PDA

View Full Version : The UNTHINKABLE happened and I'm out of commission for a bit!!



Phonetek
03-25-2018, 05:44 PM
Another trademark long post but it can't be shortened and you'll understand why after you read it.

Last night after work we went to bowl with my wife and oldest son. (unusual in itself) We were bowling next to 8 idiots on the pair to our right. First of all they kept coming over and sitting in the seats on our lane which was rather rude but I let it go. Black lights were on so it was dark. In the middle of my second game I went up to bowl and I came to a screeching halt at the line, my knee dislocated and I fell face forward on the foul line end cap. I smashed my glasses against my face gashing it open right on my eyebrow and cracking both lenes.

I got up and realized the sole of my perforated sliding sole was drenched and I mean sopping wet with beer. Apparently the ***holes next to me spilled 3 glasses of beer and just left it and it flowed right over to ours while I was sitting down right under my feet. I didn't see it because it was dark and obviously didn't expect it to be there. I got up after figuring out what happened I calmly told them they spilled all their drinks and they needed to get it cleaned up because that's why I got hurt. They didn't ask if I was okay or say they were sorry and they didn't clean it up. They proceeded to tell me to clean it up myself plus some expletives. A little less nice, I told them to get it cleaned up or leave. They didn't know I worked there of course I wasn't in uniform.

At that point it was just more expletives. All bets were off I told them I DID work there and I'm off the clock and they could leave by choice or I'd be happy to assist, all this with blood oozing down my face and hobbling around. Head wounds bleed a ton. At this point my co-workers came from everywhere trying to keep a brawl from breaking out.

They did end up calling the police whom escorted the people out. I'm happy to report my knee did pop back in and I'm okay to walk but it hurts quite a bit. It's swollen like a balloon. I did go to the ER and they glued the wound on my face and it should be fully healed in a couple weeks or so. Better that than 8 stitches. I told them I had some new skin in my bowling bag but they weren't amused. Sadly I didn't get to finish bowling either.

I am a very mild manner guy with incredible patience of a saint and I rarely ever get angry, if I do I don't show it. Last night the way those douches acted and it causing me to get hurt I was totally ready to throw it down, dislocated knee or not. I just snapped. Had they cleaned it up and been apologetic I wouldn't have even been that upset about it. Wifey and son were of course freaked out as were my co-workers because none of them expected that kind of anger from me.

I did go into work today and I was okay, hospital gave some sort of pain pills and they seem to work. Boss wanted me to take the day off but I ensured him I was a big boy and good to go. They are having me work solely the counter the next few days, they don't want me climbing around the machines with a fragile knee.

It should be fun trying to getting beer off my bowling shoe bottoms. I haven't even attempted that yet. My work is paying to replace my glasses lenses. I think the best part about it was my son. He said to me "Dad, all these years of knowing you I had no idea you could be such a bad a$$ ready to take on 8 guys like that" LMAO Although I didn't approve of the term coming from him it felt good to hear it. All I can say it's a good thing it happened to me and not my wife with her bad back. I'd likely be in a cell right now no joke.

bowl1820
03-25-2018, 06:05 PM
I got up and realized the sole of my perforated sliding sole was drenched and I mean sopping wet with beer.


Wow too bad you got hurt, Fortunately it wasn't too bad it could have been worse.


This is a good example though of why you should always rub your slide foot on the approach before making your approach! Just in case you stepped in something and didn't know it.

Phonetek
03-25-2018, 06:15 PM
This is a good example though of why you should always rub your slide foot on the approach before making your approach! Just in case you stepped in something and didn't know it.

Ordinarily I do rub my foot on the approach if I leave the bowling area like to go to the counter or bathroom. My seat was the end one closest to the approach literally a foot away. I didn't expect a pool of beer to gather under my feet. LOL I don't even bring drinks down there, that's what the tables above are for. I'll be okay in a couple weeks. Doc says x-ray was okay, just fluid that gathered around it is why it's swollen. It will dissipate pretty fast and go down, just gotta alternate ice/heat for a few days. I won't be down for long.

classygranny
03-25-2018, 06:24 PM
Make rubbing your foot on the approach part of your pre-shot routine. That way every time it gets checked without having to think if you walked somewhere. Has saved my butt or face, many, many times over. Just one drop of sweat on the floor can create havoc if you step in it just right.

