[cubsblue]

She was 15. Far from a child and more than old enough to know that what she was doing was wrong. She is also responsible for her actions. Her actions were bad and as such she at that point was a bad person. She got off with a slap on the wrist and too easy IMHO. Verbal attack??? A little lighter than I would have given had I been in the CM's shoes. Don't make this girl out to be a victim. She is far from it. She deserved to be humiliated. Had she stolen $75.00 in merchandise from a store she would have been taken in away handcuffs. Would that have been less humiliation?

[Dana]

Originally Posted by cubsblue

She was 15. Far from a child and more than old enough to know that what she was doing was wrong. She is also responsible for her actions. Her actions were bad and as such she at that point was a bad person. She got off with a slap on the wrist and too easy IMHO. Verbal attack??? A little lighter than I would have given had I been in the CM's shoes. Don't make this girl out to be a victim. She is far from it. She deserved to be humiliated. Had she stolen $75.00 in merchandise from a store she would have been taken in away handcuffs. Would that have been less humiliation?

I agree on all accounts. I am no less harsh when kids steal from my store and I make sure to have them arrested. I don't even press charges all the time. I just like them to experience being put into hand-cuffs and arrested. If that doesn't teach you to not steal, nothing will. My DD is 14 and if she did the same thing this girl did, I wouldn't have bat an eye at what the CM said....BAD people steal. Perhaps being called a "bad person" will teach this kid that it's bad to steal. This is just one more example of how children today are coddled. So tired of the "poor me" crap that comes from kids these days. Everything is someone else's fault and them having their feelings hurt for bad behavior is tragic. Spare me. There is no excuse for taking what is not your's or for trying to get away with not paying for something regardless of what it is.

[roylr]

Dana, after having spent over 30 yrs. in Law Enforcement I can only respond by saying, very well said. You hit the nail right on the head.

[valerie_c]

After reading everyone's opinions, here's my take on this: I'm a manager at a movie theatre. We catch at least 20+ kids on a Saturday night trying some sort of scam to sneak their friends in to avoid paying $10. And that's the kids that we catch, there's no telling how many get away with it. They pass off tickets, open side doors, use fake IDs, etc.

Here's the thing - we tell them that what they're doing is theft and that it could be punishable by law. We must, by law, give them refunds for any valid tickets and then we kick them out for the day. But we do not make personal evaluations and judgments on the person's character. That's what this CM did - and it's not their job. Yes, maybe calling this girl a 'bad person' will change her perspective on things and stop her from trying something like this in the future. Or maybe it will backfire and she'll resent the judgement and be disrespectful to authority figures in the future.

Whatever the end results, good or bad, I think that the key here is that the CM went beyond her position and made the situation personal. It's not her job to teach anyone a lesson, it's her job to enforce the rules. She can explain why what the girl did was 'bad' or wrong, but she should not be judging the girl's character like she did.

[brebre_51]

Dana, I couldn't agree more. Stealing is stealing. The young lady is far from being a child. In 3 short years (or less) this young lady will be considered an adult. I hope she learn a lesson from this experience. But, who I really blame is her older sister (the intern) and her older sister's 'friend' who she borrowed the pass from. They are equally as guilty. imho I wonder if this affected the older sister's internship?

[tinkerbelle24]

This could have been why tickets went up today

[Dana]

Originally Posted by tinkerbelle24

This could have been why tickets went up today

the best point of all...every time someone cheats the system, we honest people pay for it. Why do you think the price of things go up all the time? Someone has to pay for the things that people just take.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by roylr

Dana, after having spent over 30 yrs. in Law Enforcement I can only respond by saying, very well said. You hit the nail right on the head.

I have officers tell me this all the time. They said if everyone would just stop and stop feeling sorry for these people and get them with the first petty crime, there would be less that would attempt to do something again having learned the consequenses early in life and for something petty.

[tinkerbelle24]

Originally Posted by Dana

the best point of all...every time someone cheats the system, we honest people pay for it. Why do you think the price of things go up all the time? Someone has to pay for the things that people just take.

