Standoff with Guests
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:46 pm
Ok, first, get the popcorn and drinks, you're going to be here for a while.
Good. Now here's the deal. Attractions have height requirements. If you don't meet them, if you're doing your job right, then the person isn't riding.
*The following has not been altered or exaggerated in any way*
Well I was at front grouper today when I was called to back grouper (Hell on Disney's earth to some) over at the Coaster for a second opinion on a height check (Back grouper was a new CP so he hadn't gotten the full grasp of being able to check someone's height without pysically checking it). The group had a girl that it BOARDER LINE 48 inches. I mean the closest you could possibly get to being boarder line. Well, her head still didn't hit the bottom of the rail we use to check heights and told the (I'm guessing mother) that she couldn't ride.
"Well she's been on twice today already."
"Ok, I understand this. But I'm checking her right here and while she is boarder line, she just isn't tall enough to go on."
"Well check her again." (A please would have been fine but no, it's ok).
"Alright." So I checked again and she still wasn't there (Apparently the mother was hoping the child would grow that extra inch in the ten second span). "Sorry, but she's still not hitting it."
So at this point she's becoming a little miffed about the situation and grabs the child's head (Not roughly or anything) and tries to make it covered but streches the kids neck and head to where it hits the rail. In that case, she hit the rail. I asked the mother to remove her hands (which she did) and the kid still wasn't there. THEN the other person in the group (Note: The group was apparently made up of five people, the adults being the mothers of the children in the group) does the same thing, grabs the kids head (Again, not roughly) and magically the kids head hits the rail.
At this point, the line is getting backed up and people behind the group are getting ansy for this to finish so they can get on, others are doing the "She's tall enough" deal (This will play out later). The one thing that really surprised me was that the boy in the group was actually trying to get her to stop while she was ahead, but to no avail.
"Ok. We're not getting anywhere here. I'm not permitting her to ride simply for her safety."
"But she's been on twice already!"
"Understandable. However, the other times, those people were not doing their appropriate jobs. I am doing my job and she doesn't meet the height requirement. I cannot allow her to ride."
"This is bullshit." (Which ruffles a few other the "Let her on" people's feathers)
"First off, we're at Disney. So I'll ask that you not use that lanuage here. Second, I will call a manager and he will have the final say in the situation."
"Ok, then this is BS, fine call your manager."
So I request that a manager stop by for a height situation and tell the mother that he is on his way. The other female in the group simply gives up and just suggests that they do the child swap and I begin to explain how it works when the first mother decides to chime in and intterupt me with the usual "That's not what we want to do" line. Then on top of this, moments later the second female (who before this moment was the calm one in their group) starts to jump a little. I ask the group to wait to the side until the manager arrives and go back to letting the others in.
No more than, 30 seconds later, mother one (Butts in and says "THERE'S FOUR WAITING TO GO ON RIGHT HERE!, this pertaining to the others in the group, who were in the process of making their way to the bypass door to leave), but at that point they had gotten so aggrivated (and for them to be aggrivated was pointless in my view) that they stormed down the bypass tunnel only to return a moment later with the little girl in tow. (At one point, the CM over on the other side of the track was trying to get me to just give up, which I would have, unfortunately, the mother would have none of it) Well at that point, the little one was crying so Mother One decides to yell a bit more and throw the blame on me. I stop the line once again and deal with her.
"Madam I am sorry she is crying. But it is for HER OWN SAFETY that I am not allowing her to ride. My manager will be here shortly."
"Well what's your managers name?!"
"Mike"
"Mike what!"
"No need for a last name, Just Mike. He will be here shortly Madam. Now I will let the others in your group go on if you wish."
"We don't want to go on your FUCKING RIDE Anymore!"
Well needless to say everyone else who was working the loading area was atuned to the situation. (I had found this out later but even UNLOAD, which is in a seperate area of the ride had caught wind of this during the time of the situation...Apparently from the storming around the other part of the group made). With the comment she had just made, EVERY PERSON IN THE AREA turned to her direction and I heard various gasps and "Watch your lanuage" and "There are children around!" lines coming from even the SAME PEOPLE who were only moments ago saying "She's tall enough". Heck, they were even whistling, cheering and clapping for me from myself standing against her this long and taking this.
