Park Workers, Craziest things you have seen at the parkl?

[larrygator]

^Some of those are awesome.

[ajfelice]

Our log flume, Thunder River, has a fairly long and dark storm tunnel with fog and strobe lights. When I come down from the operator tower I will take a detour and walk through it. On two occasions I caught young teens standing up. When they floated by me (remember you can barely see a foot in front of you) I yelled as loud as I could "SIT DOWN." Their screams were deafening, and when I got to the station I would hang by for a moment to watch them come off the ride. There was no need to say anything else to them, but I enjoyed their guilty looks as they ran off the platform as fast as they could thinking they were getting their wristbands taken.

 

Another good story about that ride came back in my operating days in 2011. It was a slow night, so I was just people watching from Steel Dragon. I see two boys looking around the fence for Thunder River. Apparently they lost a hat in the ride. Next thing you know one of them was climbing the fence into the ride area. As I was on the phone with the office reporting it, I see the kid trying to climb back out. Somehow he gets his pants caught in the fence, and at the same time he realized we were watching him from Steel Dragon. He rips off his pants and is running though the ride area in his underwear trying to find a way out. Finally maintenance got there to let him out.

Edited February 21, 2013 by ajfelice

[Coaster Curt]

These are pretty damn funny stories!!

 

Keep them coming.

[beatle11]

Legendary theft of sea world baywatch boat by drunken lifeguards who crossed lake on a paddleboat, hotwired the boat and then drove it in front of packed sea world stadium during the nightly laser show.

 

These are all great, but this one takes the cake!

[GayCoasterGuy]

I've seen so much crazy, funny, ridiculous and scary stuff during my 3 years at Cedar Point (and one at SFOT) I could probably write a book on it. Kids stuffing shoes with all sorts of things, little girls with giant high heels and/or cowboy boots trying to make the height requirement at Blue Streak (this was 20 years ago...). But one of the most craziest things I saw was a family enter the Blue Streak queue with a baby stroller with the baby in it. The queue used to curve around the front of the station, then enter the station, where the path was very narrow. What a mess that was. We saw it coming and were like "your kidding me" and had to jump into action once they entered the station.

[XII]

While this isn't super crazy, the amount of people who stand up on water rides cause they don't want to get wet is much higher than I thought before working at a park. At Roaring Rapids, we have on average about 10 people a day who stand up people cause they don't want to get wet, even though they waited 3 hours to go on a ride that clearly states that you will get wet. And this is includes days where its 110 degrees where you would expect people to want to get wet.

 

I've also seen people sitting in the center ring of the boat where people put their stuff, as well as a few boats with everyone standing up playing stupid games involving running around in the boats while in motion.

 

Aside from water ride incidents, I've had to call security on people who were visibly high and smelled strongly of marijuana. Though after reading the stories of snorting cocaine in line, things certainly could've been worse. In fact, reading most of these stories made me glad I haven't had to deal with a lot of those situations, which sound a lot worse than the situations I listed.

[julioot]

^^ Are you realy able to get people kicked out of the park on a suspicion of drug use?

 

I'm happy I live in the Netherlands

 

 

There are some realy amaizing stories, even from disneyparks. I gues when you work around a people, you come to realise what people are capable of.

[Coaster Curt]

Parks make people do things they normally would never do (at least I hope), they leave their brains at home and just go to have fun, and ask dumb questions and do dumb things.

[Krandor]

Parks make people do things they normally would never do (at least I hope), they leave their brains at home and just go to have fun, and ask dumb questions and do dumb things.

 

There is a website that collects stories of sucky customers from people and based on that side, I can conclude stupid behavior isn't limited to just parks.

[ajfelice]

Best smoker story:

Me: "Sir, I'm sorry, but you may only smoke in designated areas. The closest area is right behind this building in front of the Ali Baba flying carpet ride. You must put out you cigarette and move there if you wish to continue smoking"

 

Guy: (Gives a blank expression and continues smoking)

 

Me: "That means you must put out your cigarette now, and move to a smoking area if you wish to continue smoking."

 

Guy: (Points to a ride) "But my kid is on that ride"

 

Me: "I understand that, then you must put out your cigarette and you can wait for your child, and when they get off, you can go to a designated smoking area."

 

The guy goes ahead and leans in really close to my face with his cigarette still lit and a couple inches from me. At this point I was sure he was going to burn me with it as he was throughly pissed that I told him to put out his cigarette. Then he suddenly raises his other hand and repeatedly smashes his lit cigarette into his hand inches in front of me screaming, "DOES THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY?!"

 

Me: (Cheerfully) "Yes it does, Have a Great Night!"

 

FYI, I have zero sympathy for cigarette smokers and their addiction. We go above and beyond what we are required to do by offering designated smoking areas. There are no laws requiring designated smoking areas, so appreciate the fact we even offer them, and please, make good use of them.

[markysharky17]

I don't work at any theme parks but I see a lot of things. I got off Popeye at IOA and went to the bathroom and a guy was screaming in there because he said he pulled out his nipple ring. His nipple was bleeding. I also saw a person get drunk in universal last week at a Steve miller concert grabbing his wife's but and his wife was screaming that if Steve miller doesn't sing jungle love she will take off her shirt. They were drunk. Lol

[caffeine_demon]

once at chessington on vampire - a guy about 3 trains in front of me's daughter was about 6 inches too small to ride - he was still arguing with the ride op when I'd finished my ride.....

