Stupid Guest Tricks

felinefan wrote:I agree--after reading enough posts to get a general feel for what went on, etc., this is consumerism gone horribly mad. I can remember back in the 70s they had articles on how to complain effectively, but this is on a whole 'nother planet, if not universe. And I agree with one of the posters--what caused the guy to fall? When I was growing up, we were taught to watch where we were going, and if you trip and fall, it's usually your fault. But today, you trip and fall, and it's somebody else's fault, not yours; and you sue them. Reminds me of Weird Al's "I'll Sue Ya" song and video.

No wonder it takes so long for legal matters to make their way through the court system--too dang many frivolous lawsuits!

Happens Everyday!!!

very sad that we have gradually changed to a society that blames everyone else for something that is caused by a poor judgement/action on your part! (generally, not personally)

When I went to WDW last Sept, there was a family of 4 people walking towards the exit. SG # 1 fakes a fall and lands on her side. SG # 2 tells her not to move. SG # 3 gets help and Guest # 4 says, tell them you hit your head on the pavement. There were 4 of us in our group and we told security that she faked the fall. There was no curb and she did not have a hard hit, it looked like a stunt. Security came 45 minutes later and so did first aid. So, I am guessing this SG and her pals must have been pulling this crap for some time.

From what I have read from the article, I believe it is the guests problem. The only time I would go after a theme park is if an attraction were to break and cause injury to me. You can fall and hurt yourself like that any where. I don't think the guy can win anything.

JugglingFreak wrote:What a completely disgusting site.. After digging around I found the following link:

http://consumerist.com/5012725/professi ... is-secrets

A book by a "Professional Complaint letter writer" called "How To Complain For Fun And Profit"

It is a how-to book on how to get free stuff from companies by complaining.. Is this what we have come to as a society?

I mean, it is one thing to complain when you have a genuine reason, but to send letters specifically with the goal of getting some kind of material reward (that is the point of the book.. I checked the official webpage) that is beyond sickening..

Just because it's ON the site, doesn't mean they actually condone it (in this case, it's a link to a different site and if you read the comments, people who visit the site have the same opinion as you about that particular subject). Consumerist is blog-based and they have articles of all descriptions - including "bad consumers" articles. I love reading the articles of acts of insane stupidity and vileness that both businesses and consumers do.

They would love some of the stupid guest stories we have around here and would likely post the best ones.

We really should put together a list of the best SGTs and stick it on a page on the site.

I disagree with the assessment that this was a stupid situation. From what I understand, Disney promised to pay, and then reneged on the deal, not to mention had incredibly poor communication. The couple didn't ask for payment initially, and if Disney hadn't first promised, they may very well not have pursued anything. However, to promise something and then take it away is bad behavior, and does not reflect well on Disney.

It does sound like the injury wasn't Disney's fault at all, but that's really not the point. The point is that they should have kept their word. Whether the person who made the initial promise had the authority to do it or not is irrelevant; that is something that should have been handled internally at Disney.

Consumerist posted another one today this time about Blizzard Beach. Here is does seem more like Disney's problem, but the article is heavily biased and is written antidisney.
http://consumerist.com/5048798/disneys- ... heir-rides

What strikes me about that article is that 1) he "lost" the tube on the slide - you have to be goofing off, not following directions, or basically trying to lose the tube, 2) He drove 150 miles to Sarasota Memorial Hospital after the incident and 3) A trained lifeguard refused to call 911 for an obvious injury? I seriously doubt that.

I also find fault with that site in general. The OP puts in their complaint, then others offer "advice" but the rules of posting prohibit anyone from questioning the OP's story. Anyone who posts anything but "damn Disney" or whatever company gets banned. They CLAIM that posting an opinion is acceptable as long as you offer advice and not simply negativity, but the implication is that unless you agree with the OP, your opinion is in violation of the site's bylaws. I hate that kind of "discussion."

Uh, no. I can tell you that didn't happen. If they file suit, I hope there's a much greater countersuit. I guarantee he didn't have all that happen, and I guarantee the life guard didn't refuse to help. I'll bet he doesn't remember a name, and neither does his girlfriend.

Fishy doesn't even begin to describe it.

Theme Park Where wrote:What strikes me about that article is that 1) he "lost" the tube on the slide - you have to be goofing off, not following directions, or basically trying to lose the tube, 2) He drove 150 miles to Sarasota Memorial Hospital after the incident and 3) A trained lifeguard refused to call 911 for an obvious injury? I seriously doubt that.

I also find fault with that site in general. The OP puts in their complaint, then others offer "advice" but the rules of posting prohibit anyone from questioning the OP's story. Anyone who posts anything but "damn Disney" or whatever company gets banned. They CLAIM that posting an opinion is acceptable as long as you offer advice and not simply negativity, but the implication is that unless you agree with the OP, your opinion is in violation of the site's bylaws. I hate that kind of "discussion."

I have seen that on a LOT of boards, it seems to creep into boards very slowly, but shows up none the less! (possibly their mods are allowed to run the board threads unchecked, ignoring rules/fair play and just being biased?)

I only browse those, getting what information I am looking up , and leave them.

They actually have a very stiff code of conduct. You ARE allowed to question the OP, but you're not allowed to make pat statements like "the OP is in idiot" or "Company X sucks".

In that latest Blizzard Beach article, a former Disney employee weighs in - basically saying that there's no chance of real victory against a company like Disney if they decide to ignore your complaint.

In roughly 36 years of going to WDW, I've hardly had any things to complain about so I can't offer personal input on that (ok, well, there was the one bad hotdog at Pinnoccio's Village Hause back in 1978 that - even until this very day - makes it impossible for me to eat relish without gagging).

On the one hand, consumers today are being shat on left right and center while on the other, businesses are struggling to survive due to bloated overhead and cost of doing business. Us average consumers are probably too polite to complain anywya.