Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Last night I drove to DL directly after work to view the new Halloween fireworks. As I drove into the parking structure and followed the line of cones, I noticed that more than a few cars were cutting through the cones to get a better parking spot. My knee has been hurting me a little this week, and seeing where the cars were ending up in the parking structure, I cheated and cut through the cones following the other cone-cutters to get a closer parking spot. Yes, I know that was wrong. Bare with me, though. All of the folks that did the same thing were able to go on their merry way, but I was singled out by a parking attendant who literally ran to my car and asked me if I had seen the cones. He left his parking post, and in doing so, allowed EVERY OTHER CAR to do what I just did. I told the guy sorry but I was just following everyone else. He said "those cones are there for a reason and aren't there for you to cut through." I said, "My knee has been hurting, so when I saw everyone else cut through, I did, too." He said "Your knee doesn't prevent you from driving to where we tell you to, does it?" then he turned away. Other things were said by him and I'm sure that PB can fill you in, but at this point I was so angry that he didn't address everyone but only addressed me. As you might know, PB is a new castmember, and tells me that this guy had broken about 4 major Disney rules by the way I was approached and the tone I was addressed in. She asked me if I got his name, but i didn't even think to do so. I was in shock at the way this guy approached me. So, as a good LP deed, I just want to say that you probably should not cut through the cones if you don't want Nazis chasing after you in the parking lot.
Originally Posted By sjdimon 999 - if a Disney Cast member **EVER** acts that way to a guest, they are in dire need of something known as "the door" (as in - don't let it hit you too hard on your way OUT OF IT!). UNLESS it was for the safety of a guest (and this clearly was not the issue). Now - you do know that you weren't in the right (even though "everyone else was doing the exact same thing). I digress - the cast member was wrong in that: 1. You should NOT have been singled out 2. He should not have been so sarcastic It's a real shame that even in the current economy, some of the cast members have a real difficult time with the guest services aspect of their jobs. Even if you don't know the name of the cast member, you could have given Guest Services the time and location of the incident, and they could have dealt with the problem. We always make it a point to give kudos to Cast Members who go above and beyond the call of duty. It is just as important if there is one that has "issues" that they too are handled appropriately (not that I want to get anyone fired, but they at least need to be given a bit of an attitude adjustment).
Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 One time after entering the lot (right after the booths) I accidentally followed the second line of cars instead of the line I was in. The CM directing my line started SCREAMING "No! No! That's the WRONG WAY!!!" after there was nothing I could do about it. He was flipping out! I mean, it was my bad but I don't think it was the end of the world I followed the wrong line and this guy totally lost his cool.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Yes, I enjoyed the fireworks very much! And yes, I was completely wrong in cutting through those darned cones. I just knew I would be standing for a bit waiting for the show and didn't want to have to walk extra. I was under the impression that to report an issue I would need the name of the castmember. I will know better next time - on all accounts. PS: I have gone to city hall twice to give a "great job" comment on great castmembers.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Sounds like this guy totally overreacted. I generally find DLR employees to be superb. It's too bad this person behaved so badly.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros ...well, I guess we all know where the hidden swastikas in DCA came from... : )
Originally Posted By wachawacha The castmember was trying to do his/her job. It is kind of like the highway patrol. Everyone speeds but once in awhile the pick one out of the heard and give them a ticket.
Originally Posted By adventurelandgirl89 Wow. I can't believe he actually said all of that to you. I'm a CM so I can understand how sometimes guests can be really frustrating but you should NEVER say stuff like that out loud. Ever.
Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 In response to Post #8...I don't have a problem with a cop giving me a ticket if I'm speeding. I don't have a problem with a CM bringing it to my attention when I am going the wrong way. The point is, there is a polite, decent way to do your job and a rude way to do your job.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Exactly. Dealing with the public is never easy, which is why I try my best to be polite to those who serve me regardless of the situation. I make it to a Disney theme park on average once every other year. In my opinion, despite whatever challenges there are in the employment market in Orange County, DLR has an outstanding staff of workers. On that note, I would be willing to give this guy some slack and chalk it up to a bad day except that it was pointed out that it's been noted previously that he's a poor performer. Perhaps as someone else said, he should be shown the door.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones A poorly run parking lot with lax rules can be a dangerous situation what with all those two ton vehicles rolling around everywhere. I don't blame the CMs for being stern with guests in the parking lot. In fact, in the interest of public safety, I want them to be stern to someone who won't go where they tell them to go.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I hear what you're saying and I understand that the incident wasn't exactly life threatening, but you did wrong. You knew you did wrong and your only complaint is that you were the only one caught. Sorry, I don't think I could report the CM's behavior either. He was doing his job. He might have done it better, diplomacy wise, but I'm sure he just noticed the cars parking there and freaked out because he had let it slip by. In your case the phrase, "timing is everything" applies. As much as I would like to side with you (not that it matters) on this, as a person that deals with complaints on a daily basis, I'm afraid I would have been pretty hard pressed to say much to the CM about it other than try not to be so excitable. In other words, the fact that you brought the incident upon yourself would have rendered it as a "non complaint" just a "sorry I got caught" in my world.
Originally Posted By piratebrittany <<In fact, in the interest of public safety, I want them to be stern to someone who won't go where they tell them to go.>> There's a huge difference between being stern and being blatantly rude. This man had no place working at Disney, whether we were in the wrong or not. I JUST went through training so all the "Disney Way" stuff is fresh in my memory. This CM was a mirror of the example videos we saw on how NOT to treat a guest, no matter the situation. I've already had to turn down alcohol to very unhappy guests on three different occassions and I was able to be stern without being rude. I know we were in the wrong, but we were singled out of three or four others and he opened his "speech" with guns blazing. He was rude and yelling from the second he opened his mouth and whether we did something wrong or not he shouldn't have acted as such.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS <A poorly run parking lot with lax rules can be a dangerous situation what with all those two ton vehicles rolling around everywhere. > I'd agree with you 100% - had we been driving about 50 miles an hour and had the "gentleman" been doing his job. Instead, he was standing by the cones, not looking at any of the on-coming cars, and talking to a coworker, thus allowing others before me to go inbetween the cones. I was mearly following the crowd. It's not until he noticed what was going on that he became Nazi-man. A criminal is arrested, I agree, but that doesn't give the cops the right to beat the crap out of them. (Verbally speaking, in my case). If he had come over and said something like "maam, in the future we would appreciate you heed the cones as it is for the safety of our guests" or something like that, I wouldn't have had an issue.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones Considering most of the guests at Disneyland these days are annual passholders, a little stern guest lecture every now and then might help them correct their behavior next week when they visit the park again. I'm sure the other guests who do follow the rules would appreciate it.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Those cones are there for a reason... SAFETY!! Safety of the Cm's working, and the safety of guests so they don't get run over while walking from their cars. I know that the temptation to cut in line is there, but if you had a health issue, the proper place to address it is at the Toll Booth. The CM can flag your car for closer parking if you ask politely. No need to put folks at risk.
Originally Posted By piratebrittany <<a little stern guest lecture every now and then might help them correct their behavior next week when they visit the park again.>> Again, there is a way to be stern without literally screaming and being rude.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt The OP stated that she was in the wrong at the outset, so I'm kind of surprised that so many people here are reprimanding her. This topic is not about her behavior but about the impoliteness of the DLR employee's response.
