACE event), and about an incident at Dorney Park where regulators of some sort witnessed ACE members breaking rules, I think enthusiasts are lucky that we just got a "warning" letter and not an announcement of cancellation of these types of events.

As far as the "why single us out question" , first its obvious that from prior experience that enthusiasts are a major part of the problem, and second what other choices does Cedar Fair have? Television commericals and full page ads in hundreds of newspapers to reach the general public? An open letter to morons who stand up on roller coasters?

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sky kicker said:
Well, i'll give you credit for admitting it, but that still doesn't exempt the fact you lied. I understand your intentions but in my book you practice what you preach. This is just one of the many reasons why enthusiasts are sometimes given a bad rap. As the old saying goes "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

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"I just wanted to sign the banner"
TTD=14

WT=56
*** This post was edited by sky kicker 9/3/2003 10:17:23 PM ***

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For the record, beccaraptor did NOT lie. She said she "can't do it and won't." She did not say she has never done it in the past. And, in my opinion, it sounds like she's very insightful and forward-thinking and deserves a little respect and credit for that.

I did make mistakes in the past. I made the video a long long time ago. It was before I ever because a club member, and it was when I had just started getting into coasters in the first place. I have seen a lot of things going on and I am trying to move in the right direction to being a respectful coaster enthusiast. Making mistakes is part of the process and I hope that you will recognize this and forgive me. I think everyone needs to evaluate themselves and try to become good role models.

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GOCC member #671

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D. A. Rossi said:
I just got my ACE news and read about what happened at HW (I had not reallized that the accident was at an ACE event)

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That's because it's not an ACE event. I don't understand why anyone thinks it is. It's open to any member of an enthusiast club which includes CoasterBuzz Club, GOCC and ECC, among others, just like CoasterMania at CP. The fact that members of one club take ownership of it is just another reason why that club has such an image problem when it comes to being arrogant.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

I think the one point some people ( I won't name names) is missing is that it's up to those of us who are responsible riders within the enthusiast community to help bring the unresponsible ones to task. It's been done before...enthusiasts who have pointed out someone who has unbuckled a seatbelt or broken a rule. It shows that even if there are a few bad apples in the bunch, the rest of us do not condone the behaviour.

The fact that a person was killed at an enthusiast event due to breaking rules reflects on ALL enthusiasts where we like it or not. You better believe if I see you loosen or unbuckle a seatbelt, I WILL report you, whether you are an enthusiast or not. I do not want the rest of MY day ruined because you are being stupid.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

Ml, I give beccaraptor all the credit in the world and I really thought her post was very insightful and in reality what all of us want out of this in the end. I just feel I was mislead by her statement that's all. Maybe, I used a bad choice of words and I apoligize for that.

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"I just wanted to sign the banner"
TTD=5
WT=56

The letter never said that all enthusiasts break rules. It was meant as a warning shot that said that if the enthusiasts who are breaking rules refuse to play by the rules, than the relationship of CF to clubs and club ERT is in jeopardy.

Don't take what the letter said personally TheOne001, if you follow park rules than I'm sure CP wants you in the park as many times as you want to go. Did you ever hear of a few spoiling it for everyone? That is what is going on here, and in my opinion the letter showed respect for the clubs by giving them a chance to get their acts together. Would you rather have CF say that there will be no more enthusiast events or ERT in our parks, without any warning?

The general arrogance and disregard for park policy that some enthusiasts display has the parks (not just CF) fed up, and who can blame them?

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

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TheOne001 said:
Real mature Coasterluver, flaming people who have different opinions solves everything.

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Funny you should type that, considering I STILL have the emails you sent me last february (full of poorly constructed insults using various swear words). Real Mature.

Anyway, I think it's important for everyone at the park to follow the rules. It should not matter whether or not your in a club, whether or not you've ridden the ride dozens of times or it's the first time on the ride.
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Metallica, Magnum and Mountain Dew, and finally turning 21...what could be better?

OldCPer,

From what I understand, the thing at SRM did NOT happen during the event. It was during regular park hours .

Not that it matters, it still reflects on us, AND THE PARKS.

Just behave and all will be fine.

MrScott

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"If we go any faster, she'll blow apart for sure!"
*** This post was edited by MrScott 9/4/2003 7:51:56 PM ***

As a person who has handled guest complaints, and as a coaster enthusiast, I can unbiasly say that enthusiasts are the most difficult people in the park, and like TheOne001, many think that the park will be doomed without them. The park isn't doomed, and no one likes your attitude. Get over it.

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ONE freeway stamp a day... ONE

Very nice editorial maybe it will change some peoples actions and thoughts. I follow all parks rules and do not put my life in danger. You can get airtime with a tight restraint too you know, thats what catches people off guard. If I want some airtime I think I will just head over to Power Tower or any drop tower at a park. That should be satisfying. I would hate for the park and enthusiast relationship to be damaged-everyone would be bummed. then parks might stop building the tallest and fastest coasters and begin stapling everyone on every ride.

I would like to set my own comfort on a ride without someone pushing it super hard on me like on TTD(but I can understand that). People will start losing their freedoms that we should think are very valuable and are privelages. :)