Six Flags changes its line policy for disabled patrons
By PAUL BOURGEOIS Star-Telegram Staff Writer ARLINGTON -- Six Flags Inc. has stopped allowing disabled patrons to skip to the front of ride lines and is now requiring them to get a boarding time from an attendant and return then, as any patron can do with the amusement park company's "Flash Pass." The new policy took effect Sept. 7 and applies to all 21 Six Flags theme and water parks, including Hurricane Harbor, also in Arlington, said Kendell Kelton, a Six Flags Over Texas spokeswoman.
The policy was prompted by abuses, including patrons who feigned disability and others with disabilities who gave wrist bands allowing them to move to the front of lines to others who are not disabled, she said.
"We would get complaints from people in line or our employees," Kelton said.
I for one applaud the company for changing a policy IMHO that i saw abused every time I visited the park and also heard people jokinh how easy it is to scam SF to get disability passes.
Mod Note: In the future please link to the story, rather then copying the whole article. Thanks.
I dont work at the park so im no expert. but i know this season and past season's I have seen people with passes walk up the exit and get right on rides and have the operator sign something on them, and I havent seen any people walk up to the ride and be given a time to return and then leave the ride without having ridden it.
I dont know if different rides handle the policy differently like they do for giving re-rides etc but i know I havent seen people come up to a ride operator and be given a time to return and then walk away and since im usually bored in lines i watch when people get on rides with passes and also when they leave and talk among themselves as they exit the rdies area.
They walk up the exit the first time, get a time to come back to ride, then come back at that time to get on the ride. The operator has to sign the pass when they ride to authorize the ride which is probably what you're talking about.
I always see people arguing in the exits "Im disabled I shouldnt have to wait"......[insert more complaints] but they're always denied immediate boarding. Quite funny .
Im glad you have seen it because I have NEVER seen people with disability passes enter a ride via the exit and then walk back down without riding at least one time.
If they are doing it already then that is great news.
I actually have experience of this. I have a severly inflamed peroneus tertius which is a tendon in my ankle that got damaged while playing volleyball 7 years ago. It didn't heal properly and now everytime I walk on uneven surface or stand on it for too long it will become swollen. I have xrays to prove it. I understand people get mad at me because I get to go up the exits. Get mad at me all you want but I have a right to go up the exit. I do have a story about people faking......last year at FF I saw 14...yes 14 girls with "broken" arms come up Viper's exit. It was ridiculous and I have no idea how they were allowed up the exi. But like I said I understand that there some people that get irritated with people going up the exit....but i have a reason to so don't get mad at me.
^ thank you Chris. It was bogus....but in my case you have to understand that if I was to stand on my ankle for more then an hour and it swelling causes me loads of pain. At least someone understands.
Jackluver18 wrote:^ thank you Chris. It was bogus....but in my case you have to understand that if I was to stand on my ankle for more then an hour and it swelling causes me loads of pain. At least someone understands.
If you cannot stand on your ankle for more then an hour, then you probably shouldn't be at an amusement park anyway.
Also for someone that has a back issue they shouldn't be riding Rollercoasters as well.
^ Someone with a troubled ankle/leg should be able to go to an amusement park.... If their ankle/leg hurts, the person can sit on a bench for a while, in line you cannot sit because its against the rules, so if the lines get lengthy then the person should use the new system. Now with a back problem, yeah, people should stay off the coasters and for the most part, more rides. I feel sorry for people with back issues that cannont safely ride coasters, especially if it's a life-time problem.
^ Again thank you.....I see people with broken legs all the time at SF. That's so unfair if you're going to be forbidding people with broken legs to ride roller coasters. It's understandable if you have back issues but you shouldn't exclude people with broken ankle/leg it's just unfair. Plus I don't have the money to pay for a Flash Pass......the RAP pass is free so that's why I just use that system.
I dont see how anyone can be at a theme park for any length of time and not stand or walk for 1 hour and go on rides. The park is spread out and even with disability passes you wont get on the ride right away and still have to walk some distance to get on or off a ride.
I have no problem with people who have "true" disabilites getting on to rides without having too wait "long periods" of time, but I like the new policy where a person has to go to the ride to reserve a ride time, then return to ride it. Everyone who has the physical ability to handle a ride should be allowed to ride, but just because some one is disabled shouldnt give them special treatment over other park guests.
I work at SFGA, and I HATE them passes. It annoys me that crippled, disabled, handicapped, or otherwise, people that do not fit the bell curve of normality, should be given any special privilege. I was talking with fellow coworkers about the passes earlier today, and one of them mentioned that a guest complained about the stairs that the Whizzer has. That's too damn bad if you ask my opinion. If yer crippled, and you can't do it like the rest of it, YOU CAN'T RIDE!
