An example of horrible parenting skills

[kidcoaster 2]

Question: My daughter wants to go on the Hulk coaster at Universal Studios. But you can't ride unless you're at least 54 inches tall, and she's 52 inches in sneakers. I thought I'd slip the person manning the ride $20 to let her on. How do I do this politely, though? I don't want to make a big scene.

 

Answer: It's only January, but I think we have a winner for the Terrible Parent of the Year Award! You actually want to bribe somebody so your kid can sidestep the safety regulations on a roller coaster that flips you upside down seven times? And you're asking an etiquette expert how to execute this brilliant idea without being rude? Gee, maybe my next question will be from a bank robber wondering how to phrase his "Give me all your money" note politely and whether or not it should be engraved on good paper.

 

You're nuts. Those height requirements are there for a good reason -- to keep people from falling to their deaths. I'm sorry your daughter will be disappointed, but you two need to deal with it.

 

www.post-gazette.com/pg/10024/1030113-37.stm

 

Why don't people realize hight restrictions are put in place to protect people who are too small to fit properly in the restraints. Love the answer they gave her though.

[Pufferfish]

It's people like this that make my job as a ride op much more difficult than it should be. Why can't people just accept it that their child is too short for a ride and just bring them back later when they are taller. I've been cursed at, physically threatened, and been threatened to be sued by parents before. There are some people who just can't be rational. I understand it when a kid acts that way, but when the parents do it, it's very shameful. Such a great thing to teach your kids too, how to disrespect rules.

[CPmaverick]

Must be a Michigan fan . In all seriousness it is sometimes funny how people try to get their kids on rides.

 

Last year while in line for Diamondback, I saw a girl who was just slightly too short to ride back at the entrance. Instead of just walking away, her mom decides to sneak her daughter past the ride op when he wasn't looking, thinking that would work. She must of forgot about the other eight or nine ride ops up in the station to catch her.

[Myself]

It never ceases to amaze me how far people are willing to go to bypass a rule. Last year (or was it 08?) a family brought their child to Kennywood with wooden blocks tied to her feet so she would "meet" the height requirements. Needless to say, no one who works there is quite dumb enough not to notice, and they didn't help her at all. Some people also try the "He/she can handle it" approach, especially on the Thunderbolt, which has the second-highest requirement (after King Kahuna) in the park. I also *LOVE* when people use the "they were just on here!" excuse. No, they were not. I've been on this ride for the past hour and a half, and we definitely would have noticed that your child is too short.

 

This entry is GOLD. In my experience, if an employee were to use this response, it have little to no effect coming from them. We know the ride better than anyone else, but sadly, most of the GP seems to think otherwise. The answer provided comes from someone who has no affiliation with amusement parks whatsoever, so it's hopefully going to have a stronger effect.

[hyyyper]

Nobody ever slipped my a 20....

 

It is indeed worring how many parents think they are above park regulations. In my years working as a ride-op I've been stunned from time to time how careless a parent can be.

 

"I'm sorry m'am, your daughter isn't tall enough to ride" "Oh, that's ok, I think she is big enough"

[ebl]

On the flip side of this, one time at SFMM, my daughter wanted to ride Gold Rusher, so she walked over to the height limit sign to measure herself. She noticed that she was about a half-inch too short and stepped away, saying "No, I'm too short to ride." And that was that.

 

Parents who do this are a disgrace.

 

Eric

[Electerik]

I've been cursed at, physically threatened, and been threatened to be sued by parents before.

 

That was always one of my favorites.

 

"I'm a lawyer. I'm going to sue you!"

 

"Oh, a lawyer you say! I think we have some of those here at NBC-Universal [for example]. Would you mind waiting over here for a moment? Let me just get one for you. I mean, any time some threatens to sue, we take that very seriously."

 

"Uh, nevermind."

 

/Not that I ever did anything like that, mind you.

//Never.

[Skycoastin Steve]

I'm polite with parents like that until they get belligerent. That's when I pull out the "children who are too short for rides like this could DIE if they ride" line. If that doesn't get their attention, I take out a tack hammer and smash their heads in.

 

Ok, I made that last part up.

[SharkTums]

It has never made any sense to me that you need a license to drive or wed; have age restrictions on smoking, drinking, gambling, but any dumbass on Earth can have a child!!!!

[DenDen]

It has never made any sense to me that you need a license to drive or wed; have age restrictions on smoking, drinking, gambling, but any dumbass on Earth can have a child!!!!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Goliath513]

It has never made any sense to me that you need a license to drive or wed; have age restrictions on smoking, drinking, gambling, but any dumbass on Earth can have a child!!!!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I second that!

 

 

This problem isn't isolated to children too short to ride and their parents, I've seen similar responses from people too big to ride. Last summer on V2 at SFDK, we were held up because the lady who was unable to fit into the restraints kept arguing with the ride operators that she had "ridden it once already today" "can't you just forget about locking the seat belt if it won't reach?...the restraint locks anyways" "I'll sue for discrimination because the seats don't accommodate everybody."

