CM at HS punched by guest over FPs

[BrianL]

So awful that someone would do that. This has made me curious though. Are there really buttons to control the ride at those fastpass podiums outside of the ride at the line entrance?

There is a console there, though I think it has more to do with timing the opening of the pre-show rooms and not the operation of the ride elevators themselves, but there may be an E-stop button or something. Either way, nobody should be fooling with those buttons except for trained cast members.

 

[AvidDisReader]

The CM deserves all the kudos. Taking a punch and not pressing charges is way more than what any employer could expect. I hope Disney makes her employee of the month with a big fat bonus, she deserves it.

 

[sethschroeder]

Based on the story, the CM did offer to allow the guests through. However, that appears to be the point where the mocking/pressing of buttons/eventually assault occurred. She did everything in her power, and management would not hold that over her.

To be very clear I personally do not think the CM did anything wrong even if they punched the person back after they started to mess with controls.

I was more so trying to explain why there would be zero charges.

 

[Moliphino]

I will say, this is why there should be someone checking FP's at the start of the line, not when they get up to the console....

They do check at the start of the line. These people probably jumped into the FP line after that point. The second check is to make sure people aren't doing that.

 

[mshanson3121]

The only thing that I disagree with you on is the fact that the CM didn't press charges. She is simply doing her job and was assaulted. Charges should have been brought against the assailant.

Not impressed as in "way to go". I guess shocked would have been a better word.

 

[MaC410]

There is a console there, though I think it has more to do with timing the opening of the pre-show rooms and not the operation of the ride elevators themselves, but there may be an E-stop button or something. Either way, nobody should be fooling with those buttons except for trained cast members.

Oh absolutely! Wasn't asking to diminish the seriousness of what they did, was just curious!

 

[Disxuni]

Considering her age I have a feeling she was worried what Disney would think, or do if she pressed charges against a guest, or if is in fact an unwritten rule to not press charges against a guest. People would be surprised at how much heat management (in general, not just at Disney) expects employees to take. I do believe establishments rather ban than anything else it is also generally lessens time, money, and effort than suing, or pressing charges against someone.

I'm grateful that nothing more serious occurred to the CM, that more people didn't get involved, or that the buttons the guest pressed apparently didn't do any inflicting damage to other guests. It's one thing to assault someone, but that could have taken a dark turn depending what kind of console, or buttons were available to press.

 

[jjb1974]

Totally agree that some sort of charges should have been made here. At the end of the day the CM is the victim and has the final say on prosecution. However, a disorderly conduct type of charge would have applied and would not need a victim's blessing. As a manager if someone touches one of my employees the person will be hauled away in handcuffs.

I'm not a Florida prosecutor, but I can tell you that in this situation you would not at all need the victim's testimony, much less her cooperation, to press charges and get a conviction in my state. All you need is the video of the punch, anyone to testify that they saw swelling on the CM's eye where they were punched, and you have yourself a valid battery case.

The only hooks here might be if Disney themselves wouldn't cooperate by releasing the video (but that's what we have subpoenas for) or an extradition issue: that person might not ever return to Florida from Chicago and you sure aren't paying extradition, but if she doesn't come back she gets a warrant for failure to appear and she's never renewing her driver's license until she gets it resolved. Beyond that, any return to the State of Florida would probably be cut off because if she was caught there, she could be driven back for prosecution in state.

I'm all for letting a lot slide when somebody is stressed, but throwing hands ain't in the "live and let live" column.

 

[Ariel484]

Considering her age I have a feeling she was worried what Disney would think, or do if she pressed charges against a guest

I thought the same thing. 23-year-old me would have been terrified to be in a situation like this.

I've wondered in the past how many CMs get harassed by guests for these kind of issues...can you imagine being a CP/in your early 20s and getting whatever they get paid - $14 per hour or whatever - and dealing with people like this?

I wonder how Disney enforces the ban?

 

[skyp4WDW]

That poor CM is afraid of losing her job; that's why she didn't press charges...but Disney SHOULD!

Additionally, that sort of "Guest" will not be put off by a Ban. She will be back next week using another ID.

