Pricketry on the Platform

I've been reading a lot about rude ride operators on The Force lately, especially on RRC. I thought it was crap and usually provoked, but now I'm not so sure.

I noticed yesterday some of the operators were being unnecessarily rude to people. For example, when Old Timer Tim raised his hands so they could check is lap bar, the girl told him to keep his hands down in a fairly rude tone. One of the TL's decided to staple me in and lectured me about how I should know better posting that I get room on my lap bar, while bringing three ride ops around me to make a scene about it. Thanks for the lecture, Dad, but don't be a jerk. It just makes you look bad in front of the rest of the guests. (For the record, I've never done anything unsafe for myself or other guests.)

It even spread to the DJ. If you're going to warn people about smoking, be careful how you do it, because even non-smokers (and the large church group that was there) are put off by that kind of crap. We're adults, folks, not junior high kids.

Then there's the whole seating arrangement thing. I heard a lot of complaining last night by guests. It's getting worse, and they have to get a better solution.

Watch yourselves, MF crew... I understand you and your ride are under microscope from management, but the public is just as critical. Piss the guests off and you'll hurt the park, and the ride's reputation (see: Mantis '99 crew).

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 29

This doesn't suprise me at all. I groaned when I read those posts about cheating the lapbars. And last week, when I asked one of the ride ops if she'd ever read Guide To The Point, she said that they'd all had to sign a print-out of one of the threads to show that they knew about it! I don't know that it was that one, but it wouldn't suprise me if it was.

If so, no wonder they're mad. They probably got yelled at for giving people too much room. Words have consequences folks, even on the internet.

As for general rudeness, I haven't noticed any when I've been on the ride. But I did see a "guest" curse out one of the ride ops when they told them (politely) that they weren't allowed to let anyone wait for the front seat.

I was starting to notice the same thing. In the beginning of the season the ops were great, nice fun... But my last few times there those ops seem to slowly be getting worse. I have noticed it in the exit station mostly. The tone of their voice when telling people about the assigned seating and when telling people to leave the station. I would not say they are as bad as the '99 mantis crew yet (not even close yet). But if this continues they may give them a run for their money.

I think if they improved their tone and put on a few smiles ALL the time it would basically be like opening day again.

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Raptor Flights: 51
Force Rides: 20

Jeff your site has become very popular huh?

As for any rudness on that ride, they better be careful because some people will not take that type of crap. Jeff I am sorry, if I were you and they came and got an attitude with me I would have made sure that they knew they had no right to speak to you like that. Anything you say on your website is your business and if they have a problem with it then they can talk to you in private. That would have been the end of it right there.

Maybe I am the type to react, I don't know. But I wouldn't have just let them embarace (sp!) me in front of anyone

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Millennium Force Rids:1
Magnum XL-200 Drop:3

There's no excuse for rudeness, but... I'm wondering if the assigned seating thing is beginning to wear on the ops. The first month or so, I guess you could put up with the inevitable arguments from the general public about wanting to pick out a seat, how unfair the policy is, how they've been waiting in line for hours and now you tell me I have to take that lousy middle seat, etc., etc. The ops did not make the policy but they have to deal with the fallout on a daily basis - and I bet it gets old quick (I've seen how rude people can get - and can you imagine having to tell an "enthusiast" (read - ACEr) that they can't pick their seat) and this would happen literally hundreds of times a day. It would certainly affect my attitude; I can't blame the ops for becoming frustrated (the lap bar thing is a whole other issue - I'm not referring to that). I am one of the people most disappointed with the seat assignment policy, and now I have another reason to be against it - it puts the ride ops squarely in the middle, having to clean up a mess they most assuredly did not make.
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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill. *** This post was edited by spewey on 6/17/2000. ***

I take both sides on this issue(mostly Jeff):

Jeff: Since when does freedom of speech become a crime? You feel so secure in those lapbars that you HAVE to "cheat" to get more of a thrill

Ride Ops: It must really suck to have to get into arguments about the seating assignments daily. It must also suck to get only about 5-6(probably less) hours of sleep on Saturday nights/mornings. Having rude guests is expected, but having rude ops is unacceptable. Having workers that pride themselves and are nice is a big part of the Cedar Point experience. Don't take it out on guests-it gives the crew and park a bad reputation.




*** This post was edited by CP_genius on 6/17/2000. ***

That's just it... with the poor form of certain "enthusiast" types at Coastermania, I bit my tongue and took it. It still pissed me off, and perhaps even more so if indeed it was a form of retribution for something posted here. If that's the case someone should be reprimanded for that kind of behaviour.

