Stolen All-Season Drink Cups

Channel 19 just made a news story out of this and used this thread as a source:

Wow, slow news day. Guess that's what happens when we don't have a national shooting again...Which just hurts to think that too...

Speaking of stolen drink cups, we purchased the green cup while at Dorney park a few weeks ago. We hauled it to many of the other Cedar Fair parks on our trip and had no issues with stashing it here or there.

However, at Kings Island, we hid it very well in a bush in the Banshee plaza. We stayed in that area until close. I went to ride the drop tower as the last ride of the night and the other person in my group went to retrieve the cup. He caught some goon stealing it. This guy had about 6 drink cups stuffed in his backpack already. It was... returned...after they had a conversation of sorts.

And Channel 19 did a live Facebook stream on this subject just a while ago.

Five thousand nine hundred views in five hours and counting. This topic is way beyond just a few enthusiasts complaining.

Again, slow news day...

You have something, that was stolen. It sucks, but that's life. Even at work, if something is stolen, they're not liable. The anchors example does suck, they were at a pavilion eating and then their cup was stolen, that does suck.

But the park isn't responsible, for the cup, or any possession for that matter. Even if it's IN a locker. That's a bit far to me, but they clearly state they're not liable. How easy would fraud be if they said this. Oh hey, I had this cup stolen, can I have my free new one?

The system will be changed or adjusted I'm sure. It's been brought up at KIC/KI already, now it's at CP, who knows if other parks have the same exposure in their news outlets?

However again, they're not responsible. If you don't want it taken, carry it with you. Use lockers if you trust them, or, keep it with you. I don't want a locker or can't take it with you on platforms, keep it in your car. You walk more and stuff, but hey, your valuables are yours. Yes that can be broken into as well, but alot more unlikely, and also leads to more of a very illegal activity that police will get involved with.

K.R. said:

However, at Kings Island, we hid it very well in a bush in the Banshee plaza. We stayed in that area until close. I went to ride the drop tower as the last ride of the night and the other person in my group went to retrieve the cup. He caught some goon stealing it.

Sounds less like he was stealing it, and more like he was cleaning up your abandoned trash.

Seriously, I can almost understand ditching it for 1 ride, but leaving it around while you're "in the area"? At a certain point that becomes littering.

Hostile1 said:

The parks do not offer lockers during extra ride time, so if you have a cup and stay for extra ride time, you are out of luck.

Or -- since you are aware that lockers are not available during extra ride time -- you could, you know, take responsibility for yourself and take or leave your cup in your car.

I also had a Valravn cup taken from the Banshee during an ERT. The employee knew I left it there. After about the 4-5 ride, the cup was gone.

In other words, you littered and someone cleaned up your mess. It's not the employee's job to monitor your belongings.

I don't understand the no locker during ERT claim. I put a bag in a locker about 9:00 and retrieved it from the locker at 10:45 a couple weeks ago for MF/Rou ride night.

They should replace a lost or stolen cup, or provide an acceptable means for storing them while you are on a ride since they are trying to sell them to people THREE AT A TIME! Every time I order something or get a refill, they're trying to get be to buy another one.

The problem with a park replacing a lost or stolen cup is, how do you prove your cup was lost or stolen? The amount of money to be lost replacing cups for people who are scamming the park may amount to, figuratively speaking, pocket change, but how you take care of your cup really isn't the park's problem.

I agree, parks should provide a way to store the cups while you're riding. That said, while at parks that don't it's on you to protect your property.

I'm no fan of drink cups; every time I've been at an enthusiast event where the park gave attendees a drink cup, my next stop was the car to drop it off so that I didn't have to carry the damn thing around all day.

djDaemon said:

K.R. said:

However, at Kings Island, we hid it very well in a bush in the Banshee plaza. We stayed in that area until close. I went to ride the drop tower as the last ride of the night and the other person in my group went to retrieve the cup. He caught some goon stealing it.

Sounds less like he was stealing it, and more like he was cleaning up your abandoned trash.

Seriously, I can almost understand ditching it for 1 ride, but leaving it around while you're "in the area"? At a certain point that becomes littering.

