Your VMK Cards or Your Life?
Posted: 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.
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.
Hope he leaves before we get back there Sat!