Bad Time at Six Flags Marine World SecuritySix Flags Discovery Kingdom: This is security at it's finest - NOT! We went to have fun and am still suffering from the theft of my wallet from the security screening checkpoint. Anyone at Six Flags care? Nope.
From Michelle Jones
I live up here in Spokane, WA, no man's land if you enjoy any kind of theme park activities. We have this dinky little place called Silverwood close by but for the cost of the tickets you just don't get anything worthwhile. Posted April 27, 2005 at 1:05 PM I had the opportunity to be in the Bay area for work last week so I thought it would be nice for my husband to join me over the weekend and we could hit Six Flags Marine World while we were there. So, I buy my tickets online, get everything else arranged and got my husband down there and off we went Saturday morning. We're both from So. California so we've been to all the parks down there but had never been up to the Northern California parks. We got to the park, parked our car, made sure we had our ID's to use the Print-n-go tickets and got on the tram. When we got off the tram we got into line for the security screening. Just before we got up to the metal detector I unloaded my coat pockets and set my backpack, coat and small wallet on the counter, went through the detector - beeped from my cell phone, went back through, collected my belongings are walked away. About 10 feet away I realized that I no longer had my wallet. In utter panic I turned around and went to the security guard and asked if my wallet was still there (fat chance I know but I had to ask). Of course the reply was "what wallet, I didn't see a wallet, are you sure you had a wallet". Now I'm really paniced. So he directs me to the lost and found counter to fill out a report. By this time I'm thinking about all the items in my wallet, drivers license, bank card, credit card - you get the picture. My husband pulled all the cash out of the atm at $200 a transaction with an extra $2 atm fee from them and a $2 atm fee from ours, nice bonus, leaving a whopping 68 cents in the account. Can't close it because of direct deposit from payroll. Nice. Called the credit card company but can't close that yet either because the rental car is on it and they have to finish the transaction when i return the car but they did restrict the card by decreasing the limit and putting a no overage check on it, Nice. We did what we could to protect ourselves so hopefully it was enough. Now, after we did this the security guard still isn't convinced that I even had a wallet and wants to know if we can check in our car. Sure, why not, the day is already ruined so we might as well spend more time that I should be having fun convincing these bozos that I didn't leave the thing in the car. So we start walking down to the car, half way there security picked us up and we go look. Of course, no wallet in the car. So we go back to the park where he "made sure we could get into the park for free" - nevermind I already told him we pre-paid for our tickets so this really isn't getting in for free. We stayed at the park most of the day and tried to make the best of it. I love coasters and it wasn't real busy so we went on the 5 coasters that were open repeatedly. End of the day we leave, checking again at the counter to see if by some fluke someone turned my wallet in sans cash, no luck. The security manager was there and heard us asking and came out and talked to us about it. He was a little PO'd by the way we were treated and mentioned that he has been asking for cameras at the security check point but someone up above didn't feel that it was worth the expense - well, it would have been nice to have them that morning now wouldn't it! Called the local police and filed a report, walked back to the car and headed out. We got back to our hotel and checked the accounts and lo and behold there was an attempted transaction at 8:22 PM at a gas pump. Nice. Sunday coming home was just a joy. Flying now without ID is not a fun occasion. They pilf through EVERYTHING you are checking, send you through a different security line where they pat you down and go through EVERYTHING you are carrying on the plane. Big hassle but I got home. Monday now. I start the process of trying to get everything straightened out, more pain in the butt and hassle. I work 8-5 so it's a little difficult to take care of all this personal crap in dilbertland cube central - everyone in the office knows now what happened since you can't have a private conversation in an office anymore. State of Washington won't give me a new license number so I'm stuck using the same one that someone else can potentially commit a crime with - great fun for me later if they do. I won't get a replacement for another week or two and my bank card is gone so try to get money out of the bank with neither of those items. Payroll deposit happens on Friday and I won't be able to get any money out until that precious ID arrives in the mail. I called Six Flags Corporate on Monday and they told me to call the Asst to the VP at the Park where this happened. So I did. She said I needed to talk to the VP of OPS and that she would have him call me. Monday - no call. Tuesday, I call back "he's been really busy with a new exhibit, I'll make sure he calls you though" Tuesday - no call. It's now Wednesday afternoon and still no call. So moral of the story? Six Flags Marine World Security sucks. I can't say anything about their other parks but if you go there don't take anything you can't afford to lose because they apparantly don't care if by their own negligence your personal property that you have to relinquish to get into their park get's stolen or mistakenly given to the wrong patron. Pay attention if you go there. I won't be again, that's for sure.
Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond. From Anthony Murphy
Wow! Thats tough! I could see this happening at other places as well not just Six Flags. Also, why doesn't Disney make you you though a metal detector? But anyway, I am sorry this happened!Posted April 27, 2005 at 3:39 PM
From Ryan Milanio
Wow, I, also, feel sorry for what happened that day. I don't know about Disney security, but Universal Studios Hollywood doesn't have metal detectors either. You are where, movies are made, and a possible terror attack can happen. The only security measure that they do is, if you bring in a bag, they just ask you to open it. Yeah, security sucks, even at airports. They take items and you find out they took it when you arrive at the other airport.Posted April 27, 2005 at 4:42 PM
From Anthony Murphy
Why doesnt't Disney or Universal Do that? Isn't the threat of danger the same if not more at those two World Famous companies' parks?Posted April 27, 2005 at 6:45 PM
From Jason Jackson
Isn't any type of park a target. It just doesn't have to be a major park. Any where a large group of people are located can be a terrorist target. Just remember that any major target is not going to be attacked by something that can go through a metal detector...Posted April 27, 2005 at 6:55 PM
From Derek Potter
That is odd. Why don't the Disney and Universal Parks have metal detectors? Paramount, Six Flags, and Cedar Fair parks do. Paramounts Kings Island even has guards that casually search your bag if you are carrying one in. Is security that lax at the most populous parks in the world? Surely not.Posted April 27, 2005 at 7:09 PM By the way, thats some tough luck at Marine World. I suppose somebody going up and asking for a wallet that they left could be a common con-man trick, but you would think that there would be better measures to protect the guest and their property. I'm sure this isn't totally representative of the security, but it's hard to ignore. Chalk up another horror story for a Six Flags customer.
From Pete Brecht
Busch Gardens doesn't have metal detectors, either, although they do a very cursory bag check. I don't think theme parks are that concerned about terrorism; they're more focused on preventing more generic violence (e.g. gangs). Since Busch Gardens attracts a very family-oriented element, they obviously haven't felt the need for metal detectors yet.Posted April 28, 2005 at 7:37 AM King's Dominion has metal detectors, but you put your wallet, keys, etc. in a basket, hand it to the security guard, then step through the metal detector and collect your things. Thus, your wallet is never out of your sight. Does Marine World actually have a conveyor belt with an X-ray machine or something that prevents you from keeping an eye on your wallet and keys? If so, that's pretty stupid.
From Michelle Jones
I personally think some of the security like this is to keep people from bringing outside food and beverages in. Posted April 28, 2005 at 8:23 AM The security gates at Marine World are like this. Metal detector, small counter (maybe 2' x 2') then another metal detector. So 2 metal detectors share a counter. What we think happened and the security guard actually said this as well, is that the guard at the next metal detector handed my wallet to the person going through his line. Now if someone handed me something that wasn't mine I would have turned it in but obviously this was not the case. I think I am more upset by the lack luster attitude of the park. This is totally their fault and their only remedy was to let us in the park for free and like I said, I had already purchased the tickets online and can't transfer those tickets to anyone else so this really didn't do anything for us. I think that if they require you to go through screening this way that at the very least they should have camera's at the screening.
From Russell Meyer
I'm not sure what you want Six Flags to do. Yes there are flaws in just about every security system, but is it really their fault for the loss of your wallet? If I am going through a security checkpoint, be it an airport, theme park, or government building, I NEVER let my personal belongings out of my sight. I usually consolidate the items that I cannot carry through the metal detector (watch, wallet, belt, etc) in a single bag or jacket. I'm not really sure how precisely your wallet was stolen, but if it was stolen by a pick-pocket in the security area, I'm not sure what Six Flags could do aside from installing security cameras in an area where numerous security personnel are already stationed. Such cameras, if Six Flags could afford to install them, would probably be installed in the ticket counters and around attractions before they're installed in the gate area, one of the most secure areas of the park.Posted April 28, 2005 at 9:37 AM It would be great if Six Flags could focus on each and every guest as they go through the security checkpoint, but the problem is that they want to limit the delay at the gate, and get guests into the park as quickly and efficiently as possible. If they hold every guest's hand as they walk through the security area, it would take forever to get into the park. The bottom line is that you should not trust anyone with your belongings, even for a second, especially in a Six Flags park, and if you don't keep an eye on them as you proceede through a security checkpoint, there's more than ample time for your stuff to walk away. The fact that someone tried to use one of your cards at a gas station is proof that someone stole it maliciously. Just because it happened to have been stolen while you were proceeding through a Six Flags security checkpoint, doesn't mean that you can point your finger at the park. If the same thing happened at an airport or a courhouse (and it does frequently), are you going to call the president?
