I'm sorry, but if you are afraid to enter a queue to retrieve someone -- then you are collecting a free paycheck and deserve to be escorted out of the park yourself.
Try not to let the turnstile hit you in the @$$ on the way out.
Wait a minute, isn't a police officer's job to maintain order and to enforce the law? Isn't it also to detect and PREVENT crime? I realize we aren't talking robbery here, but come on now, this is child's play compared to what an officer is trained to deal with. Do we need a SWAT team, in riot gear to enforce the rules, because we have a very volatile situation? The patrons of the park v.s. the cops! Give me a break!! I would say the majority are on the officers side. Sorry Kodiakman, I'm having a hard time taking you seriously.
I dunno guys. This is a very strange thread. On one hand, I can see Jeff's point about not enforcing the rules. On the other hand, Kodiak makes a good point about entering a crowd, especially alone.
While the crowd may be on the side of the cops in removing a line-jumper, at least initially, it should be remembered that crowds can be very fickle. All it takes is one or two idiots to start shouting about police abuse, and the mood can turn ugly in a hurry. In a situation like that, one or two cops will have no control over a crowd of people. And commotion attracts people, so a crowd could swell in a big hurry, and the cops could find themselves at the center of an angry mob. In a case like that, being armed is almost no help, and could be a liability, especially if someone gets an officer's gun.
I realize that this may be unlikely, but this is a volatile world in which we live. Many people have no respect for police officers and the laws and rules they are charged to uphold. Gone are the days when the beat cop could keep order with the suggestive tap of a night-stick and a sideways glance.
Face it, the cops at CP are largely there to protect people from outright assault, robbery or dangerous and foolish behavior. They are not necessarily there to be study-hall monitors that keep people from cutting in the lunch line and Smokin'in the Boy's Room.
[soapbox]
The baseline problem here is that the line jumpers and smokers and people who litter the park with their lunch garbage were never taught to respect the rules and laws of living in a decent society. They were never taught that you shouldn't sh*t where you eat. This lessens their overall respect for their fellow human beings, their environment, and the symbols of authority in everyday life. It shows in their attitude and in their actions.
[/soapbox]
I apologize if I seem over pedantic in this post. I have the utmost respect for cops. I have relatives that were cops, Sandusky PD, Military Police, and Cedar Point PD, as a matter of fact. Personally, I'm glad they are there, and if it came down to it, I would help them any way I could. I think if they can resolve a smoking-in-line or line-jumping issue without endangering their lives, or the lives of others, they should. However, I don't think they should be wading into crowds, or into a confined area in the midst of a huge line to enforce what amounts to high-school hijinx.
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Tim Bretz
tabretz@stsi.net
"Remember to pillage before you burn"