Smoke Breaks

[Blomer]

The one thing that bugs me the most is when people are not ready to be when it's their turn. I understand if you have to use the washroom, it's one thing, but smoke breaks, socializing, getting drinks, can easily be planned better so it doesn't hold up everyone. Smoke breaks but me the most. I'm not a smoker. I feel somersault should wait till between games to have a smoke. We have a few guys who go a few times in a single game. Annoying.

[NewToBowling]

That's why I find my current league so pleasant. People are on point and are always ready to bowl when it's their turn

[Timmyb]

There's none of that in my current league. The summer league I was in was ridiculous. You had to wait 5-10 minutes before each game for all the smokers to come back in. Drove me nuts, and I used to smoke!

[Tony]

In the leagues I've been in most of the guys run out for a quick smoke between games and get back in less than 5 minutes. It's only slightly annoying.
I am a former smoker quit many years ago.

[Jessiewoodard57]

Have not had to deal with this at all in the 4 leagues I have been in so far.

[AlexNC]

Depending on the opposing team we run into it in our league. I am not a fan. The smoke breaks in between games never annoy me as much as extended delays during a game due to pinsetter issues or sometimes bowlers who have had a few too many and don't pay attention.

[SAbowler]

It's definitely annoying, but luckily, it doesn't happen very often in any of the leagues I bowl in.

[fordman1]

Put a bylaw in next year that if you are not ready to bowl when it is your turn because you are outside smoking you must pay a fine of ??. Give them 2-3 minutes or pick a time. If you do it make sure it is enforced and everyone is treated equal.

[Aslan]

Put a bylaw in next year that if you are not ready to bowl when it is your turn because you are outside smoking you must pay a fine of ??. Give them 2-3 minutes or pick a time. If you do it make sure it is enforced and everyone is treated equal.


Depending on the opposing team we run into it in our league. I am not a fan. The smoke breaks in between games never annoy me as much as extended delays during a game due to pinsetter issues or sometimes bowlers who have had a few too many and don't pay attention.

I'm surprised it's not more of an issue. I think it's been an issue on every team I've ever played. And one of the leagues actually did add a rule about it. Now, was it more SMOKING than just wandering around socializing or whatever??? I don't know. But it got so ridiculous sometimes that you'd be leaving the bowling alley at after 10PM as the last team out.

On my first team it was fine. But on my second team it was REALY horrible because most of my team wanted to bowl quickly...so if you weren't up there the minute the arrow hit your name...you'd get a "look". Well, they'd run into teams that bowl really slow and the team would be on the verge of a temper tantrum. Last season it became a problem because we had a smoker and a lady that was at the bowling alley primarily to drink and socialize. On one night, the old guy on the team got so annoyed that he finally skipped one of the bowlers and bowled...which she didn't like very much.

We have a guy on the team that smokes, but only between games and he is rarely back late. Sometimes he's high as a kite...but he's usually on time.

My bigger concern, as AlexNC noted, is pinsetters, scoring equipment, ball returns, and the usual annoyance of having to chase the waitress around to get a drink. The Wednesday before last I ordered a diet coke in Game 1 and never ended up getting it. They're remodeling their snack counter so you can't get it by walking up. Last Wednesday a ball return burned up a belt on a lane a couple over from us. The night or so before that, our team actually got our lineage back because the pinsetter was dropping pins every other frame. And a couple weeks before that, one lane had the pinsetter catch on fire. I guess equipment upgrades are further down on Bowlmor's list of AMF improvements.

[larry mc]

when i used to smoke i was always back in time for my turn ,, if they are making u wait , they just dont give a damn .... say something next time

[billf]

I smoke and don't hold anybody up. That includes my trios league. If you can't get enough to get by or wait a few hours to have a smoke then pick another hobby.

[Cajun]

My team consist of 4 smokers. We wait between games to get our smokes in... more often than not we wont even fully smoke a cig.

[Blomer]

Today in my Sunday league, we played some smokers, but luckily we were right by the door. They only took a break between games and went right out after their turn in the tenth. No wait. It was great

[Cajun]

Today in my Sunday league, we played some smokers, but luckily we were right by the door. They only took a break between games and went right out after their turn in the tenth. No wait. It was great

Thats how we normally go about doing it unless its a nailbiter in the 10th

[Jaescrub]

I don't smoke, no one on my team smokes. But I do know how the cravings can affect some one that's smokes. As long as they don't hold up the flow of the game I'm good. Only had to say something once. But what drives me crazy is the guys that dip!! Spitting into the trash can behind my head or putting spit cups next to my open top drink. I have moved trash cans away from my seat just to make a point.

[taxexpert2]

As a one time smoker I do understand why people want/need to have that cig. I brought this up once on a three person team where I was the anchor. At the end of each game the other two - who were smokers - would leave without seeing how the game turned out. I felt I was not getting any support. I asked them about this and told them how I felt. Their response was - we know you will get the strikes we need to win. I was grateful for the confidence but still missed the support.

[Amyers]

I'm a smoker and I only leave usually after the second game and I'm always back and ready to bowl by my turn. See way more of the problem with the senior crowd who wander off to talk then take for ever coming back. I figure smoking is more common in this area so no one really ever complains unless they aren't making it back for their turn.

[Ptnomore]

When it's their turn, can't you just skip them unt they comeback? That's what we do. Our automatic scorers have a skip function. It's not nearly as big of a delay that way, keeps the game progressing.

We even had one bowler that had an emergency at home late in the 3rd game. We put everyone else on "Skip" and let him bowl out, then we all finished. It worked out fine.

[Jekyll & Hyde]

one time in a league i skipped the bowler when he went out to get a smoke and was gone for about 20 minutes. when that person came back he gotten very mad that we had skipped him. i can live w/ some one going to smoke, get a drink, food or what not but just not everyone wants to bowl 3 games that takes 4 plus hours to do so.

[taxexpert2]

I thought about this thread last night as we were bowling. At the end of each game we did not check with the other team to see if they were ready we just pushed space on both lanes to bring up the next game. They were sitting behind the bowling area and it was not really easy to find them to ask if they were ready. No one on our team smokes while bowling so we just went about the business of bowling. Did not hear any comments from the other team and we were the first ones done last night.

[fordman1]

You did it exactly the right way. As long as the scores have been recorded start the next game.


I thought about this thread last night as we were bowling. At the end of each game we did not check with the other team to see if they were ready we just pushed space on both lanes to bring up the next game. They were sitting behind the bowling area and it was not really easy to find them to ask if they were ready. No one on our team smokes while bowling so we just went about the business of bowling. Did not hear any comments from the other team and we were the first ones done last night.