Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[Crawleyboy01]

Doesn't surprise me with Chessington.

Tbh chessington has improved over this last season. I'm hoping it's the start to a major refurbishment. The paper method works. Sometimes simple is better the whole less is m9re kind of thing. Ques at the gruffalo only get long anyway because of the pictures being taken

 

[D4n]

The paper method works. n

It doesn't though does it.

Say the person with the paper waits in line for 3 hours for a ride... the wait time from the back of the line could easily be vastly different by the time they reach the front of the queue. Information about how long the queue *was* 3 hours prior would be no use to anybody

Frankly, ride ops who work on the same rides day in / day out should be able to look at the length of queue lines and judge fairly accurately how long people will be waiting.

 

[rob666]

Then fasttrack screws it all up.
I can usually read the queues very easily at BPB.
On busy days with speedypass, Satan's spawn clog things up, and as there are multiple levels of pass, you can't easily estimate any more.
Vampire Beach two years ago.
My mate insisted that the Dipper was "No way a two hour queue" when we put it upon the pass...it did look like it was about half an hour, I explained how "us" speedypassers were invisible in the queue, and that there were premium and VIP users pushing in in front of us, pushing in front of them.
We spotted a large mountain of lard at the back of the queue, from the bar, as we set up the pass at 120 minutes...we slipped onto the ride just behind it.

 

[spinba11]

Why has stealth’s announcements been turned up to an obscene level?

 

[imanautie]

Why has stealth’s announcements been turned up to an obscene level?

"audio system improvements" "RAP abuse deterent"?

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[spinba11]

Its the place you heads back face forward hold on tight and braces yourselves loop plus the countdown bit, not the area music.

 

[imanautie]

So Thorpe decided it was a good idea to scrap The Swarms baggage hold.
Since at least yesterday it now has boxes on the platform

Oh and guess who bag searched me today, don't think he was pleased...

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[IanSR]

But did he threaten to take your stuff this time?

Some interesting advice has come out from the Police relating to confiscation of good by private security (due to some incidents with drones), and it is, as previously discussed, classed as theft and only the Police have powers to confiscate goods and only in very specific circumstances, private security do not, no matter how official looking they make themselves, cops advise is, call 999 and let the Police sort it out. I did have to chuckle when I saw it, although it related to drones, the timing was interesting (just after you had complained about Thorpe security) and even more amusing when the reaction here from some was don't bother the police about it or stand your ground - just accept it, well, the official advice from the Police is to bother them about it, they want to know because there is an increasing number of reports of private security "confiscating" high vslue goods because they deem them "dangerous" and the cops don't like it.

 

[BarryZola]

Yeah, I'm sure it's right at the top of their agenda. Yawn

 

[imanautie]

But did he threaten to take your stuff this time?

Some interesting advice has come out from the Police relating to confiscation of good by private security (due to some incidents with drones), and it is, as previously discussed, classed as theft and only the Police have powers to confiscate goods and only in very specific circumstances, private security do not, no matter how official looking they make themselves, cops advise is, call 999 and let the Police sort it out. I did have to chuckle when I saw it, although it related to drones, the timing was interesting (just after you had complained about Thorpe security) and even more amusing when the reaction here from some was don't bother the police about it or stand your ground - just accept it, well, the official advice from the Police is to bother them about it, they want to know because there is an increasing number of reports of private security "confiscating" high vslue goods because they deem them "dangerous" and the cops don't like it.

No issues today (same guy) or yesterday (someone else who didn't anyones check bags properly)

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[pluk]

But did he threaten to take your stuff this time?

Some interesting advice has come out from the Police relating to confiscation of good by private security (due to some incidents with drones), and it is, as previously discussed, classed as theft and only the Police have powers to confiscate goods and only in very specific circumstances, private security do not, no matter how official looking they make themselves, cops advise is, call 999 and let the Police sort it out. I did have to chuckle when I saw it, although it related to drones, the timing was interesting (just after you had complained about Thorpe security) and even more amusing when the reaction here from some was don't bother the police about it or stand your ground - just accept it, well, the official advice from the Police is to bother them about it, they want to know because there is an increasing number of reports of private security "confiscating" high vslue goods because they deem them "dangerous" and the cops don't like it.

If you were to phone 999 to report a disagreement with security at site where search and and the surrendering of prohibited items to comply with any terms of entry you would
a) be a massive tit and
b) deserve a ticket for wasting police time/misuse of 999 system.

I don't know the drone incident you refer to, but presumably this is some sort of vigilantly confiscation by members of the public, in public, who don't like drones, which would therefore be a crime in progress with suspects on scene and warrant an emergency response. Very different to having to surrender items to gain access to a private location.

Let's not encourage people to be morons, eh?

 

[IanSR]

There have been several incidents, and it's not about being a tit, it's about standing up for your rights/principles. If even the Police are telling people to report it to them, then it's not being a moron about it is it.

