GigaG

Exactly. I didn't want to sound political, but it's just more nanny-state type stuff, except this time it's a private company doing it (pushed by lawyers to do it and using it as an opportunity to make money.) It's just so demeaning, embarrassing, and idiotic to be patting people down. Seriously. There should be big red signs everywhere in the queue announcing that if you are caught with a phone on a ride outside of a secured pocket, you will be banned from all Six Flags property, either for several years or life. Put them in English and Spanish (and any other languages that are common in the area, I know that SFGAdv attracts a very diverse crowd from NYC, Philly, and the like, so English-only is a bit unwise for such a critical safety sign.) Make sure people know that there are security cameras and you WILL get caught doing such idiotic things. In addition, I know that in my home state of Ohio, you can be fined (and perhaps jailed for a bit) and convicted of a misdemeanor for breaking ride safety regulations. I hope that New Jersey has a similar law. NJ has regulated the amusement industry before (KK/Zumanjaro), so it seems like they would have such a law. If such a law exists, that, too, should be put up on big signs along with the aforementioned warning. Another interesting idea is at Diamondback at Kings Island, where mangled phones that fall from the ride are put on display in a large Plexiglass box before you enter the station as a warning. Nobody wants to lose their phone, which probably cost them $200-$900 if it's a smartphone. Let me finish with a closing remark. Imagine if somebody's Flash Pass - which, while smaller than a phone, is also an electronic device that the rider is trusted to secure properly - comes loose on El Toro and knocks my teeth out. Maybe the user didn't clip it to their belt loop. What will Six Flags do about that? They'd definitely be more hesitant to ban something that makes them money. But banning phones, keys, and wallets? That makes locker money. Hence the current ban.

Hopefully someday this place will toughen up and stop pandering to lawyers. If people know they'll be kicked out for having their phone out, they won't do it. Simple as that.

I'm going to be visiting SFGAdv in about 2 weeks. I'm extremely excited to revisit El Toro and all the other great rides there. But there's one problem, which I have not seen mentioned in this forum at all. I've heard of El Toro and Kingda Ka getting a ridiculous loose article policy, where they will literally pat people down and prevent them from taking their oh-so-dangerous phone in a zippered pocket that can't open unless you're an absolute moron who takes out their phone on the ride. Do we really have to treat everybody like a terrorist and be nannies to everybody? Freaking PAT DOWNS. Let's bring back some personal responsibility here, like 99% percent of other parks in the USA. I am more than capable of holding onto my phone in a zippered pocket. Maybe instead of this, they should have enforced the existing loose article policy. If you see someone with a phone, you kick them out. But at many Six Flags parks, I see riders with cameras and phones all the time and the ride ops don't stop the lift. I figure they did this at SFGAdv, then rather than trying to enforce it, they just sprung this moronic policy on us when somebody got hit with a phone. Not to mention that they will gladly let you take on your Flash Pass which is less secure than a zippered pocket. Six Flags cares about safety, all right. If "safety" makes them more money (lockers.) I highly recommend that anybody who cares about not being babied by the park because of the actions of a few idiots, and anybody who doesn't want this to set a precedent for more bubble-wrapping in the industry, email SFGAdv here and complain. Don't be an arse about it, but do let them know that it is a terrible policy that inconveniences customers. https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/plan-your-visit/contact-us *rant over for now*