 

I recall being held up at Tatsu earlier that year as well for something similar.

[YoshiFan]

Maybe she sat in a different row earlier in the day? On Possessed at Dorney, some rows have longer belts than the others (not a big boy seat like on a B&M). That doesn't excuse they way she acted though.

[JEAPUgrad]

I've been cursed at, physically threatened,

 

I get that all the time on my job though if I'm being cursed at, I sometimes curse back. And then I throw them out!

 

That's the life of a baseball umpire.

 

In fifteen years of umpiring, I've been physically assaulted twice on the ballfield over a baseball game.

[Steelinwood]

When I was on Blue streak, this lady put high heels on her kid who was wearing a dress. It took about 40 minutes to dispatch the train. Luckily there was no queue, and I made friends with the lady that operated the ride. We still keep in touch!

 

But seriously, how thick can this dunce be?

[Kennyweird]

You know, I've never really experienced this type of problem at the Racer. I don't care what people say about Pittsburghers, if there's one thing we possess, it's common sense. I've kicked off countless people because they're too big or their kid's too small, and not once has anyone made a fuss about it.

[Wacky Worm]

It has never made any sense to me that you need a license to drive or wed; have age restrictions on smoking, drinking, gambling, but any dumbass on Earth can have a child!!!!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I second that!

I third that!

 

Don't people get the plain fact that the restrictions are there so people don't.... um.... DIE?

[frozenflames]

To sort of quote Barbossa from the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I think that's because people think height restrictions "are more like guidelines than actual rules." They seem to think that if their child is in the general ballpark range of the posted height, that they automatically can ride. But it sickens me, because these people seem to value a few minutes of fun on a ride much more than the mortality of their offspring.

[ebl]

A lot of people think that the parks set the height limits. In some cases, perhaps, but it's usually the manufacturer who does, and there's no leeway. It's for safety reasons.

 

Eric

[kidcoaster 2]

A lot of people think that the parks set the height limits. In some cases, perhaps, but it's usually the manufacturer who does, and there's no leeway. It's for safety reasons.

 

Eric

 

Some cases the state sets restrictions as well. We have a few out here that the Pennsylvania Dept of Agriculture set for us.

[Angry_Gumball]

If only I saw this topic before I submitted my ideas of good/bad parenting for my online class I'm doing...this thread was a great example of bad parenting. Do they not realize what danger they could be putting their child in? Sure, it's only 2 inches it may or may not make that big of a difference but it's there for the child's safety. That parent = Epic fail!

[Skycoastin Steve]

A lot of people think that the parks set the height limits. In some cases, perhaps, but it's usually the manufacturer who does, and there's no leeway. It's for safety reasons.

 

Eric

 

Somehow this still doesn't appease parents. We tell them the manufacturer sets the guidelines and that if we were caught letting someone ride who wasn't inthose guidelines we would be heavily fined. And yet, they still don't listen. Some parents are just looking to raise hell for a free ticket. It's sad.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

July 2006 at Xcelerator

 

Me: Sir, I need to check your daughter's height

Guy: Why? She's been on this plenty of times!

Me: Okay sir. I just want to make sure she's meeting the line

Guy: But she's tall enough!

Me: I'm not doubting you, but for her safety and my peace of mind just let me double check

Guy: Fine!

(I check, and the girls at least 3 inches too short.)

Me: I'm sorry sir, your daughter is not tall enough for this ride

Guy: but we've ridden this two times today already

(conveniently enough we all worked all day shifts, so I ask him...)

Me: Was her height checked by another operator?

Guy: Some girl did it ealier

Me: Okay, ( i call the only girlup there that day)

Me: was it this girl?

Guy: No it was another one

Girl: I'm the only girl here today sir

Guy: I want to seak to your supervisor!

Me: Sure thing, you can step off the train and go to main information

Guy: Okay, after we ride.

Me: Oh no, there is no after we ride. It's either just you, or niether one of you.

Guy: I'm going to have your job!

Me: Have a great day sir.

 

Both of them left, and nothing happened after that.

[ginzo]

^I can almost understand how idiot parents would try to brow beat their way into getting their too short child on a kiddie coaster. But Xcelerator???

 

How can you not associate that ride with danger? That's just !@#!@# stupid.

[Carnage]

I once watched a mother pick her daughter up and place her in the seat on Mind Eraser at Darien Lake. The kid was so short that she couldn't even climb into the seat by herself.

 

Needless to say that kid didn't get to ride.

[Jojo19799]

Guy: I'm going to have your job!

 

That must be the greatest line I have ever read!

 

As a former ride op, I agree with everyone, especially Elissa! I have had parents tell their children to stand on their toes while I was checking their height!!! Really, you're going to say that in front of me and several other ride ops?

 

Oh another favorite line of mine is: "Oh she/he went on (insert coaster name here)". Sorry, but all the major coasters have the same height requirement of 54 inches.