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Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:48 am
by Mad Maxx
smart1hermione wrote:At DL, isn't the fallout in Toon Town? My friend always mentioned somehting about being locked in the [bleeping] Gag Factory.
And right on Ball Rd as well. The other night, a friend and I were driving by the park as pyro was about half way through, so, me being the nerd I am, synced the music up from my iPod to the show and pulled into the Sheraton parking lot that is right across the street from the back stage entrance by TDA. And I got outta my car and got promptly hit in the face by some cardboard bits from the shells. Yeah... None of the crater in the roof making stuff that falls all over backstage, but still some of the lighter stuff goes across the street and such.

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:17 pm
by ThemeParkCommando
Seder wrote:Is Knott's really that bad? Most Cedar Fair parks are really good... ('cept restrooms, they're nasty!)
Hi--

I hope this isn't too off topic, but I just worked at Cedar Point for two months and...yeah...it's bad. There's a good reason that the bulk of their workforce consists of internationals right now; it's harder for the internationals to leave.

Also--and this does have to do with SGTs, though not at a Disney park--I was friends with a lot of the Restroom team in the front of the park (where I worked). Many of them really worked hard and really cared. Keep in mind that save for an extreme situation (a sewage backup, for example, where an employee had to stand guard outside the restroom for three hours and redirect people), they don't close the restrooms for cleaning (which I have seen them do at WDW). So the Restroom team has to clean around guests, many of whom are stupid and will barge into a stall that is obviously being cleaned, or who think it's fun to throw toilet seat covers all over the place. There was one girl who--sorry, this is gross--stuck used sanitary napkins to the stall doors. Who does something like that?! The worst I heard, though, is when a male worker walked into a restroom to find a man defecating on the floor! When he asked "What the hell are you doing?!" (usually he's not this blunt with guests), the man replied that he couldn't figure out how to open the stall door! So the worker shouted "Here!" and opened it for him. And of course this happened when he was really low on supplies, including gloves.

My point is there's a lot for them to contend with, but they try. I can't speak for other Cedar Fair parks. As for the 4th, as a Sweep I was lucky to get off at 6:00 and miss the closing madness. I slept right through the fireworks! I'd been working really long hours...

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:21 pm
by hobie16
ThemeParkCommando wrote:The worst I heard, though, is when a male worker walked into a restroom to find a man defecating on the floor! When he asked "What the hell are you doing?!" (usually he's not this blunt with guests), the man replied that he couldn't figure out how to open the stall door! So the worker shouted "Here!" and opened it for him.
It would almost be worth getting fired for jamming his face into it. :twisted:

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:26 pm
by mechurchlady
I quit going to Knott's after the Cinco de Mayo riots. They got rid of the native americans and screwed up the stagecoach area. That has to be the epitome of management stupidity, three examples.

I loved the stagecoach and once got to go behind the scenes, wow. When the driver missed the dock they could go around the circle and try again. Now they have to park it or try to back up a team of horses and get it right.

Cinco de Mayo riots was the epitome of management stupidity when they told everyone: Vamos solament $5 para person, hoy. $5 a person admission, today.
Every form of cheap low life came down as well as tourists and descent families. People were pissed off because of the traffic, fighting broke out and people could not get to the park let alone into it let alone ride any rides.

My neighbor works in housekeeping in offices for many years. Knotts aint what it was 10 years ago let alone 40.

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:25 pm
by Cranbiz
ThemeParkCommando wrote:There was one girl who--sorry, this is gross--stuck used sanitary napkins to the stall doors. Who does something like that?!

This is not as uncommon as you think and I don't know why.

In my younger days, I worked part time as a custodian in a middle school. Let me tell you, the worst place to clean was the girls room for the reason quotes above. :gross:

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:46 pm
by felinefan
Actually, Churchy, when I worked there 2003-2005, there were Native American employees--you guessed it, in Indian Village next to Ghost Town. There was one older gentleman whom I used to see doing carving, he did a canoe and once an egret statute. But after they put in Silver Bullet and reconfigured that part of Camp Snoopy and Indian Village, I didn't see him as much. The last thing I saw him carve were pumpkins for Camp Spooky; he had a concession teaching kids how to carve jack-o-lanterns. The other Native Americans I saw were the dancers during the summer.

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:16 pm
by Ms. Matterhorn
mechurchlady wrote:Cinco de Mayo riots was the epitome of management stupidity when they told everyone: Vamos solament $5 para person, hoy. $5 a person admission, today.
Every form of cheap low life came down as well as tourists and descent families. People were pissed off because of the traffic, fighting broke out and people could not get to the park let alone into it let alone ride any rides.
And kids cut school to go, which pissed off the local school districts! I remember that day, I had at least 5 students absent in every class!

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:09 am
by techie-13
Seder wrote:Fireworks make SGs swarm. I saw at least 3 get arrested for trying to “get closer” to them... (get in a restricted area near them) :rolleyes:
That happens alot. We actually had parents walking their kids into our safety area while we were loading shells for Santa Clara's Fourth of July fireworks. They tried to explain that they thought it would be a good learning experience for the kids to see the shells and mortars. :bugeyes:
Great, until something goes wrong or our pyrotechnician gets dinged by the fire marshall for someone under the age of 18 being out there. :rolleyes: :thumbdn:

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:41 pm
by GRUMPY PIRATE
techie-13 wrote:That happens alot. We actually had parents walking their kids into our safety area while we were loading shells for Santa Clara's Fourth of July fireworks. They tried to explain that they thought it would be a good learning experience for the kids to see the shells and mortars. :bugeyes:
Great, until something goes wrong or our pyrotechnician gets dinged by the fire marshall for someone under the age of 18 being out there. :rolleyes: :thumbdn:
Discovery channel did an excellent program about the company that put on the Washington, D.C. Fireworks show. It showed the company setting it up, doing the preps, wiring all the shells, and so on. It even showed them going to China and touring the fireworks factories.

It also showend how them make the various shells, by hand, that explode in various shapes and how they get them to do that!

Tell the kids to watch that!!

Re: 4th of July Fireworks SGTs

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:46 pm
by burlybear
mechurchlady wrote:
Cinco de Mayo riots was the epitome of management stupidity when they told everyone: Vamos solament $5 para person, hoy. $5 a person admission, today.
Every form of cheap low life came down as well as tourists and descent families. People were pissed off because of the traffic, fighting broke out and people could not get to the park let alone into it let alone ride any rides.

OMG, I worked in the Berry Market that day! 8 hours of wondering if we would ever reopen.