kraxleRIDAH Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Two people were escorted out of Great America when they were caught smoking in a non-designated smoking area. Her excuse was that she didn't see any signs and that the park didn't give her an option to put out her cigarette or to relocate to a designated smoking area. I call bull. Though I don't know exactly what happened, I think people in situations like this where they are removed from a place where they paid to get in overreact and get upset and totally refuse to acknowledge what they did was done knowingly. You can't walk around any of the Six Flags parks nowadays and NOT see a "This is a non-smoking park" sign in the midway or the PA addressing it out loud over the park. http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/kadner/552455,091207Kadner.article It's good to know for a fact these policies are being carried through. I'm smoke occasionally and do at amusement parks, but if there are designated smoking areas, I go and smoke there. But this lady lights up in a non-smoking area of the park (clearly aware of the policy) but thinks she won't get caught and when she does, she probably gave the security guys a hard time and was then asked to leave. I would love to remind that person that amusement parks are private property and rules are rules -- the eviction from an amusement park without refund for violating park policies is standard...don't know why some people think it's just an empty threat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP Psyclone Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Good to know that they're enforcing. Even smokers prefer smokefree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Fan Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I have see it happen at SFNE a few times.. They walk you all the way to the front gate and make you go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim S. Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 When I was at Great Adventure in July, they were handing out cards about the smoking policy at the ticket windows. If Great America isn't doing that, they should. I don't remember if I heard anything over the loudspeakers about the policy at GAdv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekRx Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I've seen similar things at Great Adventure, when you walk thru the turnstyle you're given a card with the park rules and policies. If you don't read it and do something against the park's rules and regulations and get escorted out, it's your own fault. However, neither SFNE nor SFDK were doing that this year, so it may not be a universal Six Flags thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PURE Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I'm a smoker and will admit that I've smoked in non-designated smoke areas at Magic Mountain. If security walked up to me and took me to the gate to boot me I wouldn't have any problem with that because I deliberately broke the rules. And I'm a big fan of making examples out of people, especially ones that plead ignorance. Like somehow they're oblivious to the repeatedly posted signs and loudspeaker notices at the front of the park. "Sorry sir, I don't care how many people you saw smoking out of designated areas today. The rules are clearly stated throughout the park. I caught you smoking, and now I'm making an example out of you." I bet we won't hear about people getting escorted out of another SF park again for smoking, mainly because I don't think there are many employees that do their jobs and enforce the park rules. But I would love to be proved wrong. Keep it up Six Flags! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 This is the first time I've heard of someone being evicted from SFGAM because of smoking, and I'm surprised she was as people always smoke out of the smoking areas. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come, and as for the womans excuse, bs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I have noticed much more observance of the non-smoking policies at SFGAdv this year. However, I have not seen security confront any smokers that were smoking outside of designated areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazekiddd Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Ok, I'm a smoker and during the MidWest Trip at SFGAm, we didn't even see any of the policies since we didn't go in the main entrance, but we did clearly see signs posted for smoking and also found them on the park maps. If we still didn't find them, then we would simply ask, but generally, they were everywhere and we found them easily. They weren't out of the way or hidden, you could basically tell they were smoking just by walking by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebl Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I wish that not only parks, but everywhere, they'd go after the lazy ones who smash their cigarette butts on the ground when they're done---and leave them there. I see that too often, even when there's a trash can just a few feet away. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Arthur Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Worlds of Fun here in Kansas City (part of Cedar Fair) has been cracking down on the smokers in non-designated areas this season. Though I haven't heard of a park-eviction yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browntggrr Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I'm sure there is more to the story. What probably happened is a park official asked them to put out their cigarettes and they put up a fight. You can see it happen due to their: "I was smoking in an open area, not near any lines or other people, when all of a sudden a park employee came up to me and said I would have to leave," Teri Melendez said, quote Since there are designated smoking areas, it doesn't make a difference who or what you are near. