Is this the height of craziness? Families queuing for two hours at chessington…

[shewalkslikerihanna]

On a boiling hot day
To have their temperatures checked?
Just what is that going to prove?
I feel sorry for the poor children caught up mine this craziness.
They’ve suffered enough

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9660859/Chaos-Chessington-World-Adventures-families-queue-two-hours.html

A few things:

• Chessington should have had more staff on the gates checking temperates
• No-one should be going out anywhere if ill, including children
• It doesn't matter if children "have suffered enough", they still should have their temperature checked as per guidelines
• If it's too hot, don't stand in long lines with small children.

It is crazy, not least because those infra red thermometers are notoriously inaccurate - hygiene theatre at it's peak.

It's crazy to take your children to Chessington at the beginning of another wave, yes.

You sound like you were of the families doing a "sad face" for the daily mail OP.

So don't go to Chessington, then. No-one needs to go to Chessington. Why even put your kids through that?

'Long queue of pissed off families voluntarily forms to demonstrate what hell looks like.'

If I take my temperature with a forehead thermometer after being out in the sun it’s sky high.

@Hollyhead

It is crazy, not least because those infra red thermometers are notoriously inaccurate - hygiene theatre at it's peak.

This!

We do temperature checks at work. Didn't pick up a positive case. And I'm apparently so cold, I'm almost dead!

Totally a waste of time and just a tick box exercise. It's just to make people feel that it's safe.

It’s all madness. There’s almost no point whatsoever in checking temperatures anyway given that many people have absolutely no symptoms of Covid when they do have it and that most on the door thermometers are wildly inaccurate anyway…!

So don't go to Chessington, then. No-one needs to go to Chessington. Why even put your kids through that

They will have pre booked and paid.

It isn’t wrong to want to do a nice thing for your children. I know there is a belief that children should be content with being at home, going on walks and the occasional park visit, but actually in terms of risk there’s little difference between this and a national trust visit.

Thorpe Park sounds grim, too. Here's a review from the thread on it:

We booked to stay in the cabins, but ended up leaving.They are ship container style accommodation placed on top of each other. There is no windows or natural ventilation. The top bunks are very close to the ceiling. I found it incredibly claustrophobic. It probably didn't help that it had been an incredibly wet day. We were all soaked and there was no where to hang and dry out coats ready for the next day.

People need to vote with their feet regarding these places. But they won't.

Crazy prices, treated like mugs, stuck in queues all day, miserable. Ker-ching.

We do temperature checks at work. Didn't pick up a positive case. And I'm apparently so cold, I'm almost dead!

Same here, apart from the day I was having a hot flush 🙈 thing is if venues don't do this sort of thing, they'll get criticised too, it's pretty much a no win situation either way.

Numbers for entry probably should have been restricted more.

There are a lot of things that you can now do that I've given up on because they just aren't pleasant experiences anymore.

@SpindleWhorl

So don't go to Chessington, then. No-one needs to go to Chessington. Why even put your kids through that?

'Long queue of pissed off families voluntarily forms to demonstrate what hell looks like.'

Because they didn't know that there would be huge queues, they have paid up to hundreds of pounds for tickets and Chessington don't do refunds

It doesn't matter if children "have suffered enough", they still should have their temperature checked as per guidelines

Other theme parks don't check temperature (e.g. Peppa Pig World) and checking temperature is basically useless especially with the non contact thermometers.

I have to applaud that article for its high score on Sadface Bingo.

This is one of the things I'd like to see scrapped asap - having to pre-book everything. It's a pain, you don't know what the weather's going to do. Can't wait to be able to just wake up and decide to just go somewhere and actually pay at the gate, like the old days. And don't get me started on time slots - some places only give half hour options. What's that about ?

I agree @Daisyhoney

I can understand for indoor venues where numbers are limited, but outdoors things like zoos can have masses of people and still maintain social distancing. Plus, as you say, if the weather is rubbish you've already paid £££ for tickets and have to go even if you would rather not.

However I think a lot of places will keep the prebooking for exactly this reason - £££ on a day when they usually wouldn't sell many tickets.

@Arbadacarba

I have to applaud that article for its high score on Sadface Bingo.

They even manage to squeeze in a. wee mention of potholes in the carpark

It's on the Chessington website what 'Covid rules' they will enforce, including temperature checks and a load of other stuff.

I've no doubt it was a badly run shambles, as people say. I can absolutely believe that. Which is why a lot of people tend to avoid places like this right now - it's not worth the stress and misery.

Personally I think it's predictable. Some people don't. I'm not saying Chessington are right - more that their crapness was somewhat foreseeable.

Chessington seems busier than pre pandemic. We have merlin passes and although we have to prebook 3 slots at a time for those without passes there seems to be unlimited slots. It just seems to be a money making exercise.

I would really avoid going on inset days. I think everyone is of the opinion that it will be less busy and as a result it always seems to end up being worse than on regular holidays or weekends.

More fool the people willing to stand in these queues with their children for this covid performance theatre. People should be walking away from this shit show now. The only way these places will learn that this stuff is ridiculous is for people to walk away.

Yes pay them lots of money and then walk away without getting the service you’ve paid for. That’ll show them.

The children have been through enough?? What sort of hyperbolic crap us that.

Yes it's less than ideal that they have missed school and been home more but it's hardly been a great ordeal for them. Christ people love a drama. This is why we have anxious kids as so many parents cause a drama out if everything.

It would have been my idea of hell pre pandemic but I don’t think people should be punished for having different leisure tastes to me