Six Flags St. Louis (SFStL) Discussion Thread

[pkgdel5]

Are those Metal Detectors even necessary??? If Disney/Busch Gardens doesn't need em, then surely our little park doesn't need them either. They are not inviting and just ugly up the place.

There is a lot behind why Disney/Busch don't have them and we do. However, after two years, I find myself very thankful for them keeping metal detectors at the park. They may not look nice or be inconvenient, but they are in everyone's best interests.

 

 

Though it is annoying sometimes, I do appreciate the metal detectors. It's "chaotic" sometimes going to a Cardinal's or Ram's game too. And as far as the Rams, I can't eve take in my "normal" sized purse anymore! But for that "price" and due to terrorism/"crazies" in the world, I rather have a piece of mind at the game and SFSL for me, my husband, kids and friends!!

Edited November 4, 2014 by pkgdel5

[Mater]

^ ^ ^ I agree X 3.

[pkgdel5]

Sorry for the triple posts! Was trying to make corrections and my computer is acting wacking! Won't let me delete....

[nrs2420]

Absolutely no reason for the metal detectors. Wish they would get rid of them.

[Woodie Warrior]

Honestly, the entire front entrance needs to be redone:

-The ticket booths need to be relocated. On busy days that plaza fills up quickly and it is horrible.

-There needs to be a new guest relations building. With 4-6 workers at all times, not 1 or 2.

-Metal detectors can go bye bye. You can even move the ticket booths all the way up here.

-Bag check needs to have a more permanent feel. Move it a little bit so the area in between it and the fountain isn't a bottleneck even more.

[parkjunkie]

As much as I know how many people hate metal detection, trust me, if you only knew what kinds of items have been found there and how much is turned away, you would change your mind INSTANTLY. TRUST ME, TRUST ME, TRUST ME!!!

[HWFan]

Absolutely no reason for the metal detectors. Wish they would get rid of them.

For my response to this, please see below:

As much as I know how many people hate metal detection, trust me, if you only knew what kinds of items have been found there and how much is turned away, you would change your mind INSTANTLY. TRUST ME, TRUST ME, TRUST ME!!!

Think about how much money in staffing alone is required per year for the metal detectors. Do you think that Six Flags would spend that money if it really wasn't needed? Plus, take parkjunkie's comment and think about how many people would would bring potentially dangerous items into the park don't just because of the metal detector's presence. Also, a big part is the protection of the ticket booths and Guest Relations.

 

This is one issue about the park that isn't really worth debating. As someone who used to think they were the most useless things in the park, I've completely changed my views. I fully believe that they are very important to ensure the safety of our Guests and Team Members. I know that it's hard to trust me without me giving you any specifics due to obvious reasons, but they are staying either way. Now in terms of their temporary-tent-type housing, complain away.

[HWFan]

Honestly, the entire front entrance needs to be redone:

-The ticket booths need to be relocated. On busy days that plaza fills up quickly and it is horrible.

-There needs to be a new guest relations building. With 4-6 workers at all times, not 1 or 2.

-Metal detectors can go bye bye. You can even move the ticket booths all the way up here.

-Bag check needs to have a more permanent feel. Move it a little bit so the area in between it and the fountain isn't a bottleneck even more.

If you ask Dave about the front entrance, he will be the first to admit that it is set up much better as 1970's theme park entrance than a modern one. It was actually beautiful in serving its purpose originally. With no HH and a tram, the trams stopped perfectly in front of the ticket booths that 95% of Guests needed to stop at for tickets before heading straight to the gate. GR is no different. They were simpler times. With only two windows outside the park and two inside the park maximum to help Guests, the space is very limiting. The last Saturday of October, our busiest day of the year, GR staffing was at 150% of the building's capacity. There were four or five team members running the line at all times in addition to the two at the windows. Between running in and out of the building and having to share computers (there aren't room for any more either), anyone in line could see that the building puts limits on the staff.

 

While the park is slowly able to renovate more areas with bigger budgets, a GR remodel would probably be the first part of the front gate area to be remodeled in any way. Until then, the operations team has been trying to find new ways to do more with what they have. I know that a lot of people have pointed out things this season like the SP process line being shorter than the SP entry line. That type of situation is becoming less and less common as time goes on and things are perfected. Others have pointed to things like certain team members maybe not being the best suited for the new machines, but with software, policy, and procedure changing sometimes from weekend to weekend during this first year mixed with the speed/glitches that are being worked on, the front gate staff has actually caught on really well.

