Tales from an old ride operator

Good read, well written. It reminds me of my summer.+

The showers in the Cedars were gross if I recall......

kjettski said:

Good read, well written. It reminds me of my summer.+

The showers in the Cedars were gross if I recall......

Yes, the showers at Cedars were super gross.

As many of the old timers on here know, I (along with a few of the members here) worked at the Point in the mid 1970's. The women were quartered at a wing in the Breakers Hotel, the men at the old Cedars hotel. I remember the showers as being relatively new, it was very much like what I experienced in high school and college. From what I have gathered the facility didn't age well. What do you expect when the corporate CEO stated that "it was good enough for me when I started working here"?

I got a few stories, I am happy to elaborate on any of them

I worked area II for 2 years a while ago mainly Power Tower and Dragster.

• Woman lost her weave on TTD which we later found on the fence during a closing perimeter check
• cell phone fell from the PT onto the glass ceiling of controls scaring the urine out of everyone
• Old woman's dress flew up on launch on TTD and the photo people apparently saw it on the cameras
• My laptop and roommates laptop were stolen from out locked room by housing staff and we both quit that day leaving our third roommate alone in a pretty sketchy commons 1100 unit (you get my drift)
• Shoot the rapids flipped over
• Someone threw up during the launch on PT on shot side
• A kid punched a cop while working corkscrew
• You used to work corkscrew and super Himalaya and we called it super screw and the area 2 sup heard this and was going to write up the whole crew where this was my second day as a transplant and I was like no way no how.
• One of the harnesses released from incomplete pedaling after leaving the station on CS
• My friend in Golds (RIP) had a neighbor who not only got herpes but became HIV positive by the end of the season.
• While working PT, a dad threated to shove my height stick up where the sun don't shine for not allowing junior to ride
• Speaking of which, I had someone while working ent. on TTD not want to pay for a locker and leave her bag in a bush that was subsequently stolen and apparently contained her insulin.
• While working crotch (between the towers signaling to control) on PT, a coworker almost got a cell phone to the head that fell from the tower and left a huge indentation in the gate.
• Had a girl jump the gate on PT while the tower was running to get a bouncy ball
• Someone on Iron Dragon (ID) jumped the gate and walked across the tracks while the train was dispatching which resulted in a massive freakout when we got security there and E-stopped the ride.
• My who worked in entertainment got a massive nosebleed but could not get off his assignment to go to clinic ended up wiping on his shirt which was luckily covered by a black CP sweater the whole production. I have a picture somewhere.
• My one friend got switched from TTD to sweeps and would go behind the midway diner or whatever it was called and nap for hours each day.
• On ID, we had someone piss the ride and not tell anyone until the next set of riders entered.
• On TTD, a group of body builders where on platform and like 4 of them could not fit and had to be removed and the one yelled a word that rhymes with duck really loud while I was spieling and I think I ended up getting a step because of it.
• On TTD, we were down and if I recall the catch dog thing was stuck midway in the track but we could not tell the guests so this one family from Michigan was waiting for hours and hours and I kept saying we are down and there is not ETA but I could not say that they did not expect the ride to open for at least a day and they waited and waited. We were down for 2 days and they waited almost the whole time and when it did reopen, it rained. I called park ops to see if there is something that could be done since they waited so long -- nope.
• My one roommate left his jacket in the hallway in Common 1100 and there was a 9mm in it.
• One coworker constantly passed wind in PT controls and finally one day someone called them out.
• Employees used to put their seat belt on and then have controls release the harnesses on PT so they can get airtime before dispatching.
• Dragster is a POS and breaks all the time so I think I cleaned more than operated the ride.
• My buddy on photos on dragster said at least once a week there is a boob that has or is about to pop off and their supervisor would not let them show any pictures on the screens when that happened.
• I got a sick pleasure out of using the mic on PT to tell people to "dismount the handrail"
• I sucked at balancing SH and I sort of found it funny when the whole booth would jump when the unbalanced train would pass by and when 30lb kids and their 300lb father would ride inside to their small child on the outside (centripetal forces)
• I was over at MF and someone's dentures where in the gravel by unloading.
• I used to talk in quite convincing accents (British, German, Russian, Southern, Midwestern, etc) before dispatch on PT and then normally when they were unloading to screw with people
  • One time I had a very strong irish accent (thanks to Josh from Dublin from grade school for allowing me to practice so much) and the guy was, "like where are you from?" Ohio. "No I mean your family" Well that is Ohio as well sir. "I mean before Ohio" Well tis tree generations from Ohio that is, mind me asking why? then his wife said - He's just (d)ucking with your Ted. Normal voice - ya nothing exciting I am afraid. Then I got the most depressed 'Oh' I have ever heard.
  • I got a step my second year for doing this.
• and perhaps my favorite -- I was working CS and we opened the gates to let people in. There was a father and his son. The whole 'gotta be a man' dynamic was as strong as the sweat sticking my shirt to my skin all day. The kid is wailing and sobbing. I am not the most personable person with children which is why I opted for TTD but I was a ride (rhymes with bore) and moved all over Area II. I ask the child if they were cool to ride and the kid was like no daddy no and I am like 'sir junior here ain't wanting of piece of this cake, why don't you try the Snoopy express or whatever the (rhymes with truck) it is called" and the dad was like 'we drove from somewhere far away to ride these rides and damnit you are going to ride" I am like "sir, I love the macho vibe really but young Joseph here has to say he is okay to ride otherwise I cannot permit you to ride." So the dad goes to the side while we let on the 3 other riders who wanted to start their day with a sore neck and unfortunate tug on the short seat belt that rode your penile region. We send the train and then dad and son have found Jesus and are ready to try. So they ride front row, great. I ask them to tug on their seat belt which they ignore like everyone else so I carefully tug on their seat belt since I know the harnesses in rare cases can be pedaled incompletely and bypass the secret eye. The dad has the courage to say "trying to grab my (doink)" which I say " ha. ha, (such a great role model for little Billy)" So I dispatch the train and the kid is looking happy and I look unhappy - all is well. The train comes back and I pedal them out and I go to talk to the tyke and he let's out a massive warm gooey explosion of regurgitation all over my uniform and shoes. Thanks son.

Terrifyingly hilarious! But I gotta ask… What is “working crotch”?

Go ask your parents. ;)

Sorry.. Someone had to make the joke.

Shane Denmark said:

Terrifyingly hilarious! But I gotta ask… What is “working crotch”?

If I read it right, It's the term used by PT employees for the position between the towers on the ground who signal up to the control booth.

Yes expand on a few if you can. What happens leading up to and after when the kid punches the cop. Also what happens when the girl jumps the tracks on ID?
I could read a book of these stories they are so fascinating. Goes to show nowhere is safe from crazies and mayhem.