Park Pet Peeves

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

People who stand there and try to prove to you that Rita goes at 100mph...

Perhaps they mean km/h? 100 km/h is just over 62 mph. RCDB's stats show the ride goes just over 61 mph, so the number is close to accurate; it's just the units that messed it up.

 

[/cocky smart@ss]

[coastercrazy 9]

Snotty rich kids at Universal Studios, or IOA. They complain about everything, you should be happy you are here!

G.P. who expect everything to be handed to them on a golden plater. I was waiting in line for Rolling Thunder at SFGAdv (Yes I actually like it) and this guy starts screaming at the ride ops because there is no separate flash pass line! Dude, they let you ride twice on rides without a flash pass line, shut up!

[B.A.B]

Here is my top 6 park pet peeves.

 

1). Out of controlled kids that has parents that does nothing about it.

2). GP trying to act like they know it all about coasters.

3). Someone freaking out right when they get to the station gates and turn around. If your scared to ride it, don't ride it.

4). Ride Ops messing around and taking forever to dispatch. This happen alot when I went to Kings Island Halloween Haunt.

5). Adults trying to start a conversation with me, if your not 14 or in high school please don't start a conversation with me. It is creepy and weird.

6). Rides opening later after the park open. Ex: Alavanche and Shockwave at Kings Dominion.

 

I don't mind people making out in the line or anywhere else in the park. I also don't mind teen girls screaming on big rides, becuase I think it gives a more theme park atmosphere and I think it is cute. I don't mind really long lines though, becuase I have a friend to talk to that I brought along with me or I just get my phone out and text.

[australianalex]

People who try to get on a ride at the end of the day when its CLOSED AND ON ITS LAST RIDE.

Me and my friend got the last ride on the Batwing Spaceshot at Movieworld before the park closed, and after they let us in they closed the queue line. Anyway, as soon as we get on the ride, a woman with her kids comes up and tries to get in the queue. When the ride op politely tells her that the ride is closed, she starts swearing at him for a full 5 minutes telling him to just let them on and that its not fair that those other [expletive] kids get to ride.

She left muttering that she'll speak to the manager and get the ride op fired for this

 

Also, I went to Dreamworld with 3 of my friends. Me and 2 friends went on the Tower of Terror while the other was too scared, so he waited for us. The line was an hour long, and when we got off the ride he started getting all angry at us for going on it and taking so long. I'm sorry, if you're too scared to go on a ride, we still have the right to go on the ride if we want to. He also started complaining he was bored. Listen, I drove you 2 hours to this park so STFU.

 

I have no problem with a stranger trying to be friendly and starting a short convo. It'd be rude to ignore them, and its better than standing by yourself in silence for an hour waiting for a ride. And if someone asks if a ride's scary, I dont see the problem in that. You should be having fun, not getting pissed at people for asking something that may be a bit stupid. As long as theyre no being rude its fine IMO.

Edited January 6, 2012 by australianalex

[MisterP]

2). GP trying to act like they know it all about coasters.

3). Someone freaking out right when they get to the station gates and turn around. If your scared to ride it, don't ride it.

5). Adults trying to start a conversation with me, if your not 14 or in high school please don't start a conversation with me. It is creepy and weird.

 

I don't mind people making out in the line or anywhere else in the park. I also don't mind teen girls screaming on big rides, becuase I think it gives a more theme park atmosphere and I think it is cute. I don't mind really long lines though, becuase I have a friend to talk to that I brought along with me or I just get my phone out and text.

 

This is my pet peeve.

 

Entitled snotty teengers who have no patience for anyone or anything that doesn't involve them or their iPhones.

 

I'm still waiting for someone to open an adult theme park that has good rides but no insufferable 14 year old suburban kids...

[XYZ]

Well, these are my park pet peeves:

 

-Waiting in line for more than 30 minutes

-Horrible Operations

-Teenagers fooling around, just do it somewhere else so I can have a good time

 

I really haven't seen the General Public acting like they know a lot about coasters and that they think they know more than me. Though, I will see that one day.

[sfgam#1]

I HATE line jumpers and then they look at you all crazy! !!! And poping gum

[anonymouscactus]

1.People who wait in line and don't ride: I'm talking about those people who are there just to talk to there friends. Honestly they're just making the line that much longer.

How would this make the wait time any longer? (unless it screws up trying to match yourself up with another row and now you would need to let someone in front of you...)

 

2. People who don't pay attention in lines: I hate when people aren't watching and leave a 2 mile gap in between them and the person in front of them.

This would not make the wait time any longer, either. I actually find this one funny because people always get pissed off the second there is any gap. I never understood this. How will taking 4 steps forward make the line go any faster? There are still the same number of people in line...

 

Just sayin'

[Angry_Gumball]

Clumsy basketball dribblers....I'm sure you experienced the ones who 'purposely' lose their ball in the crowded midway. It makes me want to 'accidentally' kick their ball over the fence, or further away and say 'oops...' and carry on my merry way.