Phonetek
03-25-2018, 06:28 PM
Make rubbing your foot on the approach part of your pre-shot routine. That way every time it gets checked without having to think if you walked somewhere. Has saved my butt or face, many, many times over. Just one drop of sweat on the floor can create havoc if you step in it just right.

I will say blood lights up pretty cool under the black lights. I guess I looked pretty evil and the approach looked like a crime scene LOL The foul lights weren't on but I'm pretty sure I stayed behind it too. Glad we weren't taking video last night

djp1080
03-25-2018, 07:50 PM
Sorry to hear the sad story Phoney.
I've been thinking about taking a trip out to where you're at, but after the picture with all those in animal suits and all I'm a little scared to come out that way.
If I was at the lanes and someone who I didn't know came over and sat down on my lane's seats, I'd become very skeptical and likely not bowl anymore. At least I'd stop for quite a while until I figured out what was going on. Those folks you encountered sounded like they'd had way too many drinks or something else.
After your story I'm more than scared now... :)
When I get up on the lanes, the very first thing I do is slide my slide foot on the approach right where I'm going to line up on. I often look down in front of me and see stuff like lint from someone's sweater or a piece of popcorn on the approach. Too bad I've never spotted a $10 bill though. :)
Heal up fast and best of luck there...

Phonetek
03-25-2018, 08:14 PM
Sorry to hear the sad story Phoney.
I've been thinking about taking a trip out to where you're at, but after the picture with all those in animal suits and all I'm a little scared to come out that way.
If I was at the lanes and someone who I didn't know came over and sat down on my lane's seats, I'd become very skeptical and likely not bowl anymore. At least I'd stop for quite a while until I figured out what was going on. Those folks you encountered sounded like they'd had way too many drinks or something else.
After your story I'm more than scared now... :)
When I get up on the lanes, the very first thing I do is slide my slide foot on the approach right where I'm going to line up on. I often look down in front of me and see stuff like lint from someone's sweater or a piece of popcorn on the approach. Too bad I've never spotted a $10 bill though. :)
Heal up fast and best of luck there...

Thanks, I really am okay. A little sore is all, I have no doubts I will bounce back quickly. I'm 46 but I think in pretty darn good shape. I'm not on crutches or a cane or anything. It was only popped out for a matter of minutes. As far the gash above my eye, it's just another beauty mark I suppose. Only bad part is having to tell every customer over and over what happened because they see the bandage and mild black eye. Maybe I'll get better tips?

As far as the Furies, they are only there every other Saturday @10pm. They're a tad on the oddball side but harmless and well behaved. Don't let this incident stop you from coming out, nothing to fear. We get the occasional idiots but no more than any other bowling center, probably fewer because most of the other employees have little tolerance for bs. I'd say our largest demographic is seniors and close second is families with kids, next is the 40 somethings and last is the teens.

boatman37
03-25-2018, 10:15 PM
Wow! That sucks! Hope you heal quick.

Wife and I went out bowling last night. We were on lane 38 (of 40). There was nobody on 37 but a family on 39 and 40, including younger kids from about 5 to 10 years old. The youngest was on lane 40 so not near us. Lane 39 had a younger kid but they were all polite and respectful. I worry about that when we go out. Even league nights. We have lanes 23-40. I dread the nights we are on 23 and 24 or 39 and 40. 39 and 40 always have lower scores. Real hard to adjust to I guess. We only bowled on 23 and 24 once since I started and there was a womens league there that night so no problems but I have seen that lane open to the public at least once.

Phonetek
03-25-2018, 11:15 PM
I will don't worry, I'm a pretty tough cookie. Part of it was the embarrassment. Doing a face plant wasn't one of my finer moments... let alone looking like I went a round with a pro boxer after. On the upside I bet this is a good time to see about NOT allowing food and drinks in the bowling area. I constantly clean up liquid down there every day.

Today I had to sweep up a pile of mashed up potato chips down there then come back to get all the grease from them off the floor. People are slobs. There are tables behind the bowling area on the carpet, people can keep that crap up there. Big boss (owner) will be in this week, couldn't hurt to ask. Worst he could say is no. I'm sure he will ask what happened to me like everyone else.

jamoke
03-25-2018, 11:46 PM
Holy crap! Sorry to hear of your mishap Phonetek, hope your back in action soon.

