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Mantis Man rides Xcelerator 20,000 times since 2002


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I think it boils down to courtesy and respect. If he rides a bunch of times like any other guest and doesn't act up about it then I don't have an issue with it. Sure I think he's insane and should branch out and do other things with his time but I'm sure he doesn't care about my opinion. If he's expecting special treatment and inconveniencing other guests and staff members though it's a different story. The entitlement frustrates me!

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Although it might sound creepy to ride a coaster so many times, it beats the hell out of playing cribbage with other people his age.

I dunno, I kind of think everything needs a balance. It's one thing of he frequented the park often, like once or twice a week. But constantly being there and 30,000 rides? That's flat out nuts.

 

I'm sure this guy is also annoying for the ride ops, too, since he's allowed to use the exit platform as a single rider line. Why does he get special privileges just because he's crazy? I remember when I worked at Disneyland, there was an old man named Arthur that used to come to the park every day and he thought he was part of lost and found and he would come up to us give us random things that he found which required us to stop our normal work and then have to deal with whatever it was he was handing to me. And then he would try to talk to me for like 15 minutes.

 

Nice guy and all, but annoying when it becomes a distraction for the job you're supposed to be doing.

 

I was 1 of the operators he annoyed. He started getting REALLY bad where he started climbing over other guests to get to empty seats and myself and a few of the other leads told him he is NOT allowed to climb over anyone to get into a seat and if he continued he would have to wait in the normal queue like everyone else. I personally didn't have an issue with him taking an empty seat here or there as most every train had at least 1 empty seat but myself and the rest of the leads did NOT allow him to cause guest concerns or interrupt the ride operators from doing their job.

Yup, I actually witnesses this myself and is why I avoid him. You're right that I have no issue with someone taking an empty seat if they can do it patiently and with respect to others, but I felt this guy seemed he was "entitled" to those empty seats and even saw him get annoyed at the ops when they dispatched a train with an empty that he couldn't get to.

 

I have no problem with himhaving a non-balanced life as long as he is not hurting anybody.

I don't have a problem with it either, but I'll most certainly be judgemental of it!

Edited by robbalvey
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^^ & ^^^ Agreed. In his defense though, he normally does keep to himself however he will get out of hand if no one says anything to him.

He really can be a pest if Xcel is down for extended periods of time though. He will harass all of the operators that are at the entrance and exit of the attraction. I've had to tell him numerous times "Richard, Please visit another attraction and check back with us later."

 

^ Robb, You should be judgmental!! It's odd, plain and simple.

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Even if it isn't a distraction to the ride ops, I really think it is unfair he gets special treatment and his own "Fast Lane" just because he wants to ride Xcelerator over and over. He should have to wait in line along with everyone else.

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Even if it isn't a distraction to the ride ops, I really think it is unfair he gets special treatment and his own "Fast Lane" just because he wants to ride Xcelerator over and over. He should have to wait in line along with everyone else.

 

Exactly no special treatments. I can't believe they actually let this guy, who has paid for nothing, do as he pleases

Edited by tribar
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^ What's sad is that it's probably easier just to let the guy do it than put up with him bitching about it if they don't. They guy is batshit crazy. Although next time I'm at Knotts I feel like I should just go up the exit if Xcelerator and sit in an empty seat. If they say anything I'll just say I'm the new Mantis Man and I'm going for the record.

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Although next time I'm at Knotts I feel like I should just go up the exit if Xcelerator and sit in an empty seat. If they say anything I'll just say I'm the new Mantis Man and I'm going for the record.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. I wonder what would happen if people began lining up behind him and filling up empty seats along with him.

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Although next time I'm at Knotts I feel like I should just go up the exit if Xcelerator and sit in an empty seat. If they say anything I'll just say I'm the new Mantis Man and I'm going for the record.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. I wonder what would happen if people began lining up behind him and filling up empty seats along with him.

They could make a single riders line, but then you get stuck in the first available empty seat. No preferences. Obviously seems like the most fair route to go, imo.

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Robb kind of said this, but it's perhaps a dirty little secret that most parks have various visitors like this. It's sort of a balance that needs to be struck - the guest has every right to be there, but their needs (or wants) really shouldn't interfere with anyone else. I know of a handful of people, most of whom had their own nicknames too, usually given to them by ops at the park, that did similar things. In most cases, the parks did work with them to sort of help them do what it was they were more or less addicted to. They also did have rules put around them, but they were different.

