Free Admissions at Atlanta Six Flags goes awry

[Queasy]

Link

A free-admission promotion at Six Flags Over Georgia on Atlanta's west side snarled morning rush hour traffic and frustrated youngsters turned away when the park hit capacity by 6 a.m.

For commuters I-20, driving in either direction was no thrill ride. The situation didn't begin to improve until about 9 a.m.

At its worst, travel time on eastbound I-20 from Lee Road to I-285 was about 25 minutes. It normally is under 10. Cobb County police closed the main exit for the park ? Exit 43 off I-20 ? about 6:15 a.m. The exits are expected to ramain closed until after 10 a.m.

Although the park had closed its gates and Cobb police had blocked surface-street access to the park, traffic was slow to disperse.

Eastbound traffic on I-20 was moving but sluggish about 9 a.m. The two right lanes at the Six Flags exit remained blocked, according to the Georgia Navigator traffic website.

The amusement park staged the free admission promotion as a season kickoff.

Some youngsters got out of cars and began walking down I-20 to get to the park, but Six Flags' officials turned them away, saying people had to arrive in cars to take advantage of the offer.

Cars began lining up as early as 3:30 a.m. for the offer, which had been scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The free day includes free rides, breakfast and season pass specials. Normal one-day admission to the park is $50 for adults and $30 for children.

Dana Davis, 31, drove from nearby Douglasville with her two children and five nephews for a day of fun. The fun never started. She and the children got up at 3 a.m. and sat in traffic on I-20 from 3:30 to 4:50 a.m.

She got close to the park but was turned away.

"It seems like a hoax, instead of a free day at Six Flags," she said.

Shunte Jordan, 32 packed up her children, ages 13 and 5, and left her Riverdale home about 5 a.m.

She made it to Exit 47 and found it closed by police.

"I'm frustrated., very frustrated," she said. "It's the traffic. It's like you are stuck. If you are going home you're stuck. If you're going to Six Flags, you're stuck."

She was at a QT convenience store on Mableton Parkway, watching as many of the young people in the store and in the parking lot milled about without parental supervision.

"Now people are getting frustrated. It's best to try to get out of this. This is when I feel like problems occur," Jordan said.

Diappointed youngsters ? most off school for spring break ? hung around the area when they couldn't get into the park. About 200 people sat or stood at a police barricade about 100 feet from the Six Flags gate.

Many were youngsters who had been dropped off by parents who had to go to work.

Alyssa Davis, 15, came with friends from Conyers. A parent dropped them off, never thinking the teens would not get into the park.

By 7 a.m., Alyssa and her friends were trying to keep warm inside the QT convenience store, about a mile from the park. They had walked there after getting to the park and finding the gates closed.

"It's cold outside," Alyssa said. "They didn't tell people there was a maximum capacity,"

Makebra Cuffie of northwest Atlanta left home just before 6 a.m. and was dropped off by her mother. She was more pragmatic about not getting into the park.

"We should have left home earlier," Makebra said.

 

[DotheDamnTHing]

I wonder who is going to start the litigation process?

 

[thirdeye]

Has anyone else noticed that every time traffic problems come up in the news, the term to use lately is "snarled"?

I find it hilarious, because I never heard the term used like that until recently, and now I hear it all the time.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

It's Atlanta. It's full of stupid people. hmmm, 6 flags is free, we'll be the only ones there. Nevermind that everyone in the freaking city knows this and will try to get in on this "Hot Deal".

I would never go when they have a free day. If the park is at maximum capacity, then the wait in line for every ride is going to be an hour or more.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: DotheDamnTHing
I wonder who is going to start the litigation process?

The real question is, when will the ACLU get involved?

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Many were youngsters who had been dropped off by parents who had to go to work.

Alyssa Davis, 15, came with friends from Conyers. A parent dropped them off, never thinking the teens would not get into the park.

By 7 a.m., Alyssa and her friends were trying to keep warm inside the QT convenience store, about a mile from the park. They had walked there after getting to the park and finding the gates closed.

