Line jumping

Tried the search feature, but received timeouts on the SQL search, so if there's a thread on this, please merge this post with that thread, or close this up with a redirect post. Thanks.

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14 trips so far this year, and I'm not one to normally complain about things, but I think this year has had the worst line jumping I've ever seen. Of course, when you're 4, you're not exactly looking at the line for line jumping, but even some of my friends I take are noticing.

From some of the line jumpers, I even hear comments like, "Don't worry, this place doesn't have security." Not sure if it's a direct connection, but when I heard that comment the first time, it dawned on me that:

1) There aren't that many officers watching the lines

2) Those that are watching the lines don't really seem to watch for line jumping

3) If a ride operator is informed, they seem to shrug it off

But I will hand it to the Mantis crew. They watch that line quite well from what I've heard from many people, and even though I've only been on Mantis twice this year, both times they were sending people back to the beginning for line jumping.

So I guess I ask this... is this happening to others, and if no one's really interested in the fact a line jump took place, should I be visiting park operations or something? I'm not looking for 'compensation' with front of the line passes... I just want line jumping reduced (I know it can't 100% be eliminated).

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18 straight years of real thrills and counting...

I have noticed that the line jumping has increased this year. I also have saw that there are many more police around the park and they casually take strolls through the queue lines and are looking for that such thing. I just think its hard to be there right when it happens. In line for MF I saw a cop grab a couple line jumpers, so they do watch for that, its just hard to be right there.

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2003 Statistics
Top Thrill Dragster: 9
Millennium Force: 19
Trips to the point: 24

The problem I've noticed this year is that while there's a good police presence around the park, they're not in the queues. Granted, only a few rides generally have long lines, but that's all the more reason for them to be there.

The other thing is that people just need to stand up for themselves. If someone tries to get by you, don't let them.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

If just one or maybe two people tell an employee that someone is jumping in the line somtimes they just shrug it off. Opening day a guy tried to go up the freeway line for TTD and cut everyone that had been there for 5 hours and probably 30 people told an employee and then when the guy had a fit that he got caught they called security and he was gone. There is alot more line jumping going on this year you just have to hope that an employee or alot of people see it.

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TTD Laps-5
July 4th, 2003-7:37 p.m...... I reopened Dragster.
The Best On Ride Photo Ever!

Well I was there one day and someone was trying to line jump on Magnum, the lady said please go to the end of the line or I will call security, they refused to leave, security came and the end of that. Also i was wondering do you consider it line jumping if you are going with a few friends and when you get in line you get split up between 2-3 people, do you consider it line jumping if you try to go ahead with your friend when he is that close?

If someone is in a group that was seperated, I will let them by me as long as they ask. I dont have a problem with it, but they better get permission from everyone that they are passing up.

The real solve to this problem would be to have the group enter the queue at the same time, or allow the members of the group further up in line to go back to where their friend is.

Its impossible for the police to keep an eye on everyone, and a line jumper knows where the officer is, so he/she will wait for an opportune moment.

In front of me the last time I rode Dragster were a group of 3 guys whose friends had gone off to the bathroom and were left behind. They were frantically waving at their friend farther back in the line to get them to jump up to where they were. Eventually, they decided to actually ask me "hey, would you mind if my friends came up to join us?" I replied "yes I would" and stared at them. Being 6'5", 225lb, that stare was just a tad intimidating. Hee.

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Come on people, this poetry's not going to appreciate itself!

I've seen alot of line jumping last year. Someone got right in front of me and I was accused of line jumping by someone who worked at a gift shop there. They (Cedar Point) need to get more guards for the lines or maybe even CCTV.

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Courage is not the absence of fear. It is over comming it.

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Digital Daredevil said:

...allow the members of the group further up in line to go back to where their friend is.

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That's the only way to allow "seperated" groups to rejoin their party. There's no problem with them going back - it dosen't take ride time from anyone. But I can't think of a single reason to allow them in front of me. It's not my fault they got seperated - why should I sacrifice my ride time?

And I'll add this - bust line jumpers any time you catch them. They are stealing from you, and even if the park dosen't support you, it'll leave a lasting impression on them. And maybe they'll think twice next time.

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Without upstops, airtime would have a whole new meaning!
*** This post was edited by Chaindog 7/24/2003 10:22:16 PM ***

Really? i've been tot he park 4 times this year and i've never had a problem with line jumpers, did have 1 problem last year with the WT free way, this group of people thought they could go ALL the way to the front of the line i told the employee and they were gone.

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But I can't think of a single reason to allow them in front of me. It's not my fault they got seperated - why should I sacrifice my ride time?

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I really agree with that, Chaindog. Although it hasn't happened to me at CP, it did when I was in line for H-XLC at PKD for the front row.
It was a rainy day, and this group was separated, so they wanted to catch up to the rest of their group, who was right in front of my dad and I. They got in front of us, and we didn't even notice for a while, although it wasn't a big deal at the time. It just pushed us one train back, and when we got into our train, it had started to rain, and we pulled out to the launch and the ride broke down, so we got soaked. It really sucked!

Never again will I allow separated group members to get in front of me while in line! We were pushed back one train by them, and it made a huge difference. That ruined our day, especially since all we got was two free ponchos after we were already soaked.

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"When I was a kid my favorite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school we'd all go play in his cave, and every once in a while he would eat one of us. It wasn't until later that I found out that Uncle Caveman was a bear."
-Jack Handey

I have no problems usually either if it's just one person going a little ahead to catch up. Or if someone in a group stops at the vending machines and spends 2 minutes trying to get the stupid things to take their money, I have no problem with that. It's the ones that enter the queue 5 minutes after the group they're catching up with, and... well, you guys know what it is.

