Safety First at Kings Island

We hear about purse-snatchers in the local grocery, convenient store and ATM hold ups, drug deals down the corner from a junior high, but Kings Island continues to remain a sacred ground for safety and security. There may be long lines for bag checking at the front gates. It doesn't matter. Lifeguards may trill their whistles unnecessarily around the water park. It doesn't matter. Your favorite ride may appear to be closed for maintenance all day AGAIN. It doesn't matter. What is important is that park visitors at KI experience a day with few worries about putting their toddler on a carousel or letting their ten year old ride a roller coaster alone. KI has had a tradition of maintaining top-notch care for their attractions and their guests' safety.

KI is a very protected place, and that makes me feel very positive and assured when I enter the park with my family and friends. The security checkers are respectful and have park attendees' best interest in mind at all times. That's one of the main reasons why it is so much fun there. You don't have to worry needlessly. The park is well staffed with guards and other personnel who patrol the parking lots, and roam throughout the walkways, available to address customers' concerns. There is no job too insignificant for them. One time we were watching some mother and baby Canadian geese grazing in a grassy area by a pond, when I noticed a sparkly, elastic ponytail band on the lawn a few feet away from the pecking birds. (This was an area for only authorized personnel to walk into, and I knew that the geese could become very agitated.) I spotted an employee walking by and reported it, knowing that if one of those geese should ingest the hair band it could be fatal. Within a couple of minutes, a uniformed security officer was in the area with heavy gloves and a grabber device. These security folks really are willing help everyone!

My husband is a former park employee, and worked on Antique Cars and the Kenton Cove Keel Boat Canal, (commonly known as "The Big Log Flume"), for his summer high school job. Even back in the late 1970's, the emphasis for park employees was on the concept of safety first. He carried home a huge ride control manual and had to study it before he could operate the ride as a worker. Now, as parents, when our children bounce off in glee toward The Beast or Flight Deck, we have few concerns about how their wait in the queue lines or their ride experience will be. One reason as an adult I do not have a fear of amusement park rides is because I go to Kings Island, where I can trust the quality control of the attractions and the attention and competency of the ride workers.

There simply are not many places in the world where a person can put down a beach bag, which may contain a cell phone, a wallet, a camera, snacks and clothes and go off with ease to brave the twists, turns and splashes at White Water Canyon or the Lazy River, only to return two hours later to find everything at your pool side site still in its place, just the way it was left. I do my part here by not bringing my life savings and every credit card I own to the park, but let's face it. At KI you will get wet on this ride, and you WILL need money! I bring only what I need, and I feel very confident that in the park, my belongings are reasonably safe. There is also an abundance of lockers for stowing away extra bags, supplies for the day and those prized plush critters, that every child dreams of winning.

If a ride or attraction is closed, there is a good reason. The beauty of having a season pass is that we can always go back another day. Better to close a ride for even just a suspected problem, than risk people's lives. It's the same with inclement weather. The rides will be there another day, but the people have to come first, and KI stands by this.

When my family and I go to KI, we are well taken care of in lines, on rides, at the water park and while we meander up and down International Street with a cold drink or a blue soft serve cone. Patrons of the park need to also take responsibility for themselves as well. Always use your head and stay observant. Lock your car. Have a designated meeting plan in place if you become separated from your group. It's important to use good judgment, but know that KI is doing their part to make your day at the park a pleasant and fun time for everyone.