We are all honest working people here. Im sick and tired of things going up no matter what it is.. What really gets me is I purchased my MYW ticket yesterday at the Disney Store. NO problem it was only $250 or something like that. When I called WDW today to get the kids I was advised that the prices went up.. WHY?!?!?!?!? Because people want to cheat the system.. Because they want to park at the resorts adn DTD when staying off site. They want to fill up their beach bags at the buffet. They want to re use the mugs! They want to scam the parking people and CLAIM they are only there for breakfast.
They have their kids go into stores and when they leave and little johnny has a $100 stuffed Mickey in his hand they keep walking!!!
Im tired of working my fingers to the bone to afford to go to Disney and when I finally get the funds up prices go up too!! Im tired of it!! They should have made the girl scrub toilets with a toothbrush all day

[WishIWasThere]

I don't approve of sharing annual passes period. My SIL offered hers to me while I was there and I declined and bought one. Yes it cost money but to me otherwise it would be stealing and I would feel aweful and not enjoy my trip. I wouldn't let DD borrow a pass either (even though my MIL when we get home wants to buy one annual pass and use it for both Elyse and her cousin). Its setting a bad example and won't fly, if we can't afford to do something we just don't do it.

As for the bad person comment, I think she got off easy if that is all she got. She shouldn't have used the pass. Even at 15 I knew the difference between right and wrong and I knew if I was doing something wrong so Im pretty sure she knew what she was doing was wrong too. Hopefully this makes an impression on her and she doesn't try to "cheat" the system again.

[LittleMissMagic]

It doesn't sound very Disney appropriate for a CM to call someone... anyone... a bad person. Afterall, she did not know the girl.... had nothing to base that fact on except that she was trying to get into the park with someone else's pass.

I honestly don't find the feat so bad. It's not like they were trying to sneak both people into the park at the same time. The owner of the season pass payed for one entry into the park, and only one person was entering the park.... just not the owner. Yes, it wasn't the right thing to do, but I don't find it immoral.

Did they cut up the season pass or keep it and record why? If they just cut it up, then another pass can be reissued if the reason for taking the pass was not recorded. If the CM cut it up in front of her, then the CM had no way of putting it into the system why the pass was rejected. My Dad and I washed our APs once (back when they were paper.... are they still paper? I know they used to be photo IDs because my parents had those back in 89. They continued to use the free parking for a few years until the pass was changed and the CM punched holes in my mom's... Mom was upset. Dad was the one doing it. Shame, shame.), and we had to get new ones printed. We just brought the papers we got when we received the APs, and they printed us new ones.

[mairinmaureen]

I applaud the CM in some respect for actually checking the passholder's identity in the first place. I believe that most AP abuse goes undetected because CM's are lackadaisical about verifying the identity of AP holders.

CM's should act in accordance to Disney's standards and guidelines. If Disney chooses not to call the police/security to handle the matter, that is their decision. If it is Disney's decision to revoke the AP and send the perpetrator on their way, then that is what should be done.

I do not believe, however, that Disney would condone the offering of commentary by their CM's on an individual's personal character, CM's whom they train in a customer service standard that is a model for many other corporations throughout the world. The CM should have acted according to the direction set forth by Disney and kept their mouth shut.

The idea that this 15 year old did this because "kids today" are coddled, etc. is ridiculous. IMHO I am sure this happens at Disney parks everyday by visitors of all ages. Some get caught. Some don't.

I wonder how many 6 foot tall, 220 pound, 40 year old, males get called "bad people" in these situations?

[LittleMissMagic]

Originally Posted by cubsblue

She got off with a slap on the wrist and too easy IMHO. Verbal attack??? A little lighter than I would have given had I been in the CM's shoes. Don't make this girl out to be a victim. She is far from it. She deserved to be humiliated.

I don't see how anyone could look a complete stranger in the eyes and tell them that they are a bad person. "You are a bad person?" Is that exactly what was said? That just sounds phony imo.

[Campbell87]

I wonder how many people do get away with this? Especially when its a busy day and the CM's are too rushed off their feet to really check each pass properly?

[dac921]

Oh that is not good... ruin that child's magic day