[Dailey Enterprizes]

I feel bad whenever I have to be the one to inform the guest that the park no longer has X ride or attraction. I know it isn't exactly crazy, but it does stand out whenever a guest asks where they can find or whether we still have an attraction that has been gone for a considerable amount of time (unlike, say Pittfall or Turnpike). The oldest one I've been asked about was Laff in the Dark, which was removed in 1965.

 

Where did the Wonder Wheel go?

 

I know this topic is about park workers seeing crazy things, but I immediately thought of crazy park workers for some reason. For instance; I recall a trip TPR did to Alabama Adventure and on Rampage a ride operator decided to jump on the track in the station to help move a baby carriage across the track while the train was entering the station. I personally wasn't there, but that got everyone's attention I think.

[Defcon62]

Keep it going boys and girls, I know everyone has more.

 

From more recent times as park police

 

International employees lived in cabins in the park campground, someone gave them a large beer bong about midway through the season which was total culture shock. They proceeded to funnel liquor from the roofs of their cabins nightly. Finding people passed out face down in the grass was a daily occurrence.

 

Looking in the window of one of said cabins and seeing senior full time female staff being uh "serviced" by young eastern european men.

 

Closing night of the season there was a huge party and bonfire, While attempting to cook myself a hotdog I made note that the bonfire was fueled by park uniforms.

 

Seeing my boss get bitten by a large angry drunk dude, the ensuing melee involved lots of yelling, fisticuffs, pepper spray and free unscheduled entertainment for passing guests.

 

Turtle Beach catching on fire.

 

"Lucy" costumed character breaking character and laughing uncontrollably after being told she was a bitch for not ever letting charlie brown kick the football.

 

The old lake ferries breaking loose and crashing into the floating bridge, park management freaking out because there were literally no working boats to use in the recovery.

 

Powered parachute almost crashing into dominator, helicopter flying between steel venom's towers.

[jfruge]

I worked at the small amusement park where I'm from for 2 years. One day, while working sweeper duty, I came across a USED feminine product that was wet on the stairs to one of the water attractions (a wet/dry slide). A young woman had gotten soaked on the water ride, taken the product off, and left it on the stairs as she returned for a repeat ride. I had to sweep it up, of course...the park had to up the chlorine in the water, and was considering shutting the attraction down until any contaminants were flushed out. I couldn't believe someone would be so crass.

[Inukaza]

When guests try to wipe down the seats on water rides because they are wet. >.>

 

Craziest one was when I worked at Universal on Dragon Challenge and a group of Anti-Potter Costplayers rode the ride and chanted anti-potter songs and stuff. It was very odd, but funny.

[Coaster Curt]

What is an anti Potter song anyway?

[Inukaza]

I honestly doubt you'll believe me because this sounds so stupid. Basically they wore wizard robes with giant X'd out Potter characters on it. Singing stuff along the line of. "There once was a F*** named Harry, no one give a S*** who he was". That's seriously the most laugh-out-loud moment of my employment at Universal.

[Aceattack52]

I honestly doubt you'll believe me because this sounds so stupid. Basically they wore wizard robes with giant X'd out Potter characters on it. Singing stuff along the line of. "There once was a F*** named Harry, no one give a S*** who he was". That's seriously the most laugh-out-loud moment of my employment at Universal.

 

What would motivate someone to go to this much of an extreme?

[Coaster Curt]

I honestly doubt you'll believe me because this sounds so stupid. Basically they wore wizard robes with giant X'd out Potter characters on it. Singing stuff along the line of. "There once was a F*** named Harry, no one give a S*** who he was". That's seriously the most laugh-out-loud moment of my employment at Universal.

 

What would motivate someone to go to this much of an extreme?

 

 

I am with you on this one, honestly are some people really that bored? I think a few more of them need to get out of the basement once in awhile.

[Inukaza]

Believe me, I know it sounds odd. After all, this is my craziest/oddest experience while working in theme parks. I honestly think they were just highschool kids thinking they were funny. That's all. Theme parks DO attract the oddest characters, though.

[Rocket Rodder]

I'll never forget this for as long as I live. It was a slow day at the Boardwalk, and I'm running riptide. Lots of guests are reriding 2 or 3 times. (WHY I have no idea, but whatever floats your boat!)

 

This one girl asks seductively "Can I ride again...????" Of course I let her reride, and as the ride runs its course, the woman HAD AN ORGASM ON THE RIDE. She didn't scream, but her face was unmistakable.

Worse still, she... went all the way. We thought she had peed on the ride. The fountains were off that day. It wasnt pee... D:

 

We TRIPLE gloved it. SO nasty.

[Defcon62]

Shoulda got her number, how many of us coaster nerds would have liked to meet a nice young lady who is so "passionate" about rides?

[cal1br3tto]

^Unless the woman was cheating on 1001 Nachts.

[GigaG]

I'll never forget this for as long as I live. It was a slow day at the Boardwalk, and I'm running riptide. Lots of guests are reriding 2 or 3 times. (WHY I have no idea, but whatever floats your boat!)

 

This one girl asks seductively "Can I ride again...????" Of course I let her reride, and as the ride runs its course, the woman HAD AN ORGASM ON THE RIDE. She didn't scream, but her face was unmistakable.

Worse still, she... went all the way. We thought she had peed on the ride. The fountains were off that day. It wasnt pee... D:

 

We TRIPLE gloved it. SO nasty.

 

Wow...

By the way, by "Boardwalk", do you mean Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk?