Monday, June 18, 2007
Cancer Patient Forced to Remove Cap on Amusement Park "Kiddie" Ride
This did not happen to me.
This happened to a woman who went to SeaWorld, San Antonio with her family. After riding other rides (including a large waterslide) with her cap on, she boarded a slow-moving children's ride with her two-year old. The ride involved spinning paint buckets; it was not vigorous enough to require seatbelts.
Way to go, SeaWorld. You made a woman with cancer uncover her head and cry in front of not only her two-year old child but god knows how many strangers.
She says she decided to complain to the attendant's supervisor, who sympathized but told her it is the "policy" to have no loose objects as they may fly off and interfere with the machinery. She watched as many people rode with sunglasses and eyeglasses, which have the same potential for flying off as a cap. The sign on the ride actually says that "loose objects must be secured," not that "loose objects must be taken off the heads of patients undergoing chemotherapy." (I can guarantee you that people undergoing chemotherapy are quite used to securing the hats on their heads.)
SeaWorld is run by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, best known for making Budweiser.
Anheuser-Busch and Busch Entertainment Corporation clearly need to provide more guidance to their front-line employees and low-level supervisors regarding when it is appropriate to think and act compassionately rather than mindlessly (and rather inaccurately) enforcing some "rule" which results in the humiliation of paying customers.
In fact, this is something everyone at the company could stand to improve upon...
This did not happen to me, but I would certainly be writing to the company's board of directors regarding the horrible experience if it had.
Busch Entertainment Corporation:
Keith M. Kasen, Chairman of the Board and President (he also served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida [2000-2003] and in San Antonio, Texas [1997-2000])
David J. Grabe, Vice President of Finance
David L. Hammer, Vice President of Human Resources
Also, the "Key Executives" listed for Anheuser-Busch, the parent company are:
Patrick T. Stokes - Chairman, Subsidiary Officer
August A. Busch IV - Chief Executive Officer, President, Subsidiary Officer
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
United States
Phone: 314 577-2000
Fax: 314 577-2900
This happened to a woman who went to SeaWorld, San Antonio with her family. After riding other rides (including a large waterslide) with her cap on, she boarded a slow-moving children's ride with her two-year old. The ride involved spinning paint buckets; it was not vigorous enough to require seatbelts.
"I'm sitting there with my two-year old and the attendant tells me that I have to remove my cap. I explain that I have no hair and had ridden other rides with no problem. She insists. I get really angry and fling it to the side off the ride and sit there with my bald head. My husband comes to my rescue and offers to ride the ride. I leave in tears while he takes my place."
Way to go, SeaWorld. You made a woman with cancer uncover her head and cry in front of not only her two-year old child but god knows how many strangers.
She says she decided to complain to the attendant's supervisor, who sympathized but told her it is the "policy" to have no loose objects as they may fly off and interfere with the machinery. She watched as many people rode with sunglasses and eyeglasses, which have the same potential for flying off as a cap. The sign on the ride actually says that "loose objects must be secured," not that "loose objects must be taken off the heads of patients undergoing chemotherapy." (I can guarantee you that people undergoing chemotherapy are quite used to securing the hats on their heads.)
SeaWorld is run by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, best known for making Budweiser.
Anheuser-Busch and Busch Entertainment Corporation clearly need to provide more guidance to their front-line employees and low-level supervisors regarding when it is appropriate to think and act compassionately rather than mindlessly (and rather inaccurately) enforcing some "rule" which results in the humiliation of paying customers.
In fact, this is something everyone at the company could stand to improve upon...
This did not happen to me, but I would certainly be writing to the company's board of directors regarding the horrible experience if it had.
Busch Entertainment Corporation:
Keith M. Kasen, Chairman of the Board and President (he also served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida [2000-2003] and in San Antonio, Texas [1997-2000])
David J. Grabe, Vice President of Finance
David L. Hammer, Vice President of Human Resources
Also, the "Key Executives" listed for Anheuser-Busch, the parent company are:
Patrick T. Stokes - Chairman, Subsidiary Officer
August A. Busch IV - Chief Executive Officer, President, Subsidiary Officer
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
United States
Phone: 314 577-2000
Fax: 314 577-2900
Labels: baldness, chemo, hair, hat, SeaWorld