From Ben Mills
I think the important phrase in this topic is "Six Flags".Posted April 28, 2005 at 10:01 AM
From Michelle Jones
I can and do point the finger at the park. I placed my belongings on the counter as REQUIRED to enter their park and all of my belongings were not given back to me. If they are going to REQUIRE you to do this to gain entrance to their park then they need to be diligent and reponsible with your belongings. At an airport if your items are lost or damaged the airport does accept responsiblity and compensates you for that. I work for a company that has a very large traveling workforce and I've seen it happen so I know this to be true. I'm the one that is suffering the concenquences of their negligence. The time and expense of replacing items that were lost, the stress of worrying about someone screwing me in the future and the day that I went out of my way to be a guest of their park was greatly dulled. If they would have handled the incident correctly when it happend I probably wouldn't be so upset by it but they didn't. They continued to question my integrity as to whether I was telling them the truth. If they are going to require that you hand over your property to them then they should at least install cameras by this area. Something like this happens, pull the video. This would protect them as much as their guests. Posted April 28, 2005 at 10:18 AM
From Russell Meyer
"At an airport if your items are lost or damaged the airport does accept responsiblity and compensates you for that. I work for a company that has a very large traveling workforce and I've seen it happen so I know this to be true."Posted April 28, 2005 at 10:49 AM I have NEVER heard of such a policy. If an item is damaged because of a security screening I can see, but what insurance company on earth in going to cover an airport for stolen items? I know that you can file a complaint through the TSA for stolen items in checked baggage, since only screeners and baggage handlers have access to those items, but for carry-on items, I have a hard time believing that to be true. I feel that even if you hand your belongings to someone else, even if required by a rule or policy, you are responsible for your stuff, unless it has to leave your visual sightline. I would have probably placed anything I could into a jacket or a bag. Small valuable-looking items are very tempting targets for theft. The person who walked through the metal detector right next to you could have very easily just nonchalantly grabbed it off of the table, and would have been completely unnoticed. You even said yourself, that you didn't notice it was missing until you walked away from the gate area, which means you weren't paying attention to you items as you were going through the check. Even a security camera would not have helped, unless you had casino-like coverage, which is completely unreasonable for an outdoor venue. Hindsight is always 20-20, but there's really nothing that Six Flags did wrong here. It would be great if there weren't people in this world who find it necessary to steal and commit crime, but in the real world, these people do exist, and you have to beware. This is a common thought process in what has become a litigious society. People need to look at what they could have done to prevent the incident before pointing the finger at anyone else. If everyone did that, instead of blaming someone else for what has gone wrong, a lot more things will go right.
From Michael Kostrikin
I'm going to say that it's Six Flags fault. If they directed you to place your valuables in their control (security bin), and you complied, I fail to see why they should not be held liable for their lax security. I'd be calling my lawyer for advice.Posted April 28, 2005 at 3:59 PM
From Phil Noteware
Dude, why did you put your wallet on the table, it is not going to set anything off, there is no metal in it right? Six Flags screwed up but so did you.Posted May 22, 2005 at 3:34 PM
From Kevin Baxter
Not to pile on a crappy situation, but my wallet stays in my damn pocket. There's nothing in there that will set off alarm. Even so, the stuff I do put up there is valuable, like keys, camera, whatnot, and MY EYES DO NOT LEAVE THEM! Not in a theme park filled with a bunch of kids and, even worse, the human trash that Six Flags' inexpensive Season Passes attracts. Six Flags did not have proper responses, that's for sure, but as a warning to ALL THEME PARK GUESTS, always be aware of your surroundings. Even Disneyland has pickpockets and thieves!Posted May 25, 2005 at 5:42 PM
From Scott Pan
I just returned from six flags in NJ. (07/2009) I will never go there again. I am requesting a refund. My family had the worst experience at this park. People were cutting lines with no way to stop them. This happened on almost every ride. A lot of rides were closed. There is no visible management overseeing the running of the park. One of the gates to a ride nearly crushed my son’s hand as it slammed shut. They promote that you can bring your own food and eat it in a picnic area, however there are only 6 tables in this area to accommodate thousands of guests. We had to eat on the rock covered ground making a sandwich in our hands. The park is so poorly run and has a bad element running through the park with no visible security we the patrons can go to if needed. The people ( teens ) running the rides seemed to want to keep it going fast that safety was sacrificed. We did not feel safe at all. We had a horrible time and left so mad. My son is 12 years old and he wanted to leave the park early. There is nothing like waiting an hour and a half on line to be cut again and again. Also, they are checking for weapons coming into the park, but when you get a stamp and re-enter they do not check. Makes no sense to us. Water was almost 4 dollars a bottle. Food prices were so high as well. They charge almost the same price for fast pass as a regular ticket. Fast pass is nothing like Disney ( free at Disney ). You have to pay extra for some rides. They are having money issues and we the patrons are paying for it. Shame on you six flags it was really a no flags day for us.Posted July 23, 2009 at 3:50 PM
From James Rao
Sorry about your lousy day at the park, Scott, but maybe it was just that: one bad day?Posted July 23, 2009 at 5:30 PM If I were you I would definitely check out this recent thread about preparing a complaint for the park, and follow up with park managers in an appropriate manner. Improvements will only come when customers take time to discuss their issues with the proper park authorities. BTW, welcome to TPI!
