Posted on 06/23/2006 10:17:18 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
Six Flags Inc. said Thursday that it might sell its Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor amusement parks in Valencia and raised the possibility that they could be dismantled for real estate development.
Facing mounting losses and declining attendance, Six Flags wants to reduce its $2.1 billion in debt by selling parks in Buffalo, N.Y.; Denver; Seattle; Houston; and Concord, Calif., in addition to Magic Mountain.
Mark Shapiro, a former ESPN executive who is now Six Flags' chief executive, said in a conference call with investors Thursday that Magic Mountain was considered a candidate for sale partly because of its often rowdy teenage atmosphere.
Unruly behavior by the teens, who gravitate to the giant dips and turns of Magic Mountain's 17 roller coasters, have driven families away from the theme park, Shapiro said.
"Once you burn Mom, she is not rushing back," Shapiro said.
Throughout Six Flags' 30 amusement and water parks, Shapiro said he wanted to reduce the company's reliance on "teens that drive our security problems … who loiter in the park, hate my no-smoking policy and don't spend money."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
This was probably inevitable when the courts forces Six Flags to stop refusing admittance to people based on dress and appearance, i.e. gangs. Courts should have no right to dictate who a private company grants admittance to.
Anyway, I haven't been to Six Flags in over 10 years since the last time I went it was like a gang convention. Just one more thing the Mexicans in Southern California have ruined...and the courts have helped.
I would suspect that is some pretty valuable land. The teen trolls will have to troll elsewhere. The Glendale Galleria or someplace. Bwahahahahaha!
I guess I better go one last time before it closes.. last time I was there was 1999
The thing is, this article is being p.c. It wasn't just teens who ruined the place, it was Mexican street gangs who took the place over. Rowdy teens I can take. Gang members cutting in line then giving you a look of "I dare you to say something" I couldn't. That's why I stopped going to Magic Mtn. over 10 years ago. What a shame.
I suggest you take a side arm and Kevlar if you do.
"Courts should have no right to dictate who a private company grants admittance to."
Way back in pre-historic times when I was a teenager in Nashville, Tn. if a business owner called the cops and said he had a bunch of rowdy teenagers the cops would have showed up and asked us to leave. If we gave them any lip or didn't comply they would have put a few knots on our heads. Of course that was before the courts discovered all those new "rights", like the right to disrupt everyone else's enjoyment.
The attraction slated for sale in the Seattle area is the Wild Waves/Enchanted Park outside of Fife. The place is packed all summer long.
We haven't gone back since our last trip 8 years ago, but it wasn't because of rowdiness. It was simply that the rides had become so wild and g-forceful, that they were no longer enjoyable. Even my 16 year old nephew and his teen age friends were complaining that the rides were too wild.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
man, they buried that. LOLOLOL
Rowdy teens? LA Times is great at coming up with euphamisms.
Try violent latino gang members.
Well, maybe if they implement "Gay Days" those families will rush right back. /sarc
Exactly. But we live in a culture now where having an orderly society has been relegated to allowing those who disturb our peace to be benefitted by some incredibly broad interpretation of the constitution or civil rights laws. So all those things have been turned into "rights" guarantees for those who menace us when we just want a nice day out. Further proof California needs to changes its state's motto to "Of the Mexican, for the Mexican, by the Mexican."
Last time I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain, I spent about 99% of my day waiting in lines...even for the small rides. I vowed never to return. And the workers only had one speed...tortoise.
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