I know the site is well read, and one high-ranking official even went as far to say that it "keeps them on their toes." That said, I think it is safe to say that even the Cedar Point fans out there, who would take a bullet for the park and defend it in a steel cage death match, would turn very quickly if the experience that we've come to expect and treasure ever went sour.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 29

About getting lectured from the TL, Isn't that harrassment?

i certainly hope that things improve over the course of the season...of course, the ride ops have no control over how people are goign to behave, but they DO have control over how THEY behave. i always tell people how nice and friendly CP's crews are, even the 99 Mantic crew had its moments...let's hope i can continue to be proven right...as for how they treated you, Jeff, it indeed sucks and it could be possible that they had to sign the printout of the thread from here on the same day the incident occurred. maybe they thought, "HEY!! there's that guys who caused us all to get in trouble!!" Plus, with MF under so much scrutiny and Government investigations going on over coaster safety, CP probaly is CYA all over the place, and MF is public enemy number one in the Gov'ts book...

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ride early, ride often!!!

To the MF crew:
Re: How to check lapbars

Since you so apparently read this group, here's a lesson you could learn from the Shivering Timbers crew, who run the reigning and world-reknowned airtime king at an obscene 15 hills and 31 seconds worth -- basically 12 hills and 27 seconds more than MF. On ST, lapbars are checked by pulling up.

Note the operative two words here: "pulling" and "up". Since you apprently don't understand these words, I'll explain them.
Pulling is moving your lapbar arm in, towards your body.
Up is the direction not towards the car, but towards the roof of the station.

This policy makes people happy, and comfortable, as opposed to trying to defy the physical concept of only one object in one location at one time.

You know, I would not suggest CP learn anything from any procedures in place from Michigan's Adventure, based soley from my experience there last month. While in line for Wolverine Wildcat, we had the pleasure of seeing a fully-loaded train fly though the station FIVE (5) times without stopping while the ride op tried in vain how to figure out the control panel, with a barely interested mechanic standing nearby, smoking. When the op finally got the train to stop and we stepped on, he began his spiel "Welcome to Zach's Zoomer ...". The ops on MF may be overzealous, but I guess I'll take that over comatose indifference.
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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

It's a shame that a great coaster has to have an overall sour crew. There are a few decent members on the crew(at least the last time I rode),but have had a couple bad experiences myself.
On Memorial weekend,I waited through line with a couple of friends.When we reached the turnstyle,I was forced to seperate from them to fill in an empty seat of the train in the station. She recognized me and said rudely "you have all summer to ride it".
Next night,I waited again with the same friends, along with a ride op from Magnum.In the station, when the train came in,we saw one seat of the car was roped off. The girl at turnstyle came over, grabbed my friend and started to pull her away,telling her to ride with someone else. We argued with her and finally got her to let us switch with another group. Another ride op told us she was worthless to begin with.
All it takes is a little courtesy!
One of my last rides on it,it was an odd # again.
I was asked if I wanted to sit with a single rider in 2nd row.After telling him I was with friends,he politely said "that's cool,no problem"
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the whole crew was like that!
About the lap bar issue.I don't see what their problem is! MF is one of most safest coasters in existance! The ONLY way a person could possibly stand up on the ride is have the bar at least a foot above the waist.Which I don't see happening. That would be too obvious!!
So,hopefully,CP changes the seating policy which in return will lesson the stress on the platform!

This is so hard to believe but I believe it. I am telling you, if they do some of the stuff they did to you guys to me, its on.

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Millennium Force Rids:1
Magnum XL-200 Drop:3

If they are indeed distributing copies of pages from this site, that's copyright infringement, and it would be the second time it happened. The first time, Steph's article on mayflies was being distributed with training materials, without my permission. If park op is reading this, they really should think about what they're doing before they get calls from lawyers.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 29

Would you really take legal action on Cedar Point. Would it be on Cedar Point or The individuals

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Millennium Force Rids:1
Magnum XL-200 Drop:3

Now now, I wouldn't do that Jeff. I would be upset at copyright infringement, but don't you think that maybe it would hurt your reputation with the park just a tad? Then you wouldn't be getting in during the winter to take construction photos. I wouldn't tick off CP.

"The ONLY way a person could possibly stand up on the ride is have the bar at least a foot above the waist.Which I don't see happening. That would be too obvious!!" That may be true, but keep in mind that last year on Superman: Ride of Steel at Darien Lake, a coaster with the same type of lap bars as MF, a man was able to stand up during the ride and did fall from the train. His lawsuit against the park effectively prevented the use of that train for a good portion of the season, something I assume CP would like to avoid.

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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

On opening day the ride ops were great but you know what, they were all FEMALE, the males on the ride wouldn't say a word and looked mad that they had to be there.

I don't mess around with stuff like this, if they don't like working there or can't stand not getting sleep the get the hell out and let someone who cares work there.

I defend Jeff on taking legal action on anyone, including CP, who infringes on his copyright. If Jeff did't, then that would give others (primarily other coaster sites) an excuse to do the same. Personally I beleive that GTTP is a bigger, much bigger, player on the internet to promoting CP than the official site itself. Because of this, Jeff shouldn't sit back and be pushed around by them.

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"Magnum + Prozac= Millennium Force

When you work in the entertainment business, which I consider CP to be in, you have to consider the public, and being rude to them is a good way to drop your park's value. I would tell them to be careful.

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America's Roller Coast
www.millenniumfpics.homestead.com