"It's cold outside," Alyssa said. "They didn't tell people there was a maximum capacity,"

[/quote]

Stupid fvcks, "it's cold outside", hahaha. Good for them.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
It's Atlanta. It's full of stupid people. hmmm, 6 flags is free, we'll be the only ones there. Nevermind that everyone in the freaking city knows this and will try to get in on this "Hot Deal".

I would never go when they have a free day. If the park is at maximum capacity, then the wait in line for every ride is going to be an hour or more.

This honestly reminded me about one of the cell phone clients my first company had. They ran a promotion of free international calls for one day before the holidays that ended up shutting down their network.

Sometimes the benefit of a free promotion isn't worth the cost.

 

[k1pp3r]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

I would never go when they have a free day. If the park is at maximum capacity, then the wait in line for every ride is going to be an hour or more.

Same here, i live in atlanta. Q100 here was setup there and the morning talk show host had to kiss a 70 year old woman for like 60 seconds, lol. Anyway, there is a stupid amount of people there.

 

[KnickNut3]

For God's sake, it's buy one get one free all summer. You'd rather go when it's cold and a million other people are trying to go?

 

[mooglekit]

Originally posted by: thirdeye
Has anyone else noticed that every time traffic problems come up in the news, the term to use lately is "snarled"?

I find it hilarious, because I never heard the term used like that until recently, and now I hear it all the time.

Yeah, I hear it all the time...at least they are using a word that kinda fits in the context of a traffic jam though...sometimes the words news programs choose are just way out there and totally inappropriate for the topic of discussion..

And on another note...how long before the government is regulating the use of the word "free" in advertising!?!

 

[Platypus]

I like how they try to envoke sympathy because it's cold and explain how they were trying to keep warm... I guess you won't be cold 30 stories in the air sailing through the same air at >50mph downhill on a rollercoaster :roll:

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Alyssa Davis, 15, came with friends from Conyers. A parent dropped them off, never thinking the teens would not get into the park.

By 7 a.m., Alyssa and her friends were trying to keep warm inside the QT convenience store, about a mile from the park. They had walked there after getting to the park and finding the gates closed.

"It's cold outside," Alyssa said. "They didn't tell people there was a maximum capacity,"

GG brains. Obviously it's impossible to determine the current outside temperature without travelling all the way there. Also, what a surprise that the park couldn't cope with an infinite number of people.

 

[SirChadwick]

Hahaha! I was listening to Q100 a couple days ago and they were talking about this whole ditch day thing. They said that it's a slight possibility that traffic would get backed up... but were unsure. What morons! It's Atlanta where everyone wants FREE and thinks no one else will show. I don't feel sorry for anyone who decided to get up at 3am and sit in traffic to save $50 or whatever. I'd much rather get the BO/GO tix on a normal summer day. This gives Q100 a bad rap imo.

 

[imported_Shivetya]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
It's Atlanta. It's full of stupid people. hmmm, 6 flags is free, we'll be the only ones there. Nevermind that everyone in the freaking city knows this and will try to get in on this "Hot Deal".

I would never go when they have a free day. If the park is at maximum capacity, then the wait in line for every ride is going to be an hour or more.

even dumber was to open the park during rush hour times.


absolute stupidity on the parts of everyone involved.

 

[Mrfrog840]

basically, if you were not there by 3am, you didnt get in.

 

[Platypus]

I'm actually surprised that an amusement park is that popular...

 

[Lorax]

how much would you have to get paid to go to Great America when the park is full? I can barely stand the wait times on a normal capacity day.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Platypus
I'm actually surprised that an amusement park is that popular...

free is an amazing thing, people come out of the woodwork

We have occasionally done a similar promotion to open a new store. We never fail to hit fire capacity.

 

[mundane]

They ran the promotion during spring break - of course it would fill up quickly.

 

[elnovato]

Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper

Alyssa Davis, 15, came with friends from Conyers. A parent dropped them off, never thinking the teens would not get into the park.

By 7 a.m., Alyssa and her friends were trying to keep warm inside the QT convenience store, about a mile from the park. They had walked there after getting to the park and finding the gates closed.

"It's cold outside," Alyssa said. "They didn't tell people there was a maximum capacity,"

Also, what a surprise that the park couldn't cope with an infinite number of people.

Someone forgot to set the Auto Resize.