Guest attacks security at Disneyland - makes you think about how safe it is...

[OneLittleSpark7]

The problem I see is that if they're going to issue that guy pepper spray and expect him to use it on combative guests they should also issue him handcuffs so he can take the person into custody to avoid a long drawn out scene like that.

I completely agree. I don't know if security is concerned that the presence of handcuffs would detract from your average guests' magical experience or what but this could have been resolved much quicker if the guard could have handcuffed him the first time he went down with the pepper spray.

 

[OneLittleSpark7]

I was actually referring to both security and alcohol, but if you think that disney isn't going to bring up the selling of alcohol in their corporate meetings your in fantasyland. I have never been out there, but from all the comments I have read on the article from different news wires, it seems it happens a little more often than you think. Anything that becomes a nuisance to their squeky clean image will be addressed.

The reason alcohol is not sold at MK or Disneyland is because Walt Disney wanted to keep his park about "family" and thought alcohol would detract from this. The company has honored (or are legally obligated?) his wish and continued this tradition in these parks only. Any park that came after his death, will feature booze.

It comes down to money. If you've been to World Showcase on any given day and looked around you'd notice one thing. Disney makes a killing in alcohol sales. My DF is a CM and he said one of the reasons alcohol is so expensive is to discourage overindulgence and public intoxication (and of course, because people will spend more money!) But I bet if you sat in on these meetings and the topic was brought up (though I doubt it would), they'd simply ask "and we're making how much in alcohol sales?" "and this incident will cost us how much?" I think the alcohol sale $$$$ far outnumbers any "nuisances." Maybe blunt, but it is America.

 

[kaligal]

One of the people featured on Intervention last night was doing bath salts, and he was acting insane! He did go to treatment and the medical staff diagnosed him with schizophrenia but they couldn't say whether or not it was caused by the bath salts. That stuff makes crack look safe! The guy on last nights Intervention episode ultimately ended going back home and doing bath salts again.

It's happening all the time - perfectly sane people being turned into lunatics (for life) because they took this stuff.

It's very possible that the guy on that show (I don't watch it) was schizo to begin with, but it is entirely possible for a person with no previous signs of mental illness being transformed into someone who is permanently damaged and now completely mentally ill.

If someone held a gun to my head and insisted that I take crack or bath salts, I'd take the crack. I don't RECOMMEND crack...but you can bounce back from that. It's horrible and hard and people suffer when doing it and when quitting, but there is a chance. With help, people do it...not a lot, but some do. There is always hope.

You can't come back from the permanent damage done when the bath salts wreak their havoc. I'd take anything before that crap.

 

[Wadecool]

Any park that came after his death, will feature booze.

Walt died in 1966, MK opened in 1971. I think it's safe to say that MK opened well after his death and does not serve alcohol.

 

[Wadecool]

It's happening all the time - perfectly sane people being turned into lunatics (for life) because they took this stuff.

It's very possible that the guy on that show (I don't watch it) was schizo to begin with, but it is entirely possible for a person with no previous signs of mental illness being transformed into someone who is permanently damaged and now completely mentally ill.

If someone held a gun to my head and insisted that I take crack or bath salts, I'd take the crack. I don't RECOMMEND crack...but you can bounce back from that. It's horrible and hard and people suffer when doing it and when quitting, but there is a chance. With help, people do it...not a lot, but some do. There is always hope.

You can't come back from the permanent damage done when the bath salts wreak their havoc. I'd take anything before that crap.

Completely agree with the bolded.

 

[mr.bungle]

Everyone keeps whining about the whiney lady. I posted this earlier - if you watch and listen closely, it appears she is the beer toting blonde with the hipsters who are filming the incident. That is why she didn't leave.

 

[Goofey Drool]

Speaking from experience with crowd control and security a few things i noticed. Before someone ask no i never worked for disney,

1. I agree security was lacking and slow to respond.

2. this guy was likely not just drunk but under the influence of something or mentally disturbed to take that much pepper spray.

3. they should have shut that woman up in the name of safety, she was creating a 2nd issue

4. there should not have been any video let alone 4 minutes worth. I know hard to control but it is disney after all.

Those worried about safety the best thing you can do is always know where the exits are and not just the main ones. In general just beware of who and what is around you. Another thing I hate to say it but if you see someone acting very drunk, let a cm know because you could save a life or prevent issues like this.

Who was going to stop the person from video taping? Who was going to shut that woman up? During the video the one staff person couldnt even get a handle on the subject let alone worry about those peripheral things. In 14 years of law enforcement... sometimes pepper spray doesnt effect some people that much. Its easy to get mad while watching this but hey, who's worse the subject or the fools celebrating and heckling.

