COVID-19 & Coasters: Coronavirus Impacts on the Amusement Industry

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Memles said:
Right next to me? That's a strong no for me, even if I'm wearing a mask.

But it's clearly going to be an awkward period. At Apollo's yesterday, I was alone in the back row and there was a couple waiting in line behind me. I could tell they were sort of hesitating like "Oh, can we? Should we?" and while they weren't masked I'm not concerned about myself and there was a seat of distance anyway, so I waved them on. But if I were at Invadr in the same position, I would not have expected to cram into a car with a single passenger, and wouldn't have allowed someone to slide in next to me if I was.

I guess the lesson is "sit in the closest seat when you get on as a single rider to keep this from happening?"
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Pre-covid I've had that happen and I never told someone not to take the seat. And I didn't this time, but then I really wished I had. I should have said something like, "nothing personal, but under the circumstances I would prefer if you didn't sit there". Or something. The guy also wanted to strike up a conversation and even fist bump at one point. Like, come on.
 
Honestly, regardless of COVID, can we just not go back to a world where we're expected to ride side-by-side in tight coaster trains with strangers? I'm so tired of doing the sweaty arm and shoulder dodging, the awkward, forced conversation, the "why won't this guy put his arms down so his armpit doesn't constantly ram into my shoulder," etc. Give me 10% longer lines over that any day.
 
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One advantage of inheriting a severe case of resting bitch face from both sides of my family is that I don’t have to work very hard to give off “don’t talk to me” vibes. It’s a huge advantage on rides, in airplanes, etc.
 
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Crunchewy said:
How do others feel about maskless strangers sitting next to you on rides?
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I'm not very confrontational, so I would have just been upset the entire ride if someone did sit next to me. Pre-Covid, I wouldn't mind, but now... I will purposely sit in the seat closest to the entrance gates to make it harder for them to sit in the adjoining seat.
 
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Had a complete maskless stranger ask to sit next to me on Griffon. Pre-vaccine, I would have cared, but it turned into meeting a pretty cool person. I’m vaccinated. Nothing is hurting me. If somebody wants to sit next to me, mask or not, I’m open to it as long as they ask.
 
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Lolers said:
One advantage of inheriting a severe case of resting bitch face from both sides of my family is that I don’t have to work very hard to give off “don’t talk to me” vibes. It’s a huge advantage on rides, in airplanes, etc.
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Want help clearing out a line. I got whatever the male version of RBF is. I got that strange change that John Spencer has in The West Wing when he goes from normal to smiling.
 
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RollyCoaster said:
Had a complete maskless stranger ask to sit next to me on Griffon. Pre-vaccine, I would have cared, but it turned into meeting a pretty cool person. I’m vaccinated. Nothing is hurting me. If somebody wants to sit next to me, mask or not, I’m open to it as long as they ask.
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100%. It should be common courtesy to ask if you can get on the same train as another party. Also, in the long run, losing a couple seats per train (which is probably a bit extreme, especially for 2-wide coasters) in the end is not going to impact the capacity by much if any. The capacity on the ride is more on the speed and ability of the ride ops to cycle the trains without block checking the train(s) on course. If every train is rolling into the station people are going to load much faster.
 
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Does their state mandate say they have to check peoples vaccination cards or are they just going above what is required? If its a state mandate then its a shame but if they are making that rule they are only hurting themselves. Either way the article says a "huge portion" was angry and I think that is telling.
 
Six Flags parks, I think across the board, will no longer require masks for fully vaccinated guests and staff, starting Saturday, except indoors. They are also no longer requiring reservations, so I assume that means no limited capacity (beyond normal limits)? Not counting special events that have limited capacity. Somehow, though, they think people will still socially distance. For example:

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Also true for Six Flags America and at least a bunch of other SF parks.
 
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Zachary said:
Honestly, regardless of COVID, can we just not go back to a world where we're expected to ride side-by-side in tight coaster trains with strangers? I'm so tired of doing the sweaty arm and shoulder dodging, the awkward, forced conversation, the "why won't this guy put his arms down so his armpit doesn't constantly ram into my shoulder," etc. Give me 10% longer lines over that any day.
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That's fantasy that would only increase lines 10%. And if they had clown cars to see how many people can cram in, I might try it right now. Consensually, of course. I'll usually only cram in next to someone on a B&M if the next 2-3 parties are all 3 people or we're all reriding, or a group piles in behind me. I-305 is an elbowroom coaster so no problem, even TT isn't so bad, but I still won't reride next to a fresh rider.
 
After a disastrous opening weekend a week ago, where food lines got up to four hours long and the park having to cut off lines at major rides like Steel Vengeance three hours before park closing, Cedar Point has announced that they will be closing most Tuesdays and Wednesdays next month due to a staffing shortage.


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Unagi said:
After a disastrous opening weekend a week ago, where food lines got up to four hours long and the park having to cut off lines at major rides like Steel Vengeance three hours before park closing, Cedar Point has announced that they will be closing most Tuesdays and Wednesdays next month due to a staffing shortage.
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But wait, that's only a BGW problem. /s
 
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Unagi said:
After a disastrous opening weekend a week ago, where food lines got up to four hours long and the park having to cut off lines at major rides like Steel Vengeance three hours before park closing, Cedar Point has announced that they will be closing most Tuesdays and Wednesdays next month due to a staffing shortage.


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The problem with this move on their part is they moved the floor up, but didn't raise any other positions that already made more than $20/hr.

You have Team Members making the same amount as their supervisors and their supervisors' supervisors, and only slightly less than maintenance does normally. Mind you this is a sudden move on their part out of desperation, so hopefully they rectify it soon.

It's definitely a better move than Hershey's "hourly bonus" program where if you work a certain amount of hours per week you get a pay bonus. If you work more than 80 hours per two week period you get a 50% pay bump for every hour over 80... God, what was that called again? Overtime? But it's not overtime, because they'll drop this program once the staffing issues are resolved LOL.
 
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Offering bonuses is a nice way to dodge the real problem that's preventing people from working at an amusement park, the pay rates. Bonuses are temporary, yes they're nice, but they're not gonna motivate anyone new to come and work for them. If you instead changed that $1000 bonus into an hourly pay bonus to increase weekly pay by $250, like someone who's already making $15/hr getting an extra $6/hr it'd motivate a lot more people to apply. The hourly pay rate is the bigger eye catcher than all the bonuses and additional perks.

Just offer an actual decent pay and maybe benefits if someone sticks around long enough, parks and employers in general need to stop ignoring that elephant in the room. There is no returning to $10/hr pay like they used to have, it's not gonna work.
 
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