Lost Season Pass (Sunday River)

[DPhelan]

I was a liftie for a few winters out west, and there were financial rewards for reporting people without lift tickets/passes. For a job that requires you to shovel snow when everyone else is skiing on it for 7$ an hour, it's hard to feel bad for someone that couldn't manage to hold on to their pass or attach their lift ticket properly. I've lost my ticket before and had to get it replaced at the ticket window, which is a huge pain in the ass...but I think I'd rather know that they're doing their diligence and being responsible employees instead of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. At a place like sunday river, this is a much larger undertaking depending on where you were on the mountain, and I would have told them the same thing you did about "how did I get to this area without a pass".

On the same note, when there are 15 people skiing at Sundown on a wednesday night, is it really necessary to scan every sing pass every single time you go through the lift line??

 

[Riverveteran]

I was a liftie for a few winters out west, and there were financial rewards for reporting people without lift tickets/passes. For a job that requires you to shovel snow when everyone else is skiing on it for 7$ an hour, it's hard to feel bad for someone that couldn't manage to hold on to their pass or attach their lift ticket properly. I've lost my ticket before and had to get it replaced at the ticket window, which is a huge pain in the ass...but I think I'd rather know that they're doing their diligence and being responsible employees instead of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. At a place like sunday river, this is a much larger undertaking depending on where you were on the mountain, and I would have told them the same thing you did about "how did I get to this area without a pass".

On the same note, when there are 15 people skiing at Sundown on a wednesday night, is it really necessary to scan every sing pass every single time you go through the lift line??

I think another person commented that one needs to be accountable for their pass/ticket and its not the mountain's responsibility to insure you have a ticket. I think it's somewhat the mountain's responsibility when their mean of attaching the ticket fails. It's one thing to lose your pass in the lodge or leave it home. It's another thing to ski to the bottom and have your Sunday River issued zip-cord attached to your jacket with a broken string. Technically the failure is on their issued equipment.

I took my daughter to the local hill yesterday and I chuckled when I packed my Transpack and their in the bottom were my 2007, 2008, and 2009 passes.

 

[riverc0il]

I think another person commented that one needs to be accountable for their pass/ticket and its not the mountain's responsibility to insure you have a ticket. I think it's somewhat the mountain's responsibility when their mean of attaching the ticket fails. It's one thing to lose your pass in the lodge or leave it home. It's another thing to ski to the bottom and have your Sunday River issued zip-cord attached to your jacket with a broken string. Technically the failure is on their issued equipment.

I took my daughter to the local hill yesterday and I chuckled when I packed my Transpack and their in the bottom were my 2007, 2008, and 2009 passes.

You know what my take would be from Sunday River's perspective regarding this comment? Stop issuing the string attachment to the season pass. Its a needless expense and now it seems to be a liability that they are somehow responsible for. Many (most?) mountains just hand you a card and its up to you to figure out how to display it. I bought an arm holder for my pass when I was a pass holder.

 

[Riverskier]

You know what my take would be from Sunday River's perspective regarding this comment? Stop issuing the string attachment to the season pass. Its a needless expense and now it seems to be a liability that they are somehow responsible for. Many (most?) mountains just hand you a card and its up to you to figure out how to display it. I bought an arm holder for my pass when I was a pass holder.

I am pretty sure they stopped issuing the string attachment a couple seasons ago for this very reason. I am guessing Riverveteran has one from a few years ago.

 

[Edd]

I carry 2 different passes. Out of sheer luck, both my jacket and pants have clear passholders built into them. I just pop the pocket open if they want to see. The next time I buy ski clothes that'll be a required feature.

 

[jaywbigred]

I have a couple questions/comments here.

First, I think the suggestion that technology can be used to make things like this simpler is a good one.

Maybe someone can set me straight if anything I say, below, is wrong.

First, it is my understanding that every ticket and pass used to access lifts at a mountain (assuming they use scanners) has a barcode that is unique. When you buy a day pass, this is why the perforated "receipt" end has a barcode on it.

When someone reports a lost ticket or pass, it would seem that the mountain has the ability to go into their computer system and "shut off" the pass' barcode so that, if scanned, it will read Invalid and a person trying to use it will be pulled from the line. Thus, once the pass has been reported lost, it becomes useless, and the scam where you give it to a friend to use is prevented. After deactiviting the original barcode, the mountain can reissue the ticket or pass with a new barcode.

For a day ticket, if you lose your receipt AND your lift ticket, then you are sunk. I agree the only option then is purchase a new ticket or go home.

For a season pass, your receipt is probably at home. But the mountain should have your picture on file. At a lot of more condensed mountains with only 1 or 2 bases, this shouldn't be an issue. You go in to Guest Services, give them your name and info, and they should be able to match you based on you photo (and other info). Then they deactivate your old pass and issue you a new one. Hell, charge me $5-10 for the replacement, I don't care.

At other resorts, like SR, where the layout is broader and the issuing office is farther away, I think BigBog's suggestion of the cell phone picture is a good one. Shouldn't be too difficult for folks in the office to compare the two photos, and then give the green light to Todd or whomever. Todd would then allow you back on the lift but instruct you to ski directly to the lodge where you can pick up your new pass (currently being printed so that it is waiting for you when you get there). I guess if it required more than 1 lift to get to that lodge, that could be a snafu, but you see what I am getting at.

You'd have to think that with technological improvements, someday the scanner or similar/more advanced handheld device could access all the info for that ticket/pass right on the device itself (rather than having to use a computer system in a lodge). A liftie could make the call right at the lift based on the picture they are looking at in their hands, and could update that the ticket or pass had been lost. In fact, it takes 2 seconds to take a digital picture and store it for a single day, they could even start doing it for day tickets pretty simply.

Of course RFID represents a good solution too, but of course comes with its own set of problems.