PKI going smoke free

Here is the link to the news:

http://www.pki.com/News/detail.cfm?item_id=133

It's kind of a bold move which follows Disney and Universal parks with smoking only in designated areas. I wonder if C.P. will do this is the near future?

Of course if C.P. is lax on enforcing it in the queue lines, I can't imagine them trying to enforce it out on the midways.

I don't see CP doing this. If they can't handle the queues (which they know) Why the hell would they try to enforce the midways?

I really think they should make CP smoke free with designated spots. I know it would probably cut down people from smoking, maybe not get rid of it but at least lessen the amount. First off, smoking is sick (well, cigars are nice) and with a bunch of kids running around, it can't be a good combo. I don't think they have to make an effort to catch people smoking, just if they see it, tell them to put it out or move to a designated area.

-S. Eagle

I don't see it happening. CP doesn't want smokers breaking established rules and then non-smokers coming and crying to guest services. If you make the rule you better dang well enforce it.

Obviously their rule of no smoking in lines has been enforced pretty well, from what I've heard.

-S. Eagle

It is hard for the ride hosts to enforce the no smoking in line rule. For it to be done, a host would need to patrol the queue area, and that isn't going to happen. We do the best that we can. I personally hate smoking and don't like being around it. If someone wants to smoke hey, go for it more power to ya. You have a right to do that, but I also have a right NOT to breath in your second hand smoke. I wish CP would go the direction of a smoke free park with designated smoking areas, but I don't see that coming in the near future. CP has made strides to help stop smoking in the park, for one you can't buy c

I'd be happy if they'd just put a cop in the busy freakin' queues to deal with smokers. Pack a thousand people in a line, do you think someone isn't going to try? That annoys the crap out of me, and I'm the only one that will ever be enough of an asshole to say something to the inconsiderate bastard.

Jeff, you aren't the only one who will say something. Last summer in the TTD queue a woman was smoking, and I kindly told her to please put it out, and she did. But if it would have come down to getting more nasty about it, i would have. I'm not afraid to say something to people breaking the rules, it's not like I'm ever going to see them again, and I don't let adults doing stuff like smoking in the lines intimidate me just because im only 17.
*** Edited 3/16/2005 2:11:49 AM UTC by MillenniumMan1287***

sean_s_eagle said:
Obviously their rule of no smoking in lines has been enforced pretty well, from what I've heard.

-S. Eagle

I don't know what the hell you're talking about. CP is by far the worst.

Hey I've got no problems telling people to put it out, that its against the rules, and that they're inconsiderate.

I am a non-smoker and hate being around it. But, I also think they are going too far with it. I think it's great that they have prohibited smoking in certain areas like Kiddy Kingdom and Camp Snoopy. But to tell someone that he cannot smoke in a wide open area is retarded! Another example of our screwed-up society teking control of other peoples lives!

I've always seen the issue as the smokers taking control of the non-smoker's lives. Smokers talk about their rights all the time, but they're the ones who chose to smoke. Non-smokers chose not to smoke, and they're the ones losing their right to clean air whenever a smoker chooses to "excercise their rights" around them.

Perfect example: Just now I came home from a restaurant where people were smoking. Granted, I chose to go to that restaurant, and I knew there would probably be people smoking there, but now I smell awful and am having sneezing fits. It seems logical to think that my rights are being violated a lot more than the person being told they might have to be slightly inconvienienced when they want to take their cigarette break.

Just because a midway is outside doesn't mean you're not going to be downwind from a smoker or two and get a few blasts of smoke in your face. For some people, that's more than enough to irritate them. I've also always wondered how many people get burned by someone's lit cigarette when those midways get really crowded. I know I've come close a few times.

I believe that a private location should have the right to set their policies as they wish, and if people really don't want to be around smokers, or they really want to smoke, then they will go or not go depending on their preferance. For an outdoor venue like an amusement park i don't see the need to restrict smoking on the midway.

