1 does not equal 3.

[Lingering Grin]

At the bowling alley we have lighter 6-pound balls for the little kids. However, we don't have an infinite amount. In fact, on the weekends we tend to run out of them.

When people ask for em, we point them to a shopping cart that they are held in and tell them "one per lane".

This one guy took THREE... this wouldn't have been a big deal if it was say, a tuesday, and they were the only ones in the place... but it's saturday and we were PACKED.

Well, eventually we ran out, so one of the guys walked out, told the guy he needed to take TWO of the balls and that the kids had to share... boo-hoo, tough shit, deal with it.

This guy goes OFF at the manager, about how they were constantly having trouble with the lane (the ball-return broke ONCE... it's a 30 second fix, the mechanic basically just has to go up and kick the damn ball down the shoot). Then he goes off saying how the "employee was VERY RUDE and came up and took two of his kids balls away because he was only allowed one, but then the 'oriental' girls next to him were using them BOTH".

Yea, they were using them both, because they had TWO lanes... the fact that they were swapping one of the six-pounders back and forth between the two lanes is no concern of ours. (They had like 5 kids trying to bowl).

The manager basically told him the same thing I was thinking "tough shit" (though he said it nicer )... then after the guy left, the manager just laughed.

[dispatch]

Ah, you see, you made a fatal error in leaving them out in mass for anyone to take. Despite any sign asking people to follow the policy or even explaining why, and SC is going to read it as "one ball per lane, unless you and your kids are really, really special".
There's a few alleys in town where you have to get the 6 & 8 pound balls from behind the counter, probably for the same reasons.

[Lingering Grin]

Oh the 8 pounders are out in general circulation, it's just the six punders we keep aside... mostly so they're easier to find.

[StevieJD]

Ah, you see, you made a fatal error in leaving them out in mass for anyone to take. Despite any sign asking people to follow the policy or even explaining why, and SC is going to read it as "one ball per lane, unless you and your kids are really, really special".
There's a few alleys in town where you have to get the 6 & 8 pound balls from behind the counter, probably for the same reasons.

Mine does ( I am the president of the bowling league for the past 12 years so I been to the lanes more than once)


One reason the small balls are behind the service counter is to keep guys like me from using the light weight balls to obtain terminal velocity (it tends to shatter the balls).

[Tee]

One reason the small balls are behind the service counter is to keep guys like me from using the light weight balls to obtain terminal velocity (it tends to shatter the balls).

I can barely throw the lighter ones, if it's not a 15 or 16, then I just kinda stall, and it gutters. How do you people throw those things?!?!

[TTAZ]

One reason the small balls are behind the service counter is to keep guys like me from using the light weight balls to obtain terminal velocity (it tends to shatter the balls).

That is the first time in my life I have seen the words "terminal velocity" and "shatter" used in conjunction with the word "balls" that did not involve a cringing man and/or a VERY pissed off woman.

That's it, the next time I get an SC wanting to know why they can't have or do something stupid (see my thread) I'm telling them it's because "it tends to shatter the balls".

[fish3k1]

That is the first time in my life I have seen the words "terminal velocity" and "shatter" used in conjunction with the word "balls" that did not involve a cringing man and/or a VERY pissed off woman.

...those words in that order just make me want to

[BlaqueKatt]

How do you people throw those things?!?!

formerly broken wrist-can't lift a ball heavier than 6 pounds without serious pain-but I bought my own-it has hello kitty on it(matching bag and towel too)

[crazylegs]

SC is going to read it as "one ball per lane, unless its you and your kids <snip>".

There, fixed it for you

[calulu]

So that's why the lightweights are behind the counter! Thanks for explaining it! I had reconstruction surgery on my right arm and as a result have to use a light kiddie ball when I bowl now but finding them is a bitch.

[Andara Bledin]

I can barely throw the lighter ones, if it's not a 15 or 16, then I just kinda stall, and it gutters. How do you people throw those things?!?!

Very carefully.

If you ever get a Wii and play the bowling game on Wii Sports, you will quickly learn precisely how to throw a very light ball. It took me about half a game to get the movement down on how to "bowl" without a 16 lb ball on my fingertips.

After that, of course, I kicked ass.

My grandfather used to bowl. This was back in the age before mechanical pin setters, and they had to be set by hand. He threw such a fast, hard ball that it got to the point where there would be no pin setters willing to set for him.

^-.-^

[edible_hat]

If you ever get a Wii and play the bowling game on Wii Sports, you will quickly learn precisely how to throw a very light ball. It took me about half a game to get the movement down on how to "bowl" without a 16 lb ball on my fingertips.

Fling it through the air so it doesn't actually make contact with the alley until it's about halfway down? It doesn't work in real life, some people from my gaming club got told off for trying it.

[dispatch]

I don't think they were talking about shotputting (I have seen this at a really craptastic alley before, 2 people doing it and laughing for 15 frames before management did anything) I think they're referring to a method where you grab it with your thumb and one finger, it puts hella backspin on the ball and works really well when done right (I could be wrong about how it's done, but it's not the usual 3-fingered stance)

[blas]

I have to use the kids' balls or the 8 lb balls.......my upper body isn't as strong as my lower body. But I can get away with it without questions being asked.

[sportsmom]

My grandfather used to bowl. This was back in the age before mechanical pin setters, and they had to be set by hand. He threw such a fast, hard ball that it got to the point where there would be no pin setters willing to set for him.

^-.-^

My mother is quite the bowler and I remember several years ago, probably about 20-25 years, the women's state tournament was held in our area. They had the two mayors for the cities it was held in, the governor and my mother (Mom had the highest women's average in the area the year prior and was one of the top, if not the top in the state) all throw balls to open the tourney. My mom's was the only one they didn't rig to throw a strike. She got hers, but one of the others didn't work, so they didn't get their strike.

This is one my favorite things about my daddy-he was a complete smartass, without being rude to people who didn't deserve it. My mother and father bowled in a league in which my mother had the highest average in the league. That's for both men and women. My mother averaged over 200, my dad somewhere in the 180's. One night some jackass walked up to my father and said "Doesn't it bother you that your wife beats you every night?" Without even looking at the guy my daddy replied "Nope, she beats you too."

I pretty much grew up in bowling alleys and have been trying to convince my mother that she should write down her memories from some of the things that they all did together at tournaments and such. They hung around some crazy people.

BTW, you haven't lived until you've had Guppy Troupe sit on your lap and been made to take off your shoes and stand back to back with Wayne Webb to see who's taller. By Chris Barnes and Dave D'Entremont, no less.