What nerve

[BirdMom]

Well, back to the real purpose of this site, bitching about the pests...

I'm sure I wasn't the only c.m. who was bothered after awhile by the idea that the guests could look at you and make some comment about your personal appearance or you - as if you weren't standing there - and expect you not to react. It always ranged from the lame..."nice shoes" over at Pirates...to the slightly irritating..."smile" over at Mansion. Ummmm....lady the ride is supposed to be scary (ok, 1969 scary) so why should I be out there beaming like a Miss America reject? I think the lamest variation was "smile - it makes the day go faster?" Alright Einstein, just how will the laws of physics be changed and the hours rush like minutes by exercising facial muscles??? I've been called "Dr. Quinn" (Bear Band), Elvira & Vampira (Mansion) and the ever popular "wench" at Pirates. A lot of unthinking males over the age of puberty felt free to comment on my backside when I'd be in the ever-so lovely skin tight Matterhorn pants. I also had a medical condition with one of my eyes that required that I wore sunglasses even on cloudy days - some passholes would question why I was wearing them. Excuse me jerk - you aren't my department manager, lead or supervisor who actually knows what's in my file...why should I have to explain my reasons for doing the things I do to you, a complete stranger? And why do you have the right to question me about such a little thing that has nothing to do with your guest experience in the first place? Can't you just hear it now? "Hello, Disneyland City Hall? I was extremely offended by one of your cast members in New Orleans Square because I couldn't see the pupils of her eyes!!! No, she didn't say anything offensive to me...as a matter of fact, she was nice. No, she didn't trip me or beat me up in any manner. Well, yes, she backdoored my party when we should have waited in the big line. But I'm still mad because I couldn't see the pupils of her eyes." :shock:

So, didn't these jerks ever have mothers who taught them that it's not polite to talk about other people in front of their faces?

[Freak]

Ooh I know about stupid people who comment on clothing...Hell it ranges from High School to where you work(ed). These people really need to look at themselves sometimes...at least you have job...I would care less about what I looked like. People seriously need to get a life. If you go to a themepark just to comment on someone's appearence and complain...Stay home....Seriously. Nobody thinks you're funny either.

[Dante101]

I hated it when some idiot would come up to me and say, "Smile!"

At first the comment made me smile, because it was such a stupid thing for someone to say; but then I forced myself not to smile in reaction to this comment, because by doing so I was "giving in" to their demand.

I can be nice all day, but it's very hard to smile for 8 solid hours. Most of the time the job is just so boring. It was all I could do from falling asleep while standing up.

So most of the time when a guest told me to smile, I either ignored them or glared at them. Or I'd say with an expression-less face, "Yeah," and continue on without a smile.

Aside from that, I never really knew what else to do. I really wanted a snappy comeback to the "smile" demand, but could never think of one (one that would work while not getting me into trouble, that is)...

But I really do hate idiots that go around telling people to smile. If the Park was so intent on making me smile, it wouldn't have cut back on our pay and benefits, etc, etc...

[SRT_GB]

I've learned to use what I call the "store-bought plastic smile" where I smile using only my mouth and not the rest of my face. It looks really stupid, but my fellow CMs get a kick out of it, and it irritates the guests when I do it, too.

[BirdMom]

Ooh I know about stupid people who comment on clothing...Hell it ranges from High School to where you work(ed). These people really need to look at themselves sometimes

So true! Last Thursday, I was in this ladies room on campus when two girls walked in and one looked at herself in the mirror and said in an extremely distressed voice "oh my God, I look like one of those people that I make fun of!" and all I could think was "serves you right..." :twisted:

[Hawkeye Jenny]

<<Aside from that, I never really knew what else to do. I really wanted a snappy comeback to the "smile" demand, but could never think of one (one that would work while not getting me into trouble, that is)...>>


Give them a deadpan expression and say "I AM smiling." Preferably in a low threatening voice. :twisted:

[GapToothed]

You could say: "I was born without the facial muscles to smile... maybe you missed our annual Arbor Day Telethon. Let's check that toteboard, Skippy!"

[tabacco]

"I am smiling inside, sir."

[goose]

What nerve? Oh that's a great topic. Here's my contribution.

I was on a lemonade cart. There was about three different groups crowding around the cart deciding on what to get. After I finished with a guest I kindly requested that everyone form one line. They quickly did and I was impressed. Halfway through serving this older woman I see a girl and her boyfriend standing to the side. There was clearly a line. After the purchase I pause briefly and hear her say hi and proceed with her order.

Me: "Actually...there's a line right here."
Her: "Yes, but we were here first before these people."
Me: "I haven't seen you until now." (Honest to God, I hadn't!)