 

If the park was given the ability to completely blow up the front entrance and start from scratch, the ticket booths/kiosks would be on the right side as you approached the gate leaving a straight shot from lot to security to gate Until an ACME crate full of TNT shows up, the park is doing everything it can with what it has. Also, I know that there are a few smaller projects being considered to help with the congestion on a smaller scale.

 

Disclaimer: This is a mix of experience, opinion, speculation, and project knowledge, so don't take this as anything official.

[HARLEYGUYJB]

I love the metal detectors..I do feel safer in the park. My wife has always said they also need to check strollers and wheelchairs too. People can easily hide items that aren't allowed in the park.

[pkgdel5]

I love the metal detectors..I do feel safer in the park. My wife has always said they also need to check strollers and wheelchairs too. People can easily hide items that aren't allowed in the park.

 

^^^^Agree!^^^^

 

Again, it is a "headache" sometimes but I rather be safe then have the risk of someone doing anything crazy while trying to have fun with my family. I know many places like the malls don't have metal detectors, but security is defiantly "higher" now than I was a kid. My two teens can't go to the mall to hang with friends because of strict rules now days. These unfortunate situations are becoming too common now days and we want to feel safe!

[theymitbgi]

I wouldn't say I love the metal detectors, but I do appreciate that they are there. I think there needs to be more consistency as far as secondary screening goes and checking wheelchairs and strollers. During the cooler months I wear works boots (not steel toed), just a lot of eyelets that set off the detector, 2 of 4 times I was wanded and the other two I said it's the boots and the screener just let me pass through.

 

As far as the main entrance goes, it is a complete disaster and eyesore. I believe I said in a previous post that the large fountain is just an afterthought now, as it used to be a centerpiece when entering the park before HH was added. I don't think adding any sort of kiosks would work. If you ever ride Metrolink, have you noticed how many people will use the live cashier when available and pass directly by the kiosks. I even do this myself as I find it much quicker and don't want to get $10 of change in coins.

 

What I would like to see is 2-4 self service entry gates, where you could scan your own pass and thumbprint, removing the attendant, similiar to the self checkout at a grocery store. One attendant could man 4 turnstiles. Scan your pass, the turnstile would allow one entry then lock.

 

Also guest relations is just a total mess, I seem to have to wait in this line 2-3 times a year as we always have someone in our family losing our pass. I wish they would just station a person outside the building, working the line and answering questions to people in line as it always seems about 1/3 of the people in line just need to go straight to the turnstiles or could visit the ticket windows.

[SteveStL]

I know King's Island doesn't have Metal Detectors. I haven't been to Cedar Pnt since the 90's. Do they have them now?? how about WOF? Anyway - how does Cedar Fair handle that part of security?? Is there an alternative way to check for Metal besides the dreaded doorways SFSTL has?

[Woodie Warrior]

Cedar Point has no bag check and no metal detectors. Neither do Worlds of Fun or Kings Island.

[pkgdel5]

I know King's Island doesn't have Metal Detectors. I haven't been to Cedar Pnt since the 90's. Do they have them now?? how about WOF? Anyway - how does Cedar Fair handle that part of security?? Is there an alternative way to check for Metal besides the dreaded doorways SFSTL has?

 

We went to Kings Dominion this year and yes they had detectors. Every other SF we've been to had metal detectors as well. I haven't been to CP in years either but we are going back next year.

[GwaziBSRider1]

It's been my experience that parks put them up for a reason. For example, Kennywood surprises many people for having metal detectors. Back in the late 80's, there was a stabbing in the park because of a gang fight (Kennywood was pretty seedy in those days). They put up metal detectors to prevent another incident like this from happening again.

[prozach626]

Stabbing because of a gang fight = one sh*t head stabbing another sh*t head. This is as common as most violence, where it's thug on thug violence over someone screwing someone else's girlfriend or a dope deal gone bad. Although shocking, it doesn't present as much of a danger to the general public as people think. If you think a metal detector is going to stop a mass shooting, you're wrong.

 

As for the few comments of people being thankful for metal detectors at sporting events I know many off duty police officers, myself included, who have carried off duty weapons into sporting events without being detected. I've walked right through check points where I've been a split second away from identifying myself as an off duty police officer, but instead I've been waved through and my off-duty weapon wasn't even discovered. I've been wanded AND patted down without anyone even raising a question. We are authorized and encouraged to carry off duty firearms at these events, but someone who is not authorized to bring a weapon into a sporting event could easily do so.

 

The metal detectors at six flags do one thing. They provide a false sense of security and make people feel safer because of them.

[SFStl Fan]

The metal detectors at six flags do one thing. They provide a false sense of security and make people feel safer because of them.

 

They work as a deterrent. Someone thinking of bringing a weapon may not be as eager to do so with the thought of getting caught.

[theymitbgi]

What about when these guys are shooting? They don't go to the range and practice, and very seldom hit their intended target. Even if the metal detectors only catch 90% of stuff, what about how much they deter?

 

I worked concert security for awhile and the first time i patted down an off- duty PO and felt what seemed to be a brick in his pocket, I was a little stunned. Seems like some environments, guns shouldn't be carried by off- duty, just my opinion.

[prozach626]

Metal detectors or not, the chances of someone carrying dangerous objects into SF and using them are more slim than in your everyday life. Although I'm against concealed carry for the general public (separate issue), thug or not, not everyone carrying a weapon is intending to use it. People are afraid of violent crime statistics, but what they don't realize is that violent crimes are almost always done out of association as opposed to random acts. Your chances of getting assaulted at a theme park (with or without metal detectors) are probably similar to standing in your front yard minding your own business. But.............. if metal detectors are what it takes to make people feel safe, then I guess there is no harm. If someone is going to send bullets flying at SF, they are going to do it with detectors or no detectors. It's not going to deter the type of people who would escalate to that level.

 

Seems like some environments, guns shouldn't be carried by off- duty, just my opinion.

 

Not to be argumentative, but for clarification there are two reasons for carrying off duty.

1) For your protection.

2) For our protection. We see a ton of people we do business with out in public and it can get pretty nasty. One of our guys ran into a group of 5 or 6 of our local gang members in Saint Louis over the summer. The fact that he was carrying probably saved him from great bodily harm, if not death.

 

You're talking about trained professionals, not to be confused with Joe Dumba$$ who goes and gets a concealed carry permit so he can sling a gun around to feel tough. The last thing an off duty police officer wants on his day off is to go play hero. The firearm will never be used unless it HAS to be used. It's part of being prepared. Most of us, myself especially, don't want to carry off duty. Unfortunately, we've found it necessary.

[theymitbgi]

I don't dis agree that off duty officers should carry in most scenarios. My scenario was of a general admission concert, close to the person next to you, gun could fall out, fight could happen, the wrong person gets the gun, etc. Like you said you guys are trained professionals and know how to protect yourself and your weapon.

[pkgdel5]

Stabbing because of a gang fight = one sh*t head stabbing another sh*t head. This is as common as most violence, where it's thug on thug violence over someone screwing someone else's girlfriend or a dope deal gone bad. Although shocking, it doesn't present as much of a danger to the general public as people think. If you think a metal detector is going to stop a mass shooting, you're wrong.

 

As for the few comments of people being thankful for metal detectors at sporting events I know many off duty police officers, myself included, who have carried off duty weapons into sporting events without being detected. I've walked right through check points where I've been a split second away from identifying myself as an off duty police officer, but instead I've been waved through and my off-duty weapon wasn't even discovered. I've been wanded AND patted down without anyone even raising a question. We are authorized and encouraged to carry off duty firearms at these events, but someone who is not authorized to bring a weapon into a sporting event could easily do so.

 

The metal detectors at six flags do one thing. They provide a false sense of security and make people feel safer because of them.

 

I understand (having a stats background) NOTHING is 100%. And even if you feel it is a false sense of security, statistically speaking, it's going to WORK on someone. That one person (who isn't a trained professional) is gonna go "Oh no. Metal detectors!" As far as the games, I had a small comb with a single "pick" on the end (women use to part their hair) once going to a Rams game. Much harder to detect than a gun. It was detected and I had to return to my car cause it was considered a weapon.

[SteveStL]

Thanks for all your input. They were installed after 9-11... and I get that, everyone was on edge back then. Well anyway, if it was my decision I would yank those things out and throw 'em in the trash. They are unwelcoming, uninviting, and ugly. Not to mention the hassle of another line to fight thru and someone going through your personal stuff. Not the best way to start a day of fun at a Park.

[prozach626]

It's really a pointless discussion, anyway. I'm sure the metal detectors are here to stay.

[Vonni]

I wonder if Justice League will be ready by opening day.

[HWFan]

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