A "New" Scene-Ruiner to Watch For.

[Jim Warfield]

Probably not really that "New" but last night was the my first encounter with this item.
Under-brim attached mini-strobe lights to clip on a baseball type hat. How often do we check under the front brim of a customer's hat?
Set to "strobe" or just turned "On", they light up a dark room quickly and destroy whatever "Dark" entertaining thing we worked to provide.
This guy and his family have been coming here every year for 15 years, it was just their little group so he ruined things just for them, his wife told him to shut them off! In a mixed group I would have had him shut them off the first time he played with them. "Oh, well?!" It was Your admission money!

[Lord Barnabus]

We have posters hanging up with our HOUSE RULES on them, hanging in various areas, plus we have a recording that tells them the rules, and the guide tells the rules before the tour starts. One of the rules is that lights, flashlights, lighters, matches, laser pointers, cell phones and anything else that emits lights is not allowed to be used. If any of these items are used in the haunt, they will be confiscated. Pretty simple. It's not too often that somebody chalenges the rules. One teen boy used a small maglight one time, and one of the security guards who happened to be following the group grabbed it from him and told him that it was against the rules. The security guard asked if he understood the rules. The kid replied yes. The kid asked when he would get his flashlight back, and the guard said you can get it November first, after we have closed for the season. The kid came the day after halloween to get his light.

Hell, I would've given it back after the tour was over, but the kid did not argue since he broke one of the rules. It was either that or get kicked out without a refund.

[Jim Warfield]

Part of the problem here might be that I am open all year long and customers show up almost every night and many of them are made to feel very special in the fact that their tour experience seems very indulgent and personal.
"Rules" don't always apply ..if we are "friends"...some part of them feels, then the fall busy-ness happens and certain expectations on my part are very necesarry for the flow and tour enjoyment by the majority .