12/20/2008

I was disgusted with the Lights of Life this year and will not be returning unless I am assured of a change.  I have been going there every year since I moved to Georgia and discovered it. I would say twelve years now. 

I always knew the day would come when they charged for it because every year it seemed to expand a little bit and the electric bill had to be outrageous. I was and am all about them charging for it to recoup their prices and perhaps to make a little more money to improve it even more for the nest year.  The Lights of life had become a holiday tradition for our flimsy and the five bucks is hardly too much to ask.

There are two problems though.  One minor that I would hope would change and return next year the other major and nothing less than an  apology and a change of ways would get me to go back.

The first and smallest being that the quality of the lights took a major plummet not only is the route not clearly marked and hard to negotiate but there seem to be more light displays not working and large areas with no lights at all.  This certainly needs to be fixed but the unforgivable problem is Santa.

I have four children and had one of my son’s friends with us as well.  When we parked at the little petting zoo, puppet display, concessions and Santa area my two year old immediately darted to Santa and wanted to sit on his lap.  She was so excited and even at two knew exactly what to do and got in line to sit on his lap.  Imagine how upset she was when I was informed she could not sit on Santa’s lap unless I bought a picture.  What a horrible money grubbing thing to do to a child.

In my life time I have never encountered such a thing.  I have been taking kids to see Santa for twenty five years(my younger sister) I do not care where he was an amusement park, the mall, a church, department store, school, church, celebrations at the square, Wal-Mart the grocery store, nowhere but THE Lights of Life have I ever known, seen or experienced a child being refused Santa.

Refused SAnta

It is one thing to charge admission, that is expected but to refuse a child Santa for the love of money?  How pathetic can you be?

I will not be returning to the lights of life and will do what ever I can to get my voice heard so others know what money grubbing scrooges the people who run the lights of life are.

I am sure I will get some excuse about how the dolts who run the Santa stand are independent of Life College or some such nonsense but before you do be rest assured that they are selling their pictures and refusing children the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap as representatives of Life College by being part of the display.  So every child will remember being refused to sit on Santa’s lap at Life College.

Mother of the Child who was refused Santa,

Jennifer

 theoldwomanintheshoe@toothfairy.com

www.oldwomanintheshoe.com