Bowling Safety and the General Public...

[DrOcktagon]

Reading the thread about commom courtesy got me thinking. It amazes me sometimes just how stupid and/or uninformed the general public is about bowling safety, rules, and etiquette. Not knowing about lane courtesy is one thing, and honestly doesn't usually bother me too much, but seemingly having no common sense about safety just boggles my mind.

I've worked at a couple bowling alleys over the years - unfortunately I don't currently - and have seen some pretty stupid behaviour.

One thing that happened constantly was people not understanding that there is oil on the lane. Do they think it's just really shiny wood that the ball magically glides down with almost no friction? Countless times I saw little kids throw a ball that stops after a few feet, so the parent would just walk down the center of the lane to retrieve it, and then get mad at me when I "yell" at them for putting themselves at risk for injury. Common sense - not to mention the signs posted at literally every bowling alley in the known universe - should tell you not to step onto the lane.

Another one is kids playing around the ball return. I was working the desk when I was 17 or 18, and there was a school group bowling with a bunch of little kids. All of a sudden I heard one of the kids screaming bloody murder, along with adults yelling in my general direction for help. I ran down to the lane and this kid had gotten his arm stuck in the ball return up to his elbow. I had to hit the emergency off switch, pop off the cover, and pry this crying kid's arm out of the machine. Luckily he was okay, just some bruises, but that could've been a really bad situation. We've all seen "Kingpin"; this kid almost got Munsoned. But really it was the adults' fault for not paying attention and allowing the kid to stick his arm into a machine with visibly spinning mechanisms. >>>slow clap<<<

And then there's people using every ball in the house, as if it will make a difference. Personally, I really like bowling alleys that don't just leave house balls sitting around for anyone to grab. You should have to check them out at the front desk. Numerous times, usually during Friday and Saturday night Cosmic Bowling, we would have a group of idiot college kids who would throw a ball that doesn't return, so naturally they go and grab another ball, which also doesn't return, and so on and so on until they run out of house balls. Usually, we would only find out this was happening because our mechanic would run out from the back yelling at them to stop bowling because the balls are literally flying out the back of the lane. We must've pulled 40+ balls out of this one pair of lanes. The balls were stacked end to end from the ball return all the way to the back of the pin deck. That was fun. I've always wondered what they must've been thinking, maybe that they had stumbled into some Twilight Zone-esque scenario where their balls were being transported to another dimension whose sole gateway existed exclusively behind their lane and their lane alone? Could be...

And then there's the people who thinks it's just the funniest thing in the world to see how far down the lane they can loft the ball. That's just idiotic and disrespectful to the bowling alley. And let's not forget those that don't seem to understand the simple concept of solid matter not being able to pass through other solid matter, so they just throw the ball without waiting for the pin sweeper to lift out of the way. Brilliant.

I know there are many more things I could add, but I've probably ranted far too long for most of you to still care about what I'm saying. Feel free to add to this thread if you have any other examples, or if you just want to call me a pretentious bowling snob who expects way too much from your average non-bowler.

[billf]

I gave a class this past Friday for the progressive high school. These kids needed the PE credit to graduate. I started with safety including one thing I see seasoned veteran bowlers do: incorrectly lift the bal from the return. Logically we wouldn't normally put our fingers between two heavy objects that were about to crash into each other. But when bowling we will lift our ball up with our fingers in a position so as to let the ball from the return smash into the ball we are grabbing..with our fingers in between.

[DrOcktagon]

I gave a class this past Friday for the progressive high school. These kids needed the PE credit to graduate. I started with safety including one thing I see seasoned veteran bowlers do: incorrectly lift the bal from the return. Logically we wouldn't normally put our fingers between two heavy objects that were about to crash into each other. But when bowling we will lift our ball up with our fingers in a position so as to let the ball from the return smash into the ball we are grabbing..with our fingers in between.

So what is technically the correct way to do that? I only put my thumb in and then lift, with my fingers toward the "inside" portion of the ball return. I'm curious as to how you teach your students to do it.

[Judy clemons]

Bowling safety should take precedence over all other aspects. We have a Sargent of Arms in league play for safety issues but in
open play there is no one over seeing it.
I believe the bowling establishments could and should enhance the comfort and pleasure of their bowling guest by over seeing that safety is being upheld and any
other issues or being resolved no matter how obsolete they may appear to be.
I love bowling and I am a proud member
of BOWLINGBOARDS.com

[ArtVandelay]

I think Im more relaxed about most behavior... Kids will be kids, an whatnot.