From Scott Pan
Hey James,Posted July 24, 2009 at 7:54 AM We did request a refund on the six flags website. I know it was not just the day we went, many people are saying the same thing if you look on a few blogs. How can they say to bring your own food and have only a few picnic tables for thousands of guests? Not just that day. The bad element was cutting lines all day. They say that they are meeting up with family on the line already - and go from a 1 1/2 hour wait to a 30 mins wait. They would stop in front of little girls that are too afraid to say anything. I have seen this mentioned many times on other blogs. Water was four dollars - Not just that day. Food prices were so high 9 bucks for a chicken sandwich. Come on - Not just that day. Many rides were closed. I have seen this complaint many times as well. Not just that day. I know it is your job to dispel my complaints, It's not our first time to the park but it is our last. Suggestions you can pass on James. Stop the cutting by having staff watch all major lines. Put a sign up to support your efforts. Make fast pass free like in Disney. Lower you food prices to 2 bucks a drink and 5 buck for a chicken sandwich. Spend a few bucks and buy 30 picnic tables for the picnic area. Really six flags you should be ashamed of yourself with just 6 tables. Hire more security. If you had more visible active security maybe you would stop the bad element from ruining your parks. Have a manager that is not a teen on every major ride overseeing the staff. These teens were arguing with each other. Not cool and not safe.
From James Rao
Scott, I don't have any job that I know of to diffuse or dispel any situations or problems related to Six Flags, I was just hopeful that the problem was a one time issue for your sake. Trust me, I too have had my share of issues at Six Flags parks over the years. There is a very good reason the company is going through bankruptcy proceedings right now. Posted July 24, 2009 at 8:54 AM Anyway, it is pretty clear to me that you have had numerous issues with SF Great Adventure, and you have every right to avoid the park in the future. I still recommend you formally send a letter of complaint to the appropriate park managers, otherwise nothing will ever change. And ultimately what we all want is a better park for the whole family.
From Joe Atchison III
I live less than 30 minutes from SF Great Adventure and refuse to go there for many of the same reasons. I'd rather drive 2 hours to Hersheypark or 5 hours to Kennywood before going to "Great" Adventure.Posted July 24, 2009 at 9:12 AM
From Ryan B
Metal detectors are a good thing. Disney does not have them because it ruins the care-free athmosphere (as if a shooting wouldn't). It would be nice if security checked what is setting the alarms off more thoroughly. Working at the Dorney Park where there are no detectors at the front gate I've seen a guest enter with a gun in his open shirt. Posted July 25, 2009 at 5:37 AM It can be difficult juggling all your metal belongings, but all in all, it's your responsibility to make sure you don't lose anything.
From Bruce Lane
Before I make my own comments, I have a personal request: Please don't refer to this abomination of a park as "Marine World" in any way, shape, or form. They gave up that name (rightly so!) for "Discovery Kingdom" some years ago.Posted July 28, 2009 at 8:05 PM The name "Marine World," as far as I'm concerned, belongs to a very different and much-loved park that no longer exists. They never saw a need for metal detectors or security checkpoints, and they never had any problems as a result of the lack of same. Now, with that said -- I'm sorry you ran into this sort of thing. I had my own troubles with SFDK's laughable "security," even before they installed their metal detectors, when I tried to bring an older-style video camcorder through. The barely-post-teenage "guard" looked it over as though it were a missile launcher, then called another (somewhat older) guard over as well. To his credit, the older one took one look, then looked at the teen with some disgust, and told him not to worry about it. At least SOMEone's seen a non-digital camcorder before! This all happened, BTW, while there was a HUGE line behind me. I could feel the impatience from behind. I don't even want to think about what it might have been like if they'd had their silly metal detectors at the time. My point is you're not the first to run afoul of this silliness, and I very much doubt you'll be the last. I hope you have a smooth recovery from the ID theft. Happier travels.
From John Doe
After working at Six Flags Great Adventure this past summer I wanted to throw my two sense in. I am sorry for the terrible expierence that you had at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. I happened to work at Security and my job was to check the bags and run the metal detector. The reason for the metal detectors is not only terrorism but weapons. People would be surprised on what we find at Six Flags. On a single day I would find around 30 pocket knives and on occassion some drugs. One time I found a sword attached to a man. Don't ask. During Fright Fest Six Flags GA seems to attract a lot of gang members. The key thing to metal detectors is it may stop somebody for bringing in a knife, razor blade, gun or something worse. While the process does take for ever. Wouldn't you rather be in a park that is safe than one that isn't? Yes I admit the system could be better. But, most of us work with what we can and do our best. Posted January 26, 2010 at 3:43 PM
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