Phonetek
03-25-2018, 11:52 PM
Holy crap! Sorry to hear of your mishap Phonetek, hope your back in action soon.

Thank you Jamoke. Actually thank you everyone who's posted. I'm starting to feel like I have friends on here after only a few short months.

bdpeters
03-26-2018, 07:07 AM
well that bites, glad to hear that you handled it as well as you did. to your credit even though you were mad as hell you held back from doing what we all would think of doing. glad to hear your employer and fellow employees have your back.

Amyers
03-26-2018, 09:25 AM
Well I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was. It always helps to remember real bowlers just say NO to cosmic bowling

bdpeters
03-26-2018, 09:46 AM
Well I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was. It always helps to remember real bowlers just say NO to cosmic bowling

or we will have to stage an intervention.

Dice
03-26-2018, 11:23 AM
I used to love cosmic bowling. Now I dread it. Too many people there just for fun and drinking.

got_a_300
03-26-2018, 11:55 AM
Phonetek so sorry to hear about your knee popping out of place I know
how that feels I've had both of my knees knocked out of place several
times back in my football playing days during school.

Now as for the eating and drinking in the bowlers pit area our center
does not allow anyone to do that they have signs posted and they do
enforce the rule thank goodness.

Back in my younger bowling days I done the faceplant thing a few times
myself by not checking my slide foot before getting up there to bowl and
it was quite embarrassing to say the least now I check it every time. LOL!!!!!!!!!

boatman37
03-26-2018, 12:34 PM
We don't even have chairs or tables in our pit area so nowhere to sit even if it were allowed. When they went to computer scoring they removed the chairs too. We now have tables back on the carpeted area.

TCJ
03-26-2018, 01:34 PM
The same thing (minus the rude kids) happened to me about five weeks ago. There had been a lot of rain and then a freeze which caused a wall of ice on a portion of the bowling center's roof. And then warmer weather came and ice on the heated portion of the roof flowed to the ice dam on the sloped roof. Several leaks occurred. While the center was very quick to get emergency plastic sheeting up to stop the leaks, some of the carpet had become soaked by that time. I must have accidentally stepped on that carpet (I was purposely avoiding that area) at some point. I almost always check my slide foot, but for some reason I didn't. Result: foot stuck, knee bent backwards a bit, and I fell down, fortunately catching myself with both hands, but still crashing on one knee. Ouch! The ball almost went into the pocket and I got eight pins. Fortunately I sustained no serious injuries, considering how much I slide and fast I stopped, it could have been a lot worse.

Fortunately I've never had to get beer off my shoes, but with water, brushing them and letting them air out for two hours before league worked just fine. But water isn't sticky.

As an aside, when I supervise the school kids, I am adamant that they never, ever take drinks down to the bowling area. I have the feeling that many of them will choose to do so when I am not around even though they have been taught otherwise. Some people can claim ignorance, but I believe others just don't care.

Phonetek
03-26-2018, 03:34 PM
Too many quotes to select so I'll reply one at a time LOL

bdpeters: Trust me, I REALLY wanted to put a foot in some arse's with the comments I was getting. Had my co-workers not come down it probably would have turned out different. I wouldn't have gotten fired or even in trouble, boss already told me that. LOL I'm not a fighter by any means but messing with me when I'm in that kind of pain is like messing with an injured animal. Had they not acted like they did I would have just hobbled away and moved on. However they were being douches and that's what made me want to treat them like the pins and I was the ball.

Amyers: If our cosmic was obnoxious with strobes and disco balls I wouldn't do it. It's really just black lights and some strip lights between the lanes, it's very non-intrusive and kind of pretty. It's more like "Candlelight" than cosmic. To me I'm so used to it, it's like bowling regular just harder to see my mark but I manage. We rarely use it anyway. Strobes would be a deal killer since I have a seizure disorder. Think I face planted this time? I'd do more than that with a strobe I'd probably have a grand mal.

Dice: Yeah it does tend to attract the drunks but no more than the bar with $2 drink specials. LOL

Got_a_300: I can only imagine how yours feels from getting knocked out from impacts, that has to be worse. Mine just happens from moving it wrong and that's bad enough. Fortunately it doesn't take long to pop back in. I've done the whack it back into place trick before and holy crap the only worse pain is from burns.

