Hold it in, or go to the back of the queue
No one can save your place in the hours-long lineups at Canada's Wonderland. It's against the rules. And it's unreasonable, say the thirsty - and those who desperately need a washroomJAMES BRADSHAW
From Monday's Globe and Mail
May 26, 2008 at 5:00 AM EDT
As the old saying has it, when you've got to go, you've got to go. At Canada's Wonderland, that also means going to the back of its serpentine lineups.
Patrons of Canada's largest amusement park, just north of Toronto, are taking issue with the venue's inflexible zero-tolerance policy on line jumping, which is leaving throats parched and testing the limits of visitors' bladders.
The park's policy broadly defines line jumping to include leaving the line and attempting to re-enter it.
"This includes using the restroom facilities or to purchase food or drinks," the policy states, emphasizing that saving spots "is simply not permitted" and those who leave forfeit their place "no matter what the reason."
But some visitors say that increasingly lengthy waiting times for rides, exacerbated by temporary ride closings, are creating unreasonable conditions.
"The policy is in place simply because we're trying to ensure that all guests have a fair opportunity to ride any given ride as quickly as possible. In terms of flexibility, we fixed the policy to eliminate discrepancies within situations," said park spokeswoman Dineen Beaven.
Nafees Khurshid, 28, said the construction of the Behemoth, a gargantuan new roller coaster, was a major factor in persuading him and his wife to buy season passes.
Stretching 1,616 metres in length, it is Canada's largest and fastest coaster, with a dizzying 70-metre drop on a 75-degree angle that accelerates riders, unencumbered by upper-body restraints, to 125 kilometres an hour in less than four seconds.
Not surprisingly, this new thriller attracts sizable lineups. Mr. Khurshid and his wife joined the queue Saturday afternoon, but three hours and two mechanical failures later, the ride was still stalled and the front of the line remained distant. Mr. Khurshid found himself desperately in need of a restroom and ducked out.
When he returned to join his wife, a ride supervisor told him he should have "held it in" and must now join the back of the line. A pair of security guards then arrived to escort him there. Mr. Khurshid said several other patrons vouched for his presence, and pleaded for him to be allowed to stay, but the guards refused to relent.
"I just feel that's very unfair, especially given that we were waiting for over three hours. They have to build some reasonableness into their policy," he said. "I'm sure their intention was to make sure people were not butting in line, and I understand that under normal circumstances, but this was an exception."
Craig Phillips, 22, saw Mr. Khurshid pleading his case. After two thirsty hours inching along under the hot sun, he was relieved to find a vending machine beside the lineup.
As he stopped to purchase a drink, several people in the line passed him. When he ducked under a bar to rejoin his companion in line, security accosted him. Again, several strangers vouched that it was his rightful place, but he too was removed.
Both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Khurshid have filed formal complaints, hoping to persuade park managers to be more lenient in the future.
Quelle:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080526.wlineup26/BNStory/National/
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