Smoker escorted out of Great America
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http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/kadner/552455,091207Kadner.article)
September 12, 2007
The smoker claims she was evicted from Six Flags Great America in Gurnee for lighting up.
"I was smoking in an open area, not near any lines or other people, when all of a sudden a park employee came up to me and said I would have to leave," Teri Melendez said.
Melendez said she and a friend were then escorted out of the park by two men who told her smoking was only allowed in designated areas.
"I remember their names, Tim and Jerry," Melendez said. "They were wearing IDs. I would have agreed to put the cigarette out if I was asked or move to a smoking area. But I wasn't given that option."
Melendez works in the accounting department of the Daily Southtown, and she wondered if the amusement park had a policy of evicting anyone who lights up in a non-designated smoking area.
Brooke Gabbert, a public relations spokeswoman for Great America refused to comment on "any specific incident."
"We allow smoking only in designated areas," Gabbert said. "There are signs up all over the park."
Gabbert said there are 10 designated smoking areas inside the park and another two in the water slide area of Great America.
Melendez told me she didn't recall seeing any such signs.
"There's a large sign at the main entrance to the park," Gabbert said. "And there are signs inside the park as well. There are also signs identifying the designated smoking areas."
She said there also are regular announcements over a public address system in the park that smoking is allowed only in designated areas.
Melendez said she didn't see the designated smoking areas, and if identifying signs exist, they should be larger so smokers know where they are.
I asked the Great America spokeswoman if it is the amusement park's policy to evict smokers.
"Smoking is allowed in designated areas only," the public relations person repeated.
I explained that I understood that but was wondering if smokers might be evicted if they lit up in a non-designated area.
"I can't comment on any particular incident," the spokeswoman said.
Well, in general, as a matter of policy, does the amusement park tell employees to escort people off the grounds if they are found smoking in a non-designated smoking area?
"If a person becomes belligerent or abusive or is bothering other customers, they may be asked to leave the park," the spokeswoman said.
Melendez claims she was not belligerent or abusive and was not bothering other customers. She was smoking with a friend, the park was not crowded that day, and no one else was within 15 feet of them.
"I can't comment on any specific instance since I don't know exactly what happened," the public relations person said.
All right, I said, but in general, if a smoker is not verbally abusive or belligerent and happens to light a cigarette in a non-designated smoking area, would employees be instructed to escort that person off the premises? Is that the park's policy?
"No," Gabbert said. "That is not our policy. But there are signs all over the park marking the designated smoking areas."
When I informed Melendez of Great America's official response, she was not pleased.
She again said she would have gone to a designated smoking area or put out her cigarette if she had been asked.
She was told only that she would have to leave the park.
Employees of the park walked her out the exit, as if she had committed a crime, to make sure she was gone.
"They probably have video cameras all over the park," Melendez said. "They can check the videotape.
"I am looking for an honest, true apology from Great America corporate, Tim and Jerry, along with reimbursement for my tickets and hotel stay because my weekend getaway was ruined," she said. "It is the principle of the whole matter.
"It was handled incorrectly."
I will be interested to hear if any readers have suffered a similar fate while smoking at Great America.
I told Melendez that my guess is that Great America will continue to claim that it lacks the necessary information to comment on this particular matter.
As for the public response, I think non-smokers will cheer Great America's action and say that smokers should be evicted with or without a warning because, well, smokers are evil.
Cigarette smokers will wail in anguish about the further erosion of their rights.
"We can't even smoke in the open air anymore," one smoker said when I discussed the subject of this column with her. "Where is this all going to end?"
One man I spoke with, who had been to Great America recently, said there is a sign at the main entrance that clearly states the amusement park now frowns on smoking except in designated areas.
As long as public opposition to smoking continues, I suspect there will be more and more confrontations between business owners and smokers.
When the state law banning smoking in bars goes into effect Jan. 1, I can envision some real donnybrooks on the South Side.
I suspect no one will want to comment on the specifics of any such incidents.
Phil Kadner can be reached at pkadner@ dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-6787.
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