Stupid Guest Tricks

I just started working at a regional theme park on a really cool roller coaster. I am excited to be working in a theme park again and excited to be working a coaster. I knew it wouldn't be Disney, but I guess I didn't realize how difficult of a switch it would be.

Whereas at Disney I would probably be one of the youngest, I almost feel like an old hag! Most of the kids I work with are just graduated from high school. I see so many things that would not fly at Disney. I am pretty straight laced, I will admit it. I believe that you can have a lot of fun doing your job the way it is meant to be done. Please don't get me wrong, I really do love my job and my coworkers but I get very frustrated sometimes.

Tonight was one of those nights. We had a guest get off stating that their harness popped open and she had to hold it open. I asked her to show me the seat. We didn't seat anybody there and called a supervisor and maintenance. Maintenance told us to down the ride until they could check it out. They checked it out, of course it was fine. What we figure happened is her harness was between notches, when that happens they naturally move a bit. She probably just freaked and overreacted. We were pretty sure that was the issue from the get go.

BUT... Am I willing to stake another guest's life on that without checking it out? No. Several of my coworkers gave me a really hard time about it. Telling me I was overreacting, making comments like "we're already staying til one, why not make it two?" (We were close to the end of hte night with a full queue.) At least my supervisor and the more seasoned employees said that I did the right thing, but I still felt bad that several people were pissed off.

I know it's not Disney, but I have the mantra in my head, "SAFETY, courtesy, show, efficiency." I refuse to be like Six Flags which dispatched Superman Tower of Power as guests were screaming at them that a cable had detached. I have seen ride units where a lap bar malfunctioned. People don't realize these are MACHINES, built and maintained by fallible humans. They can and do fail. I don't want to be that person who when a guest is injured on my ride has to say, "Oh yeah, somebody told us about that but we thought it couldn't happen on our ride and they were wrong." Grrr.

Whew, I feel better now! Like I said, the people I work with are very nice. I just wish sometimes they were more professional.

Next time tell them to shut their yaps and do their jobs or take it to management. Seriously, who do you think the bosses will side with?

EeyoresButterfly wrote:People don't realize these are MACHINES, built and maintained by fallible humans. They can and do fail.

And, stuff wears out. It's the law.

Don't let it get to you. Safety should always come first. If they persist, I would tell them to shut it.

Oh, wow. They aren't that concerned about guest safety? That is really frightening. It makes me grateful to know that I work for a company that honestly and truly cares about safety all around.

Really, the vast majority do. It was only two people giving me grief, everybody else said I did exactly the right thing (including maintenance, my lead, and my supervisor). But it was frustrating for those two to be haranguing me about it.

Good for you. You did the right thing. 99 percent of the time it will turn out to be no problem. But who wants to take that risk that it's that 1 percent and could cost someone's life?

I think Bollinger & Mallibard had the best idea ever when they added seat belts to their shoulder harnesses. Such a simple thing, yet it could save a life if the harness lock failed.

CujoSR wrote:Next time tell them to shut their yaps and do their jobs or take it to management. Seriously, who do you think the bosses will side with?

Unfortunatly, If you work at universal, they side with the group. Most of the coaster management there is stupid, barely trained, and barely competent. Do your best, and buy lots of TUMS for the indigestion.

You DID do the right thing! No doubt Fantasyland Attractions definitely embeds Guest Safety into your skull. Way to represent!!

Syndrome wrote:Good for you. You did the right thing. 99 percent of the time it will turn out to be no problem. But who wants to take that risk that it's that 1 percent and could cost someone's life?

I think Bollinger & Mallibard had the best idea ever when they added seat belts to their shoulder harnesses. Such a simple thing, yet it could save a life if the harness lock failed.

Yep! We have the seatbelts as well although our other looping coaster (not an inverted) does not. I love the idea of our seatbelts. Actually, other than the coaster of doom that every worker wants destroyed all of our coasters have both a lap bar or harness, and a seatbelt for added protection.