It's not that simple for me to just tell someone no... most look at ya like "blank you" and move right on anyway. And I can't exactly enter into a fight with them... FBI background check would be 'scarred' if something were to happen, and that'd most likely mean bye bye to one of my jobs (USPS).

The big issue around this is the ever-increasing "blank you" mood everyone's in. More and more are 'in it for themselves' and they could care less about being fair. The whole country hasn't gone to hell, but it's been getting worse. One of the many reasons behind why I left Best Buy... the customers were becoming more and more a-holes. But it was fun to throw them out of the store if they 'caused a scene.'

What I'm getting at is if they really cared, they wouldn't jump in the first place, and me saying "don't do that" isn't going to stop them. Sure I can physically block them from passing, but they usually duck through the queues anyway, making blocking pointless. And the lack of support from others around that saw it (a.k.a. that stinks they did that, oh well) makes it all the worse when explaining it to a ride op. I could fuss and yell, but then I envision everyone else around swapping to the 'shut up already' mood, such as the way many look at the 'annoying car alarm.' Many do when others complain audibly.

Guess that's why I was turnin here... 1) to see if I was crazy or not, as in, am I seeing things or is it really as bad as i think, and 2) seeing if there's a 'proven' method of getting them booted to the beginning when it happens.

Thanks for confirming we're not crazy... I mean, I'm not crazy. :p

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18 straight years of real thrills and counting...

I have seen my share of linejumping at Cedar Point and, because I'm from Cincinnati, Kings Island. Some people might remember the thread that Avalanche Sam started about someone using the Gemini station, or at least the part under it, as a bathroom. (For those that didn't see it, here is the link, http://guidetothepoint.com/cpplace.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=12681) I go with Avalanche Sam to CP almost every Friday as a way to unwind after the week. When he ran to get someone about the person peeing on the station, I stayed in line, guessing that was what he was doing. While I was waiting in line, three of the people in the group, or at least what looked like a group, decided to duck under the wood rail of Gemini and just cut in front of about ten people. The really funny thing, is that I was on the same train that the linejumpers were on. So they saved themselves no time.

in line for delirium this one kid kept cutting in front of everybody and when he passed us he said my friends are up there, and then when he was about 5-10 feet away (which i thought was a safe distance and all i could wait) i said, "sure they are" in a real sarcastic tone. the kid turns around and he says "what did you say?" i looked around acting like i had no idea about what he was talking about and then i started cracking up so bad. then he just stayed in line where he was for a while before cutting the next set of people. i wonder if that would even be fun, just cutting everyone to ride some ride by yourself. well i had a good laugh about that and will probably do something like that again if anyone line jumps me. it brought some descent entertainmant to the line.

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Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription... is more cowbell!

i was just at the park Monday and i had no problem with line jumpers what so ever. just the usual people trying to fight the vending machines which i have no problem letting htem go back with there group. although whille waitng for dragster the line was strentched back past the station, a group of like 4 cut in front of the people behind us. i didnt care they were behind me, and the people the cut in front of didnt seem to mind either.

I've seen quite a bit of line jumping this year. Once while waiting for DD, the group of 2 in front of me turned into a group of 10. The two saw a group of their friends walking past on the midway, and yelled at them to join them. So all 8 people enter the line, bypass it, and end up in front of me. Myself and several people behind me gave them crap about it, but they had nothing but choice words to say to us. I told a ride op, and he just said he couldn't do anything since he didn't see it happen.

Another incident I saw get by was in the TTD line. Some people behind me determined that the line "sucked" and therefore, they didn't need to wait in it. From near the pop machines, they ducked into the Freeway line, and then jumped back in the main line shortly before the ramp. The skipped at least an hour of line. I tried pointing them out to security, but they were too far away for me to point out from a distance.

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-Chris Woodard
"We got pop and Gatorade over here for $100 a bottle, so have your credit card ready. Seriously, the food here is so expensive, I just eat the condiments because I can't afford a meal." - MF que DJ 6/16/03

I was just at CP, while waiting in line for Mantis one of the ride ops was saying that line jumping is not allowed, you will be allowed to get to the ride platform but security will be waiting for you when you get here. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later security was escorting two people down the ramp with the guy yelling I didn't cut in line.
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TTD launches 2 (first launch in front row, second in fourth row)

In line for the Raptor one week ago, and a man had left the line to use the bathroom. He wanted to reenter through the Freeway line, but a park officer would not let him. they argued for a while. Twenty minutes later, when we got off the ride, they were still arguing, and the officer was pointing his finger explaining park policies. I could hear the guy using some less "family oriented" words during the time he was arguing.

Another instance of line jumping I experienced was at Disneyworld. I was there last Winter with a big group. And at MGM Studios, at the Great Movie Ride, I was some of my friends and a cuople probably in their forties cut right in front of us. I could then hear people behind us saying, "Did they cut in front of you to?" This couple kept going in front of other people and cutting corners. I then said, making it sound like I was just talking to my friends, making sure I was loud enough so the couple could hear me, "You know, back home, at Cedar Point, cutting in line is cause for removal from the park. In line for one of the rides, which was only about a minute or two, a group of kids were cutting in fron of my parents and I; not doing it discretely, but blatantly just rushing past us." (which really happened) It had no effect on the couple. My friends and I ended up sitting next to the couple on the ride.

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Andrew L. of Waterville, Ohio
"Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?."