(I am working as a ride attendant for a theme park roller coaster.)

Me: *over the intercom* “Once the gates have opened completely, you may make your way to the farthest available seat. Please make sure to secure all personal belongings and fasten your seat belt securely.”

(Two men approach me from the loading gates, one of whom is in a wheelchair.)

Disabled Guest: “Hey, buddy. You think you could help my friend get me into the seat there?”

Me: “Uh, sure, I could do that.”

(His friend wheels him over to the end of a row of seats and puts the brake on his chair.)

Me: “What do you need me to do?”

Friend: “You get his feet; I’ll get him from the back.”

Disabled Guest: “Thanks again.”

(The disabled guest raises his arms and his friend grabs him around the chest while I lift his feet off the ground and we sidle over to the train car. Suddenly the disabled guest twists his upper body violently and his friend drops him on his rear end.)

Disabled Guest: “OH, GOD!”

Friend: “What the f*** did you just do?!””

Me: *terrified* “What?”

Disabled Guest: “F***, s***, f***! I think my back is busted!”

Friend: *pointing at me, looking all around* “You all saw him! He dropped my buddy on purpose! That’s first-degree assault!”

Me: “But I didn’t do anything!”

Disabled Guest: *still pretending to be in pain* “Somebody call an ambulance! Somebody call a lawyer! Call the cops!”

Friend: *stomping over to stand one inch from me* “You think just ’cause my buddy’s in a wheelchair you can do whatever you f****** want to him? We’re gonna sue the s*** out of your f****** a**!”

(He shoves me with both hands, but then the guy in the end seat in the row behind the one we were trying to sit the disabled man in yells at them and points his camera phone at them.)

Camera Guy: “Hey! You leave him alone! I saw what you did! You tried to set him up! He didn’t drop your friend! You did!”

(The disabled guest, still lying on the ground, abruptly stops yelling in pain.)

Friend: “F*** you, f**! You can’t prove anything!”

Camera Guy: “Oh, yeah? I got the whole thing on video!” *he waves his phone at them*

Friend: “Give me that f****** phone!”

(The disabled guest’s friend lunges for the phone but the other man quickly hands it to his wife two seats over. The friend hits his head on the side of the train car and his extended hand scratches the camera man’s neck.)

Disabled Guest: “[Friend], get the f****** phone, you r****d!”

(The charade begins to fall apart as his friend staggers and clutches his head, which is now bleeding.)

Friend: *staggering and clutching his head, which is now bleeding* “F*** you!”

Camera Guy: “Somebody call security! These guys are con artists! I got it all on tape!”

(I dash around the disabled guest, having to jump as he tries to grab me by the legs, and run back to the intercom.)

Me: “Security to [roller coaster] loading platform. Emergency!”

(Three security guards armed with night sticks and mace show up only a few seconds later and have to drag the disabled man’s friend away as he was trading kicks with the camera guy and the camera guy’s wife. The camera couple and the two men are both taken to the nearest emergency station, and security makes me go with them. A park official shows up about half an hour later to take statements from everyone involved separately. After I give my statement, I wait alone in a waiting room for some time before a park doctor comes in and tells me the camera couple wants to talk to me. I’m led into their room.)

Camera Guy: “Hey, I wanted you to know I saw everything that happened. If that guy tries any legal s*** against you, I’ll be a witness.”

Me: “That would be great of you. I just… I don’t know what’s going on.”

Camera Guy’s Wife: “This place is full of cheaters and liars; that’s what’s going on.”

Camera Guy: “D*** right, honey.”

(The park official walks in again.)

Camera Guy: “You don’t believe that jacka**’s story, do you?” *points to me* “This guy didn’t do anything wrong. I caught it all on video with my phone if you need proof.”

Park Official: “That won’t be necessary, sir. We have security cameras all over the park. We saw what those men did.”

(The two men were banned from the park and the able-bodied one was charged with assault on the camera guy and his wife, who were given a refund on their admission, four additional one-day tickets, vouchers for free meals at any restaurant in the park, and two huge stuffed animals for their kids, all free.)

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