Classic Arcade... not so much.

Pleiades10

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This weekend, the family and I attended an outdoor festival that occupies several streets of a small town. While walking around, my son and I noticed a banner hung over a doorway saying…

"Skill Games and Classic Arcade". (I don't quite recall the first few words, it may have said "Games of Skill", but the last two were definitely CLASSIC ARCADE.)

My son and I approach the store front, and it was partially blocked by a gruff man that asked what he could help me with. (An ominious way to greet a potential customer…)

I said I wanted to play some classic arcade games. As I said that, I scoped out the interior through the unblocked portion of the doorway.

You guessed it… the entire place was filled with rows of those sit down video gambling, 8-liner style games. I know some folks enjoy them, but they just aren't my cup of tea.

He said "yeah, we got some older classic models in here…"

I replied, "anything like Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Ms.Pac-Man?"

Him: "No, nuthin' like that"

Me: "Alright. Thank you for your time"

My son and I walked away, and we quickly found something else to occupy ourselves.
My wife thinks I should have "told him about himself", and that he was misrepresenting his business. While I agree with the misrepresenting issue, I still believe I handled it correctly.

Getting into an argument with the guy wouldn't have changed anything, and would've set a bad example for my son. Walking away without spending money there was the appropriate thing to do.

Would you guys have done anything differently?

Kyle :cool:
 
I would not have gotten into an argument with the gruff man running the illegal gambling operation, no I would not have.
 
Perfect response. Likely a front for dope peddlers so not worth your time to correct.
 
Thanks for the feedback, fellas. Yeah, it was pretty disappointing, especially since the sign seemed to indicate skill games AND classic arcade games were there... not just skill games.

I didn't even think about it being a front for drugs...

Kyle :cool:
 
Thanks for the feedback, fellas. Yeah, it was pretty disappointing, especially since the sign seemed to indicate skill games AND classic arcade games were there... not just skill games.

I didn't even think about it being a front for drugs...

Kyle :cool:

A front for drugs?......maybe, but doubtful.
A front for illegal gambling?.....most definately!

Edward
 
Shoulda gotten out of site and alerted the authorities... If nothing else, to make the "gruff" man look a little less gruff...


Meh, I woulda just walked away too....
 
I dont think the "skill game" places are illegal here in Ohio. Theres about 5 or 6 that I know of around Columbus. Not exactly sure what the legalities are. Never saw one that said "Classic Arcade" on the sign though.
 
Around here the tip off is the small sign that says "Game Room". Usually in the lower corner of the blacked out windows.

I would have walked away as well. The only classics in those places are classic 8 liners.

ken
 
I agree with you, but just to play devils advocate, technically the place was a 'classic arcade'. The word 'arcade' predates videogames by about 300 years or so. Or more. An arcade technically, originally, was a row of businesses all arranged in a small area, so like a street with 10 stores on each side, 5 or 6 feet wide, or even a row of tables set up in an alley. You would go from one 'store' to the next, and buy something different at each one.

Eventually someone started putting coin operated equipment like phonographs in the 'arcade'... so there'd be a guy selling bread, then a guy fixing shoes, then a little booth with the record player that costs a penny to hear, then a guy selling fish, then a seamstress... Eventually the coin operated games took up every booth or table, and assumed the word 'arcade'.

So when you go in a real 'video arcade'... you go from game to game, and there's a different experience or 'sell' at each 'booth'. We call it Defender, Galaga, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man... but back in the day it would have been milk, shoes, wheat, leather, snake oil, whatever.

So his 'classic arcade' was a bunch of gambling machines.
 
You couldn't have seen everything just by peeking in. I still would have gone in, at least to see if there was anything interesting. You never know, maybe there could have been some old EM games that he was referring to as "games of skill".
 
You couldn't have seen everything just by peeking in. I still would have gone in, at least to see if there was anything interesting. You never know, maybe there could have been some old EM games that he was referring to as "games of skill".

or some redemption machines that spit out tickets. Honestly there's been a bust or two here in Georgia for some illegal gambling places that made the news and one was pretty close to me.
 
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