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

They should make temperature taking into a ride. Then the queue would just become the first of many to wait in that day.

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

Last Autumn I went somewhere on a course. They were temp checking everyone on the way in and my temp of 33.2 was "nice and low".

Only in Britain would people queue like this. In other countries they would have barged the gates and walked through - nothing the staff could prevent it.

I can remember being with a group of (mostly German) dealers waiting to be let in at a large antique fair. The time to open the gate had come and gone but the jobsworth was waiting for a phone call to tell him he could open the gate. He had to raise the barrier to let a car through and a bunch of us simply tailgated behind and got in without even paying.

I went to Chessington on a rainy inset day recently and although it was fine because not busy the staff the temperature checks were half-arsed at best. They charged me 4 quid for the carpark and it turned into the most thrilling ride in the place which they should call 'the mudslide' on the way out. I complained and they said they can't do anything about it because it's greenbelt. Err... don't charge me 4 quid then? Anyway this has nothing to do with the article I just wanted to get my carpark moan in

We went to Alton Towers last Tuesday - it was very well run. Temp checks but lots of stewards so v fast (we were then when it opened so lots of people) - ride times not that long - park looked beautifully well kept. Wicker man was the only ride that was broken and didn't come back on during the day.

@Chillychangchoo

Sounds just like Drayton Manor and before anyone starts, they claimed to be running at 50 percent capacity (hence less crowds). This was a lie.

Oh no, I've promised my son a Drayton Manor trip for his 4th birthday. I think this will be the last year he'll still be a huge Thomas the Tank fan so I really want to take him to Thomas Land.

@spanielstail

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.

This, this,. this.

‘ Only in Britain would people queue like this. In other countries they would have barged the gates and walked through - nothing the staff could prevent it.’

Not actually true. I have seen some first class queuing in photos from other countries these past few months. I think Britain may have lost its competitive advantage there

I've had the misfortune to have had 4 A&E trips with one or other of my children since COVID struck (all completely valid before anyone starts) and not once have we had our temperatures checked, been asked to sanitise hands or been tested, even when admitted to a ward during December.
This is the other extreme of course, but the lack of common sense at both ends of the scale is ridiculous.

@FussyLittleFucker

Same!! In fact last March we were in the communal waiting room for 4 hours before someone came to ask if we had been to China recently.

They charged me 4 quid for the carpark and it turned into the most thrilling ride in the place

Thank you for making me chuckle.

We went to Chessington in October last year and they definitely let in too many people, we weren't impressed. I'm not surprised it's busier in the nicer weather. As pp say though, if you've booked and paid for your tickets you're going to wait and try to salvage the day.

Lol at all these people judging parents for taking their kids to an OPEN theme park. I feel sorry for your poor children stuck being bored to death while you shake in a corner terrified of covid.

Honestly, people are baffling. Get out & start living. Life is once again enjoyable. Stop being a fun sponge.

@sashh

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

Lol. I have a naturally low temp, it only goes to 37 with a fever. Unless you know someone's normal temp then unless the reading is sky high it's fairly useless.

Yep! That is me too.

And as you say it's pointless to note that my temp is fine as it doesn't reflect a potential increase for me.

It's just to Tick a box for health and safety.

I just get a bit fed up of the daily comments about how low my temp is.

@GNCQ

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

Ditto.

This is exactly why we are at the start of another wave. People are so stupid.

@TheClaws

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.

You know someone has lost the plot when they state " it doesnt matter if children have suffered" as long as they are following the RULEEEEEES. The problem is the people who make the rules aren't following them

@NotBot

Lol at all these people judging parents for taking their kids to an OPEN theme park. I feel sorry for your poor children stuck being bored to death while you shake in a corner terrified of covid.

Honestly, people are baffling. Get out & start living. Life is once again enjoyable. Stop being a fun sponge.

I’d be more worried about your children that a trip to a theme park is so important to them. Doesn’t say much for their day to day life. Mine are out having fun. None of us need to be queuing for 2 hours to be forced to stand cheek to jowl for some rides.

Are masks required on the rides? Surely not? Seeing children who aren't affected by a disease in masks outside whirling around on rides is a cross between a dystopian horror film and a comedy.

We went to Drayton manor a few days ago, straight in with no queue and queue for rides were slightly better than usual but still pretty bad not unbearable though the kids still would have had more fun at a local fair set up with less queues.
I had my temp checked in the back of an
Ambulance with my child on the way to a and e, not sure what they would have done had it been high I dread to think.

I'd say it's the height of irresponsibility to take your children to a crowded visitor attraction when cases are rising exponentially.

I was thinking of taking adult DD. We are both fully vaccinated and should be at full protection. She is disabled and we wouldn’t have to queue.

What is the point of vaccinations then, if they don’t work?

Totally unnecessary. No need for most of the rules.

This "one rule for one, a different rule for others" really grates after a while. and is one of the reasons why some people are reluctant to follow basic precautions. 'Influencers' going to Dubai, Michael Gove not having to self-isolate, for example.

I’d be more worried about your children that a trip to a theme park is so important to them. Doesn’t say much for their day to day life.

Um - my 15yo is hoping to go to Chessington in a couple of weeks' time, for a bit of fun after the shit-show that has been preparing for non-GCSEs for the last three months. It's our local visitor attraction. And she and her friends have generally done an amazing job of being contented with the exceptionally limited social life on offer at the moment. So yes, it's pretty important to her and I'm hoping it will be well enough organised that she'll actually get through the gate.

@NannyAndJohn

I'd say it's the height of irresponsibility to take your children to a crowded visitor attraction when cases are rising exponentially.

It is outdoors. It is called fun. Give it a rest.

There are a lot of very judgmental people on this thread. And other threads, too. I would agree that going to a busy theme park is perhaps not the best thing to do in a pandemic, but it wasn’t unreasonable for people who booked their day out to expect Chessington to have the right safety measures in place. The same people could have gone to the beach, or a local park, and found it just as busy on a hot day. Everywhere seems to be busy at the moment, even the local woods!