It was absolutely dead at the end of the night. We were 'in the area' for 15-20 minutes and rode 3 things 1 time each and left, since the park closed while we were 'in the area'. That goon was fishing for cups for some kind of scam or hustle, he went on fishing around in weird places after we got our cup retuned. We even engraved the cup in a few places to try to dissuade theft.

That said, I very much DISLIKE the cups. However, the other person in my group at that time hates plain water, so that's the only reason we have the cup. I tried to talk him out of getting the thing because of the high chances of it getting stolen because he refused to keep buying lockers, but what can you do.

As for replacements, they should give you the option to link the cup to your season pass. Better yet, an all season drink plan with the regular paper cups would be much better, although I don't think that'll ever happen since it could cut into their souvenir cup racket.

K.R. said:

.... we hid it very well in a bush in the Banshee plaza. We stayed in that area until close. I went to ride the drop tower as the last ride of the night and the other person in my group went to retrieve the cup. He caught some goon stealing it.

Well, that's the price you pay for "hiding" your cup. That "goon" was picking up an unclaimed cup.

Sounds less like he was stealing it, and more like he was cleaning up your abandoned trash.

It was absolutely dead at the end of the night. We were 'in the area' for 15-20 minutes and rode 3 things 1 time each and left, since the park closed while we were 'in the area'.

Which matters how? You littered. Someone picked up your litter.

That goon was fishing for cups for some kind of scam or hustle, he went on fishing around in weird places after we got our cup retuned.

What kind of scam or hustle? And, in any case, you abandoned your property. You don't get to leave your crap lying around and then complain when someone picks up what you've left behind.

That said, I very much DISLIKE the cups. However, the other person in my group at that time hates plain water, so that's the only reason we have the cup. I tried to talk him out of getting the thing because of the high chances of it getting stolen because he refused to keep buying lockers, but what can you do.

You could not buy a cup for yourself and let "the other person" face the consequences of their choice.

Better yet, an all season drink plan with the regular paper cups would be much better, although I don't think that'll ever happen since it could cut into their souvenir cup racket.

Damn for-profit companies, looking at how to make more money.....

K.R. said:

However, at Kings Island, we hid it very well in a bush in the Banshee plaza.

It wasn't hidden as well as you thought, was it?

Considering that guy looked like he was on a treasure hunt, I don't think any amount of hiding would have dissuaded him from adding to his collection of stuff.

I'm not against a company making a profit, however it's very well known that carbonated soft drinks are a cash cow.

Also, I didn't purchase the cup, the other person with me did.

We think the dude was collecting cups to resell somehow, we honestly don't know. He did lie to my cousin's face about the cup having been his while he was being seen digging it out of its stash spot. Looked at it and said 'yea,I bought this at dorney' The guy had no idea where Dorney Park was when quizzed though lol.

Anyway, I wasn't implying the parks are liable for theft or free replacements. I'm fine with the water cups and fountains myself.

I understand everyone's point about litter, no need to beat a dead horse lol

People really need to start taking responsibility for their own actions instead of looking at outside entities to do so.

I have, many times left our cups in bushes because I consciously chose to not pay the money for a locker that the parks provide. The time will come when our cup(s) will not be where we left them, so who will I blame? The park, or myself for making the decision to risk the loss of the cup(s) as opposed to spending the money on a locker to protect them?

For any sensible, responsible person - the answer to that question is rather obvious.

I left my cup near the Magnum entrance a couple years ago with the exact same thought. If it was gone when we came back, I wasn't going to worry about it. Unfortunately, it was always there when we went to retrieve it.

This year, I just didn't buy a cup.

^ Unfortunately? So you wanted your cup to be taken?

K.R. said:
Better yet, an all season drink plan with the regular paper cups would be much better, although I don't think that'll ever happen since it could cut into their souvenir cup racket.

That wouldn't cut into the "racket" at all, charge the same price but don't supply the cup = slightly more profit. Charge more for the cupless plan, I'd pay it for the convenience of not carrying a cup.

I'd be all for that just to be able to get tea or vitamin water on occasion.