Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

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Zazu
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Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by Zazu » Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:30 pm

So much of the life we lead is about priorities, and so many of our troubles come from having those priorities out of proper order. Today offered an object lesson in this.

The WDW Railroad's trains travel at a brisk clip of about 12mph. This doesn't sound like much, we all drive faster every day (some of us in our driveway), but we usually stop our car before we get out. Trust me, despite 33 years as a railroad conductor, 12mph is faster than I can get on or off a moving train. Anything over about 4mph and even pros like me are asking for trouble. This is why we stop the train at the stations. (Duh!)

This afternoon, a guest with very peculiar priorities accidentally dropped something from the train. Not an unusual event, happens every trip. But instead of asking at the next station for us to fetch the stuff for him (which we gladly do), he decided that his priorities demanded another approach.

As the train rolled through Tomorrowland, this guest decided to step off the train to "rescue" his merchandise. True, not being anything like a professional railroader, he promptly went ass over teakettle in the grass in a way that had the other guests gasping and using phrases usually reserved for NASCAR wrecks.

Naturally, I stopped the train and ran back to him to see if he was okay. Apparently not injured too badly, he had already gathered his loot and stood back up.

"Are you okay? Do you need any first aid?" I began.

"Just a minute, I have to see if they're all here," he replied, and proceded to organize and count... four VMK cards. And yes, he moved his lips as he counted to four. Apparently he survived because he landed on his head -- a body part containing no functional organs.

I elected to skip asking him twice more if he wanted first aid. Instead, I sort of blew my stack at him for risking his life for a few cards. I pointed out that half the time, folks who fall off trains end up underneath them, losing limbs if not life in the process.

It had no visible effect on him, but I hope some of the younger guests within earshot took the lesson to heart.

"Come with me," I ended, and walked him over to the nearest gate back into Tomorrowland. "Step through here." He didn't say a thing, just kept looking at his cards and trying to brush the grass blades and smutz off them.

Funny part was, unlike every other time I've tossed somebody off the train, his family didn't protest that he was being left behind. My guess is that they were just as glad to see him go as I was.


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by SRT_GB » Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:20 pm

Isn't there an "Honorable Mention" category of the Darwin Awards for people like this who don't lose their life but probably will be killed by their stupidity at some point down the road?

And isn't that something that could've gotten the guy ejected from the park?
&quot wrote:Funny part was, unlike every other time I've tossed somebody off the train, his family didn't protest that he was being left behind. My guess is that they were just as glad to see him go as I was.
Reminds me of the guest we had at Strollers who my lead had Security escort out of the park. Security was walking back to talk to my lead when the guy starts rattling the main gate floodgate. They ended up calling APD and had the guy escorted off property. All his family did was stand at Strollers, embarrassed. I don't think they even went after him - just went on with their day in the park.


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by Mommytomjm » Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:52 pm

Oh My Gosh! That is too Stupid for words! :eek: Hope he leaves before we get back there Sat!


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by CerasiJ » Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:04 pm

Zazu wrote:"Just a minute, I have to see if they're all here," he replied, and proceded to organize and count... four VMK cards.
I have a silly, off-topic question, what are VMK cards? o.O


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by joanna71985 » Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:38 pm

CerasiJ wrote:I have a silly, off-topic question, what are VMK cards? o.O
VMK is the new virtual online game. Virtual Magic Kingdom. I can't believe someone could be so STUPID over a couple of cards. Well, ok; actually I can. But still. He could have gotten himself KILLED!!! :eek:


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by MagliteL13 » Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:40 pm

Okay, that really takes the cake. I always thought it was bad enough when people would ask the questions, demand that we give them the answers rather than just tell them to ride the attraction. Cmon....Jungle Cruise isn't all that bad! Good thing it was a train and not a boat! --Can you imagine what would happen if it were the Liberty Belle (if the Belle were running)?


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by saidthekat » Thu Oct 13, 2005 10:05 pm

MagliteL13 wrote:Okay, that really takes the cake. I always thought it was bad enough when people would ask the questions, demand that we give them the answers rather than just tell them to ride the attraction. Cmon....Jungle Cruise isn't all that bad! Good thing it was a train and not a boat! --Can you imagine what would happen if it were the Liberty Belle (if the Belle were running)?
no... but i want to.


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by CerasiJ » Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:36 am

MagliteL13 wrote:Good thing it was a train and not a boat! --Can you imagine what would happen if it were the Liberty Belle (if the Belle were running)?
Then he would have totally deserved whatever he got had he plummeted off the side!!!! :D: :twisted:


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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by hhsrat » Fri Oct 14, 2005 7:53 pm

MagliteL13 wrote:Can you imagine what would happen if it were the Liberty Belle (if the Belle were running)?
If nothing else, probably a trip to the doctor to be treated for falling in that water. I had a friend fall in (during one of the canoe races), and they sent him to first aid.



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Re: Your VMK Cards or Your Life?

Post by IdiotsAreEverywhere » Sun Oct 16, 2005 2:10 am

MagliteL13 wrote:Can you imagine what would happen if it were the Liberty Belle (if the Belle were running)?
The guest who jumped off would more than likely get a free park hopper and a sincere apology for having a river in a theme park. It's happened before. :D:



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