 

[minnie mum]

Having just finished reading all the posts, I noticed that there was a lot of assumptions that the subject was drunk (even though it happened at 3:30 in the afternoon), which in turn lead to discussions about booze in Disney parks in general.

There has also been a lot of speculation that the guy was high as a kite on some kind of drug - crack, bath salts, or heaven only knows what.

Has there been any actual information released that either of these was the case? Or was he simply having a very unfortunate psychotic episode or other psychiatric crisis?

I'm not going to enter the debate about the security guard's capabilities or the actions of the other CMs. Good or bad it's going to receive a lot of scrutiny by Disney.

As for Screeching Lady- there was a point during that video where I really wished the security officer had turned the spray on her just to shut her up. (OK, I'm not totally serious, but it really was like nails down a blackboard over and over and over and over again...)

 

[quirty30]

One extremely agitated person, fueled by their own adrenaline can easily overpower one unsuspecting security guard. Add drugs and alcohol and possible mental impairment to the mix, and, well, you get what I mean. None of us know if this guy was on anything. I'm guessing that the guard didn't realize just how out of control the guest was, and by the time he likely realized it, he was being attacked to the extent that he couldn't request back-up. As others have stated, Beavis, Butthead and the whiny, hysterical woman certainly didn't help matters. This is an example of a worst case scenario. Does it make me concerned about my safety at the parks? Absolutely not - this could happen anywhere in this day and age. There are whack jobs everywhere. Anyone see the story a few days ago about the ICE agent who opened fire on his supervisor during a performance review? Proof positive that even a trained law enforcement professional can get caught off guard.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

After watching the video, I wonder if Disney's security guards are trained in safe restraint techniques. There are some very effective ways to take a person down and restrain them in a position that is safe for both parties until help arrives. I work in special ed and have taken the training class several times. If the restrainer uses the correct technique, the person on the bottom can barely move a muscle. You never put your full weight on them, and you especially stay off their chest and throat. With the number of people at Disney Parks and the potential for trouble, I wonder what kind of training they provide their security guards?

 

[Jennasis]

Having just finished reading all the posts, I noticed that there was a lot of assumptions that the subject was drunk (even though it happened at 3:30 in the afternoon), which in turn lead to discussions about booze in Disney parks in general.

There has also been a lot of speculation that the guy was high as a kite on some kind of drug - crack, bath salts, or heaven only knows what.

Has there been any actual information released that either of these was the case? Or was he simply having a very unfortunate psychotic episode or other psychiatric crisis?

I'm not going to enter the debate about the security guard's capabilities or the actions of the other CMs. Good or bad it's going to receive a lot of scrutiny by Disney.

As for Screeching Lady- there was a point during that video where I really wished the security officer had turned the spray on her just to shut her up. (OK, I'm not totally serious, but it really was like nails down a blackboard over and over and over and over again...)

What the deuce does that mean? People can and do get drunk every/any hour of every day.

 

[minnie mum]

What the deuce does that mean? People can and do get drunk every/any hour of every day.

I didn't say it couldn't happen at that time of day. But the only time I've ever encountered people drunk enough to accost a security guard at that time of day was at Epcot on opening weekend of F&W.

I was simply saying that given the time of day, and the locale, it seemed to be assuming a lot to say he was drunk, and not something else.

 

[ks13]

Who was going to stop the person from video taping? Who was going to shut that woman up? During the video the one staff person couldnt even get a handle on the subject let alone worry about those peripheral things. In 14 years of law enforcement... sometimes pepper spray doesnt effect some people that much. Its easy to get mad while watching this but hey, who's worse the subject or the fools celebrating and heckling.

in my tired state that's kind of what i was implying that there was no crowd control and could have gotten far worse out of control. yes aware it doesn't affect all the same, thats why tasers are popular, there we go mouse ear shaped tasers leads is what they need

hell i was hoping they sprayed the lady and the idiots in the crowd, now that would have been fun to watch

 

[Dan in AL]

After watching the video, I wonder if Disney's security guards are trained in safe restraint techniques. There are some very effective ways to take a person down and restrain them in a position that is safe for both parties until help arrives. I work in special ed and have taken the training class several times. If the restrainer uses the correct technique, the person on the bottom can barely move a muscle. You never put your full weight on them, and you especially stay off their chest and throat. With the number of people at Disney Parks and the potential for trouble, I wonder what kind of training they provide their security guards?

I would guess the security personnel have little training. The disney website shows the pay rate for security CM's to be about $8.50 an hour. Probably not getting the best of security at that pay rate.

I have used pepper spray, and less is more. Spraying too much washes away some of the OC with the propellent. The spray looks like stream, fogger would contaminate more people but also makes it harder for the bad guy to breath. Foam is less contaminating but I've seen people wipe it off. Different people react differntly to the spray, some are almost immuned to it, drugs and alcohol tend to lessen the effects as well. Watching the video, the man seems slow in his faculties, probably under the influence of something(imo).

