Travellers on park

Website · Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:21 am

But, people that had a problem complained and were refunded, but they can't do really anything else.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:33 am

So to stop this sort of thing happening again and prevent having to refund as many guests, introducing some rules on how they expect you should be dressed would be a step in the right direction. It is a family theme park after all.

I can't believe some actually started fighting the actors in TotT and someone else decided to have a wee on Air. They're a disgrace to their community and have no right stepping foot in that or any other theme park ever again if that's how they're going to behave!

Website · Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:58 am

When people don't pay tax.

That's what you get.

Jordan · Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:38 am

How feasible would it be for Towers to have one or two days a year where they only allowed pre-booked tickets and passes? If it was well announced, families visiting could make plans in advance, and having to book online would probably deter the majority of the guests who just want to cause trouble from visiting.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:02 am

A dress code could work, but I think the main thing that AT need to do is to kick people out who break the rules. Queue jump - out, smoke in queue - out, fight - out, steel - out.

I'm not sure if they have the security to do this, but it would work. By chucking out smaller gangs when they queue jump it breaks up the bigger crowd and reduces the intimidation as less and less ''travellers'' are in the park. They would soon learn that AT won't tolerate the behavior and they would behave better or just not come next year.
Refusing entry to the park would not work as they would kick up a fuss outside - and I can see why - I'd kick up a fuss if I was refused entry without actually doing anything wrong (other than dress code reasons).

DiogoJ42 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:36 pm

The problem is catching them queue jumping. Short of having security personell every fifty feet along every queue, how can they do anything?

Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:38 pm

[quote=""DiogoJ42""]The problem is catching them queue jumping. Short of having security personell every fifty feet along every queue, how can they do anything?[/quote]

Extensive CCTV throughout queue lines, so that it would only require a single staff member to monitor the entire queue?

Still not exactly cheap, and certainly not ideal (in that it's very 'Big Brother')... but it's a solution.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:38 pm

They'd kick up a fuss if select members of their party were removed. These people stick together like a pack of wolves and would not tolerate the removal of any of their comrades.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:31 pm

So we let them get away with it because there's too many of them? Mob rule FTW!

Same with the London riots. Until there was a proper police presence they were able to do what they wanted.

Sadly when dealing with situations like that the answer is "more police". If that doesn't work, then the answer is still "more police". Repeat until it does work.

djtruefitt · Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:09 pm

I was there on the Sunday and I have to say during the day time it really wasnt that bad, apart from a few idiots around doing stupid things like queue jumping, smoking, etc (but you get that any day with chavs, etc).

However once the evening arrived it was a completely different kind of place, and I would say for the first time ever at Alton I didnt feel that safe, when we heard reports that there were fights near HEX, TOTT was closed and paths were blocked, etc. In the end we did get on TOTT but there were a strong presence of security around (when there wasnt really any presence the night before) and even a police woman at the enterance to TOTT.

I think the main problem was there did seem to be a lack of security around, there were plenty around TOTT, but not really anywhere else. When we left at the end of the day I didnt see any security or anything around the monorail or near the hotels. When we were queueing for the monorail it could have quite easiorly turned into a bad situation, but luckly for us there didnt seem to be any trouble. I have never seen our group run so fast off the monorail before! Compared to somewhere like Thorpe where we went last week, which seemed to have a massive amount of security around the park and the mazes, compared to Alton who had very few. I would much rather on the one or two days a year these "travellers" visit Alton really up their security around the park, even if it doesnt give off that family friendly imagine, it would probably make people feel much safer.

I certainly wouldnt recommend visiting the park during Easter Sunday or the first Sunday of scarefest, espeicially if you have young children or a family. Unless of course you are a good fan of the circus and a very strange group of people.

Who needs scare actors or zombies when you can just watch the Gypsies go around the park in their scary outfits?

Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:13 pm

I was speaking to a Towers Staff member earlier today who said there was another date set for the 'travellers' meet up at towers - this Sunday - 23rd, how true the rumour is will obviously become clear on Sunday! i'm going on Sunday too, so hopefully, the situation won't be as bad as many experienced last Sunday!

Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:33 pm

I have never in my life seen these kind of scenes, and in such a huge quantity! My family and some friends went for the day and we had a fantastic time - don't get me wrong - but could have done without the mass of 'travellers' there. I was intrigued by the number of them and just how outrageously the girls were dressed! It just seems to me like they are a different breed the way they present themselves and the way they stick to their own communities. I am not sure how some of the females walked around all day in the heel size they were dragging along.. plus an identical match of velour pink tracksuits dotted everywhere I went. From judging most peoples reactions around me, it was a show of amusement and shock seeing so many tanned tummies on show and a trowel of make up smeared over their faces! I have just returned from over a year in New Zealand, and not one female I have seen over there dresses in this way. Funnily enough, we had the hit TV show broadcasted over there before I came back here. I did not expect that a week later I would meet the entire population at AT.

The only thing that irritated me was the vast number of them and the cheeky ones who thought pushing in was completley acceptable. I think AT could have done something to reduce the numbers of them coming in like that - just far too many of them.. dressed in a completely unacceptable manner and came across threatening to most people trying to enjoy a day out at the theme park.

Website · Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:40 pm

[quote=""RobStandley""]I was speaking to a Towers Staff member earlier today who said there was another date set for the 'travellers' meet up at towers - this Sunday - 23rd, how true the rumour is will obviously become clear on Sunday! i'm going on Sunday too, so hopefully, the situation won't be as bad as many experienced last Sunday![/quote]

Wasn't that the day that they expected them to visit, but they didn't.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 8:56 pm

[quote=""Stelios7""]
Wasn't that the day that they expected them to visit, but they didn't.[/quote]

Well this is what I said, apparently 'Paddy' who won Big Brother was there on the Sunday just gone and this had a huge impact on the number of them turning up...

Hopefully they wont be there this Sunday!

djtruefitt · Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:00 pm

When I first sae some of the woman getting off Oblivion I really did think it was a group of girls in fancy dress on a hen do or something. It was only later in the day as I saw more and more of them I noticed it wasnt fancy dress.

As for their driving on the way out of Alton, that was just as bad the general attitude they seem to have. I have never seen so much dangerous driving around the Alton village, with the over taking. After they left Alton a large number visited the McDonlands near the A50, the queue was out of the car park and onto the main A50!

Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:04 pm

[quote=""RobStandley""]I was speaking to a Towers Staff member earlier today who said there was another date set for the 'travellers' meet up at towers - this Sunday - 23rd, how true the rumour is will obviously become clear on Sunday! i'm going on Sunday too, so hopefully, the situation won't be as bad as many experienced last Sunday![/quote]
If anyone has any more info about this Sunday, please keep us posted. Planning to take the family but will go on Tuesday if the rumour is confirmed.
Thanks.

Website · Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:16 pm

Here’s a plan, for groups of people entering the park in vast numbers introduce a wrist band system, this wrist band means the group have a ‘strike system’, each member has 5 points, swearing extensively counts as a point and so does gathering in tightly pack intimidating groups, smoking in queue lines and queue cutting etc. Then if 1 member reaches all 5 points or if 5 points is reached within the group then the entire group is evicted from the park, Alton keep their money, and the problem is removed. This should be easy enough with groups being Identified and being assigned a wrist band with an RFID tag in, then all of those wristbands are grouped together by a spread sheet, then if one acts up the band gets stamped and a man in an office gets a red tick on his computer, the staff are notified and the problem is removed. Also groups seen without wrist bands will automatically be removed unless proofed they weren’t issued one. Seems fair enough to me, I would be happy to ware one if I was in a group as I know I wouldn’t act up, and I believe the constant reminder of authority and eviction might make them behave, or at least better than they are already.

Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:17 pm

What about having the park credit/debit card or season ticket holders only?

Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:23 pm

[quote=""RobStandley""][quote=""Stelios7""]
Wasn't that the day that they expected them to visit, but they didn't.[/quote]

Well this is what I said, apparently 'Paddy' who won Big Brother was there on the Sunday just gone and this had a huge impact on the number of them turning up...

Hopefully they wont be there this Sunday![/quote]

Yeah we were told by a member of staff that he was there too. Paddy bl**dy Docherty lol

Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:27 pm

Please dress for the changeable British weather. There is not a great deal of cover around the Park, please be prepared for rain at all times and wear sensible flat footwear due to the undulation of the Park and the need to brace on several of our rides. Proper attire including tops and shoes must be worn at all times.

Why don't they just not let them due to violation of the dress code?