The universal spiel.
There's nowhere to run! There's nowhere to hide! It's [INSERT RIDE NAME HERE]! ENJOY, YOUR, RIDE!!!
^What the hell is the matter with you? I think it is fantastic these passes. If you do have a dissability, you should be able to ride just like everyone else. And its not like you're blowing pass the line, they give you a time to ride so that it's like you're in line. Now, sure, there are times (i've seen my share) of jackasses who fake an injury, get a wheel chair and get the pass. Yes, that pisses me off. But if you really cant walk up some stairs, its fine and i think it's great. Badger, you apperently have no moral standards and need to think before you say things like that.
demon boy wrote:^What the hell is the matter with you? I think it is fantastic these passes. If you do have a dissability, you should be able to ride just like everyone else. And its not like you're blowing pass the line, they give you a time to ride so that it's like you're in line. Now, sure, there are times (i've seen my share) of jackasses who fake an injury, get a wheel chair and get the pass. Yes, that pisses me off. But if you really cant walk up some stairs, its fine and i think it's great. Badger, you apperently have no moral standards and need to think before you say things like that.
i dont need to think before i say what i say.. retarded, crippled, handicapped, disabled people etc, shouldnt belong in the park on my opinion.. go find something else to do
The universal spiel.
There's nowhere to run! There's nowhere to hide! It's [INSERT RIDE NAME HERE]! ENJOY, YOUR, RIDE!!!
^Yeah, cause disabled people can't play in the arcade, keep a friend company in between rides, see live entertainment, or anything else....
You know, i have a friend who was just paralized from the waste down and she still goes to Six Flags with me, not to ride the rides, but because she likes it there and there is more to it than just rides.
I'm sure glad the person who is in charge of making the disabled guest policy isn't an asshole like you!
RIP: Trailblazer and Deja Vu...heck, even Alien Encounter
Trailblazer Tony wrote:^Yeah, cause disabled people can't play in the arcade, keep a friend company in between rides, see live entertainment, or anything else....
You know, i have a friend who was just paralized from the waste down and she still goes to Six Flags with me, not to ride the rides, but because she likes it there and there is more to it than just rides.
I'm sure glad the person who is in charge of making the disabled guest policy isn't an AHOLE like you!
I can't believe a person who feels like that works at Six Flags. Agreed Trailblazer Tony. What a Tool!
I don't think you really understood me. I just don't find it fair that, just because you have something this is classified as a "disability", you are allowed to get special treatment when boarding the rides. You don't have to experience the same thing of waiting in line, for sometimes over an hour. Even if you still are waiting, you aren't slowly moving down a que line. You aren't stuck with some strangers that might stink, be rude, or in some other way make you uncomfortable. On top of all that, there is always the possibilty that because of your pass, it may take longer before the train can be sent. So now everyone who is considered normal, has to wait longer because you are "disabled." This is just an opinion!
The universal spiel.
There's nowhere to run! There's nowhere to hide! It's [INSERT RIDE NAME HERE]! ENJOY, YOUR, RIDE!!!
You don't have to experience the same thing of waiting in line
they are waiting with the new boarding system...but I guess you would rather have a disabled person roll a wheelchair through the queue line to "experience" it. You obviously don't know how annoying it is when parents push a stroller through the line.
it may take longer before the train can be sent
And....it almost takes the same amount of time for guests that wait in line and don't know what they are doing!!!
And what is considered "normal". A disabled person is normal. Just because there is some sort of physical condition that may impair an ability doesn't make them less than normal...
All I can say to you badger, is pray to god you never become crippled or struck with a life-threatening condition
i dont need to think before i say what i say.. retarded, crippled, handicapped, disabled people etc, shouldnt belong in the park on my opinion.. go find something else to do
bbadger, re-read what your typed. You say these groups of people shouldn't belong in the park. Find something else to do.
So, yea. I do understand you loud and clear. Wow, just wow!
bbadger187 wrote:i dont need to think before i say what i say.. retarded, crippled, handicapped, disabled people etc, shouldnt belong in the park on my opinion.. go find something else to do
I think it's refreshing to see a Six Flags employee vent their spleen in such a fashion. If it were up to me, I'd give him a weekly column on the main page.
While I understand what he's saying, I think he could have toned it down a bit. Personally, I think it's great that a disabled people like to ride. If I got some kind of injury, I wouldn't want to just quit riding.
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