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resonancej Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I agree that there's got to be more to this story, especially from what the PR lady said. When someone approached her to move to a designated area, she probably looked at them and said "f*ck off". I watched this happen once at the magic kingdom, and sadly it was the bf of the friend of mine. He was smoking in the area outside of splash mountain where you see the characters sometimes. A cast member approached him and told him he couldn't smoke there. He got pretty belligerent and I thought she was going to call security but she didn't. It seems there are polite smokers (most of the guys that have posted here) and there are obnoxious smokers, and my friend's bf (and this lady it sounds like) definitely fall into the category of obnoxious smokers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themeparkguy27 Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 SFGAM now has a ZERO (0) tolerance policy for smokers. She was probably not given a chance to move. If you break the rules, your out. Don't plead ignorance. Signs are on every garbage can, almost every employees shirt. PA announcements are made. If she or anyone else refuses to smoke in a designated area, they will be escorted out. The SFGAM PR person must not of been notified of the change. It is now a 0 tolerance policy on code of conduct issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DejaVu The Ride Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Ways guests are informed of the No-smoking policy at SfGam: 1. The back of most team member shirts. 2. On pretty much every trash can in the whole park. 3. No-Smoking button on the front of almost every team-member. 4. Guest Code of Conduct boards at front of park and Admissions area. 5. Designated Smoking board at Admissions area. 6. Guest Code of Conduct boards located at front of the 4 B&M coasters. 7. The 12 Designated Smoking areas themselves. 8. Park Map which has locations for all designated smoking areas. 9. Park Guide which includes Guest Code of Conduct. 10. Announcements made periodically in main park. 11. Announcements made even more often than previous announcement in Admissions area. 12. Announcements that some rides make to the queue lines.(Which state the park-wide policy.) 13. Previous news articles that highlight the No-Smoking policy among other "family friendly" changes. ....there could be more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommanderLock Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 At Great Adventure, its all over the place, these no-smoking announcements. I didn't witness any examples being made or anything of the sort, but after this I'm assuming that the park manager might have gotten a bit ticked off about the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenA07 Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Ignorance is basically never an excuse. I'm sure this couple is going to attempt to sue the park for all sorts of things, and I'm betting that the judge will dismiss it, because once again, ignorance isn't going to work as an excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themeparkguy27 Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 An update to the smoker story. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance at SFgam. Opinions? http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/kadner/604532,101607Kadner.article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Thrill Dragster Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Its ashame Six Flags cant enforce the no line jumping rule like they do the non smoking rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterJunkie Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I have a problem with people who think the rules do not apply to them. Smoking in lines is something you are not supposed to do, yet whenever I go to a park, there is at least one person smoking. This is a MAJOR problem at both HHN and HOS events. Glad to see someone getting the rule enforced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uwgbdork Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 What smokers do not realize is that to a non-smoker, there are few things that are more repulsive than walking past someone who is smoking whether it is outside in an open area or a 10 by 10 box. I went to SFGam a few weeks ago on a bus trip and we were warned right on the bus before going in. There was a security officer that got on our bus and made the trip organizers read a prepared statement of the zero-tolerance policy of ALL park rules that day and told us that a like 2 dozen people were ejected the day before. Smokers can be one of those things that can put a lasting negative impression on guests. I applaud Six Flags for trying to make an example of these people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaparri Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I find it annoying that there is even a story about this. Why is this news? I guess it's not much different than reading about a high-speed chase or something, but still. Some idiots deliberately broke the rules (anybody that has been to the park knows that it had to be deliberate) and got kicked out of the park. That's a story? Wow. Props to Great America for growing juevos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primogen18 Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Yeah its a park doing what it is suppose to do, where are the "SFGA Served An Eatable Burger With A Smile" stories? I'm glad they are enforcing stuff, I guess its out there as a warning for others, but, the policy itself should be warning enough and it should be expected that they enforce it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I find it annoying that there is even a story about this. Why is this news? I guess it's not much different than reading about a high-speed chase or something, but still. Some idiots deliberately broke the rules (anybody that has been to the park knows that it had to be deliberate) and got kicked out of the park. That's a story? Wow. Props to Great America for growing juevos. I think I remember reading that the reason there is a story because the woman ejected either works or has connections to the paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrakenKing Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I was at a few Six Flags parks over the Summer and I noticed that SFGAdv had a blue line that surrounded the smoking areas in the park. My friend (ElToroExtreme) said that if you were to step out of the line and get caught, you could face a fine and get expelled from the park. I think more parks should enforce these rules, I'm tired of walking down the midway behind a smoker, even in lines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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