Cedar Point Memories

So I've decided that I'm gonna start posting some memories from my experiences working at Cedar Point in '03 and '04. I will have like the "CP memory of the week" or something. Some will be fun, others funny, some maybe sad, some probably stupid, and at least one memory from that time probably makes me wanna pull my hair out and scream! Well, maybe I won't talk about that one, because it's a sore memory that a lot of people don't want to hear again(lets just say that one specific memory I'm thinking about doesn't really have to do all with Cedar Point. It really has nothing to do with Cedar Point. It's just that I was in my CP dorm room at the time. Lets just say I was still employed at CP on Oct. 14, 2003. Confused? Look it up.) So here starts the first big memory of 2003 and it is pretty big!(but it's not Big Bash)

This memory or event rather, happened two months prior to my for mentioned unspoken memory. The date was August 14, 2004.(Figured it out yet?) Lets just say it was a pretty hot and humid day. Wait... lets back things up a bit. You might be wondering what I did when I worked there. Well... when I worked at Cedar Point I was a sweep and I also did a little bit of other stuff. "Why a sweep?" you ask. Well... I'll explain another time. Anyway, back to this memory...
So it was a very hot and humid Thursday afternoon and I out sweeping just outside of the park, (if you are familiar with Cedar Point, I'm talking about the area between the parking lot and the main gate turnstiles.) I was just walking around doing nothing really. After awhile of just walking around and people watching, I began to notice that it was pretty quiet. Cedar Point has music playing all over the park, but the music they play in the front is louder than all the stuff in the park. I guess I really never thought about it, but after a few minutes, a lady came up to me and asked, "When are the rides gonna re-open?" I kind of had this look like, "What the heck are you talking about?" I then turned and looked into the park and I didn't believe what I saw. First thing I saw was the Sky Ride sitting there and not moving. I thought,"Ok, the Sky Ride has stopped. That normally happens." I look over to the Raptor, stopped on the brake run. I look back at Magnum, stopped on the hill. I look at the Space Spiral, stopped just about 40 feet from the platform. I then think to myself, "What the heck is going on here?" I turn the lady and say, "I'm sorry mam, but I have no idea what's going on, but I'm gonna find out."

So I ran back into the park to try to find one of my supervisors or team members. I couldn't find anyone at first, so I just came to the conclusion that the Cedar Point lost it's power. I had no idea that it was bigger than that. ...What am I talking about? The Northeast Blackout of 2003.
... It was probably the weirdest thing walking through a crowded amusement park with no power. The only sound was the blend of all voices from guests in the park. The only other background noise, was just the feet of all the people walking. I was still walking around the park trying to find some other employees that I worked with. I walked through the thick crowds of people and listened to what they had to say. Most of the guests were getting mad at Cedar Point and I mean, really ticked off at Cedar Point. Others wondered if it was just the Sandusky area, while others talked about how it could actually be much bigger and maybe all of the US. I still needed to know what the deal was, so I could explain to the guests what was going on.

I eventually found another team member talking with our supervisor. I went up and asked them what's up. Standing there, I remember my supervisor with a very serious face(not really a serious guy) stood there and said,
"Jeremy, have you been informed about what's going on?"
I told him I had no idea and that I really wanted to know whats up.
He said, "This thing is bigger than just Cedar Point and Sandusky. The power is out all the way to New York!"
I'm like, "No way!?"
He then goes on to say, "We aren't totally sure yet, but there is a big chance that this whole thing is related to a possible act of terrorism. I want you keep it on the down low for now. But tell other employees when you see them."
I thought he was joking at first, but he was seriously telling me what he has heard from the upper management. At that time all kinds of thoughts started going through my head. "Was this true? Are we in the early stages of a terrorist attack? What's gonna happen in the next 24 hours? I'm in Ohio and my family is in Indiana. Am I gonna see them again? I've gotta call them!" My brother was one of the supervisors for his department and he was also working that day. I had to find him, for I knew he had a cell phone for calling home.(I didn't own one back then)

To be continued...

Man, I never really plan on telling long stories. All I was gonna say, was that I worked there during that major power outage. I just decided to make a story of it. I hope it is interesting. So enjoy. But yeah, I guess I'll finish tomorrow or something. Hmm...why does this story make me think of the beginning of another similar, but fake, story entitled The Cedar Point Zombies of Chaos? Haha... good times.

Ok then, I'm out. I need a roommate! The quest continues!

Go Cubs!