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Dauber gone missing
Hang on to that Betty Boop!
Dear Readers,
When you send a letter or email for publication in this column, please
remember to include your name and address.
I am reminding you of this because I usually do not include anonymous
letters. This is because I feel that if someone is unwilling to say who they are
at least to me, then they must not feel very strongly about what they are
writing to me about.
Please be assured that I will never publish your name if you ask me not to,
but appreciate knowing who you are! —Aunt Bingo
Dear Aunt Bingo,
I’m writing in reference to a Bingo hall my friend and I now go to. We used to
go to another Bingo that was 20 miles away but with the cost of gas we
stopped going to that Bingo and go to this closer one instead.
My friend and I could not believe what is going on in this hall. Number one—
at the matinee, when the first session was over (intermission) we noticed that
they do not change the Bingo balls before the second session starts. We
asked the manager about this and his reply was, “We do not change the
balls.” After that, we went to a night game and again they did not change the
balls. We always thought that after each intermission the balls have to be
changed and checked out.
Another problem is that the caller is drinking soda at the Bingo machine and
laughing and talking to the other caller and also to the Bingo players. We
had to yell and say, “Let’s play Bingo and stop fooling around!”
At every Bingo the caller would mention the rules and also name the
volunteers. From what we heard, the “volunteers” get $10 an hour, plus tips,
and all off the books. We thought that when you volunteer you don’t get paid.
It also seems that when a certain caller calls, it is always someone in front
winning all the time. People have told us they stopped going to this Bingo
because it is always the same winner winning. The workers there would
stand by the Bingo player and when they were waiting for a number the
worker would send a signal to the caller what number she needed and she
would win.
Finally, when you hit a certain Bingo and yell, you get paid in Bingo
stretcher. No cash. You have to use the stretcher to pay for Bingo on
another night. I don’t think that is right. If you pay cash you should get cash.
This is the only Bingo hall in town. Should we write to the Bingo Commission
and have them check out this hall? Should we still go there to play Bingo or
retire from it? —Unhappy Bingo Players, Florida
Dear Unhappy,
This sure doesn’t sound like a hall I would like to go to.
Some of your complaints I would not be too concerned about. For example,
changing the Bingo balls at intermission. I’ve been to a zillion halls that don’t
do this. Is this part of the regulations in Florida? If so, it is a clear violation
and should be reported. But if it is just something you “feel” should be done,
then I suggest you just go with it.
I also don’t mind if the caller and workers chat among themselves and with
the players. Bingo is a social game. There should be friendliness with
everyone in the hall.
Now, to your more serious issues—if this is truly a charity game run by
volunteers, yet workers are getting paid and tipped off the books, this is
pretty serious and should be reported to the state. As far as the front-row
players being helped to win, doesn’t the hall have monitors where you can
see each ball as it comes out of the chute? If so, how is the caller supposed
to be helping select people win?
Finally—Bingo Stretcher? Who the heck wants to pay cash if the Bingo prize
is a coupon? I suppose it does have value, and it sounds like it is related to
a specific game so you know when it is coming. But no thank you. I’ll take my
buy-in elsewhere. —Aunt Bingo
Dear Aunt Bingo,
Has anyone seen my Betty Boop!?
I went to Bingo as usual on Tuesday evening. I placed three Bingo markers
at my table for my three friends. Someone came along and took my Betty
Boop dauber and replaced it with another dauber when I left the table for a
few minutes!
I cannot believe someone would stoop so low as to take my Betty Boop!
Two days later I went to the same place and the lady in front of me had two
Betty Boops sitting in front of her. I wanted so badly to get up and ask her
about the Betty Boop daubers, but I didn’t want to cause a scene. There’s
just one question I would like her to answer: “How can you sleep at night
knowing you took my Betty Boop?” —Broken Hearted, Tonawanda, NY
Dear Broken Hearted,
I used to be pretty carefree about the things I brought to Bingo. Then I
began receiving letters from readers like you who have had sweaters,
jackets, good luck charms, daubers, and all kinds of other items snatched
from them.
Now I do not take anything to Bingo that I could not live without, and only
leave my belongings if there is a friend who agrees to stay put and watch
them for me. I strongly advise you to do the same. —Aunt Bingo
Share your views! Write to Aunt Bingo c/o the Bingo Bugle, P.O. Box
527, Vashon, Washington 98070, or email her at STENGL456@aol.com.
Be sure to include your name and address (you can request that
your name not be published), as typically she will not include
anonymous letters in her columns.
