The rules are changing and I don't really know why. The games are quickly becoming a clerk position and I don't know why. Seems as though they want everybody working the games to play it just like the sign says and I don't know why. Somebody please tell me soon. It doesn't matter to me though, I just want to know.
There was a saying a long time ago that people still use today, to endure...to adapt...and this too shall pass. That saying is how I approach the ever changing carnival game regulations. Even though I have broke in working games as strong as I could, I haven't lost a step with each regulation implemented by fair commissions and Carnival show owners alike. I do know quite a few of my peers that have been greatly affected.
In my field of study, build-up oriented games, I began working what is widely known as a collection. The collection is when you get a player to play and then pay. Basically the collection has been omitted from the regular running of all the shows that are playing the most major fairs and festivals. There have been major set backs at the choice games too.
One way of getting money then is now not allowed now because the shows are allegedly making it a better environment for the patrons of these said events. These people making these drastic rules changes have never worked the games for sure. The guy that spends the most money usually went to fair looking for the carny with the biggest bite. Those players tend to realize if they get beat for enough money they will get a prize.
I have noticed quite a few emails from people telling me I won the lottery, someone died and they want me to help them with all the money the person left and they will pay me a large sum, or someone may just want me to run great sums through my bank account for great riches in return, and other internet scams as well. They are all identity theft emails. I don't bite at all. I even have fun with these people telling them things like my name is Gunnar Nemecek and I am from Steal, ID. Get it.
One thing I have noticed is that, for the most part, these emails come directly from the United Kingdom. They have a Nigerian flavor many times, as well, but are still directly from the UK. This tells me that the UK allows this type of scam. This also tells me that they may allow these scams because the people of the UKs' general philosophy is that if you fall for it you should learn from it. That they also feel you should be smarter and that it should teach you a lesson.
In America we don't share that philosophy as a whole. We believe that these characters should be nipped at the bud. In return Americans are the easiest target for these internet scammers because they are so protected by all of these laws. They have become weak minded to the point that actually believe that there is no way that's a scam because it's against the law. They can't get away with it. Why? Because they are coddled by American law.
This brings me back to carnival games. I know a guy in Lafayette Georgia who was ripped off for all of his money, then his jewelry, and then his car in a carnival game back in the 60's. He will tell you that this carny fleeced him good. He will also tell you how it changed his entire outlook on life. This guy now owns a store, nice home, his wifes' successful catering business, a large bank account I am assuming, and is always sporting very expensive jewelry. This guy will tell you that if it weren't for being ripped off he wouldn't have what he has today.
It made him stronger and smarter and, most of all, it taught him how to approach financial matters for the rest of his life. This is a true story and the guy owns a little store heading north on 27 out of Lafayette, Georgia, on the right, if you verify the authenticity of this story. This is really what carnival games did for people when we carnies were allowed to rip off the public.
Being flim-flammed made the person smarter and way more on the guard for every venture in the future. You will even hear former customers say to each other things to the effect that that sales pitch sounds just like that carny at the fair. They may be looking at cell phone plans or car tires or really anything in every day life.
The bottom line is that it is only the small time players that actually complain about the games. Complaints are only a small factor for the rules changes though. The larger spenders don't generally complain. Some are just too embarrassed to admit they were beaten out of that much by a carny or anybody for that matter. But for the most part, and I am speaking from a whole bunch of experience, they want to hear your lines.
If someone took a poll of all adults leading lives outside the carnival, and asked them, yes or no, do you think that carnival games are rip-offs. The general answer would definitely be yes. I would figure that nearly everyone who has ever played carnival games would say yes, maybe 99.9%. So when they play it's kind of like those people that jump into the barrel of snakes, except now all the snakes are not poisonous. They continue to play and the people have no idea, generally, that there are all these rules changes making them less apt to get beat out of their money.
Some people argue that the rules changes were for bettering the image of carnies. That theory is flat bull. These people working the carnivals have to gain a better overall look, which is why their is a dress code. Whether or not a person gets beat for large cash and jewelry has so very little impact on the overall image of carnies. The people just don't realize, Hey! I didn't get beat for $60 in any game this year, any impact at all in the rules changes. They still call the games rip-offs.
I hopscotch from show to show almost every year. I see all types of game policies. When I first dropped in on a show called Pugh, owned by Jeff Pugh, they didn't have any real carnies working their games. As a matter of fact their ad in a business magazine, at the time, they stated that they had the most stringent game policy in America. The show went under and the route was taken over Jeff Pughs' brother-in-law.
Since I first walked on that midway and showed that carnies could rip off the public, while at the same time, not being a menace off the lot, they now have real carnies in most of their games. The shows' name changed to Mid America, owned by North American Midways in care of Danny Houston, but the general game policy changed to go on ahead and get em', just don't get a complaint. Their route continues to be one of the best in the country for the games. But they did transform from one philosophy to nearly the entire opposite philosophy, with no impact in proceeds or attendance at their fairs and festivals.
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