Pet Peeves!!

[Jim Warfield]

Some Customers just have to waste

Their time, possible fun experiences, themselves.
Last night two yard haunters were here who have been to a couple of Transworlds and took a bus ride to see The Darkness. They said there were some people on that bus who were consuming incredible amounts of alcohol,.....maybe someone else paid their way? They really didn't want to be there?
I was minorly amazed at this. spending such time and money to just get wasted, they could have done this at home, if they had one?
Many years ago as a large group left my kitchen I discover the antique kitchen sink there is almost full of fresh, reddish PUKE!? (Lucky it was a single-basin) Unlucky for me at that time the sink was still just a prop, a prop Not hooked up to any plumbing!!??
What Now!? Another group is due into the kitchen in a minute or so!
I grabbed a scrap of cardboard, a Magic marker and wrote "Free Puke! Take Some" Fortunately it didn't reek.
"Look at that, it almost looks "real". I heard some customers remark.
By asking them to "Take some" worked it's reverse-psychology magic, nobody touched it.

[jasonswoods14]

Hmmm, well, I work in the clown skit on the hay ride at Field Of Screams in Lancaster, PA. In the skit, we have a machine that sprays foam on the wagon as it leaves. Guests LOVE to throw this foam at the actors.Now, KEEP IN MIND that this foam is FREEZING. Put that on top of acting on the hayride in 30 degree weather for 9 hours a night.

[Johnny Thunder]

Another one that may have already been mentioned -

One person in a group (usually a teen dude) runs ahead through the scene, leaving his friends behind - and he hides/stakes out a position to try to scare them before the actor(s) are able to do so.

I told these kids not to quit their day job.

[Jim Warfield]

Maybe Alot Of the Problems..

happen because so many people have a failure in their imagination department.
Like the driver who passes on a hill in a double yellow striped no passing zone. Their imagination just failed to imagine that some other driver might be coming over that hill in the other lane. This is exhibited by those who can't see what is wrong with scaring people on stairs.
"What? What could happen?"= no imagination.
"You are now fired, done here, don't come back."
"Why?"
"Imagine that you were me, You're the boss, owner ,and you need some people to work for you, work with you. You don't even imagine what that would be like? You will have to be doing the thinking for us both, this saves repitition of thinking.

The clock is at 6:59, we open at 7:00, it's the busiest night of the year, we already have the first 3 tours sold, tickets in their hand, I just quickly checked everyone, they all seem to know what to do....As I have the big front door unlocked, my young employee steps between us and wants to engage me in conversation about some TV show from last night?
I was so frustrated and pist at him!

[Soul Reaper]

Couple of my peeves are.

1. The guy the swings to hit what ever just scared the crap out of him. If it is an automatic reation to swing at someone or something the just pop out at you. Then why go to a haunted house where you know that actors and props are going to jump out at you.

2. The ones that leave there spot to go visit with friends or to try to flirt with the cute actress. Usally being a highschool kid. If you want to visit or flirt GO DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE......PLEASE. Don't do it in the haunt where people usally pay good money to be scared. And not wanting to see you try to get layed. I sent one packing for trying that a couple of years ago. Told him this is not the place for that crap.

3. The actors that know the haunt opens at a certain time and yet try to show up at that time and think that they are going to get into make up and work that night. I think not, the show can, must and will go on with out you.

[Johnny Thunder]

Pretty much the same as everyone who posted -

1. Yelling “I see you.”
2. Saying over and over “You’re not scary.”
3. Customers on cell phones. Really?
4. Spitting in your face. Only happened once but wasn’t pleasant.
5. Being hit. Thankfully, it only happened once and the customer was genuinely scared, so it was a reflexive action and not deliberate, but it still kind of stung!
6. Drunks. ‘Nuff said!
7. Customers who touch/sit/abuse the props in the scene.
8. Being asked how tall I am. I know that sounds petty but c'mon!!

[Jim Warfield]

You Can Never "Assume"

That just because someone is the well-dressed grandfather of the people in a group that he won't unscrew the light bulb at the top of the stairs when the stairway is full of people.

I also could not believe it when I found him tossing my cat, Mr. Tuxedo, down a crawlspace like he was a stuffed toy.

I guess I was at fault because these things happened when I was very new at all of this.
I "assumed" and was proven wrong.
I made a razor cage around the light bulb ("Go ahead, just make a quick grab for that bulb now!")

[Kelly Anderson]

Cant scare on stairs??? WHY NOT!

How about the actors that no matter how many times you tell them not to scare on stairs, they just cant figure it out. I realize that some people figure this out at different rates of speed than others, so I try and be patient and paint a not-so-pretty picture of what terrible thing could happen if you frighten a person on a stair case and they loose their balance and........well you know......fall down.....un heard of, I know.

We also had some people this year that really liked to get sarcastic about sitting on the bench seat in my room in our haunt. Ya see we tell people before they enter the building that they can not touch any of the props. So when they entered the room and they wouldnt sit down on their own, I had to tell them to sit down. This one girl very sarcastically said,"Ahh, we are'nt supossed to touch the props". Being Im soooo witty and great with the come backs, I said " You can touch this one". That could be taken SOOOOO wrong.. HA

[Jim Warfield]

"When you hear the hinges squeak.."

"Push this button."
"OK."
"Then stick your hand in here and wiggle it."
"OK."

Later: "Why didn't you push the button?"
"Duh?'
"Why didn't you wiggle that thing with your hand?"
"DUH?"
"#^^?!#%$&**!!"(Cussing now!)

[kymberli23]

Why do I build and figure stuff out if someone else is going to totally ruin it? Somebody I am paying money?

This is exactly how I would feel if I were the owner. Both places I've worked for didn't bother to give enough explaination to the actors about rules and/or how to work the scene. Mark that as my pet peeve for owners.

[Jim Warfield]

I Figure Things Out

I have been running my house nearly alone for the majority of the year until September, so I have had ample opportunities to figure out what works best here, I am open to improvision by my hired seasonal help...but if their way doesn't work, then I would Really like them to do it My Way....
One guy was doing what I told him to do except he would make this "Argh!" sound as he did what I told him to do, which immeadiately alerts the customer:"There's some idiot about to try to scare me who just went "Argh!" That ended the possibilty of any scare for 99 out of 100 people.
Why do I build and figure stuff out if someone else is going to totally ruin it? Somebody I am paying money?
Very frustrating.

[kymberli23]

My biggest peeve is people that spit in my face. Totally uncalled for and unsanitary.

My peeve with other actors is when they come out of their scene to mess up mine. This was an on-going problem this year, even when they put different guys in the scene before mine. Very frustrating.

[Badger]

Post a sign: "Smokers will be assumed to be on fire and will have copious amounts of water dumped on them".

[soultrkr]

Hmm wonder if they would let me get away with a super soaker for those people.

[Jim Warfield]

Don't tell them

To put out their cigerettes, just always carry a loaded squirt gun.
Have a warning sign explaining what wet thing will happen to them if they insist upon smoking.
I stil like the Steve Martin line when someones asks:"Do you mind if I smoke?"
"Not if you don't mind if I fart!"