planenut

Whilst having a quit chat to a staff member today on the platform in front of the baggage room, a lady who was standing the "exit" side of the staff gate asked me "if I had wimped out also to not ride", I just agreed, a very short conversation. Just had it confirmed by someone who has his finger on the button, that indeed the smoke is not operated by the ride operator but set up to operate by the mechanics. I must have words with the person to whom I spoke earlier.

I ventured onto SWARM today; that's the oddest way to run a queue-line. One for facing backwards billed as being forty-five minutes long, the other for facing forwards twenty. Went into the forward (the right way) and it merged with the backwards in front of the baggage store, with no staff controlling, then I was putting the bag in whilst about twenty people walked past me in to the queue area. Once I had lodged my bag, I excused myself and passed most of those I could recognize, to then queue (indoors) to make my way to the front row, and to the airgate - no member of staff had been anywhere in all of that. Odd.

Now that would have made a great video to go online with.

Oddly enough today there was a much larger crowd than I expected, loads of youngsters on school trips amongst them. Ride ops. reckoned on some special ticket release. I would have thought that Monday would be a good bet.

That's different to what the ops. told me today. What enthusiasts must remember, and this goes for myself too, is that if GP only visit once in a blue moon, they won't know whether effects are not working, so they themselves are the lesser priority.

Whaaaaat?

Well done, loads of people would have been out the door - can you not train the cat to pick up currency in the form of notes?

Shhh! Thorpe Park thank you for a reasonable explanation, but you can trust me, if I say the queue is a couple of hours long, it is, no need to check, just publish, cheers.

I could also tell them that my favourite ride has the longest queue, in the hope that loads of people then keep clear of it.

Why can there not be signs that the staff can deploy when there is a breakdown, so that it can be seen prior to meeting the staff member who has the task of informing everybody individually at the entrance. This would not only reduce the number actually getting to that point but would also reduce that need to verbally inform them. I've seen staff having to act like sheep dogs as would be riders try to move past them from various locations. I am not affiliated to any company, but this is the idea..... http://www.displaysense.co.uk/Wall-Mounted-Barrier-Systems/?action=filter&barrier_type=wall_barrierss&barrier_type=wall_mounted This would reduce the number of people walking to the closed entrance.

I think he must have snuck in and nothing was working!

It was working last Tuesday. A lot of the effects and announcements are at the control board, so just ask the team to put it on; I have always hoped the smoke does not effect the ride ops..

Thanks for the heads-up Luke; indeed a sad day, and what an inspiration from the Bryans to create such a great park, and what a legacy to leave.

If they worry about a coaster structure shaking tell them to watch the wings on the next aircraft they fly in - they are designed to, 'cos otherwise they'd snap, and likewise with tolerances built into rides.

I used to think I had loads of friends, but gradually realized most were "colleagues". I am a little older than most on this forum, and have few true friends, but they are the ones that will always be with you. Don't look for friends, just be there for the exchanges that others need, the friendship will develop. Assess the negative comments and those that annoy you, work out if there's any relevance. Life has a big rubbish bin beside it, where you put the useless negatives, once in, forget it. Don't waste brain cells in regretting or worrying about things that you cannot change and that are past, file them but sift the good bits that you can benefit from, then look in the mirror and see who matters.

I went on Tuesday, only about 2 - 3000 in the park, compared to 13000 a couple of weeks ago. I had a good day.

Han, your sister is quite welcome to call me to help her therapy, sounds like she needs some guidance. You on the other hand have a great opportunity, to measure yourself against someone who it seems proves how well you are doing, 'cos you are able to say "that's not how I would treat someone!" Life is a stage, we go out and perform and when we get back to our base, we can breathe a sigh of relief and consider we got away with it. Enjoy your life, and ease up on the comparisons, corners exist so that we don't know what's coming. Your sister must have a pretty sad life if she spends her time criticising yours. As to work/jobs, think outside the norm, question everything and not getting a job is not a failing, but somebody elses loss, Be You!

Everybody has their likes and dislikes, and some are more vociferous in venting their opinion on others - try a ride to make your own mind up, never, never rely on another to disuade you. Luckily we are all different physically and especially in our appreciation of a particular style of ride, which means there are not 100% of a parks visitors in the queue in front of me. We are mostly aware that a particular ride can vary in it's comfort/discomfort due to variations in maintenance, weather and temperature, so it is worth re-riding to make ones own judgement. Enjoy what we have gang, as you can never tell what the future brings, unless it's in a banana skin.

Nice one Peaj, thanks for the photos and the entertaining narration - and to you all, thanks for the company too, great day.

Likewise, the other weekend at Oakwood on their bobsleigh run. Tried being clever no brakes, but as I'd not rode it this year that was daft, came off in turn four managed to get back on whilst still going but got the friction burns to prove it, doh! (not my video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebqEcxlmHdk

Not the sort of day to turn to only ride Stealth, phew, I was working.

That's okay, stand over there and think about it and let me pass!

It's a fantastic ride, and when you feel the need to run round to get on it again, then it's got what it needs, brilliant.

Great pics of a pretty good day. Always amazes me how the Park maintain that the website sales are nothing to do with them, therefore claim they are unable to "help". Digs were nice and close then? I'm back there in April, and looking forward to it.

All safety checks are important, on all rides, and all other rides are checked, so where's the answer in that? Open the ride, and watch them queue to get soaked. I still don't understand why anybody with a journey ahead of them would choose to do a wet ride after 3p.m., unless it's a brilliant hot dry summer day. Just my views. Is Tidal Wave at Thorpe empty during the mornings?