tps://www.kabc.com/news/five-takeaways-on-the-science-behind-cdcs-latest-mask-guidance/" rel="noopener nofollow">The measures we need to get this under control they're extreme. The measures you need are extreme." - CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky
With COVID-19 infection rates in Los Angeles County once again spiking, it is clear that the pandemic is still not over. I was, therefore, shocked as I passed through the metal detectors into the plaza outside Six Flags Magic Mountain's entry gates last Sunday. In front of me stood hundreds of people packed tightly together with park security pushing even more people into the confined space. Many were ignoring the CDC suggestion to wear a mask in large crowds.
As the crowd continued to build, Six Flags management did nothing to mitigate the hazard caused by their operations. Instead of keeping newcomers in the wide-open area outside their ticket booths, the park continued to push them through security and into the mass of people. The gates to neighboring Hurricane Harbor stayed shut until opening time depriving the crowd of a release valve. When they finally did open, people pressed tightly into the narrow pathway leading to the entrance.
To avoid the worst of the crowd, my family jettisoned our original plans to visit the waterpark and headed into Magic Mountain. Once inside, the mass of people dissipated, but Six Flags was still failing at maintaining a safe operation in the midst of a pandemic. The "Do The Six" signage urging safe practices has disappeared. Instead, those signs can be spotted backstage along with unused hand sanitizing stations. There is messaging outside each bathroom, shop, and food stand that indicates that mask usage is required indoors according to new Los Angeles County regulations, but I did not observe any enforcement. Maskless guests were able to enter buildings and place their orders without any pushback.
While Disneyland is still requiring guests to use a reservation system, Magic Mountain has discontinued the practice. This is despite the fact that the park appears to be short-staffed and unable to handle the number of people that they are admitting into the park. There are long lines at food service counters even with an online ordering system in place. Many games are closed and photo opportunities with costumed characters are few and far between. Even in the early afternoon garbage cans had reached capacity and were overflowing.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and for public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.