Hang on to that Betty Boop!
Dear Readers,
When you send a letter or email for publication in this column, please
remember to include your name and address.
I am reminding you of this because I usually do not include anonymous
letters. This is because I feel that if someone is unwilling to say who they are
at least to me, then they must not feel very strongly about what they are
writing to me about.
Please be assured that I will never publish your name if you ask me not to,
but appreciate knowing who you are! —Aunt Bingo
Dear Aunt Bingo,
I’m writing in reference to a Bingo hall my friend and I now go to. We used to
go to another Bingo that was 20 miles away but with the cost of gas we
stopped going to that Bingo and go to this closer one instead.
My friend and I could not believe what is going on in this hall. Number one—
at the matinee, when the first session was over (intermission) we noticed that
they do not change the Bingo balls before the second session starts. We
asked the manager about this and his reply was, “We do not change the
balls.” After that, we went to a night game and again they did not change the
balls. We always thought that after each intermission the balls have to be
changed and checked out.
Another problem is that the caller is drinking soda at the Bingo machine and
laughing and talking to the other caller and also to the Bingo players. We
had to yell and say, “Let’s play Bingo and stop fooling around!”
At every Bingo the caller would mention the rules and also name the
volunteers. From what we heard, the “volunteers” get $10 an hour, plus tips,
and all off the books. We thought that when you volunteer you don’t get paid.
It also seems that when a certain caller calls, it is always someone in front
winning all the time. People have told us they stopped going to this Bingo
because it is always the same winner winning. The workers there would
stand by the Bingo player and when they were waiting for a number the
worker would send a signal to the caller what number she needed and she
would win.
Finally, when you hit a certain Bingo and yell, you get paid in Bingo
stretcher. No cash. You have to use the stretcher to pay for Bingo on
another night. I don’t think that is right. If you pay cash you should get cash.
This is the only Bingo hall in town. Should we write to the Bingo Commission
and have them check out this hall? Should we still go there to play Bingo or
retire from it? —Unhappy Bingo Players, Florida
Dear Unhappy,
This sure doesn’t sound like a hall I would like to go to.
Some of your complaints I would not be too concerned about. For example,
changing the Bingo balls at intermission. I’ve been to a zillion halls that don’t
do this. Is this part of the regulations in Florida? If so, it is a clear violation
and should be reported. But if it is just something you “feel” should be done,
then I suggest you just go with it.
I also don’t mind if the caller and workers chat among themselves and with
the players. Bingo is a social game. There should be friendliness with
everyone in the hall.
Now, to your more serious issues—if this is truly a charity game run by
volunteers, yet workers are getting paid and tipped off the books, this is
pretty serious and should be reported to the state. As far as the front-row
players being helped to win, doesn’t the hall have monitors where you can
see each ball as it comes out of the chute? If so, how is the caller supposed
to be helping select people win?
Finally—Bingo Stretcher? Who the heck wants to pay cash if the Bingo prize
is a coupon? I suppose it does have value, and it sounds like it is related to
a specific game so you know when it is coming. But no thank you. I’ll take my
buy-in elsewhere. —Aunt Bingo
Dear Aunt Bingo,
Has anyone seen my Betty Boop!?
I went to Bingo as usual on Tuesday evening. I placed three Bingo markers
at my table for my three friends. Someone came along and took my Betty
Boop dauber and replaced it with another dauber when I left the table for a
few minutes!
I cannot believe someone would stoop so low as to take my Betty Boop!
Two days later I went to the same place and the lady in front of me had two
Betty Boops sitting in front of her. I wanted so badly to get up and ask her
about the Betty Boop daubers, but I didn’t want to cause a scene. There’s
just one question I would like her to answer: “How can you sleep at night
knowing you took my Betty Boop?” —Broken Hearted, Tonawanda, NY
Dear Broken Hearted,
I used to be pretty carefree about the things I brought to Bingo. Then I
began receiving letters from readers like you who have had sweaters,
jackets, good luck charms, daubers, and all kinds of other items snatched
from them.
Now I do not take anything to Bingo that I could not live without, and only
leave my belongings if there is a friend who agrees to stay put and watch
them for me. I strongly advise you to do the same. —Aunt Bingo
Share your views! Write to Aunt Bingo c/o the Bingo Bugle, P.O. Box
527, Vashon, Washington 98070, or email her at STENGL456@aol.com.
Be sure to include your name and address (you can request that
your name not be published), as typically she will not include
anonymous letters in her columns.