Carousel owner puts family business up for sale after ticket dispute
Johanna Haas, 74, owner of The Entrance Historical Carousel on New South Wales's Central Coast, has put the family business up for sale following a confrontational incident with a customer. A mother named Jessica, visiting with her 18-month-old daughter, became embroiled in a dispute over carousel tickets and refunds, with Ms Haas allegedly becoming aggressive and abusive. Jessica subsequently launched a petition to shut the carousel down, which prompted numerous others to share similar complaints about the owner's behaviour, leading the business to announce its sale within hours.
The carousel has been operated by Ms Haas's family since the 1970s but has accumulated complaints and one-star reviews over the years. The disputed incident involved disagreement over whether adults could accompany infants on single tickets; Ms Haas demanded additional payment and, when Jessica requested a full $20 refund instead of the $7 offered, allegedly became hostile and refused to stop the ride. In response to Jessica's public petition, former employees and customers emerged with accounts spanning over a decade, describing Ms Haas as consistently rude and abusive, whilst the business statement acknowledged the owner's temper but maintained she had not acted inappropriately regarding her principles.
- Carousel owner sells business after row with mother over ticket pricing and refund
- Decades of complaints and negative reviews preceded the final incident
- Petition prompted staff to exit the family business run for 56 years
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Carousel Karen’ erupts at mum in front of her baby as fairground ticket row explodes – and locals start a petition to run her out of town”.