Doing some good.

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

With all the negativity that we're surrounded by in our lives and even a lot of the moaning we do right here on Pinside, (I'm guilty of it at times too) I thought that it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to ONLY positive stories. Times where you did something kind in the name of pinball.

I'll start it off...

I recently stopped by a local bowling alley over my lunch to play a few games. They have a modest arcade with 3 pins that get switched up every few months.

There was an elementary school on a day trip, and some of the kids that had finished bowling were just hanging out in the arcade. I was there playing a little T2, and a couple of kids stood at my side watching in amazement (which is funny, because I was really stinking it up bad!).

I finished my game and had one credit left. I turned to the kids and said "there's one game left, you guys can have it".

AS I was walking out I noticed a swarm of kids were now standing around watching this kid play. I walked back in, put coins in the other two machines and announced "they're all going now, just make sure you share it".

That simple gesture put a huge smile on their faces, and probably gave most of them their first try at pinball.

Keep the stories coming, or feel inspired today to create one of your own

#2 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

Nice gesture with the kids, I've done that myself before.

-2

#3 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

#4 5 years ago

CSJ

pcprogrammer

Pinside member

#5 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

#6 5 years ago

???

okayestpinballer

Inactive member

6y 45,300 409

#7 5 years ago

CSJ

pcprogrammer

Pinside member

#8 5 years ago

CSJ

pcprogrammer

Pinside member

---

#9 5 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,173 7 253

#10 5 years ago

WOT

Atari_Daze

#11 5 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,173 32

download (resized).jpg

#12 5 years ago

CSJ

pcprogrammer

Pinside member

----

-2

#13 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

make-canada-great-again-snapback-hat-snap-back-baseball-cap (resized).jpg

#14 5 years ago

???

trueno92

Pinside member

Toronto, ON

7y 52,800 1,631 3

Hey dude, im also from toronto. I also went on a field trip to a bowling alley earlier this year - up in Newmarket.. and i could see the remains of what was once a nice 20'x20' arcade space that had been once converted to a smoking lounge and for quite some time now, a cafe space. Electrical outlets every 6' around the perimeter was a dead give away! lol.

anyway, no arcade existed there, but i swear my neo-geo cab came from the place.. it smells EXACTLY like the bowling alley - Stellar Lanes.

good on you, i'll eventually find some pins in the wild that i'll let my kids play..

OP
Quoted from Damien:
With all the negativity that we're surrounded by in our lives and even a lot of the moaning we do right here on Pinside, (I'm guilty of it at times too) I thought that it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to ONLY positive stories. Times where you did something kind in the name of pinball.
I'll start it off...
I recently stopped by a local bowling alley over my lunch to play a few games. They have a modest arcade with 3 pins that get switched up every few months.
There was an elementary school on a day trip, and some of the kids that had finished bowling were just hanging out in the arcade. I was there playing a little T2, and a couple of kids stood at my side watching in amazement (which is funny, because I was really stinking it up bad!).
I finished my game and had one credit left. I turned to the kids and said "there's one game left, you guys can have it".
AS I was walking out I noticed a swarm of kids were now standing around watching this kid play. I walked back in, put coins in the other two machines and announced "they're all going now, just make sure you share it".
That simple gesture put a huge smile on their faces, and probably gave most of them their first try at pinball.
Keep the stories coming, or feel inspired today to create one of your own

#15 5 years ago

YZF

yzfguy

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 146K 11,174 7

One time a kid was playing one of my games in the basement. There were a few kids down there. He started machine gunning the flippers and leaving 4 player games unattended. So I went down, shut off the games and said "your mom wants you upstairs." The end.

#16 5 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,173 32

Quoted from yzfguy:
One time a kid was playing one of my games in the basement. There were a few kids down there. He started machine gunning the flippers and leaving 4 player games unattended. So I went down, shut off the games and said "your mom wants you upstairs." The end.

We teach our own kids (2 and 4) to press the start button only once, to finish out any games they start (all 3 balls) and to flip when the ball is near the flippers. They have been trying to trap the ball almost always. Teach 'em young.

#17 5 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member

12y 135K 11,302 6 7 1

What's this thread aboot again?

#18 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

Quoted from poppapin:
What's this thread aboot again?

It started out as a political battle between two neighboring countries.

#19 5 years ago

YZF

yzfguy

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 146K 11,174 7

Quoted from FatPanda:
We teach our own kids (2 and 4) to press the start button only once, to finish out any games they start (all 3 balls) and to flip when the ball is near the flippers. They have been trying to trap the ball almost always. Teach 'em young.

Yeah, I was just being a smartass. My kids have been around pins since they were born. They have great pin etiquette and they show their friends the way

#20 5 years ago

MCB

EricHadley

Inactive member

8y 110K 4,839

I want a cookie

#21 5 years ago

MCB

EricHadley

Inactive member

8y 110K 4,839

I had a group of kids monkey flipping on 4 games at the same time, that was it for me.

#22 5 years ago

CSJ

pcprogrammer

Pinside member

Quoted from o-din:
It started out as a political battle between two neighboring countries.

Now it's just dots and dashes

---
...

