Former U.S. Marine bomb technician Johnny “Joey” Jones lost both of his legs to an IED during his deployment in Afghanistan and has since begun using prosthetics.
On a trip to Six Flags, Jones was shocked when he was told by a park employee that he was restricted from the ride because he did not have “real legs.”
Jones has since spoken out in hopes that Six Flags will treat veterans with his same condition with “the same care and thoughtfulness” as all other park-goers.
To his surprise, Jones was kicked off a ride on Sunday after a park employee had noticed he had prosthetic legs. Jones noted that he has visited Universal Studios, Walt Disney World and SeaWorld and had no problems with riding any of their rides.
“Just got kicked off a fully enclosed ride @SixFlags (jut like one I’ve ridden @UniStudios for not having “real legs,”” Jones wrote on Twitter Sunday.
Just got kicked off a fully enclosed ride @SixFlags (jut like one I’ve ridden @UniStudios for not having “real legs”
— Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 20, 2018
According to Jones, the same park employee even allowed him to waste time standing in line waiting and allowed him to sit in the ride before saying something.
Safety I’m sure. They post physical requirements at each ride, I didn’t see it, teenager let me stand in line, get in the car and even unlocked the bar to maneuver my legs before he said something lol. https://t.co/L7NupbzE9L
— Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 20, 2018
When Jones asked he reason for being kicked off the ride, the employee responded that it was because he did not have “real legs.”
A message to all those veterans out there unlucky in their service who now use prosthetics, @SeaWorld @UniStudios and @DisneyParks will literally move (magic) mountains for you. @SixFlags will tell you “nah bro, you gotta have two real legs”
— Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 20, 2018
This man is a hero that sacrificed his body for our country — and all they had to say was he could not ride a fully-enclosed ride at Six Flags because he needs to “real” legs!?
Six Flags has since issued an apology stating, “We apologize to Mr. Jones for any inconvenience; however, to ensure safety, guests with certain disabilities are restricted from riding certain rides and attractions. Our accessibility policy includes ride safety guidelines and the requirements of the federal American Disabilities Act.”
“Our policies are customized by ride and developed for the safety of all our guests. Our policies and procedures are reviewed and adjusted on a regular basis to ensure we continue to accommodate the needs of our guests while simultaneously maintaining a safe environment for everyone,” they continued.
During an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” on Tuesday, Jones explained that he was not upset that he was kicked off the ride, but rather how he was told and how the park outlines their ride requirements.
“He didn’t say, ‘You can’t ride this ride, go talk to so-and-so.’ It was, ‘You can’t ride this ride,’ I said ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘Because you don’t have real legs.’” Jones said.
“And then once I left the ride, I researched the policy for every single ride in the park, and literally, I can’t get on a tilt-a-whirl. I’m restricted to pretty much things that don’t move, because of my legs,” added Jones.
According to Jones, Six Flags uses terminology for different rides. On one ride it read that guests must be “absent of prosthetics,” but another ride read that guests must have “all arms and legs attached.”
“So my message to Six Flags is, I don’t hate you, I don’t want to tell people not to go there. I want you to apply the same type of care and thoughtfulness that Universal Studios, Disney, SeaWorld, and everywhere else I’ve gone and ridden roller coasters, and done so safely, I want you to apply the same knowledge and expertise that they apply,” he said.
Amen.
–The Horn editorial team