A senior who set a good example for children was among 58 people who paid to enter Northwest Trek on April 2 despite knowing they didn’t have to.
When computer and phone systems unexpectedly went down in the middle of a busy day made busier by spring break for students, credit and debit cards couldn’t be used for paying admission. So the staff of the wildlife park near Eatonville decided to let customers who didn’t have checks or cash into the park on the honor system and asked them to come back after their visit to pay.
Fifty-eight people entered that way before the payment systems could be restored, and all 58 paid at the end of their day.
One senior citizen who brought five children to the park discovered the ticket windows closed and cash registers silent as her group was leaving at closing time. Undaunted, “she came into the office and hunted up someone who could take her payment,” said Jeannie Clay, Trek’s membership coordinator.
“We told people we were doing the best we could with our computer challenges, and they responded in the best possible way,” Clay said. “It was a tough day, but the lesson at the end of the day as far as restoring faith in people’s honesty and good humor was just awesome.”