 

And people who don't believe in personal space in line, especially when they start goofing off and nearly jump on you, or you can feel them breathing down your back. Actually, I was with another TPR member in line for Logger's Run when some little kid decided he was actually going to lean against the guy, practically breathing on him. Next thing I hear is the fellow TPR member mumble to me: "I'm gonna kick him, I'm gonna kick him"

[Rocket Rodder]

Line jumpers.

 

Out-of-control Kids.

 

Over-The-Top ACErs who HAVE to be right all the time. (Sorry, but you really won't die!)

 

People who just can't take "NO" for an answer.

 

People who sneak on cameras. ( ) - I'm sure that Robb and anyone else who has POV has already had special clearance.

[dominoes]

People who stand there and try to prove to you that Rita goes at 100mph...

Perhaps they mean km/h? 100 km/h is just over 62 mph. RCDB's stats show the ride goes just over 61 mph, so the number is close to accurate; it's just the units that messed it up.

 

[/cocky smart@ss]

 

Yes, I know it is 62mph. But since the signs and adverts say 0-100 they become convinced that it is 100mph...

[OCJ48]

I really don't have many, except youth groups/school field trips from jr. high in line. Last time that happened they decided they wanted to be cheerleaders in line for dragon challenge. For twenty five minutes I had to listen to them SCREAM letters at the tops of their lungs in a freaking TUNNEL. Gah!

[Tanks4me05]

1: Inefficient ride ops. My criteria for ride ops is as follows:

 

< 1 minute: Fantastic.

 

1 - 2.5 minutes: Acceptable.

 

2.5 - 3.5 minutes: Slow.

 

> 3.5 minutes: unacceptable.

 

2: One train on crowded days. Combined with # 1, when I went to SFNE in 2007, S:ROS (it wasn't Bizarro yet) could have had a 45 minute or so wait if they had all trains running and a 90 second dispatch. But it was one train with 5 minute dispatches, so it turned into a 2.5 hour wait.

 

3: Girls that scream incessantly on a ride, especially tunnels. I get it if you're scared, but you can tell when they are legitimately panicking, and when they are being obnoxious, particularly when on Viper at Darien Lake, it's relatively quiet for most of the ride, but then they scream their heads off in the tunnel during the helix... every... single... time.

 

4: Line jumpers. Generally, I don't want to start a fight, so I just let them go, but I think I should try to be a bit more assertive.

 

5: Walls of gum, particularly at the foot of Predator's stairs. I mean, it's better than choking to death on the ride, but still. There are trash bins around you know. Kennywood's idea of making it a game to get your gum onto a bullseye is absolutely ingenious, however.

 

6: Parents who think that bringing their three year old that is six inches too short to ride is a good idea. (TGE, Canyon Blaster.)

 

7: Spitting. If you honestly have a loogie you have to bring up, just swallow it. It already came up from there, it can go back down. But those who spit for the heck of it, dude, that's just gross.

 

8: Mounds of trash. However, I will make exceptions for those whose plates of food have been overtaken by bees. That's happened to me several times and I just get out of their way. (I'm not allergic, nor do I have a true fear of them, but they still make me a bit nervous.)

 

9: Fluffy fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo. Especially the amount of money I have to fork up for it. Yes, I get that it speeds up the line, but that not only robs me of $10 - $15+ I needn't have spent throughout the rest of the day, but then I can't take any pictures in the queue line, which is maddening, because there are many points in queue lines that have absolutely GORGEOUS photo ops.

 

10: People that took my seat when I put my stuff in the bin. This happened to me two or three times.

 

11: Not being allowed to remain on the exit ramp so I can take my pictures of the ride, (on coasters with bins.) I honestly don't see what the issue is, because I'm not barging back into the station, and I move aside when other people move past me. I would very much appreciate it if some ride op members could enlighten me as to why some parks do this.

[tntornadox]

1:11: Not being allowed to remain on the exit ramp so I can take my pictures of the ride, (on coasters with bins.) I honestly don't see what the issue is, because I'm not barging back into the station, and I move aside when other people move past me. I would very much appreciate it if some ride op members could enlighten me as to why some parks do this.

 

As long as you are past the red line or exit gate (depending on ride, usually just a matter of feet off the ride dock) you are outside the ride perimeter, so I could care less if you stand there... I dunno how bad some parks are about it, but cross the line and you're cool with me.

 

 

How about a ride op pet peeve?

 

- "Why aren't you running two trains/more cars?"

Trust me, I have my reasons... I would much rather put you through faster so I don't have to be asked this every few minutes... if I haven't already added another vehicle, I have a darn good reason for it.

 

I have more, but that's just one...

[OCJ48]

- "Why aren't you running two trains/more cars?"

Trust me, I have my reasons... I would much rather put you through faster so I don't have to be asked this every few minutes... if I haven't already added another vehicle, I have a darn good reason for it.

 

Sorry to deviate from the topic, but what would be a good reason for running only one train? Aside from the other/s being in maintenance, of course.