I am a smoker. Last summer i visited Universal in floridia and honestly had no idea that it was a "restricted area" park until the filght home when i was looking at the park map. Had I known this prior I would have followed the rules. There were quite a few time when i was smoking and asking an employee when something was and nothing was said to me. THe bigges t result from making it non smoking is people will hesitate to light up for a fear of getting asked to leave.

As for smoking in line. I am NOT one to do that. As a matter of fact I even ask others who are smoking in line to put it out (including my brother). It is very inconsiderate and you also run the danger of burning someone since you are so close to them. It annoys me when smokers thnik they have the right to do whatever they want. If you want to smoke you also have to be aware that there are a lot of people around you that don't want to.

I think what PKI is doing is a very bold move but I honestly think the positive reaction they received from putting a designated smoking area in the smoke free park was from smokers. Since they are a privately owned business and you are GUEST you have to follow the rules wether you like them or not.

How often when walking down a midway do you feel "inconvenienced" by a smoker? I smoke. I also don't smoke while I'm waiting in line and I wish CP would do something more about the people that do. Jeff's idea of having security patrol the busier queues isn't so bad of an idea. Also, even though I do smoke, that doesn't mean I like someone elses smoke blowing in my face. I can't remember, however, any time that I've been at Cedar Point where it was such a problem on the Midways that I just couldn't take it anymore. If I had been walking and someone's smoke happened to be drifting into my face, I sped up and walked around them.

Now, that being said, CP and PKI and Universal and Disney are all private buisnesses who have the right to decide what their own policies are. If CP chooses to go smoke free (or any other park for that matter) I will follow their guidelines. Its their right as a private buisness to determine what people should and should not be able to do. Hopefully, however, the rest of the country has more sense than places like NYC and we don't end up with a bunch of government imposed smoking bans on private buisnesses.

Ralph Wiggum said:

Perfect example: Just now I came home from a restaurant where people were smoking. Granted, I chose to go to that restaurant, and I knew there would probably be people smoking there, but now I smell awful and am having sneezing fits. It seems logical to think that my rights are being violated a lot more than the person being told they might have to be slightly inconvienienced when they want to take their cigarette break.

I don't feel sorry for you. Like you said, you chose to go to a restaurant where you knew there would be people smoking and now you say your rights were violated?

If you had gone to a smoke-free restuarant and that had happened, yes, I would agree with you.

And for the record I am a reformed smoker and I think restricting smoking at outdoor amusement parks is up to each individual park. Did you ever get caught in a cloud of smoke from a fire-grilled food stand when the wind is just right? I'm sure that smoke can't be much better for your health.

With their innovative approach to the amusement park business, it surprises me that CF weren't the FIRST to ban smoking except in designated areas.

I hope they follow the lead taken by others here.

Except that Cedar Point can't (or should say won't) enforce their current smoking policy (not in lines, not sure how well it is enforced around kiddy kingdom and kamp snoopy). What would be the point of expanding the ban if they won't enforce the simple one that they currently have?

I think that CP should do as PKI and other parks have done before and begin no smoking except in designated areas. This may sound stupid, but as others have posted about sounds and smells that make them think of cp, whenever I am exposed to a passing smoker and get a wiff, I think of cp. lol. Thats probably not a good thing. It would be a huge step however for cp, as we here in Toledo are less then 60 miles away and are recognized as the smoking capital of the U.S. If we have put a smoking ban into affect at resturents and other public places, I believe cp can do it as well.

I'm a non-smoker, but I really don't think it is necessary to make the entire park smoke free, let the smokers smoke when they are walking around.

I do mind if people smoke in the queue lines though, and I have asked people to put out their cigarettes because the smoke was irritating.

Last summer, in the MF queue, someone started smoking and was blowing smoke in my face. I asked them to put the cigarette out and they made some threatening comments. I just told them "I'm not arguing with you or will accept your threats, I'll just call the police and explain that you threatened to get into a fight instead of putting the cigarette out", and I pulled out my cell phone. After swearing, the guy put the cigarette out.