Now everything was cool to me. I was ignoring her comments until she started verbally attacking me once more as I continued to load the rows as normal, blocking her out and going on my way (Occasionally, when we were completely full, I would turn to her, put my arms in front of me and cross my hands at my waist while she continued on, or streched a little). Well once she finally gave up with that, she actually PHYSICALLY pushed her way into the line, cut others off just to get to me and said and I quote: "YOU WILL NOT IGNORE ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!"
Well, that was it. I had finally had enough. So I request the CM in launch base to call security for me and I once again, return to my loading the rows (With the added, "Good going" and "Way to hang in there" from various people).
Just before she finally stormed off she said "YOU HAVE RUINED MY VACATION YOU LITTLE PRICK!"
*Like dirt off my shoulder I responded* "Thanks for the compliment"
So a few moments later one of my friends walks in with a under cover and the security guy. We step in the back and talk of the situation. I hear the story that they (The mother and mother two) gave and apparently, aside from my cool demenor and complete control over the situation and never rasing my voice I was "The rudest cast member ever and shouldn't be allow to work at Disney" (Thanks for the compliment again).
Meanwhile in the gift shop and courtyard, the manager is talking to the mother, all the while GUESTS are coming up to the manager and saying that she was being a complete pain and that I had never raised my voice once or never lost control (I now go to remove the HYS book, I have a new found respect for Guests).
While I am not sure of what came from the situation and if they ever rode or not, I'm just glad I had taken over to check the height because no offence to him or anything, but the CP that asked for my opinion would have been torn apart by her.
CMs who had been outside that were coming in from the rotation or for break were seeking me out to find out what had happened (Hell, even MERCHANDISE CMs were looking for me to find out what went on).
There were plenty of times that I could have just lost it and gotten the deal over with (and lost my job in the process) but I never did. I owe everything that I used in the situation to the person who spent 26 YEARS in the Marine Corps and spent 25 YEARS teaching a Marine Corps JROTC program at my former high school (He had started the program), who was my teacher for 4 years while I was in the program at the high school, who I see on a daily basis, my idol, mentor and greatest friend anyone could have, my grandfather.
Good. Now here's the deal. Attractions have height requirements. If you don't meet them, if you're doing your job right, then the person isn't riding.
*The following has not been altered or exaggerated in any way*
Well I was at front grouper today when I was called to back grouper (Hell on Disney's earth to some) over at the Coaster for a second opinion on a height check (Back grouper was a new CP so he hadn't gotten the full grasp of being able to check someone's height without pysically checking it). The group had a girl that it BOARDER LINE 48 inches. I mean the closest you could possibly get to being boarder line. Well, her head still didn't hit the bottom of the rail we use to check heights and told the (I'm guessing mother) that she couldn't ride.
"Well she's been on twice today already."
"Ok, I understand this. But I'm checking her right here and while she is boarder line, she just isn't tall enough to go on."
"Well check her again." (A please would have been fine but no, it's ok).
"Alright." So I checked again and she still wasn't there (Apparently the mother was hoping the child would grow that extra inch in the ten second span). "Sorry, but she's still not hitting it."
So at this point she's becoming a little miffed about the situation and grabs the child's head (Not roughly or anything) and tries to make it covered but streches the kids neck and head to where it hits the rail. In that case, she hit the rail. I asked the mother to remove her hands (which she did) and the kid still wasn't there. THEN the other person in the group (Note: The group was apparently made up of five people, the adults being the mothers of the children in the group) does the same thing, grabs the kids head (Again, not roughly) and magically the kids head hits the rail.
At this point, the line is getting backed up and people behind the group are getting ansy for this to finish so they can get on, others are doing the "She's tall enough" deal (This will play out later). The one thing that really surprised me was that the boy in the group was actually trying to get her to stop while she was ahead, but to no avail.
"Ok. We're not getting anywhere here. I'm not permitting her to ride simply for her safety."
"But she's been on twice already!"
"Understandable. However, the other times, those people were not doing their appropriate jobs. I am doing my job and she doesn't meet the height requirement. I cannot allow her to ride."
