By Kate Agliata:
In the wake of several fights spiraling into a near riot-like situation this past Monday at Alabama Adventure, many Birmingham area parents are now thinking twice about visiting the area’s largest water and theme park. Alabama Adventure Park officials indicate Monday’s $10 admission promotion as what they believe to be a major contributing factor to the fights and subsequent chaos that broke out near the park’s entrance mid-afternoon. The park, which is located in the town of Bessemer, about 25 minutes South West of Birmingham, has offered a similar promotion in the past with no reported problems.
Many area parents believe that the incident transpired due to other, far more concerning factors, however. Laura Gorham, a Birmingham mother of four, said her family has purchased season passes to the park in past years, but during the last few summers her concern has risen over the quality of the park and the type of people who attend. She believes that incidents such as Monday’s “could happen on any day of the week there,” not just during special promotions. “I would rather spend my money elsewhere and feel safe.”
According to several eyewitnesses, the majority of those instigating the fights were unsupervised juveniles. In fact, many Birmingham Mommy readers have expressed a common opinion over what appears to be a growing problem regarding the issue of unsupervised children and teenagers left at Alabama Adventure each day. One mother said that Monday’s incident may not so much have been caused by the special promotion as it was by the massive number of “unsupervised teens” and parents who continually use Alabama Adventure as a “daycare.”
Others however, feel that Alabama Adventure remains a safe and secure place for families to visit. Lee Halfacre, a Hoover father of three, states that Monday’s circumstances “will not impact any decision I make to go to the park or not.” Currently in his second year as a season pass holder, Halfacre says he has been satisfied with the overall safety and security measures taken by the park. “Short of common discourteous behavior…it has usually been a fun and enjoyable experience.”
Reports indicate that park security and local police promptly responded to the June 7 outbreak, and that only one teenager, a 15-year-old male, was arrested and charged with inciting a riot. Park officials have decided to discontinue offering the $10 special promotion for the remainder of the season.
About Kate:
Kate, a freelance writer and mother of two, most often finds creative inspiration in writing, but occasionally at the bottom of an empty wine glass. She has hijacked her family’s former lifestyle and is in the midst of creating a simpler and greener approach to life. To follow her family’s challenges and successes in this endeavor, visit her blog, at Kate’s Musings. She and her family have lived in Birmingham since 2009.
