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Mantis Man rides Xcelerator 20,000 times since 2002


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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, remember - this may not have been his idea - this may have been the park's idea. The example that I have, it wasn't a single park, it was an *entire chain* that decided that they would rather have a fella similar to this get special treatment in return for ensuring that he wasn't in line with the rest of the guests and all that would entail. They also wanted to be able to eject him from the park under circumstances they would never eject another guest for, so the decision was to make a special set of rules for that particular person because it was actually to the benefit of the park.

 

With Knotts celebrating this, someone at the park clearly thought it was better for him to do it. If they didn't want it, they didn't have to.

 

Having said that, I find nothing more annoying then people hopping on a ride next to you from the exit. To be honest, reading the original article years ago and commenting on it now makes me feel like Knotts is a little dirty each time I read it, and like I should go somewhere else when I'm next there because as a person who is often a single rider, I'd really rather not have this guy pop in beside me.

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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.

 

Well Said!!

 

There used to be the couple (maybe they still go) that had to be the first people to ride in the front row of Batman at SFGAm and the last people to ride in the last row of Raging Bull. Supposedly they did this everyday

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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.

 

Cedar Point has Popcorn Larry, whom I first thought was Uncle Leo from Seinfeld....or the devil, as this was taken on the same day that the world was supposed to end a few years ago. Remember that?

 

I have seen him in the Red Garter with his bucket of popcorn just about every time we have gone in there to see a show since this one in 2011. I assume that he must drive to the park just to catch the show? The thing I found the craziest is that he didn't have a beer to go with his popcorn!

 

Then there is the 'Single Rider' old guy that marathons Millennium Force, but he seemed pretty nice and would wait in the queue like everyone else (although you can't get on the coaster from the exit area. I think he knew the tricks of the trade though, because I have only seen him there on days when the queue is relatively short, like on Sunday mornings during the non-peak season.

Capture.thumb.JPG.143f631137d32a8a9bb7e08baf4398b4.JPG

Popcorn Larry at his usual table by the stage.

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First of all he doesn't call himself Mantis Man, someone gave him that. I've never heard that name before. His name is Richard and I've said, I've ridden with him many times. He is a slight bit strange, but I can deal with it. I'm sure he's over 36,000 rides now. He's kind of a savant. You can tell him your birthday and in a matter of seconds he'll correctly tell you what day of the week it was. Also he's really good with math too. Let's try to not be so cruel!

Edited by robbalvey
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I'm totally cool with single rider and filling the train, but the last thing I want sitting next to me is some creepy old man ruining the ride by counting down and just kind of existing instead of enjoying the ride. It would ruin the experience for me, ESPECIALLY if I observed the park accommodating this for just him.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, If I saw the park accommodating this, I would assume that it's some kind of 'Old Person Make-A-Wish' thing going on, which would also ruin the experience for me because I would feel bad for him.

 

Either way, it's a lose-lose for me.

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First of all he doesn't call himself Mantis Man, someone gave him that. I've never heard that name before. His name is Richard and I've said, I've ridden with him many times. He is a slight bit strange, but I can deal with it. I'm sure he's over 36,000 rides now. He's kind of a savant. http://themeparkreview.com/forum/posting.php?mode=edit&f=2&p=1415294#You can tell him your birthday and in a matter of seconds he'll correctly tell you what day of the week it was. Also he's really good with math too. Let's try to not be so cruel!

 

Yes, this was hardly a "cruel" question--it's a valid one. Everybody just relax.

 

Robb mentioned years earlier in the thread that his name came about because he was from Ohio and was originally obsessed with Mantis at Cedar Point. If this is true, he definitely "traded up."

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He got the nickname Mantis Man because he always wore a Mantis shirt.

 

Aside from that, I personally think it's just as weird we are spending so much time talking about the guy. I guess that it is a sign it is the off season...

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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.

 

Valleyfair had their own group. The three of them would be at the park 5-6 times a week, and would just alternate between watching the two live music shows. It was so bizarre. They were always there when I'd visit, and they'd just be plopped down, watching the shows. They'd always take pictures with the casts after each show, and even got multiple crappy t-shirts made with the photos on them that they'd wear to the shows.

 

Then when Haunt would roll around, they'd be their every night. Opening night, they'd hit up every maze once, then for the rest of the season, they would only go through the park's Chateau Du Damne maze. Over and over again; racking up hundreds of walkthroughs during the event's run.

 

No idea why they didn't just apply to work Haunt...

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Back in the day, when Cedar Point still ran big coasters in the rain. I rode Millennium Force 12 times in torrential rain (in the era before fast pass, no line was gold). One of the Cedar Point lap counters (he had a little piece of paper and small pencil in a plastic sleeve to record each lap), shouted at me that the lap didn't count because I covered my face from the rain (damn those rides were painful).

 

The bottom line is as long as MM behaves himself then there's no cause for complaint. But in saying that, it is still TPR's duty to take the piss out of anything and everything.

 

Were the Skywalker twins foamers or coaster nuts?

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First of all he doesn't call himself Mantis Man, someone gave him that. I've never heard that name before. His name is Richard and I've said, I've ridden with him many times. He is a slight bit strange, but I can deal with it. I'm sure he's over 36,000 rides now. He's kind of a savant. http://themeparkreview.com/forum/posting.php?mode=edit&f=2&p=1415294#You can tell him your birthday and in a matter of seconds he'll correctly tell you what day of the week it was. Also he's really good with math too. Let's try to not be so cruel!

????? How are we being cruel??? So we are making fun of some freaky Rain Man dude that's obsessed with riding one roller coaster 40,000 times. How is that cruel???

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Xcelerator is the only ride in the park that they ride ops let you ride over and over without exiting. They let you stay in your seat if no one is waiting in the queue for it. They also allow you to wait on the platform to see if there is a vacant seat. I haven't seen them give Richard any other privilege that wasn't offered to other riders that wanted to re-ride.

 

I have to agree that Richard is a strange character especially with the counting down but I've never noticed that it offended any other riders.

 

Jim

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Aside from that, I personally think it's just as weird we are spending so much time talking about the guy. I guess that it is a sign it is the off season...

Anything to spur discussions and kill time until more parks open. No comments from me about the guy though.

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  • 3 months later...
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.

 

I think it's pretty disgusting how you condone the rape of a mentally challanged guy here.

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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.

 

Cedar Point has Popcorn Larry, whom I first thought was Uncle Leo from Seinfeld....or the devil, as this was taken on the same day that the world was supposed to end a few years ago. Remember that?

 

I have seen him in the Red Garter with his bucket of popcorn just about every time we have gone in there to see a show since this one in 2011. I assume that he must drive to the park just to catch the show? The thing I found the craziest is that he didn't have a beer to go with his popcorn!

 

Then there is the 'Single Rider' old guy that marathons Millennium Force, but he seemed pretty nice and would wait in the queue like everyone else (although you can't get on the coaster from the exit area. I think he knew the tricks of the trade though, because I have only seen him there on days when the queue is relatively short, like on Sunday mornings during the non-peak season.

 

What about the guy that wears all black and drives around the park in a two wheeled Segway? Or am I the only one who sees him all the time?

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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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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?

 

LOL! when I worked at Universal I ran into that guy several times...very creepy guy, handsy with the female employees and such...

 

As far as Mantis Man...whats the big deal? He's clearly not right in the head, and probably lives a pretty sad and lonely life...why cant you all just let him have his roller coasters? He's not delaying anyones ride or making the queue longer, he's filling seats that would be sent out empty anyway. Does he grope the people riding next to him or do drugs at the park? I dont see how he's disrupting anything. If you dont want to sit next to him, dont go to the park by yourself--you always run the risk of meeting strangers when being a single rider and the fact is even if he waited in line, theres a good chance you'd still get seated next to him anyway.

 

Thats my take on it...just kinda sad that some of you feel the need to bully the guy for almost 20 pages when he has issues and has done nothing to any of you. Hes just doing what we all love doing, and Im willing to let him do it more considering he seems unable to have the benefit of the normal lives we all have.

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^You have an odd definition of "bullying." I doubt that those who have vented here about the special treatment Mantis Man receives have ever "bullied" him in public or would ever do so. If the park chooses to give this fellow special treatment, that's up to them; however, that doesn't mean that others have to approve.

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^You have an odd definition of "bullying." I doubt that those who have vented here about the special treatment Mantis Man receives have ever "bullied" him in public or would ever do so. If the park chooses to give this fellow special treatment, that's up to them; however, that doesn't mean that others have to approve.

 

I mean, how would you feel if you knew there was a full thread on some website dedicated to belittling your passion? Bullying doesnt have to be in person. I personally wouldnt feel great if there were 20 pages on the internet dedicated to pointing out how weird or mentally challenged or unappealing I am...but thats just me I guess.

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