h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am not sure if I am to take this entry seriously or not. Whether or not the information is useful, I always thought it was fair sport to have "a bit of go" at the guys in the costumes as per the Irvine Welsh Short Story "Disnae Matter"
For those of you not familiar with the tail, the basic crux is that the father of a family visiting DisneyLand gets into a fight with someone in a goofy costume.
I understand that it must be a hard job but surely dealing with the unruly public is one of downsides that everyone that has a job of any kind has to deal with. I don't like telling my boss that his ideas are great - but it is something I have to do.

And would you consider it within your job description to be assaulted on the job by a customer? Because that's just what attacks on costumed characters are - assault. In a theme park setting or at a sporting event they should be immediate grounds for a security escort out of the park or arena, and in school settings should result in the same disciplanary action that a student would get if they hit another student, regardless of whether that student is in or out of a costume. Yes, it's that serious.

I would hardly call it "fair sport" to attack a person who, by their costume is limited in mobility, and often due to company policy and the fact of wearing that costume (as well as a deep respect for the character they are playing) they cannot retaliate.

On a message board in the US, this very conversation has started a full discussion, and if you read some of the stories of people who have been the characters, there have been some serious injuries due to the sort of attitude you are displaying. Everything from cuts and scrapes to compressed vertebrae and all out spinal damage. It really is no laughing matter. You can find that thread I was speaking of at http://www.stupidguesttricks.com/showthread.php?t=3406

Viewing the conversation may require you to sign up, I am not sure.