 

[KMWoolley]

That is just inexcusible and it's more disturbing that they started messing with the ride control console! I'm sure there are a lot of safety systems in palce, but still. I am sure Disney has issued a ban for life at the very least.

What are you proposing, they get banned for the afterlife as well??
No Haunted Mansion for them...

 

[BrianL]

What are you proposing, they get banned for the afterlife as well??
No Haunted Mansion for them...

Well, I meant more like criminal charges, but it looks like that's not happening. They don't deserve to be a Happy Haunt!

 

[Magical2017]

I can't believe no one caught that on video. Given what happened at Toon Town in DL earlier this month, I would think as soon as the guests started getting argumentative someone would hit record.

 

[MaC410]

CMs are great at diffusing situations. It's great that this kind of stuff doesn't happen too frequently. I think with all my times at WDW so far I've only been unhappy with how one CM treated a situation.

During our last trip 7DMT went down and we had a fastpass for it. Eventually they began testing the ride so people started lining up at the fastpass entrance getting ready for it to open again. The beginning part of the line was formed in a spot that the CMs couldn't really rope off and then as the line got longer the rest of the line was in an area they could rope off. As we waited for the ride to open again a few CMs told us that the people in that beginning part of the line who they couldn't rope off would enter first and then they would let the second half of the line in. However, when the ride finally opened the CMs that told us this were no longer stationed at the entrance of the ride. Because of this the CMs started letting in the roped off part of the line in leaving the beginning part of the line, with the people who had been waiting the longest, cut off and not able to enter. This caused a lot of people (including my wife and I to be upset). The people who were stranded were trying to speak with the CM running the entrance and they just wouldn't help us out. They treated us like we were lying to them trying to cut in line, claiming that no other CMs were around to tell us what we were told. That really upset me the most. I'm someone who cares a lot about following the rules and making sure what I do doesn't negatively affect someone else's experience. To be treated like a liar did not feel good. Luckily an extremely nice family who saw what had happened let us enter the line.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Obviously the guest who punched the CM was 100% out of line. But the CM also screwed up. They pushed the person’s hand away from the podium. The CM should not have physically engaged with the guest, while it could have screwed up the ride (wait times I guess?), nobody was in danger of being physically injured by the idiot pushing the buttons. The CM (inadvertently) escalated the situation. Obviously CM did not deserve to be punched or in anyway be abused like they were!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I can't believe no one caught that on video. Given what happened at Toon Town in DL earlier this month, I would think as soon as the guests started getting argumentative someone would hit record.

Toon Town was very different. Until the punch this was just a family berating a CM, sadly not something uncommon.

 

[Mikey15]

But the CM also screwed up. They pushed the person’s hand away from the podium. The CM should not have physically engaged with the guest, while it could have screwed up the ride (wait times I guess?), nobody was in danger of being physically injured by the idiot pushing the buttons.

What kind of victim-blaming stuff is this? Cast member had every right and even duty to protect the console from interference by the guest. Period.

 

[gottalovepluto]

What kind of victim-blaming stuff is this? Cast member had every right and even duty to protect the console from interference by the guest. Period.

It’s prepping for next time. Because there will always be a next time. Burrying one’s head in the sand screaming “Victim Blamer!” and failing to analyze anything beyond that won’t stop the next time. Analyzing what was in the CM’s control might stop the next time.

 

[MaC410]

It’s prepping for next time. Because there will always be a next time. Burrying one’s head in the sand screaming “Victim Blamer!” and failing to analyze anything beyond that won’t stop the next time. Analyzing what was in the CM’s control might stop the next time.

So you're saying next time something like this happens the CM should just let the guest press buttons that could endanger the safety of other guests?

 

[gottalovepluto]

So you're saying next time something like this happens the CM should just let the guest press buttons that could endanger the safety of other guests?

I stated in my original case I assumed no one was in physical danger. Obviously if a person was in physical danger the CM had no choice. It would make no sense the buttons on the outside at the FP scanner could injure people inside. We’re not talking about the loading area here. The worst thing that I could think of them doing is triggering a ride shutdown in case of emergency. And a full ride shutdown is still a better option than engaging in a physical altercation with a guest. At last, I still don’t think the CM realized they were putting themselves in danger when they did this.