#23 5 years ago

Monk

Pinside member

7y 93,800 1,909 21

This thread had such potential, I wonder what went so wrong. Good story OP. I'll be checking back to see if the thread gets back on the rails.

#24 5 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,173 32

Quoted from Monk:
This thread had such potential, I wonder what went so wrong. Good story OP. I'll be checking back to see if the tread gets back on the rails.

Might help if OP came back in and explained what the dash was for? In any case, this definitely won't be the imamaculate Baywatch thread...

#25 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

Quoted from pcprogrammer:
Now it's just dots and dashes

Morse code I believe.

#26 5 years ago

WOT

Atari_Daze

... --- ...

Oh wait, that would be for another infamous thread on Pinside.

#27 5 years ago

DJQ

DanQverymuch

Pinside+ Addict

Neenah, WI

12y 98,550 4,530

.-- .- .. - --..-- .-- .... .- - ..--..

#28 5 years ago

WOT

Atari_Daze

-.. .. -.. .. ... - ..- - - . .-. ?

#29 5 years ago

WOT

Atari_Daze

01001111 01110010 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 00111111

#31 5 years ago

ECB

erak

Pinside member

Grimsby, ON

15y 122K 3,749 5 86

images (resized).jpeg

#32 5 years ago

ECB

erak

Pinside member

Grimsby, ON

15y 122K 3,749 5 86

Quoted from okayestpinballer:Deleted post

e31 (resized).jpg

#33 5 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member

12y 135K 11,302 6 7 1

#34 5 years ago

ODB

Gryszzz

Pinside+ Frequent

Indianapolis, IN

10y 120K 13,251 9

Quoted from okayestpinballer:Deleted post

Not even pinball can keep me from missing your mom.

#35 5 years ago

DAD

Damien

Inactive member

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-only-good-things-to-say-thread

7y 70,300 2,014 7 10

Let's get this back on track.

If you have a story about doing some good in the name of pinball, be sure to share it.

Peace to all

#36 5 years ago

YZF

yzfguy

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 146K 11,174 7

OP
Quoted from Damien:
Let's get this back on track.
If you have a story about doing some good in the name of pinball, be sure to share it.
Peace to all

I don't think it ever made it onto the tracks.

#37 5 years ago

MSF

Nokoro

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 137K 5,484 18

Quoted from okayestpinballer:Deleted post

Not cool. I’m not sure if you meant your post to sound callous, but perhaps you should reconsider and delete.

I hope for the OP’s sake, this thread can get back to what he intended.

#38 5 years ago

DAD

Breaking_Dad

Pinside member

Buffalo, NY

9y 66,400 3,024 4

I tried years ago...good luck...!!!.......Joey

#39 5 years ago

ODB

Gryszzz

Pinside+ Frequent

Indianapolis, IN

10y 120K 13,251 9

Quoted from Nokoro:
Not cool. I’m not sure if you meany your post to sound callous, but perhaps you should reconsider and delete.
I hope for the OP’s sake, this thread can get back to what he intended.

The first words I typed in response to his "joke" were FUCK YOU MOTHERFUCKER. Then Momma Okayest popped in my head (like she often does).
Children in pain=no joke you [removed].

This post was moderated 5 years ago: Vulgar/obscene A temporary (2 days) thread eject was issued.

#40 5 years ago

KIS

rollinover

Pinside member

10y 83,050 2,094

Recently put a nba jam in a local church for the kids to play. Free play of course.

It’s in a semi low income area and I heard from my buddy the first day the church had a party there was over 40 kids and a line to play the game

I’m not bragging or trying to impress anyone as it brings great joy seeing others playing a game

Hoping to put more fun 4 player games in there soon and maybe a pinball

Reminds me of all the fun I used to have going to arcades back in the day and they just don’t exist like they used to.

#41 5 years ago

KIS

rollinover

Pinside member

10y 83,050 2,094

My buddy joked with the kids there is no Lebron and most of the players you guys never heard of lol

So I guess the kids get a learning lesson in 90s rosters as well haha

#42 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

OP
Quoted from Damien:
If you have a story about doing some good in the name of pinball, be sure to share it.

I found several pieces of old chewed up gum petrified to the bottom of one of my machines and left them there.

#43 5 years ago

Monk

Pinside member

7y 93,800 1,909 21

Quoted from o-din:
I found several pieces of old chewed up gum petrified to the bottom of one of my machines and left them there.

Sometimes I think you try to hard.

#44 5 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

Quoted from Monk:
Sometimes I think you try to hard.

Preserving the history and patina of these old games, one machine at a time...

#45 5 years ago

DRD

DennisDodel

Pinside+ Addict

St Louis, MO

12y 90,050 2,643

For most of my adult life, if I was in a bar or restaurant and saw kids hanging around pins, acting like they are playing a game, I would toss a few quarters on the glass and tell them the games were on me.
Can't do that anymore. My wife says people might get the wrong idea these days. Sad.

#46 5 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,928 24 7

Quoted from DennisDodel:
My wife says people might get the wrong idea these days.

Sadly, can and does happen.

LTG : )

#47 5 years ago

???

okayestpinballer

Inactive member