Its easy to second guess the security guard, but he has probably never been in that situation. Less than lethal weapons are designed to temporarily subdue a person, allowing the person to get away or apprehend the person. Restraining the person after the first burst of spray probably would have been the best option. Glad no one was seriously injured.

 

[aubriee]

The big guy in the lakers jersey definitely was not.

1- He is wearing sandals. That alone should be definitive.
2- The gold chain. Working plain clothes you simply wouldn't do that.
3- Big baggy jersey... it's simply not conducive

Plain clothes can take various forms. They will pretty much never look like this guy though.

Also in a Disney park, plain clothes are generally going to be wearing something "decent" i.e. khakis or nice jeans (shorts possibly), they will always have decent footware (be it sneakers or hiking style shoes), decent shirts, from nice Tshirts to polos or similar.

Think a 5.11 catalog type of look.

Not necessarily. When I took the KTTK tour once, someone mentioned the lack of security and the guide told us we'd be surprised at the number of plain clothes security walking around the parks and especially in the stores. He said to pick out the most 'touristy' looking tourist and more than likely that person was plan clothes security. He said most wore shorts, sandals with socks, big flowery shirts, sunglasses, and hats.

 

[aubriee]

This! He needs to not be in security at all. That person could have been subdued easily, especially after the first spray when he was down. Security should have been taught the proper restraining holds and they should carry restraints ( plastic ties made for easy carrying work great instead of metal cuffs ) the CMs handled the crowd horribly as well. Bet there are some special training meetings coming up pronto to cover the outcome and how it could have been handled better!

I agree! I work at a psychiatric hospital and we have to take a PMAB (Prevention & Management of Aggressive Behavior) refresher course every year, to be checked off that we can restrain a violent patient while maintaining our and their safety. A simple baskethold or bear hug with a follow down would have restrained him adequately until help arrived. I once had my 6'3" son tell me I couldn't restrain him, if he really wanted to get loose. I proved him wrong and I'm fat and only 5'6". Other than a lack of training there is no way that security guard shouldn't have been able to restrain the guy or at least protect himself until help arrived.

 

[Princesca]

This whole video is an embarrassment for a variety of reasons...

1) The drunk guy - 'nuff said. I don't get how someone like that ends up at Disneyland. Why buy an expensive park ticket to be a public nuisance when you can do that in much cheaper locales? And if you're with someone, how on earth can they have so little shame as to not pepper spray you themselves when you start to act like that?!

2) The frat guys... okay, they pulled it out in the end, but nothing about this video was epic. I found it to be really sad.

3) That screeching woman. Aieee. Sorry, but as someone who works in disaster preparedness, there is one rule and one rule only for innocent bystanders (especially ones with children) in a case like this. Take yourself out of harm's way. If you're so concerned about "OMG THE CHILDRUN!!!!" then take them somewhere else, for pete's sake, where they aren't at a risk for being collateral damage!

Oy.

 

[TDC Nala]

I was actually referring to both security and alcohol, but if you think that disney isn't going to bring up the selling of alcohol in their corporate meetings your in fantasyland. I have never been out there, but from all the comments I have read on the article from different news wires, it seems it happens a little more often than you think. Anything that becomes a nuisance to their squeky clean image will be addressed.

I think not. Alcohol is not sold at MK or Disneyland because Walt wanted it that way. Disney doesn't want its entire property and restaurants dry because some guests can't handle their alcohol. They make tons of money selling alcohol. Those who cause problems will be ejected (or arrested) and Disney will go right on selling alcohol.

They actually tried to make Disneyland Paris a dry park at first - in line with the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland park - but that didn't fly in Europe, and they now sell alcohol in that park. So it's not entirely about when Walt died, but it is what he wanted for his parks, at least the ones with a "fantasy" theme. He intended for people to live in Epcot, so I don't think he was looking for them to be teetotalers.

 

[shalom]

Its easy to second guess the security guard, but he has probably never been in that situation. Less than lethal weapons are designed to temporarily subdue a person, allowing the person to get away or apprehend the person. Restraining the person after the first burst of spray probably would have been the best option. Glad no one was seriously injured.

My guess is that the security guard may have been in similar situations, where pepper spray alone settled the issue. He's not a cop, and he's not someone used to dealing with people you expect to be violent. He's mostly dealing with random tourists being idiots, and probably a shot of pepper spray does the job in most cases. I don't know what Disney's policy is, but I suspect they have a much more hands-off approach than the police or those dealing with the psychologically disturbed.

 

[snowy76]

Everyone is assuming drunk or high. Is anyone else thinking diabetic? I've seen some strange behavior from people when their blood sugar is off.