Misc GA Mumblings

[Yoshi]

It must have taken close to an hour for anyone arriving at that time to get to the entrance (not counting time to go through the metal detectors and gate). I remember opening day 2012, it took me almost 40 minutes to get into the lot and that was with line of cars up to where Hurricane Harbor is.

 

There is also the NJ Key Club Rally at the park today which sounds like many people attended:

http://www.njkeyclub.org/events/fall-rally/

Edited October 12, 2014 by Yoshi

[Nitro#1]

I was there today with my dad. I did not get pictures or have enough information for a full trip report, so I just put it here. We got there early and went straight to KK. It was closed, so we went to El Toro and rode in the last row. Then we processed our passes for next year. We got on El Toro with a wait on the stairs and the season pass center had almost no wait at all. We then went across the park to Nitro and rode that with a wait on the stairs and rode in the last row. Rode Batman with a 15 minute wait in the front row after that. Then we decided to go back to Nitro for another ride since the line was short. We rode in the 4th or 5th row this time which was cool because you would float on every drop while in the last row you get slammed up into the harness. We had lunch after that and then rode Mine Train. We tried to ride Bizarro, but the line was to the entrance with no switchbacks used which with Bizarro's terrible operations had to be at least half an our. We just decided to leave and beat the traffic. The traffic to get in was backed up to the overpass over 537 when we left.

[Mrpq]

^Yup. Crazy right?

Wait hold on, sorry I'm late to this one. Is there a thread about this?!

[jonlee]

I have never seen traffic backed up that much to get in. I always get there before opening and leave around 3.

[KK456]

^^I'm not exactly sure where I saw it, but relocating Kingda Ka was part of the original plan for the Six Flags that will be built in Dubai, along with giving us a 500 foot drop tower to "compensate". Clearly that didn't happen and that plan manifested into Zumanjaro!

[robertleax]

I heard that the park is really busy today. I know that around 2pm the entrance roadway was backed up to the highway.

Never got a chance to go on Sunday. Doing Halloween decorations and had to cut the yard.

 

But now I am taking my daughter back to Virginia this weekend to visit my parents (my Mom is pretty sick). But that means that on the way home we can do a "drive-by" and hit Six Flags America for a quick hour or two. The park is never crowded on a Sunday at Noon for the rollercoasters,

[Mrpq]

That's the dumbest idea I have ever heard. I'd like to shake the hand of the Six Flags higher up that thought it was a good idea. "Hey nice to meet you, you are an idiot" lol

 

Between cost of taking it down, packing it up, sending it BACK over seas and reassemble, wouldn't they be better off just ordering another version?

[KK456]

^Eh.. I agree it wasn't a good plan. I've stated my opinion on this before, and I don't feel like going into the details again; but one thing is for sure- a monumental move like that would start a tremendous reaction from the GP, good or bad (more likely bad). They will get a bigger and meaner version of El Toro though, along with a dive machine and even a B&M giga, supposedly. But we will have to see if this plan takes form.

[Mrpq]

Oh yeah I didn't mean to get into it, its just this was the first I saw of it even being an idea

[joeyc98]

I hope you guys know that this plan to move Ka is not happening anymore, right? The idea came up a while ago and it fell through...

[Mrpq]

yes, well aware. just didn't hear about it till I just read so I was asking of a short overview and that's what was explained lol

[DANofNJ]

I wouldn't have a problem is they got rid of kingda ka. Its a one trick pony. And on top of that, Zumanjaro really screwed up the capacity. Would be no lose if it was taken out.

[RADZADcoasters]

I don't know I the is the right topic to put this in, but I was in granny's and there was a fight between 2 girls, and park security came about 5 minutes later, asked a few questions, and left, you can see how great our security is!

[mayor al]

I need a bit more information to be able to respond to your comment, RadZad. Were the females Employees or guests? Aproximate ages...were they little kids, Teenagers? Wheel-chair bound Granny's? Was anyone injured? Were they still present when Security arrived? I am not sure what you expected to be done, but if the fight was over, with no injuries, why would the Park get involved at that point at all...unless one or both of the people involved wanted to press assault charges against the other... and apparently that was not the case in this situation. I think you were looking for the Gunfight at the OK Corall, and are dissing on Security for not bashing someone , Well That's not the way the system works. It sounds like the issue solved itself before the officer got there.

Edited October 18, 2014 by mayor al

[joeyc98]

Bravo to this man above me for spelling out what i'm usually too lazy to explain.

[RADZADcoasters]

One girl was fairly Injured, and people where bumped into and lost their drinks and food. They looked about 16, and they where park guests. The one girl who was attacked stayed there and was asked a few questions, she had some hair pulled out, and it was pretty intense right, but the park should have gotten more involved then a simple, are you ok?

[RADZADcoasters]

One girl was fairly Injured, and people where bumped into and lost their drinks and food. They looked about 16, and they where park guests. The one girl who was attacked stayed there and was asked a few questions, she had some hair pulled out, and it was pretty intense fight, but the park should have gotten more involved then a simple, are you ok?

Edited October 19, 2014 by RADZADcoasters

[mayor al]

Joey,

Thanks for the positive support. It opens the door for a comment about the image of Security in the Park over the years.

I've been reading the stories in all of these forums that cover the 4 decades of Park History and get a feeling that there has been a change..not necessarily for the good in the relationship between the Security folks and the seasonal crew that comes in in many departments each year. I have not been in the Park to observe this directly, it is just a feeling from the writings of a few folks here and that might not be a fair sample to make a judgement by, but it would warrent looking into if I were in a position of leadership at G A.