 

For one in particular, the chain knew which days he would be in which park. He did certain things the exact same at each park, only rode a specific ride at each, and was sort of insulated because of it. The park would get the call that he was coming, and they would let him watch the ride's opening procedure from the line and then be the first to ride. In turn, he was told the rules for his riding, and if he disobeyed that it was understood it was an immediate removal.

 

Why get extra rules? Because without them, he'd be bothering the regular guests in line, leaving a bad impression on them, but wouldn't cross the line to get himself removed so would just be a horrible pain in the neck. It was way easier to work with him and give him some special privileges and sort of insulate him from the rest of the crowd then it was to kick him out. Can you imagine? '[Park] kicks out person for riding ride too much!'

 

I'm sure that Mantis Man is similar. From what everyone says, it sounds like he isn't a ton of fun... but perhaps by letting him hop on from the exit, the park shields the regular guests from spending more than just a ride with him, and he gets the benefit of riding more often. I'm guessing he doesn't do anything that would get him tossed from the park. Sounds like almost the exact same scenario I was part of...

 

Also, to be fair, while some people are calling this guy crazy and he should have moderation because he's rode one ride 20,000 times, there are a lot of us on here that have been on hundreds of coasters, which is not necessarily a ton of moderation for us either.

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Also, to be fair, while some people are calling this guy crazy and he should have moderation because he's rode one ride 20,000 times, there are a lot of us on here that have been on hundreds of coasters, which is not necessarily a ton of moderation for us either.

 

Yes, but we don't tell people to scoot over so we can ride, we don't ask for special treatment, and we don't wait at ride exits and rush to fill in empty seats. We wait in line along with everyone else or get the Fast Lanes/Fast Passes.

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I can see the arguments for both sides here but, it annoys me how he's not paying for these 'privileges' that, any other Single rider (Like myself) would kill for.

 

I actually met someone similar at USO last season; he was a guy who said he had rode HRRR many thousands of times and used to go a few times a week after work. I realize the single rider line isn't the same as Xcelerator's but, this guy would just ride, get off, click his counter on his wrist and join the damn queue again. What's so hard about that?

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Also, to be fair, while some people are calling this guy crazy and he should have moderation because he's rode one ride 20,000 times, there are a lot of us on here that have been on hundreds of coasters, which is not necessarily a ton of moderation for us either.

 

Yes, but we don't tell people to scoot over so we can ride, we don't ask for special treatment, and we don't wait at ride exits and rush to fill in empty seats. We wait in line along with everyone else or get the Fast Lanes/Fast Passes.

Yeah, exactly. There is a HUGE difference between one guy who is obsessive compulsive about ONE RIDE to the point where it's a borderline mental imbalance and someone who just likes to travel the world and visit theme theme parks.

 

Everyone is crazy in their own right. Some are more extreme than others. I've at least met Mantis Man, several times, and I can tell you that guy has serious mental issues.

 

Mantis Man is one step away from being this person:

Edited by robbalvey
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I really do NOT appreciate you comparing me to this guy, because that's exactly what you were doing (I was the one calling him crazy), and if you think I'm as crazy as "Mantis Man", then you really don't know me at all. I've at least met Mantis Man, several times, and I can tell you that guy has serious mental issues. I do not.

 

I wasn't trying to single you out by any means. I tend to use the word crazy, instead of the other words that were used like insane and creepy. It was more of a case of us using the same word then anything else.

 

That having been said, I actually was introduced to you at one point when you were not doing TPR stuff just as a regular park guest. I definitely didn't get a "crazy" vibe from you.

 

Everyone is crazy in their own right. Some are more extreme than others.

 

...and that was my point exactly.

 

As for the special treatment, again - I highlighted a few reasons why a park might grant such perks. Having said that, to be fair, wouldn't ERT be asking for a special privilege not granted to normal park guests?

 

Perspective

 

We're all a little crazy in our own right, it's just how well we hide it from others. And, for the record, the people on TPR *tend* to be much more adjusted than "other" coaster groups in that right, and those coaster groups might still seem far more adjusted then this guy. And seriously, that probably comes from the seemingly totally normal people who run the site / group. It's reflected.

Edited by goatdan
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And, for the record, the people on TPR *tend* to be much more adjusted than "other" coaster groups in that right, and those coaster groups might still seem far more adjusted then this guy. And seriously, that probably comes from the seemingly totally normal people who run the site / group. It's reflected.

I think that's because the extreme crazy people seem to weed themselves out of TPR. While I go agree we are all a bit crazy, TPR is just not a good home for someone way off the deep end.

