That being said, I think business should be able to reopen only after they can pass health safety requirements. Much like any food vendor.

Nope.

If people don't fight this, up to and including forcibly removing politicians, then there will NEVER be an end to it.

Odds are very good there will NEVER be a vaccine.
Odds are also very good that immunity wanes.

Why? This is a coronavirus. If you don't understand why the above two statements are, with a very high degree of certainty, true then you need to do some actual scientific research on these viruses. They are part of a family and share characteristics that make it extremely likely the above two statements WILL be true for this one. Neither is certain at this point, but if you want to bet on the other side of either you're taking a losing position.

This makes the options available to suck it up and deal with it or have the economy permanently damaged to the tune of 30-40% or more, including all businesses associated with any sort of social experience permanently excluded.

That's the science and it doesn't matter if you like it or not; viruses don't care about political leanings or fear.

I'm no scientician so I'm really glad to have pinball forum people explain the science to me.

We are gonna have to build a ton more hospitals then. And equip them. And staff them.

And have really good workman’s comp for the hospital workers.

That would be true if the tripe we see on TV is true. Luckily it's not.

Sickies and old farts stay home. If you don't like it, f. off. My rights don't end where your fears begin.

How is Sweden doing as opposed to Norway? So simple.

Bro tell us where the REAL news is.

For those that want to open things up, I hope history does not repeat itself.

Just look at what happened in Denver, when they removed interventions back in 1918.

ED3B44D7-97EB-4519-8028-2CBF173FBDC5 (resized).png

#FAKENEWS was invented not long before then. Most people didn't even have running water at that time. WAPO, Howard Markel is no source to be respected. Take a look at the last 3 flu seasons:

Screenshot from 2020-04-24 23-49-06 (resized).png

This is america and last time I checked we had freedom of choice. We do not have that freedom currently. We are arresting people playing catch in a park with their kids but letting people out of jail because of COVID-19 so it doesn't spread in the jail. The economy is closed down for 2% of the pop that has high health risks. Those 2% can stay inside until it is safe or there is a vaccine

You trust the CDC?!?

No, but even those who do have to admit that this flu season is well within one standard deviation of ILI mortality.

On a high note, I was passing through Des Moines twice in the past month. I was fortunate that the Maid-Rite in the Merle Hay Mall was open for pick up by the Western doors. The owner took my phone in order from I-80 and brought it out to the car. Love those original loose meat sandwiches....

According to mainstream media...it’s never going away. We will never have a vaccine. And, it’s going to be deadlier in the fall.

D2A3FD5E-9460-41A6-8043-22F4BFA1CAE6 (resized).jpeg

Please cite your source for this because it doesn't match what the scientists working on vaccines appear to be aware of.
https://time.com/5790545/first-covid-19-vaccine/
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-exactly-where-were-at-with-vaccines-and-treatments-for-covid-19

Open up and do what? Here in MO, the operation of all amusement Coin Op equipment, other than regulated gambling devices, is currently prohibited through the end of the State of Emergency. That date was just pushed out to June 15th and I am sure circumstances will dictate whether it will be pushed out again. So if you have any locations in MO, it is hard to say when location pinball will be up and running again.

I have 2 locations in MO. Amusement devices are banned except lottery machines... Again, people need the ability to decide if they want to take the risk and not be told what you can and can't do.

What is the point........

Any chance we could keep this thread to info about routes and location pinball before it gets locked? I'm finding a lot of the ideas in this thread useful.

Wow, this quickly became the Covid-19 talk thread, how about we keep it to the subject? Take the theory talk to the real thread?
Also, maybe rename the thread “worried about how to open my arcade again”
That said, I think it’s just going to be a thing where people will play when they are comfortable with it. If someone fears going out, they will stay in. If they reach the stage of being comfortable going out, they will probably play games too.
This will likely start with the younger crowd that feels pretty invincible to things, they want to get back to living their young lives. I look forward to their spending.
The virus isn’t going away, but people are not going to stay in for much longer either.

They closed & removed it. So much for containment. At this point there isn't much else to talk about in the world of pinball (or the world itself), so they may as well shut down the forum if they don't want to moderate Covid chat.

That thread has been active again for two days.

Shows what I know! Thanks, guess I overlooked it.

Do your leases have "force majeure" clauses?
https://www.leaseref.com/blog/force-majeure-commercial-lease

More on topic, hopefully the next round of loans gets better funneled to the small, local, folks.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/26/small-business-loans-public-companies-took-855-million.html

They got flu vaccine. I never heard that flu is no longer a health issue. Maybe I missed it. I know that flu vaccine is "safe and effective", yet the flu seasons just keep getting worse. I sadly wait to see you cock-sure guinea pigs suffer the consequences of shoving an experiment into your bloodstream. But don't worry. Billy Gates is to be trusted. He doesn't have any degree at all, but you anxiously await his solution and trust his medical advice. Accelerate the darwinism!

The problem is everyone is being idiots with this and refusing to do what needs to be done. This disease is extremely rare in that you can be communicable for over a week before showing any symptoms. Most diseases it is up to a day if at all. The statement of "if you are healthy, you should be allowed to move around" is extremely wrong because healthy people are spreading it. If only sick people were spreading it, then it would have stopped quickly because anyone with a cough would have been avoided and then it couldn't spread. We need to take precautions to keep it from being even worse. If we don't take these precautions, more people will die because there is no ability to treat people. If 1/3 the population will get this disease and everyone gets it all on the same day, then everyone the needs medical care for it will die, but if the same number of people get it over a longer period than the hospitals can treat people effectively. Just because you feel fine, doesn't mean you wont get me sick. People need to wear face masks to avoid spreading it to others as well, but people are too dumb to think about others.

The problem is even if you feel fine, you can be spreading it to others. Get off your high f'en horse and understand the fact that this virus is extremely unusual in that people are VERY contagious for up to a week before showing any symptoms. Most diseases, if you are contagious before showing symptoms it is a matter of hours. If it was a matter of everyone with symptoms being avoided, then this would never have become a pandemic due to people avoiding everyone with a cough. Take off your tinfoil hat, and have some basic compassion for keeping other people healthy.

I can’t believe they didn’t have a proof of hardship clause for this money. Hopefully they find a way to get money to all the small businesses that need it the most.

Interesting thread. Seeing the old self service model evolve and change comes from ideas many of you are sharing. Cool to see! Never had a route or challenge like this so a few ideas that may make no sense.
1. Most will understand you will now incur Many new business costs with likely reduced games would it be unheard of to increase gameplay costs to $2 per play? Won’t offset much loss but I would suspect many clients would understand.
2. The handling of money I suspect may be a concern step for some. No idea how to implement but what about a currency free location. I’m guessing on the honor system with games set on free play? They hand you a 20 or CC and play the allotted games.
3. Crazy direction... some type of low tack frisket to go over the lock bar and side buttons. Something that can be continuously wiped without destroying your expensive investment. Tear it off each night and reapply.
4. Have some type of rudimentary sanitizer tub with bleach and water to sterilize buckets of coins. Promote that all coins were safely sterilized for the patron safety. And yours.

So true the Shawshank meme. I just watched that three days ago. Has to be one of my favorite movies.

Moderator's comment:

Folks, please try to keep the discussions here related to arcades, routes, and operating.

General discussions on covid-19 need to take place in the covid thread.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-official-coronavirus-containment-thread/

Thanks

Wow. I knew that the Pinball collecting / playing / restoration community was 'diverse'... I hope operators find a way to weather this trial, it's going to be a long while before people are going to feel comfortable in close quarters again, even after there's a plan to test enough for us to start opening back up. I have one friend who has lost his mother to COVID-19, and another in great health who was laid low for awhile (kicked my butt was the exact phrase). I know I should use the time to renovate the Centaur sitting behind me that's been patiently waiting for a couple years for me to replace everything, including the PF with a brand new one. Hope everyone stays safe, and doesn't try to drink Clorox. <roll eyes here>

Most people don't make decisions on where they spend their time because it's cheap, they make the decision because it's fun.

You create an experience, offering all kinds of cool amusements that almost everyone doesn't have and can't have in their homes.

People have been cooped up in their homes for a while, and will be a while more. Anyone who can create a safe, fun outside-the-home experience is going to be extremely valuable. Or can be if they allow themselves to be.

I could eat cans of ravioli in my home to fill my belly for the cheapest amount of money, but that doesn't compare with a nice sit down experience somewhere else.

Here's an idea:

Notice to Customers
We thank you for your patronage from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for supporting us and local businesses through this time. We have worked extremely hard to continue to provide you a safe unique experience that can't be had in your home. Our hard-working staff are driven with a passion for creating fun. Our prices have changed recently to accommodate the safety measures, social distancing and precautions so that we can deliver the best experiences to you. Thank you for your patronage and continued support!
-The Management

ps: We know some of you are having a more difficult financial time, so please email us (email here) and we will do our best to accommodate you. We want everyone who wants it to have a great time so let us know.

---

Commentary from me: You're explaining your prices have gone up, but you're explaining the work and dedication from your staff and establishing the unique value you are providing. The very end ps allows for people who are hard up to still be accommodated, rather than cutting yourself off at the knees and charging too little from everyone. Most people will just pay the price. And by most, I mean 99.9%

Almost everyone considers the value proposition when determining where to spend their entertainment dollars. I stopped playing at Pinballz Arcade when they raised the price of pins by 33%.

If I can afford three hours a week at venue A or eight hours a week at venue B, I’m going to venue B more often.

I'd have to check with Pinballz how they came out when they raised their prices. Yes you lose some customers, but maybe those should be customers you should lose.

This thread is about survival. I'm here sharing ideas with anyone who wants them.

As someone who frequences all of the local pinball places, I want to give you all a hug, and all my money once things go back.

I love arcades and pinball shows and it is an unfortunate fact of life that they are breeding grounds for infection - enclosed spaces with poor air exchange where large numbers of people are encouraged to touch the same surfaces without cleaning between uses. How many people enjoy a dirty table at a food court (like those at packed factory outlet malls)? Mix that with poor hygiene (the 10 to 20% of people that don’t wash their hands after using the washroom or eating) and there you go.

So owners are going to have to improve ventilation and be visibly seen to encourage better health practices (masks, hand washing, more frequent cleaning of game surfaces, etc.) before a significant demographic will return. Making sure washrooms are clean and continually stocked with paper towel and hand soap.

This applies equally to eateries. In the current Covid-19 world a majority of the population are less tolerant to the risks involved and that means a smaller target audience for your business. If business owners do not help address these risks then many of their potential consumers will take their business elsewhere where they feel safer.

It sucks but it is our current reality. Hopefully they will find a vaccine before the end of the year so that we can all return to doing the things that we love. Hoping you and your families all stay safe and healthy during these challenging times.

.

That echos my own sentiment. Excited to spend some money on games I don’t own when I can safely.