EAT A ROACH, GO TO HEAD OF LINE MAGIC MOUNTAIN PROMOTION STILL ON DESPITE PROTESTS.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

VALENCIA -- Bugged about long waits in line at Magic Mountain? Chew on this.

Customers willing to eat a live 3-inch-long Madagascar hissing cockroach will be escorted to the front of the line at both the Tatsu roller coaster and Brutal Planet attraction during opening weekend of Fright Fest at the same Six Flags California park that is trying to change its image to attract a family crowd.

``We have 10 cockroaches per ride for anyone willing to try it,'' said park spokeswoman Connie Lujan.

Six Flags is hoping eager guests will bite at the new promotion offered at several of its theme parks across the nation -- including Magic Mountain -- despite protests from animal-rights groups.

``The wait is usually an hour or more,'' Lujan said. ``If they do it, they get a front-of-the-line pass for them and three friends.''

Lujan said that ``dining'' opportunities will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights only, adding that all participants will have to sign waivers affirming that they are not allergic to shellfish.

``If they are they might have an allergic reaction to the cockroach,'' she said.

The campaign has attracted the attention of the animal-rights group, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has launched an online petition to be sent to Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro.

``This much-maligned invertebrate possesses keen senses, a quite docile temperament and an amazing evolutionary history,'' the petition reads. ``Six Flags is meant to be a place for family fun, not a place to teach children insensitivity to animals.''

The group hoped to garner 1,000 signatures but only came up with 255.

``When people started hearing about this, we were ambushed by calls from all over the country from people who wanted to do something about it,'' said PETA spokeswoman Jackie Vergerio. ``It's good to know that people are aware that cruelty is cruelty. We have not organized a formal PETA demonstration, but I would not be surprised if PETA members in the area are planning a protest.''

The promotion was scheduled to be held at 12 of Six Flags' 30 amusement and water parks, but the Washington Post reported that the Six Flags park in Largo, Md., has declined to participate, citing its focus on attracting families with children.

Six Flags has put Magic Mountain and neighboring Hurricane Harbor on the market in a company effort to tackle debt. Before the sale was announced, company officials talked of the need to attract families rather than the teen crowd in hopes of boosting profits.

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color in SAC edition only) Eating a 3-inch-long Madagascar hissing cockroach like this one will get you to the front of the line.