 

--Robb "We like to have some normality to our insanity!" Alvey

Edited by robbalvey
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I think that's because the extreme crazy people seem to weed themselves out of TPR. While I go agree we are all a bit crazy, TPR is just not a good home for someone way off the deep end.

 

--Robb "We like to have some normality to our insanity!" Alvey

 

Again, agreed. Which is reflected in the group. If you were posting pictures of you standing on rides or explanations of how to defeat security systems, new people to the site would try to top you with crazier things. Those type of people get shot down, and go find somewhere where that sort of thing is appreciated.

 

And then they don't understand why this group gets the perks and ins that it does.

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I guess he was behaving the days I've ridden with him. Never saw him crawl over anyone to get on. He always waited for an empty seat before getting on. I was doing the same thing. Most of the riders wanted the front of the train while we were riding the last car. He did leave when the queue was full though and didn't wait on the platform.

 

Jim

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Yeah, I think every park has at least one patron like this guy. We had one or two when I worked at Hersheypark, and people I know that have worked at different parks have similar stories. In my case we told the guy that he could ride the ride as often as he wanted, but he had to obey all the rules just like everyone else. He was pretty good about that, but loved to try and strike up conversations with employees, like we were his "friends", which was annoying when you're just trying to work and keep an eye on the ride and the crowds.

 

I think because of this experience I find this sort of behavior on the creepy side, and just try to stay away from it as much as possible.

 

dt

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I guess he was behaving the days I've ridden with him. Never saw him crawl over anyone to get on. He always waited for an empty seat before getting on. I was doing the same thing. Most of the riders wanted the front of the train while we were riding the last car. He did leave when the queue was full though and didn't wait on the platform.

 

Jim

I guess here is what I do and do not have a "problem" with.

 

I think if you have just waited in line, rode like any other guest would, and then as you are exiting the ride, there is an empty seat, and you snag it...ONCE... I'm "ok" with that (even though I know that's probably against the posted policy.)

 

I don't think I'm "ok" with someone coming up the exit, circumventing the queue, and then hopping into empty seats all day.

 

I "get" that he's not taking a ride away from anyone else, but IMO there is just something wrong with someone making their own rules when it comes to theme park rides. And sure, I realize that what I said I was "ok' with isn't part of the rules either, but I dunno, I think waiting around the platform at the exit defies the laws of common courtesy.

 

The more I think about it, the more I don't think they should allow this guy to do it. It's simply just unfair to other guests. If they had a single rider line or a posted single rider policy, that would be one thing, but I don't think someone should be allowed to make their own rules just because he goes to the park every day.

 

That's not cool with me.

 

--Robb

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I guess he was behaving the days I've ridden with him. Never saw him crawl over anyone to get on. He always waited for an empty seat before getting on. I was doing the same thing. Most of the riders wanted the front of the train while we were riding the last car. He did leave when the queue was full though and didn't wait on the platform.

 

Jim

I guess here is what I do and do not have a "problem" with.

 

I think if you have just waited in line, rode like any other guest would, and then as you are exiting the ride, there is an empty seat, and you snag it...ONCE... I'm "ok" with that (even though I know that's probably against the posted policy.)

 

I don't think I'm "ok" with someone coming up the exit, circumventing the queue, and then hopping into empty seats all day.

 

I "get" that he's not taking a ride away from anyone else, but IMO there is just something wrong with someone making their own rules when it comes to theme park rides. And sure, I realize that what I said I was "ok' with isn't part of the rules either, but I dunno, I think waiting around the platform at the exit defies the laws of common courtesy.

 

The more I think about it, the more I don't think they should allow this guy to do it. It's simply just unfair to other guests. If they had a single rider line or a posted single rider policy, that would be one thing, but I don't think someone should be allowed to make their own rules just because he goes to the park every day.

 

That's not cool with me.

 

--Robb

 

Indeed.

 

Why should he get a different treatment than other guests? If he has an annual pass, what gives him the right to think he's more than the next guy with an annual pass.

 

But on the other hand don't the parks themselves by allowing this kind of behaviour implicitly agree with it? I understand it's difficult for the park to "control" the behaviour of their ride attendants, but in extreme cases like this maybe they should think of a clear policy for the employees on how to handle this guy. Maybe they don't want to interfere too much as this guy is basically free advertisement for this ride?

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Does every park have a token creepy dude(s), who's sole purpose in life is to ride the major coaster or coasters as many times as they can? I've seen this at several parks including Cedar Point, and Carowinds.

 

The guy is clearly deranged and should be avoided at all costs. If he breaks park rules: throw him out of the park; and if he breaks the law: throw him in general population at Chino where he'll be the one getting ridden all the time.

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