Guests That Want Special Treatment

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

Ok, so I was working parades in the New Orleans/ Critter Country area, working in the Wheelchair section. It was close to parade time and the area around the Hub and Main Street was all filled up. Then comes this family coming in the wheelchair section with no wheelchairs with them. So, I go to them and tell them that the area was reserved for wheelchairs only. I suggested that there were plenty of room in Fantasyland. He complained and gave me a sob story how he returned from the military and haven't seen his kids in so - so years, and all that. I apoloized and once again suggested the Fantasyland viewing area, again, he tells me the same sob story and that it is for wheelchairs only.

I have nothing against people of the military, I love and appreciate them, but that doesn't mean that we should give them special treatment and let them stay where ever they want, does it??

[Dramamama07]

I hold the military in the highest regard, anyone I know will tell you that. However, after reading your story I just had to say this. Maybe you could've told him that the special military viewing area was in Fantasyland... ;)

[Main Streeter]

He complained and gave me a sob story how he returned from the military and haven't seen his kids in so - so years, and all that. I apoloized and once again suggested the Fantasyland viewing area, again, he tells me the same sob story and that it is for wheelchairs only.

I have nothing against people of the military, I love and appreciate them, but that doesn't mean that we should give them special treatment and let them stay where ever they want, does it??

DLRDan, you did the only thing you could in this case. :) Might have been a sob story or the real thing. You'll never know as SGs use every trick they can think of now. :( Wish we had a few extra perks for those who fought/fight for us, but this would open up flood gates & never ending probs for Disney. F Land is always the best sugestion. At least you acknowledged him, apologized, & gave him a choice. As a CM you gave your best.

[bpgstudios]

Back in the day, they used to have military nights at DL, where those in/retired from the service could get a discounted ticket and a "private" party in Disneyland. I'm not sure how often this was done, but a friend of mine very fondly remembers these events, since his dad was retired from the military.

I understand the dilemma here, but IMO he is using his position completely wrong. If he hadn't seen his kids in a while, what better time to reconnect than sitting around waiting for the parade to start? Maybe he just really wanted to show his kids a fun time and get their mind of the fact that their dad may be redeployed, etc. But unfortunately, rules are rules. Wheelchair section is only for wheelchairs and their parties. Personally I'm thankful he WASNT in a wheelchair and that he is safe (and I don't even know him, just that too many of our troops are not so lucky). I know I always feel bad when I have to turn away someone from something IF they ask nicely and politely. But most of the time there is nothing that I can do.

[BRWombat]

...Wish we had a few extra perks for those who fought/fight for us...

I thought that was already covered, what with Shades of Green and the various discounted admission deals. I'm all for more, but demanding wheelchair space without a wheelchair is just wrong. I vote he's a lying SG -- he sounds too whiny to be military.

[hobie16]

Must have been an officer. An enlisted man/woman would have never pulled that crap.

If it happens again get into a military rap with them. A good tip off to a faker is ask them what their Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) is. If you get a "Huh" or blank stare you've got a phoney. Treat them accordingly.

[Alyssa3467]

I gave people blank stares when they asked me what my MOS was while I was active duty in the US Navy. For the enlisted folks in the Navy, they call it an NEC, or a Navy Enlistment Classification, and at the time, I had no idea what an MOS was. :p:

I had a Guest (Customer? ;) ) one time give me an American Express branded gift card clearly marked as only being usable at Fashion Island, The Market Place, and the Irvine Spectrum Center (with information found at http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/giftcard.aspx). After I refused it and pointed out the text on the card clearly spelling out the rules, she kept on ranting about those cards being given to kids whose parents died in Iraq for them to spend as part of The Snowball Express. If I was allowed to, I would've loved to put her in her place for using her family member's status like that. :mad:

Later that night, I checked out the organization's web site, and lo and behold, they were at the Spectrum the day before they went to Disneyland.

[DLRFantasmic!Dan]

Must have been an officer. An enlisted man/woman would have never pulled that crap.

Why is that?

If it happens again get into a military rap with them. A good tip off to a faker is ask them what their Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) is. If you get a "Huh" or blank stare you've got a phoney. Treat them accordingly.

What is the MOS? Is it the military branch?

[hobie16]

The majority of officers in the military assume that they can treat their precieved inferiors like dirt. In the military they can get away with it because it's the law. I was a military policeman for a while and nothing gave me more job satisfaction them to ticket an officer who thought he could pull rank on me. They always forgot that I represented the post commander when on duty.

MOS is a job description code. It will indicate both job and rank. Unlike the Navy it applies to everyone from private to general. When I got out my MOS was 31G or area communications chief.

[LegoDan]

what really irks me about some of the millitary is that they like to treat us civilians like crap, they think they're better than us but they don't realize that once they join the millitary us civilians are technically higher than them, because it is their job to serve and protect us, not the other way around. Yes they are fighting the good fight and I support the millitary 100% but there are those assholes that ruin the reputaion of the rest.

anyway that's my rant, and damn it's been a while since I last posted