IL - Probe finds ex-convicts at carnivals

mysteriew

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A convicted sex offender, thieves and drug dealers were among carnival workers at Illinois community events this summer, according to a state and county investigation.

In running background checks at five events, the Illinois attorney general's office and Cook County sheriff's department found that among 179 carnival employees, there had been 556 arrests and 125 convictions, according to a letter sent to law enforcement agencies.

The ongoing investigation comes as police officials and some lawmakers are calling for legislation that would require background checks for carnival workers, a measure they say is vital to protecting children from transient workers with sordid pasts.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ory?coll=chi-newslocal-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
 
So I guess I'm not all wet when carnies give me the creeps?
 
Nope. I am always amazed at the number of parents who take their kids to fairs/festivals and drop them off. I was always afraid to. Also afraid to let them wander around on their own. Yet you see a lot of kids doing that.
 
You know, my husband and I would always keep a huge eye out when we (very infrequently) took our young son to fairs. I was amazed at how completley drugged out and wacked out a lot of these guys were who were running the rides. I would never drop my child off at any of these things, even the ones who are located in the small towns. (same folks traveling from one venue to the next!) One guy had all the little kids terrorized who were on this little kiddie ride. We almost murdered the guy. It is so sad because this is supposed to be a great piece of 'Americana' but it looks like the employment of last resort for a lot of creeps.
 
Carnies are creepy.

Whenever the carnival sets up at the local mall parking lot Noel will ask to go - but I say no, you can wait till we're at Disney for rides.
 
I guess it may be different in Canada. We have one company that does the two that we go to the, the EX(Canadian National Exhibition) and the Markham Fair.

These guys take pride in their work, look professional, have nice shirts and ID, are polite to parents and kids, helpful, well trained and look out for the kids, they have to have background checks and if they don't do the job properly or even "porfessional", they are gone.

The less people that come to a fair, the less employees, the less jobs and less pay.

They even hire summer students........one student and a carnie saved the life of a child, they put themselves in "harms" way to ensure the child was fine.

i can't believe that US fairs just hire any person who walks off the street, without background checks, etc.

Now guess what, unless it is Disney, we won't be going to any others in the USA.
 
CyberLaw said:
I guess it may be different in Canada. We have one company that does the two that we go to the, the EX(Canadian National Exhibition) and the Markham Fair.

These guys take pride in their work, look professional, have nice shirts and ID, are polite to parents and kids, helpful, well trained and look out for the kids, they have to have background checks and if they don't do the job properly or even "porfessional", they are gone.

The less people that come to a fair, the less employees, the less jobs and less pay.

They even hire summer students........one student and a carnie saved the life of a child, they put themselves in "harms" way to ensure the child was fine.

i can't believe that US fairs just hire any person who walks off the street, without background checks, etc.

Now guess what, unless it is Disney, we won't be going to any others in the USA.

Texas has a huge state fair every year. We go, but we don't let our children run wild. We know exactly where they are and we all stay together. I don't agree with allowing children to be dropped off anywhere because there are people willing to take advantage of them all over the place, not just fairs and carnivals.
 
True, even though I don't go on rides, I thought nothing of dropping off my son and his friend in the midway area and just sit on a bench.

I knew what ride they were on, because I could see them, they had a cell and there were a lot of people around.

But now that he is 14, there is a place called Wonderland. He goes with his friend, but under strict orders, always to be together.

Even going to the boys room, snacks, etc, they are joined at the hip....

They have uniformed security walking around, everyone is very diligent.

If this Wonderland has a problem(only one that I knew of)it hits every paper and TV, so now families won't take their kids, teenagers cannot go with parents are it would not do well financially, so it is their best interest to run a class act and look out for kids.........

But I understand that the USA and especially Texas is big, really big, and that there could be several operators of carnivals in different states at different times.

In my area there is only one operator......
.
Canada is a lot different then the states......but I have been to Texas for vacation and I LOVED IT, wanted to buy property down there but hubby said NO, too far to travel for the weekend..........
 
I'd also LOVE to visit Canada!! My daughter was invited to study there for a few weeks this fall, but she's too young to go alone. We're definately going to keep our fingers crossed that she'll be invited again when she's a little older. I'm thinking about accompanying her if only to stay at a hotel close by! If that happens, I'd love for all of my Canadian WS friends to be able to get together to visit.
 
CyberLaw said:
I guess it may be different in Canada. We have one company that does the two that we go to the, the EX(Canadian National Exhibition) and the Markham Fair.

.
Hi Cyberlaw. I think the midway at the Ex is grubby & icky :sick:

Same for Markham fair... I guess because I am a huge Disney & Universal Fan, I just don't like Temporary Carnivals.

Canada's Wonderland is good though.
 
We have not been to Disney, but I do notice that some of the ride operators have re-appeared year after year.

I recognize some of them from the time we have gone before.

I guess I don't find it icky and yucky......

Don't tell my husband, but there was one guy on the huge slide ride(which my son went on about 15 times) that was from Australia and was very nice looking......he was at the Markham Fair also.

Conklin is a class act and has been around for years........it is not a "fly by night" operator that hires anyone that comes along, it seems that they don't have a high turnover and are very well trained and professional.

From my experience.............

The last(ever) ride that I ever went on was called the Zipper. When I got off, the operator asked me if I was O.K, I told him I was not sure. He said that he was not taking any chances(I guess I looked a bit "ghost white") and called a St. John medical person to help me, gave me a place to sit down, and got me some water.

I was dizzy, confused, nauseaus, and could not walk straight. My heart and blood pressure were elevated.......I thought I was going to be sick, I could barely stand without being wooozy......

But boy did this employee impress the heck out of me........but he told me that he was just doing his job and what he was trained for.........he refused any "attempt" on my part to offer him compensation for this thoughtfullness.

But low and behold, I "accidently" found two twenties that "may" have "dropped" out of his pocket near the ride that I was on. I was "sure" I saw them "drop from his pocket", so of course they were his..........and were "returned" to him.......he smiled and said thank you......

That was the last ride I EVER went on.......in any country in this lifetime.
 

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