I didnt start league bowling until I was 21. I remember putting very little thought into things prior to that. I started hooking the ball around the time I started league and bought my first ball. I remember being 16 and seeing how far I could get it down the lane. Bowling balls are tough, the lanes are tough. Hahahaha. I wasnt doing it to be malicious, Im a very respectful person, I just had no idea it could effect the lanes (and does it? I dont think it does, much. Not unless you really get some air under it).

I did know the lanes are slick just because people fall on occasion so I got the picture.

I dunno... Bowling HAS to be viewed as fun or the lanes will go out of business. The average age of the league bowler cant possibly be favorable towards the future of the sport. None of this matters if the alleys go under. Im ok with a lotnof things that **** others off.

Sometimes, I do see things that make me mad. But George Carlin may have been right... Nature takes care it itself. Maybe the kid who sticks his head in the ball return was never meant to be a doctor anyway... Hahahaha

[DrOcktagon]

I remember being 16 and seeing how far I could get it down the lane. Bowling balls are tough, the lanes are tough. Hahahaha. I wasnt doing it to be malicious, Im a very respectful person, I just had no idea it could effect the lanes (and does it? I dont think it does, much. Not unless you really get some air under it).

I'm sure most people who do this aren't intentionally being malicious, but yes, it can damage the lane. On synthetic lanes, it is not as big of a deal, but still shouldn't be done. On wood, however, the impact of the ball can leave an indentation on the lane which could potentially send a shot off course.

[swingset]

General public = idiots

I think that's about the extent of the problem, at least in this country.

[Greenday]

My coach went off on some parent a couple weeks ago. The house was packed and some family was bowling next to us. The parents weren't paying attention to their kid and weren't really making sure he stayed only on their lane. I thought the kid was off their lane so I got up and started my approach. Apparently, I missed the kid's face on my backswing by inches. My coach flipped out on the parents, yelling at them to watch their kid before he gets hurt or I hurt myself dodging him. They just acted like it was no big deal.

[J Anderson]

So what is technically the correct way to do that? I only put my thumb in and then lift, with my fingers toward the "inside" portion of the ball return. I'm curious as to how you teach your students to do it.

Stand alongside the ball return facing the pins so you can see if a ball is about to come out onto the rack. Place your hands on either side of your ball and pick the ball up. Support the ball with your non-bowling hand, ball right against your body, and rotate the ball until the finger and thumb holes are in the right position. Then put your fingers and thumb into the ball. Continue to support most of the weight with your non bowling hand as you get into your starting position. When picking up the ball be sure to flex your knees enough to keep from straining your lower back.

[GeoLes]

Please, You are dealing with the public. You can find a little of everything going on. It helps to keep a sense of humor and not be so quick to become angry and abusive, no matter how it irks you.

I too have a laundry list of no-nos. I recall a woman who just received her lane assignment from the desk and was looking for it. I was on 10 and she was assigned somewhere around 25 or so. She was chatting on the phone and in her short-sightedness, walked towards the lower numbered lanes, realized her mistake and while continuing her phone conversation walked the entire length of the approach to her lane at the other end of the lane. It would not be so bad, except that she had about 5 children with her. They filed past on everyone's approach one by one following Mommy from the smallest to the largest, oblivious of the dirty looks, deep in animated conversation. At the end of the line was Dad with an apologetic look on his face.

All I could do is laugh and say oh, well, some people should not have cell phones.

There is always the party of teenagers who just run down the lane and bowl just as you are on the appoach. "Zoommm!!! " they go out of your blind spot just as you are ready. To make matters worse, the grab a ball and stand on the appoach as ball return is still in motion, making it hard to gauge when they will rush down the approach again. My solution: Stand on the approach, watch the other bowler and before he/she bowls interupt his focus with the words "after you". Let him bowl and he will suddenly be aware that some has allowed him time to focus and bowl and may return the favor.

Funny true story. As I arrived at the lanes one kid was halfway down the lane trying to retrieve a ball. His sister was at the foul line and the kid rolled the ball back to his sister. Mom sat there and did nothing. I pointed it out to the desk. He approached the parent and the parent became angry with the desk clerk. She later apologized. Unbelievble!!!



Getting angry does not help. Be patient , instruct, inform work the system.