While I haven’t been to any amusement park in over six years, I have noticed something has definitely changed at many of them. Most have introduced a flash pass type of system for an extra cost that allows people to bypass all that line waiting that can occur on busy days, which for the most part seems to happen a lot nowadays.
At first glance it may seem pretty cool to have these types of systems available for purchase. After all, who wants to wait in line for several hours for a ride that will most likely last for less than two minutes. But I’ve spent some time pondering this as of late and really feel that the addition of things like this are just another growing sign of the belief that money can fix anything, including things such as people’s impatience that can come from waiting in lines.
What’s sad about the addition of these flash pass systems is that not everyone can afford to purchase them. In fact, many can barely even afford the price of admission to most amusement parks these days and when they can, they end up waiting in line for several hours at each ride, only getting to enjoy four or five of them in an entire day, while others who have more money, can purchase these flash passes and bypass them time and time again.
What I find even more sad about this is the different levels of flash passes one can purchase. Take Six Flags for example, where the admission price normally ranges between $50 and $70 depending on the park. Yet for another $35 to $50, you can get a regular flash pass that allows you to go enjoy other things until it’s your time to ride. But then there are even greater levels of access if one has more money to spend. There’s the gold level that costs between $60 and $80 that cuts wait times down in half. And there’s the platinum level that virtually eliminates waiting on every level and even grants riders a second ride once they return to the station, all for the “low” price of $100 to $150. Thus if one has $150 to $200 to easily spend, they can go to an amusement park these days and never care whether it’s crowded or not.
I must admit I probably would have been one of those who would have spent the big bucks to get a platinum pass if they had existed back in the day when I used to go to amusement parks regularly. As back then, I had a high income and constantly felt I was better than everyone else because of it. Even worse, I most likely would have smirked at those I was allowed to cut in front of, who had been waiting in line for hours, feeling some sense of satisfaction over the huge money I had spent to do so. Thank God I feel quite differently these days. Now I look at things like these flash passes as representing nothing but ego and isn’t it ego that constantly keeps us all feeling separate from each other?
When I was growing up there wasn’t as much separatism in amusement parks. As back then, we all did our best to patiently wait in line and while we did, we excitedly talked to each other around us, sometimes even making new friendships in the process. But now, as the gap between those with money and those without continues to grow wider, that separatism increases by introducing things like these flash passes. People then grow up believing that all they need is to have more money to enjoy life, to enjoy things like these flash passes. Funny enough, I think if I had a huge amount of money to spend these days, I’d go to an amusement park early enough to buy every possible flash pass available and then throw them all away, causing everyone to resort to having nothing but a regular ticket and patience.
Nevertheless, money doesn’t really fix anything in the long run. It only causes one to want more, the more they have. Like with those flash passes, the ego drives the people who buy them to believe they deserve greater, such as better treatment in things that aren’t even part of what they purchased, such as with the food lines. It’s a vicious cycle that in the end only keeps one separate from not only others, but especially from God.
So the next time you’re considering buying one of those flash passes at an amusement park, remember all those who can’t afford them, who never will be able to afford them, and maybe save your money and spend time in line with them instead. And who knows, maybe God will be one of them in disguise…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson