What happens when a mask policy is violated?

[sibhusky]

I was getting on lift 2 (normally a 3 person lift) at Loveland last week. My partner & I slid up to the red line. Just as I started looking back for the chair, the lift attendant started yelling. Some kid had jumped on the chair, and I ended up sitting on his lap as the chair moved forward!!!! The lift was stopped & the the kid was pulled off seat (after I got disentangled) while being berated. The liftie was yelling at him about "social distancing" In my head in thinking, when would this EVER be ok? Pandemic or no, how rude to slide in someone's seat while they are waiting in appropriate spot! After the lift got going, we looked back & the seat stealer was not in the next chair.

I've had that happen TWICE with snowboarders, both times ended up in the "pit".

 

[bsskier]

I was getting on lift 2 (normally a 3 person lift) at Loveland last week. My partner & I slid up to the red line. Just as I started looking back for the chair, the lift attendant started yelling. Some kid had jumped on the chair, and I ended up sitting on his lap as the chair moved forward!!!! The lift was stopped & the the kid was pulled off seat (after I got disentangled) while being berated. The liftie was yelling at him about "social distancing" In my head in thinking, when would this EVER be ok? Pandemic or no, how rude to slide in someone's seat while they are waiting in appropriate spot! After the lift got going, we looked back & the seat stealer was not in the next chair.

I’m sorry this happened to you. I have a similar experience to share just because this is just so seemingly random but it’s just not. #2020 may be a dumpster fire, but these types have been lurking among us for years, mask or no mask. Mod please move to dumpster if I’m way off topic.

About 4 years ago I had loaded onto a full chair and just as we started to move, out of nowhere a woman in a red catsuit skis really fast into the loading area and sits on top of me. We’d moved maybe a foot or more when the lifties stopped the chair to pull her off me, which she actually resisted, and her weight forced my leg to get stuck like a flamingo under the chair where there was maybe 3 inches of clearance. The binding couldn’t even pop because the ski wasn’t compromised yet. Maybe once my leg broke in half the binding would’ve popped. I was confident my leg would indeed snap and Lord, did it hurt being folded up in such an odd way. There was a lot of chaos, lifties yelling, people behind us in the queue line trying to move the chair, save my leg from breaking, or pull this woman away, and me screaming “move the chair, move the damn chair!” Other than the immediate exhaustion of fight or flight, I didn’t break any bones and carried on with my chair buddies to the top. I saw this same nutter woman later in the day talking on her phone in another language while stopped in the middle of a busy run used for kids lessons. Since this event, loading and unloading any chair for me is a kill or be killed event. I’m always ready for battle, very cautious of my surroundings, and am very particular about being on the end.

 

[altagirl]

I had a coworker years ago who was the guilty party in one of these incidents. He has only ever gone skiing a handful of times, and was terrified of the lift. He was with his brother-in-law and was desperately trying to act cool, like he knew what he was doing getting on a lift. So he's watching everyone, paying attention to all the little details of where they put their poles and what to do... so he pulls forward to get on the chair and realized the people in front of them had not gotten on a chair yet and therefore they sat down on his lap. He was obviously mortified and was like "And I never went skiing again." (He did, however retell this story every single time anyone mentioned skiing!)

YES, it's insane for that to happen, but I do feel like my friend is probably not the only beginner to get so focused on the details of this terrifying (for a newbie) event that he missed the most obvious detail. I also think now is perhaps not the time for newbies to be out figuring out how to load a chair.... maybe delay your learn to ski/learn to ride a chairlift adventure to a post-pandemic time.

 

[sibhusky]

Well, apparently I was wrong about Whitefish. They actually STOPPED THE LIFT when some yahoos were refusing to mask up. YAY!

 

[liquidfeet]

^^THAT'S showing them. Hooray for Whitefish!

 

[sibhusky]

I notice they've also strengthened their verbiage on the web site.

 

[geargrrl]

Finally an entity that understands how the ADA (and probably HIPPA too) do NOT apply to masking.

 

[contesstant]

I sadly have found that policies are written as part of marketing moves more than any real attempt at being safe. I have personally found enforcement to be poor, inconsistent, and at times non-existent. I personally, immediately, spoke out to two supervisors about an instructor teaching unmasked in a very crowded area, literally 6 inches from the face of his young unmasked student, and neither one adressed it in the spot. We are told to enforce mask policies directly with the guests, but if our own staff is failing to uphold the standard, it seems like lip service to me.

I am finding that Snowbasin's written policies are pure marketing BS, too. I emailed the GM yesterday about it. I'd say 40% of patrons in line yesterday were either completely uncovered, or were wearing those neoprene masks with nose and mouth holes, so they LOOK legit. I was PISSED. We'll see what happens.

From Mountain High in California. Pretty direct statement that's essentially "no mask, no access."

"If you don’t feel that you can deliver on this request, or if it’s just not right for you, or if you think we’re crazy for requiring face coverings – please don’t visit Mountain High while COVID-modified operating rules are in place. We will be happy to welcome you back unmasked when pandemic-related government regulations are removed."​

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This is why I miss living in CA, or WA. WHY is that so hard for Utah to do??!

 

[TNtoTaos]

I am finding that Snowbasin's written policies are pure marketing BS, too. I emailed the GM yesterday about it. I'd say 40% of patrons in line yesterday were either completely uncovered, or were wearing those neoprene masks with nose and mouth holes, so they LOOK legit. I was PISSED. We'll see what happens.


This is why I miss living in CA, or WA. WHY is that so hard for Utah to do??!

Hate to have to be unpleasant, but when it involves something so serious, sometimes you have to; e.g., I'll bet if they were told that they would be written up in an article about ski areas that are NOT doing a good job with the rules, they might take notice. And/Or that they would be reported to the state health dept (although in UT IDK if that would make much difference).

One would think that all of the ski resorts would be invested in keeping themselves in line; after all, if things get out of hand, everyone will get shut down, like last season.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

In spite of many not wearing adequate masks or not wearing them at all, some staff have been relieved of duties until invited back as a result of being caught on camera not wearing masks in the lift line! Impressive. Wish they would announce the move to get greater compliance.

 

[MissySki]

I am finding that Snowbasin's written policies are pure marketing BS, too. I emailed the GM yesterday about it. I'd say 40% of patrons in line yesterday were either completely uncovered, or were wearing those neoprene masks with nose and mouth holes, so they LOOK legit. I was PISSED. We'll see what happens.


This is why I miss living in CA, or WA. WHY is that so hard for Utah to do??!

Wow really??? Sunday River has someone walking up and down the empty space between lines, and they check everyone as they go. If there’s even a nose out you get told to cover it. Very happy with their enforcement.

 

[marzNC]

Fair to say that mask usage by guests is far better at JH than at GT. Although a little hard to compare since I skied JH midweek and GT on a Saturday with fresh powder and sunshine. A Host told me there were far fewer people last Sat when the snow wasn't good at all. Had 10 inches in the last 24 hours as of this morning. Lots of families. GT is much more of a day trip for locals than JH.

There is a pretty strong emphasis at GT on mask usage and distancing inside the buildings by some senior staff. As for compliance by guests . . . pretty mixed bag depending on time of day. Mask usage in the main lodge was pretty decent in general. Since no one is trying to limit the numbers in the building, when it's busy distancing is more a matter of not staying in one place for very long, as in under 5 minutes. It's a pretty small building.

Also senior lifties working to get people to cover their noses while riding the lift.

 

[contesstant]

Wow really??? Sunday River has someone walking up and down the empty space between lines, and they check everyone as they go. If there’s even a nose out you get told to cover it. Very happy with their enforcement.

For whatever reason, Snowbasin takes the "don't push the rules" approach. I don't get it. We're in the middle of the biggest public health crisis in a century, and they don't want to piss people off by enforcing the rules.

 

[Christy]

Hate to have to be unpleasant, but when it involves something so serious, sometimes you have to; e.g., I'll bet if they were told that they would be written up in an article about ski areas that are NOT doing a good job with the rules, they might take notice. And/Or that they would be reported to the state health dept (although in UT IDK if that would make much difference).

One would think that all of the ski resorts would be invested in keeping themselves in line; after all, if things get out of hand, everyone will get shut down, like last season.

Well, if it's a local population not complying, the local population probably won't care of there's a newspaper article about it. Also, the state of news in Utah is pretty sorry. SLC is losing both of its daily print papers.

 

[sibhusky]

they don't want to piss people off by enforcing the rules.

That's what I was expecting here. It remains to be seen if they keep this enthusiasm going,

 

[just jane]

I think the flip side is if you depend on repeat visitors and a lot of service people rely on tips, they are very unlikely to take a hard line on compliance.

 

[MissySki]

For whatever reason, Snowbasin takes the "don't push the rules" approach. I don't get it. We're in the middle of the biggest public health crisis in a century, and they don't want to piss people off by enforcing the rules.

Incredible.. I’m so sorry, that has got to be so darn frustrating for anyone sane like yourself!

 

[geargrrl]

For whatever reason, Snowbasin takes the "don't push the rules" approach. I don't get it. We're in the middle of the biggest public health crisis in a century, and they don't want to piss people off by enforcing the rules.

I call this "pretty please" or "thoughts and prayers" non-enforcement .

 

[ski_hat]

At Heavenly the other day, there were a couple dudes flagrantly not wearing masks. On the plus side, one of the lifties ran out just before they got on the lift and waved a disposable mask in their faces, telling them they needed to mask up.

On the downside, they were boarding a lift that requires 2 lifts to get to, and I’m not entirely sure that the dudes took the proffered masks, and the lift definitely wasn’t stopped.

Assuming best intentions, I *suppose* it’s possible that they simply forgot to pull up their buffs, but I’ve definitely noticed that many of the staff aren’t enforcing the rules as much as they’re supposed to.

 

[contesstant]

I call this "pretty please" or "thoughts and prayers" non-enforcement .

Utah has treated the pandemic with the pretty please attitude the entire time, and as a result, we have one of the highest case counts per 100,000 in the country. Frustrating!