She walked away all pissed off. Poor little princess realizes that lines apply to her too. Oh, the satisfaction. I was in a good mood for hours. It doesn't take much these days. :D

[SRT_GB]

I totally hear you, goose. That used to happen to me all the time. Makes me wonder what the world is coming to when I have to say "wait your turn" to a bunch of adults as if they were 5 years old.

[tourbunny]

Oh, the satisfaction. I was in a good mood for hours. It doesn't take much these days. :D


isn't it soo sad to see, what kind of a satisfaction we get now out of making people mad or having snappy comments for them. it is so satisfiying to make people feel like complete idiots for example with the ageold "where is the restroom?" "right there where it sayes restroom!"
we all do that in city hall too and the cool thing is they are already at the complaintdesk, they cannot ask anymore "i don't like your attitude where can i complain?" all we can do at that moment is go" tataaaa, this is it!"
so ya, we went from trying our best to make people happy and spread some magic to coming up with ever so many methodes to get cheap thrills out of dumb guests and get away with it.
read this michael eisner and see where your moral has gone for your mismanaged themepark!

[VonSeegs]

Guest: Smile!
Me: I will in about 35 minutes.
Guest: Oh. So why is that?
Me: I'll be off.

That was a fun one. I've also told a guest to give me a reason to smile. That person did everything to make me laugh and I almost cracked but I was good and I just stared dead at them and didn't crack. I also had my sunglasses on so that helped.

And Birdmom: I totally understand that thing about wearing sunglasses on cloudy days. I don't have a doctor's note or anything but I have very light eyes so they're very sensitive. Sensitive to the point that I would even have to wear them up at the Space entrance because what light did shine through killed me. Managers, guests, leads, everyone's tried telling me to take them off but HELL no. The leads stopped asking me when I did and ended up having to go home through CFA for a migraine.

My whole take on that: No one's ever gone to city hall to complain about my white socks.

[CujoSR]

My whole take on that: No one's ever gone to city hall to complain about my white socks. I always wore grey socks.

[Dante101]

Guest: Smile!
Me: I will in about 35 minutes.
Guest: Oh. So why is that?
Me: I'll be off.
DAMMIT!
That's a great comeback for that stupid "Smile" demand that guests always bugged me with! If only I knew this one when I still worked there...
GUEST: Smile!
ME: (looks at watch) No, not yet. I still have 2 hours before I go home. (quickly look away from guest as if you just answered a question)
And Birdmom: I totally understand that thing about wearing sunglasses on cloudy days. I don't have a doctor's note or anything but I have very light eyes so they're very sensitive. Sensitive to the point that I would even have to wear them up at the Space entrance because what light did shine through killed me.
Plus on Space, you're spending hours inside in that dark building, then suddenly come out to greeter where, no matter how overcast it is, it's very bright! Same thing with Circlevision - I'd always get yelled at by management for glasses. We finally had a union run-in with management over sunglasses on Monorail in the late '90s or so. They were telling us that we couldn't wear them if we were standing under a shade. Never mind the bright reflections all around us. Just imagine - that's like saying no one should wear sunglasses while driving a car, because there's a roof over your head!

[Space Man K7]

Oh my god... I can't stand some of the crap they give us... a lot of the "smile" crap... You don't have to smile to be happy.

Does it really matter what color socks we wear if we're in pants... I think I've done a couple of parade shifts in the Pirate socks... Who cares.

Another thing... on those hot day, in that bad Mark Twain Polyester... some stupid guest says, "gee aren't you hot in that?" What the hell do you think dumb ass... I'm sweating cause it's exciting!

I just assume to wear sunglasses all the time. Thanks to Space for that one...

[pixiedust]

I'm gunna crawl out of my toll booth to make a post. (hi..)

I haven't had a problem with the whole sunglasses thing yet. (Being that I work outside on most days.) But the day they try and yell at me for wearing sunglasses when it's not completely sunny out will definitely be the day I take my personal reasons for it to the union.

The thing being, my Mom worked parking lot/attractions for 15 years (quit in '89).. and being in the sun constantly without protection on her eyes is the only reason we can come up with for why her eyes are so messed up and sensitive to light. She can't drive.. hasn't been able to, for as long as I can remember, without sunglasses (even on the cloudiest days.)

I vote sunglasses for all. 8) They should be required for anyone working outdoors to help prevent eye damage later on. But that's just me. Wierdly enough, I am in favor of being able to see when I reach 50.

[VonSeegs]

Huh. Go figure.

[BirdMom]

Yeah, I agree with pixiedust that the sunglasses need to stay on outdoors...I was always tempted to ask the idiot passholes who questioned my shades whether they were willing to pay for my cataract surgery, because that's what the bump on my eye was going to turn into if it was overexposed to sun. :?