"This is bullshit." (Which ruffles a few other the "Let her on" people's feathers)
"First off, we're at Disney. So I'll ask that you not use that lanuage here. Second, I will call a manager and he will have the final say in the situation."
"Ok, then this is BS, fine call your manager."
So I request that a manager stop by for a height situation and tell the mother that he is on his way. The other female in the group simply gives up and just suggests that they do the child swap and I begin to explain how it works when the first mother decides to chime in and intterupt me with the usual "That's not what we want to do" line. Then on top of this, moments later the second female (who before this moment was the calm one in their group) starts to jump a little. I ask the group to wait to the side until the manager arrives and go back to letting the others in.
No more than, 30 seconds later, mother one (Butts in and says "THERE'S FOUR WAITING TO GO ON RIGHT HERE!, this pertaining to the others in the group, who were in the process of making their way to the bypass door to leave), but at that point they had gotten so aggrivated (and for them to be aggrivated was pointless in my view) that they stormed down the bypass tunnel only to return a moment later with the little girl in tow. (At one point, the CM over on the other side of the track was trying to get me to just give up, which I would have, unfortunately, the mother would have none of it) Well at that point, the little one was crying so Mother One decides to yell a bit more and throw the blame on me. I stop the line once again and deal with her.
"Madam I am sorry she is crying. But it is for HER OWN SAFETY that I am not allowing her to ride. My manager will be here shortly."
"Well what's your managers name?!"
"Mike"
"Mike what!"
"No need for a last name, Just Mike. He will be here shortly Madam. Now I will let the others in your group go on if you wish."
"We don't want to go on your FUCKING RIDE Anymore!"
Well needless to say everyone else who was working the loading area was atuned to the situation. (I had found this out later but even UNLOAD, which is in a seperate area of the ride had caught wind of this during the time of the situation...Apparently from the storming around the other part of the group made). With the comment she had just made, EVERY PERSON IN THE AREA turned to her direction and I heard various gasps and "Watch your lanuage" and "There are children around!" lines coming from even the SAME PEOPLE who were only moments ago saying "She's tall enough". Heck, they were even whistling, cheering and clapping for me from myself standing against her this long and taking this.
Now everything was cool to me. I was ignoring her comments until she started verbally attacking me once more as I continued to load the rows as normal, blocking her out and going on my way (Occasionally, when we were completely full, I would turn to her, put my arms in front of me and cross my hands at my waist while she continued on, or streched a little). Well once she finally gave up with that, she actually PHYSICALLY pushed her way into the line, cut others off just to get to me and said and I quote: "YOU WILL NOT IGNORE ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!"
Well, that was it. I had finally had enough. So I request the CM in launch base to call security for me and I once again, return to my loading the rows (With the added, "Good going" and "Way to hang in there" from various people).
Just before she finally stormed off she said "YOU HAVE RUINED MY VACATION YOU LITTLE PRICK!"
*Like dirt off my shoulder I responded* "Thanks for the compliment"
So a few moments later one of my friends walks in with a under cover and the security guy. We step in the back and talk of the situation. I hear the story that they (The mother and mother two) gave and apparently, aside from my cool demenor and complete control over the situation and never rasing my voice I was "The rudest cast member ever and shouldn't be allow to work at Disney" (Thanks for the compliment again).
Meanwhile in the gift shop and courtyard, the manager is talking to the mother, all the while GUESTS are coming up to the manager and saying that she was being a complete pain and that I had never raised my voice once or never lost control (I now go to remove the HYS book, I have a new found respect for Guests).
While I am not sure of what came from the situation and if they ever rode or not, I'm just glad I had taken over to check the height because no offence to him or anything, but the CP that asked for my opinion would have been torn apart by her.
CMs who had been outside that were coming in from the rotation or for break were seeking me out to find out what had happened (Hell, even MERCHANDISE CMs were looking for me to find out what went on).
There were plenty of times that I could have just lost it and gotten the deal over with (and lost my job in the process) but I never did. I owe everything that I used in the situation to the person who spent 26 YEARS in the Marine Corps and spent 25 YEARS teaching a Marine Corps JROTC program at my former high school (He had started the program), who was my teacher for 4 years while I was in the program at the high school, who I see on a daily basis, my idol, mentor and greatest friend anyone could have, my grandfather.