[tntornadox]

The two reasons (beyond maintenance) that stick out to me would be lack of staff to adequately run two trains (maybe some are on lunch or break) or it's too cold (this happens to us during the holiday season). My point is, not every ride op is lazy and is doing it on purpose, if I am not running two and it is legit needed (no, a 3 train wait does not constitute me adding another train) then I have a good reason for it.

[OCJ48]

That makes sense, thanks for the answer.

[VinTheAttendant]

1. It's been pounded to death, but line jumpers, including the people shoving through the queue to rejoin their group after getting the popcorn.

2. Employees who hate their job. For some reason, my mood tends to sway based on the mood and efficiency of park employees. While park goers may find that peppy yet fast employee annoying, I am happy knowing he/she's having fun with his/her job. The miserable employees not only darken the mood, but they slow the line down as well.

3. Guests overreacting to the rides breaking down (and this is from a guest perspective, not employee). I'm relatively patient and understanding. I am aware that rides are machines and machines tend to malfunction from time to time. It drives me nuts when guests "boo," or act as if the staff is purposely trying to keep them from riding.

4. Guests standing in the middle of the midway. This is probably my biggest park pet-peeve and my recent visit to WWoHP only exemplified it! These are congestion starters and makes the simple task of getting from point A to point B suck. And the whole time they are blissfully unaware of how many people they are affecting simply because they picked a poor spot to stop and decide what to do.

5. Guests who think that purchasing a ticket entitles them to do whatever they want. It doesn't...the park made their rules for a reason. If you're not willing to follow them, then maybe you shouldn't have gone to the park in the first place.

[BkkMan13]

1. GP trying to convince you that you are wrong about whatever facts you state about a certain ride and that they are right. Its so damn annoying! For example from one of my past experiences

guy: This thing (California Screamin') launches at over 100 mph you know

me: Actually it doesn't, it goes about 55 mph

Guy: Pfft you're so wrong, quit being stupid its obviously going 100

me: No it isn't, trust me, i'm a coaster enthusiast I would know

Guy: Wow that is so stupid! I'm still right!

me: Then go ask one of the ride operators!

(The ride op verified what I said when we got to the station, the guy just continued being a stubborn jackass.)

 

2. Parents fighting with ride ops to try and get their kid (who's to short to ride the ride they're at) on a ride. I feel sorry for the ride ops whenever this happens.

 

3. Guest getting all riled up when a queue wait is over 10 minutes. One time I waited an hour and a half to get on Mantis (this first half hour was regular line waiting, the rest was waiting for the rain to stop and the ride to open) only me and a few others waited in the rain, it was worth it! I've waited even longer on a few occasions so these people have nothing to whine about!

[tntornadox]

2. Parents fighting with ride ops to try and get their kid (who's to short to ride the ride they're at) on a ride. I feel sorry for the ride ops whenever this happens.

 

Ugh, don't get me started on this topic... needless to say, great parenting putting your kids in jeopardy by wanting them to ride a ride they can't ride safely... we don't set these height requirements just for fun.

[E1ticket5]

I think that the whole "parents trying to get their kids on rides that are too short for" thing is kind of funny how it escalates into so much drama. It's annoying to other people, but keep in mind that its only on nobody but the parents fault, and it makes them look like idiots.

[Rocket Rodder]

1: Inefficient ride ops. My criteria for ride ops is as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you're not a manager with THAT kind of expectation! =/

 

 

More often than not it's the GUESTS who hold up operations, ergo the long dispatch times.

[154bmag]

Line Jumpers

Long Lines

Crappy Food

and GP

[anonymouscactus]

Groups of people who go in the single rider line expecting to sit together... -- Forbidden Journey today, 1 group hopped over from the single line to the regular line at the last minute, got caught, and got schooled by an op. She was mean and nasty about it (and rightfully so hopefully they don't think of ever doing it again) -- Another group yelled (no, SCREAMED) and complained for 5 minutes that they waited 30 minutes and should get to sit together (mind you, the regular line waited 60 minutes). Meanwhile the ops are trying to load the benches quickly and efficiently, and you have these idiots complaining that they can't sit together, blocking the queue, etc. because they won't listen. -- I felt sorry for the ride op, but I'm REALLY glad they didn't budge and the only options given were go back in line or ride separate. This was only in a span of 5 minutes, I can only imagine how many times this happens throughout the day.

 

Edit: Pet peeve to go along with this -- single rider lines that end up being longer than the regular queue.... I have seen this happen a couple times on HRRR and The Mummy. (I always make mental note of who walks in the regular queue / what they are wearing / etc. and am trying to get good estimations of how long the single ride queue will take based on where it starts, now that I'm a Universal regular)

 

Edit 2: Another one involving wait times -- grossly inaccurate posted wait times... (jaws: 70 minutes = 20 minutes, manta: 50 minutes = 5 minutes, etc.)

[OCJ48]

^I've noticed most of those as well. One irritation with UO wait times is that the Hulk's lockers don't take the front row line into account, so you end up paying. And the sign says 5 minutes when the inside queue is half full. Also, the hulk is the only ride I've ever waited longer than the main queue for SR. Really, the Hulk's just all screwed up in terms of queueing, totally worth it, though.