 

The "Spirit" of cooperation and teamwork that was felt among the workers during the first years of operation, while Management was in a turmoil of change of ownership, was hard to describe, but it was real. Security evicted guests from the Park on the "say-so" of a Ride-Lead with the Ride-Supv. approval, no Mngmt involvment at all., Meaning if a guest really violated a rule that was 'eviction-qualified', they were gone...that's it. That got the Ride Op support and Security to trust that each side would not go overboard in dealing with the guests. Employee disputes were referred back to their departments, unless they got a guest involved. We did not want to be referrees in the summer romance fights in the park that happened late in the evening.. (near Gate 2).

 

When an employee notified Security of a possible violation, and we acted on it, we tried to make sure the employee was recognized for their assistance. A tram driver mentioned an armed guest to the front gate guard, When we followed up we found out the guy was a Cop carrying his off-duty gun, but the shift supervisor sent a note of recognition to the tram driver- thru channels- thanking him for his alert warning. so he got a 'star' from his Boss for his behavior. Sometimes it was less formal. A Kiddie Ride Lead told me she heard a bunch of voices walking the fence(outside) that ran between the Pkg lot and the back of her ride section. (Looking for a place to come over the fence into the park) Two officers went into the woods, came up behind the group of about a dozen kids and scared them pretty bad by yelling at them, bracing them on the fence and then using plastic cuffs to link them together and walk them all the way to Gate 2 and into Security, checking I D's and calling parents, before evicting them from the Park. The Operations folks thought that was pretty neat. That kind of 'work together thing happened often.

 

Now you may understand my frame of reference when I read a comment like the one above... I would not just ignore it.

Al

[mayor al]

RadZad

thanks, that helps First aid should have been involved too. and as you described, it would have warrented more attention than it seemed to get.

 

1. first aid to one or both people involved.

2. interview at least a couple of witnesses

3. if they were juveniles hold for parents or adult chaparone

Edited October 19, 2014 by mayor al

[RADZADcoasters]

Yeah I belive a security guard asked one witness a question or 2, and even so, I don't think their parents would care, my mom just dropped me and my friend off at GA and we walked around the park and went on rides. But, I am respectful to the park in every way, I always say thank you and have a nice day to all the park employees, it puts a smile on their face and puts them in a positive mood.

[mayor al]

RadZad

That attitude makes all the difference...going both ways. An irate guest can often be turned around if treated with courtesy. Same with the employee who has a chip on their shoulder. Sometimes it takes more patience to deal with that sort of behavior, but in the end it really does pay off , 1. for the Park, and 2. for your own feeling of satisfaction of not playing into the hands of the "other guy". Better to let them rant, then speak calmly but with authority. It is amazing how much you can get done with unruly people if you simply stand your ground but don't play their games.

 

I hope you enjoyed the rest of your day in the Park. I wish you could have been there in '74, It was a real "Adventure" then.

[FlumeOp1974]

You are correct mayor. Back in 74.75,76. There was a lot of cooperation. And the host and hotesses, played a key roll in keep things in order. But back then we viewed it as more then a job. We created a Adventure for guests. I remember being assigned to greeter on the log flume and crowed control more the once in 74..And there were few if any fights by guests. Line cutting just was a big no. ANd back then some guests were lucky to get on 1.5 rides. ANd many waitted hours. We had no flash passes, no seasons pass holders early entery. YOu came with the intent to stay the day. Not run in and see how many rides you could crame in for the day. Even with "Magic Til Midnight" things were orderly. But when you and i worked for the park we understood it was more then a trip a amusment park or the shore for an evening. And ths was drilled into our heads. To keep it from becomming just what its is now.

[The Master]

Just a couple of weeks ago, when they were holding people at the fountain before opening, the guests kept pushing the guards further and further back. The guards were losing control of the crowd.

 

Back in the 70s, NJ was probably less strict about what private security could do than now. NJ is a pretty anti self defense state, much more so now than in the past, which may be why park security at GADV, seems so handicapped anymore. NJ expects you to allow the state to protect you, even through it is not their responsibility as ruled by the courts. Six Flags may also be worried about liability concerns and wants a limited security action to reduce liability.

 

PA isn't so strict about such things and why Dorney's, security is more effective, some of them even have side arms. Also it doesn't hurt they look like security instead of crossing guards with trash pickers. Silly looking uniforms doesn't condone respect from guests.

 

The last thing is for some reason, GADV has developed this culture where people go there as a place to behave badly like drunk cowboys in a western town.

[pashacar]

^ It's clear you want to make a point here, but I'm hard pressed to see how this has anything to do with regulation; to me, it has everything to do with choices made by Six Flags, including the training methods they employ, the uniforms (as you said), the number of guards they choose to pay to work at a given time, and more. In none of the situations described in this thread would having armed security guards have helped -- what would have helped is better training and a stronger presence. Nevermind that there are uniformed and undercover Jackson PD in the park at nearly all times during FF.

[KK456]

...The last thing is for some reason, GADV has developed this culture where people go there as a place to behave badly like drunk cowboys in a western town.

 

Couldn't agree more. I've seen some stupid stuff happen there more recently at the park; stuff that didn't happen even 5-10 years ago. Perhaps the reason general behavior at the park is nosediving is because society in general is getting worse and looser with what can and can't be done. Just look at the stuff you see on the internet these days (Miley Cyrus isn't doing a good job of making society look good! ) What was once unacceptable is now commonplace, like line cutting especially, and fights breaking out too, along with people just acting retarded in general. I swear, it seems sometimes that people spend all that money and all that time going to the park just to ruin everyone's day and ruin everything.