Ball Wall

[Glitch]

We are having some differing opinions in our facility about who should be allowed to bowl on Ball Wall. I say that it is designed for children and that adults should not be allowed to bowl on it. A couple of managers feel that anyone who asks for it should be allowed to use it....including 350 pound men.
This policy explains why I currently have about half a dozen sections busted bad enough to need replacement, most just caused in one week. With the time, labor and parts cost to replace these, we may be losing money. I am certainly losing valuable time that should be spent on other work.
What do you all think? Should adults be allowed to bowl on bumpers? Does anyone know if there is a weight spec limit on bowling balls used with Ball Wall? Can't wait to hear some opinions on this. Thanks, Glitch

[Aaron]

Re: Ball Wall

Well, I think it depends on your crowd. We have a very destructive crowd. Normaly the only people aloud to use ball wall are LITTLE children and handicapped people.

But what are we to do when a family comes. A father, a mother, a teenage kid, and a little kid? Is the desk guy suppose to be judge if they are a suitable family? I don't think that is very professional, or fair.

What your going to have to do is have your porter keep an eye out for rough abuse every now and then on the ball wall. Our ball wall has been ravaged due to customers stepping on them while they have the pegs in them to keep it up.

On a side note...how ever you strip your lanes, be sure to have the least amount of over spray get onto the ball wall...because to will make it look like CRAP.

[AMFPinchaser]

Re: Ball Wall

Here we have AMF Durabowl Bumpers interfaced with the BOSS scoring. We only let little kids and sometimes seniors use them. We have it posted that no one over the age of 10 may use them, and even that is at our discretion. (Some 5 year olds can throw pretty hard. I have seen a 4 or 5 year old put a 6 lb. ball straight through one of these things.)

Also, if a child is throwing a 10 lb. or heavier ball, no bumpers for them. Only 6 and 8 lb. balls are used with on our bumpers.

[KL Kevin]

Re: Ball Wall

Our rule is somewhat arbitrary, If you are taller than the control desk, no bumpers. That puts the cut-off point roughly around 8 years old.

The way I look at it, the tremendous amount of money invested in the bumper system has to be protected.

I personally won't allow some spoiled rotten 12 year old who's always gotten their way if they whine enough to their parents to bust up my investment, whether by palming a 6 pound ball like tarzan, or trying to see how many bounces they can get in in 60 feet.

When adults are bowling with little kids, we give the little ones their own lane. I won't budge on this policy, and my entire staff knows it. We're always polite about it, but firm at the same time.

My next scoring system will have an auto bumper interface, which makes the problem go away completely.

It was designed for small people, not big people with small minds, but that's just my opinion:

Kevin

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: Ball Wall

Aaron: Man your bumpers are like the berlin wall. Our AMF bumpers get kicked down by open play. Atleast you need a key with yours. We even get the little buggers that like to see their ball bounce side to side. WHat happened to the blow up bumper days?

deadwood

[Rep]

Re: Ball Wall

Similar situation where I work. 9 and under can use the bumpers. Desk people don't enforce it too too well and so they do get damaged but nothing exceptionally bad.

Rep [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[GPS]

Re: Ball Wall

Our policy is 3 to 6 years of age. No discussion.

[Glitch]

Re: Ball Wall

Thanks for everyones input. This is exactly the response I knew would happen. Adults should not be permitted to bowl on bumpers (unless they are like the Berlin Wall). Glitch

[nonace]

Re: Ball Wall

The bumper deal is never ending work, I have camps that are killing me with the broken bumpers. I just check them on Monday, like a good soldier. I repair them where necessary. You can't do the age thing like bumpers are for 3-6 year olds

Try the age thing, and you are asking for trouble. Forget about the adults, no they should not use them. When you say that the age is 3-6, you can't tell the difference between a kid that is 5 0r 6. parents will drive you nuts, trust me.

Just repair them where they need repairing.

[mouse]

Re: Ball Wall

Hey
At least you got bumpers!!!
A week ago today, we took a lightning hit. All electronics made it, but no bumpers across our center. Something happened to the bumper program in centermaster or according to Brunswick's frameworx expert, all our cards that runs the bumpers got fried.

So we called the electronic repair center(they are good about sending stuff)BUT they sent the cards to a center in Georgia.
It has been a week, no bumper cards, no bumper ops to speak of, no centermaster help from Brunswick, so to speak we are up the creek. So you think you got it bad, we got it worse!!!

[Terry D]

Re: Ball Wall

I thought that there was a way with pinball wizard that you could use a hook to raise and lower the bumpers in case something like this happens. Please correct me if I'm wrong, b/c the connections are there at the front of the bumper for this task.

[mouse]

Re: Ball Wall

You have to disconnect the rails from the main metal strut that is attached to the drive motor to be able to raise the rails by hand
There may be a problem as the pinball wizard has an emergency button where you push and the rails come up and stay up till the alarm is cleared. This is just in case a small child gets their hand, finger, etc caught when the rails go down. With free standing rails not attached to the drive strut, the rails fall down real fast with a push, could cut a finger off.

My 2 cent worth.