Thursday, February 27, 2014

Employee Drama 1

There is always something going on with the employees at a bingo hall. It is such a soap opera. Recently, the owner's brother had been messing around with an employee that is half of his age. None of us ever saw this one coming. The employee's boyfriend found out about it tonight, so of course he came into the bingo hall, and all **** broke lose. He started yelling at his cheating girlfriend, calling her names and causing a huge scene. Then the owner's brother went over to the rescue and that certainly didn't go as I'm sure, he planned it to. It turned into a huge fist fight that even security couldn't break up. Police were called out, but by the time they got there it was all over. Keep in mind that this all happened in the middle of the bingo session, with customers sitting there watching the whole thing unfold. When the drama was finally over, we got back to bingo like nothing had ever happened. That's just how bingo goes. Just another day at bingo.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Thrown Out

Tonight at bingo, a lady got thrown out over twenty dollars. She told a worker that she didn't get her change... but she did. The worker counted down all of his money and was twenty dollars short, so he told the manager about it, and she had to go ask for it back. The customer refused to give it back, so the manager told her she could not play there anymore. This is really unfortunate for her, because now she has to drive at least 45 minutes to go play at another bingo hall. I would like to say that this surprises me, but it doesn't. Sometimes I just cannot comprehend the way some people think. Instead of giving the money back, apologizing for the incident, and everything being okay, she stuck with her story and got indefinitely kicked out. So todays lesson is just be an honest person in life. Everyone makes mistakes, but it a lot easier to say I'm sorry than to stick with a lie that will backfire on you. Just another day at bingo.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Cake Lady

Every bingo hall that I have ever worked in has had a cake lady or a candy lady. This is typically a lady in her 60's that brings in candy or cakes for the employees. Our cake lady brings a cake in every single night. She is very proud of the cakes she brings in; they are always very decorated and look like they came right out of the bakery. Well, here's the truth about her cakes: there is a grocery store right across the street. The cakes she brings in are always in containers from the Bakery in the grocery store across the street. She says she buys them from the store to put her homemade cakes in (the containers always have their price tags torn off). We all know that she just buys the day old cakes on sale and brings them into us, but we would never say so. Well tonight she brought in a Christmas cake.... She said she just felt like practicing her Christmas decorating skills for the next Christmas Holiday. We figured she found it somewhere in her freezer, but we took it and gratefully said thank you. So to all of the cake and candy ladies out there, we truly do appreciate the HOME MADE goodies you bring. But on the other hand... we know when they are not. Just another day at bingo.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Many Losses

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to know so many different people.. many of them on a personal level. When you work in this environment, you get to know the players and you get to know about their lives, their families, their work, their interests, etc... I see some on a nightly basis. Regular costumers are committed to their game and will come in every single night. I have to say that we become really close to the players. After years of seeing these players each and every night, when one of them passes away, it's hard not to miss them. This was the case tonight. We found out that one of our favorite customers had passed over the weekend.. a little old man that has played with us for years. He was there every night, without fail. No one ever knew his real name until now... we all just called him Doc. Just wanted to pass this along. It's not always crazy, funny things that happen at bingo. There are real life experiences we also deal with. Doc you will truly be missed, and I know your favorite seat is waiting on you. God Bless.  Just another day at bingo. 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Valentine's Day at Bingo

Tonight at bingo was a busy night. It's funny how bingo players will celebrate every holiday at a bingo hall. For instance, Christmas is our busiest night of the year. Tonight was pretty interesting... we gave all of the players Valentine's candy. We also had several different groups of people drinking.... Now, drinking in a bingo hall usually never goes well. This is because there are two kinds of bingo players: those who like to have fun and those who are very serious about the game. We had an incident at work today due to the drinkers. The drunks were being too loud and the other customers DID NOT appreciate this. So there was a huge argument between the sober customers and the drunk ones that involved yelling, cursing, and almost went to blows. We had to call in security to calm everyone down. What made it worse was that the drunk group won a lot tonight... We also had a man walk in with a rose in his mouth and a big box of candy. He went up to his wife and gave her a big kiss... and everyone clapped. So you never know what the night will bring when you work at a bingo hall... Just another day at bingo.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Bingo Season

Bingo season has officially started this week. You've heard of the holiday season, the four seasons of the year... winter, spring, summer and fall, and maybe you've heard of hunting season.  But this is Bingo season, this is when all of the bingo players have a lot of extra money. It comes every year about this time. Players you haven't seen in awhile are there. Players that come all the time are there, spending money like crazy! It's the busiest time of the year for bingo. Being a bingo worker, we all really enjoy Bingo season....  the night flies by and everyone is happy and in a good mood. It's kind of like Christmas in February. So on behalf of all bingo workers and myself, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Bingo. Just another day at bingo. 

Floor Workers Down

Tonight at bingo, a woman employee in her mid 30's who is pretty fit, had been bragging that she was in great shape to another employee. With the other employees hand held up to about his chest, he asked, "I bet you cant kick this high?" Well... she did. Then he moved his hand up to around his shoulder, and asked the same question. About that time, another employee (a man) was walking through the doorway... The employees pants were so tight that when she went to kick his hand with her foot she instantly pulled her other leg up and fell down on the floor! As she was falling, her hands went back up in the air, and the male worker walking through the doorway got nailed right in the crotch and he went down to the floor at the same time! So they were both on the floor, one was laughing and one was crying. Two floor workers down. Both are okay.  Just another day at bingo.