Perhaps if more people stood up to abuse of power instead of bending over and taking it like a man, then maybe there wouldn't be an increasing problem of private security exercising powers they don't have. Some smart arse security tries to take my property is gonna get a short fucking shock about it regarded of whether you think I'm being a tit about it or not.

Let's not forget they tried to take ihaveaspergers's battery charger for his phone, it's not like they tried to confiscate illegal drugs or booze, that would have been understandable....

 

[pluk]

You have no right to enter private property if you don't agree with the owner of said properties terms of entry. You have the right to choose not to enter if you don't agree, and complain to them if you really don't agree. But this is absolutely not a police matter. Do not phone the police. They are busy with actual crime.

People taking your stuff in public is a police matter. Huge difference.

(I have no idea why this is in italics, but the button reffuses to accept I'm pressing it to turn it off.)

 

[IanSR]

As I said, it's not about the terms of entry, it's about private security who have no more legal power over you than I do confiscating goods from you ad-hoc simply because they deem the item to not be approved for entry, not even the fucking Police have those powers, literally, ask any copper if he has the power to confiscate a phone battery from you as you pass him and watch his face....

It would be fine if they said "put it back in your car" like they did offer, but this is clearly not always the case with the amount of stuff security have been seen piling into the back of their cars at the end of the night.

To quote your own example, there is no difference between security taking your stuff and a random member of the public doing it, neither have the legal power to just confiscate property, that's called theft, just because the guy doing it has "security" written on his shoulder and a h viz jacket, does not give him any more rights than I have.

But hey if you want to carry on giving up your property to enter the park it's no skin off my nose, my answer would be no, you cannot have my property, I will take it back to my car thank you.

 

[pluk]

As I said, it's not about the terms of entry,

But it absolutely is. You can not remove the circumstances from scenario, it is key.

private security who have no more legal power over you than I do confiscating goods from you ad-hoc simply because they deem the item to not be approved for entry, not even the ****ing Police have those powers,

That isn't really what happens though, is it? Security say you can't bring that in, they give you a choice not to go in with it (ie leave with it and return without it, or don't return), or to give them that item and go in. A lot of people voluntarily give up stuff because it's less hassle. They are blatantly not going through peoples bags and just choosing to remove things and keep them without say from the owner; that would be theft, but that is not what's happening. It;s the same at nightclubs, airports, etc.

It would be fine if they said "put it back in your car" like they did offer

err...

literally, ask any copper

Clue. I am a police officer, and that's why I responded to the initial post taking a completely different scenario out of context and giving dreadful advice...

cops advise is, call 999 and let the Police sort it out.

Do not phone 999 to report civil disputes with security at private premises. Ta muchly.

 

[John]

So going back a few posts ,Swarm's bag store has gone completely? It's been closed off-peak for ages so I'm surprised it limped on as long as it did. Due to the station layout the use of shelving between the bays will make next to no difference to throughput, and an extra few seconds per train isn't a big deal on long train coasters. Could we soon see Stealth & Saw lose their bag points in favour of a set up more like Rita?

 

[imanautie]

So going back a few posts ,Swarm's bag store has gone completely? It's been closed off-peak for ages so I'm surprised it limped on as long as it did. Due to the station layout the use of shelving between the bays will make next to no difference to throughput, and an extra few seconds per train isn't a big deal on long train coasters. Could we soon see Stealth & Saw lose their bag points in favour of a set up more like Rita?

It's closed with signage still up, strange as it was on 2 trains all weekend!

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[pluk]

It's been closed on one train for a few years, but never before on two as far as I'm aware. Sounds like a change in set up and it's gone then, unless this was a one off staffing issue.

Needs rotating baggage holds in the station like some other wing riders really, or it'll be chaos.

 

[IanSR]

It's been closed on some non-busy days.

Look @pluk, I'm not going to argue with you, I appreciate your viewpoint but if some private security takes my property and refuses to give it back (which is what almost happened to ihaveaspergers had he not got park management involved) I will be reporting that theft to your colleagues whether you think I'm a tit or not.

 

[pluk]

OK @IanSR, if your hypothetical thing happens, you do that! But if what happens in reality happens and you are offered the choice to surrender an item or not enter I'm sure you can manage that choice without my colleagues help. As someone on the receiving end of many many inappropriate calls for help from ill informed people (which I have to deal with while others genuinely need me have to wait) I can assure you it is vitally important people do not call 999 when they shouldn't. And whether you actually intended it or not, your original post made it sound like calling 999 in these circumstances would be appropriate. It is not, and people need to know that.

For the record, I've always found Thorpe security to be pretty good really. As effective as they can be, efficient and polite. They have a hell of a job, especially on nights like MoS, but at the door and in the venue they prevent a lot of trouble and act swifly when they need to. I might be a bit out of date though, if things have changed in the last years or so.