Daved Thomson

This is an opening season (1981) Roaring Rapids male uniform as well as female. Both males and females also had the option to wear the same colored pants in shorts. I could be wrong, but I believe this was the first time males had the option of wearing shorts in the park.

The dark red/tan uniforms are general Food Service uniforms (meaning most of the food stands like Great American Hamburger, Wheelburger, Bandstandza, etc.), the brown/orange are male food carts uniforms while the yellow/orange are female food carts, the dark red with white stripes were for Yum Yum Palace and Gingerbread Fancy. Best of the West may have had these same uniforms, but if I recall correctly, they had a denim uniform jeans with a red shirt similar to ride ops in that section of the park. La Cantina and Goya Taco in the "Spanish section" wore uniforms very similar to those of Rolling Thunder's operators. I'm referring to the 1980, 1981, and 1982 seasons.

I agree. Great Adventure was pretty nice when It came to not only the real estate acquisitions they made to somewhat satisfy the judgements against the Switliks, but even the personal property mentioned here. When you consider the entirety of the legal battle between the two parties (Hardwick and Switlik), I tend to agree with the final outcome ultimately reached by the Supreme Court. The crazy part, in my opinion, is that all of the problems between the two seem to have been created, not by Stanley Switlik, but by his son Richard. I get the impression that he had stuck his nose into his father's business (meaning the land sale to Hardwick) when his father was comfortable with what had been agreed upon with Hardwick, because Richard wanted the land himself.

1982 was my second season working at the park and I worked right next door to Pinball Parlor at Big Wheel Burger. I never really got into the whole PacMan craze or even video games other than at home (Atari, etc.). But, several of my friends from high school also worked at the park with me in food service and were into PacMan. But, I distinctly remember going with them to what was the Dream Street Arcade (Blue Tent) to play PacMan and other video games (Asteroids comes to mind). I don't recall ever stepping foot in Pinball Parlor until the 1985 season when I briefly worked graveyard in cash control and had to go in there when the park closed to collect money from the bill/token change machines.