Like I said I'm gonna go to management about this food / drink in the bowling area. Not only is it unsafe but it's messes that can be avoided. On leagues we hand out complimentary movie theater popcorn since we are part of a movie theater. That's always fun to clean up after they leave.

Boatman: Our tables are just up two stairs behind the bowling area. Right by the control stand for the lanes there are 5 seats behind each lane. When we do the remodel they are going to re-design it. How I don't know just yet. They are laid out rather crappy. I like how they used to have it back in the day with the early scorers, there was room for 6 plus a place by the approach for towels and rosin bags. I guess it all depends on if they are setting it up for bowlers or parties.

TCJ: Since our lanes are underground the movie theater is above us so if we got a major leak it would hit them first. In the 100 yrs the place has been around to my knowledge water never got down there. On rain or snowy days we have signs everywhere to take shoes off before entering bowing area and tell people when handing out shoes. Usually no issue. I'm sure enforcing the no food / drink rule would be tough to enforce as long as all employees pay attention it shouldn't be a big deal.

Thank you everyone for the responses, like I said I feel like I have friends here and I appreciate it. I work in a couple hours I'm gonna talk to the boss and see what he says. I'll let you know what happens. Nonetheless, I'll be sliding my foot before every shot from here on out that's for sure. Lesson learned.

Phonetek
03-28-2018, 06:33 PM
Wow, I slept like 15 hours last night. I can't remember the last time I did that. My wife was actually concerned because if I get 4-5 hours I'm good to go. I think all the running around at work I've been doing caught up to me. Plus I've had a mild bug. That said, after a few cups of coffee I feel pretty darn good. My knee doesn't even hurt even without meds. I was doing some bends and exercises including a mock approach without a ball and I'm not getting any pain. Not in my knee at least. The only ones I do have are from age, can't do anything about those.

My wife and son are begging me to take them to bowl later. I swore I wouldn't go today on my day off. I'll likely cave but I'm going to go pick up my Rip'd first. I may throw a ball during one of their games to see if I get any pain. If I don't a may throw one line at most. I don't want to tempt fate. Besides, who here could get a brand new ball and go to a bowling alley after and NOT try it out? It's like having a new Ferrari delivered in your driveway and saying "Meh, I'll take it for a cruise in a few weeks when I feel like it" Yeah right! I'm sure if my knee is still messed up it will let me know really quick.

boatman37
03-28-2018, 08:23 PM
So when you get back later let us know how your 7 games go...lol

Good luck!

Outerlimits
03-28-2018, 08:32 PM
Just read your ordeal. Glad you are not more seriously injured. Get healed up. Our House has tables right up to the lanes and folks sit down their and drink during leagues. It always worries me that someone will spill or drop liquid because they are just feet from the approach. You would never notice it if you stepped in something. You have to walk through them to get on the approach. I have learned the hard way also to check my slide foot on the approach.
A lot of talented youth bowlers down here and they take their bowling pretty serious. More than once I have seen them self policing their buddies when they got out of line and did something stupid.

Phonetek
03-29-2018, 01:43 AM
So when you get back later let us know how your 7 games go...lol

Good luck!

I didn't bowl 7 games only 5 smarty guy! LOL I did throw a frame during my kids game and it felt fine so I decided to go ahead and do it. I did very well. I started with 200, then 215, 232, 279 and 257. I think I need to get hurt more often. I'm pooped now but I'm not in pain, just physically drained. I had to laugh at one of my co-workers that also came up to bowl.

I asked "You ready to go a couple games, $50 each?" He said "I've been watching you all night and haven't seen you miss a single pin, NO f'ing way am I ever bowling you for money!" LMAO I had one guy come up to me and asked if I'd bowl his 10th frame for him, I said I'm sure you'll do fine. That was amusing.

My son tells me a bunch of the open bowlers were watching me that I had an audience. I usually pay little attention to that but I know they are there. It's fun though. I was just having a good night and on point with my spares, I only missed a few, one was a 1-2-10 wash out and another was a 7 pin I wiggled and a 6-7 I was close on. All and all pretty good.

boatman37
03-29-2018, 07:36 AM
well i was closer than you. you said 1 game, i said 7...lol. i bet i had an audience last week too but i was at the other end of the spectrum. couldn't hit anything. so how was the new ball?

mc_runner
03-29-2018, 08:44 AM
Glad you're feeling OK and back out. It's odd that sometimes when you're a little off it seems to help everything else fall into place.