The Ottawa Pinball Arcade has formalized the following rules in writing here, and in print at the Arcade, and We Wish to Personally explain Our position on Our first rule, and the reason it is Our Prime Directive.
NO BOTHERING, HARRASSING, or INTIMIDATING PATRONS or STAFF
Our Prime Directive is to provide a Safe and Comfortable Environment for Anyone and All, including Women, Children, Families, regardless of Gender, Identified Gender, Race, Religion, Age, Sexuality, from any Political, Personal, Social, or Professional Affiliations, Associations, or Organizations. Offences will result in a permanent ban from the Arcade and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law whenever applicable. This is a strict zero tolerance policy designed to be inclusive and for the betterment of ALL with Good Will and Intent to share this Portal into the late 70’s and early 80’s Golden Era of the Arcade and Pinball peacefully together.
It is paramount to Us that Our Arcade be safe and comfortable for Everyone at all times.
The Games and Experience We are sharing is intended for Everyone and All, and We welcome as eclectic, diverse, and interesting of a Clientele imaginable.
Many of You have heard the stories of the Mythical Pinball Arcades of Old.
A Space Time where Arcades were abundant everywhere.
There was nowhere you couldn’t find a line of Pinball Machines in or around Ottawa. Or anywhere in the Western World!
Walls of Pinball Machines, newer ones coming out at a breathtaking pace, a place where You could never have enough quarters or hours in a day to sample a fraction of the Cornucopian mass of Pinball and Arcade Machines available on Streets too many to numerate.
A place where it seemed that it would never end, blessed with a constant rotation of greater and greater Games until the end of time.
Those stories are all true, and so many more untold.
Some of You still remember.
We used to count in Millions then, but now We only count in Ones.
Our purpose is to recreate that magical time in Our Analog Time Portal to the 1979(ish) Ottawa Arcade Scene, and Canadian Pinball Culture.
Back in the day, most Arcades were typically filled with Hordes of Teenage Boys, a few sketchy looking Characters, and lone older Guys slinging quarters and occasionally barking to said Hordes to stop cursing or shaking the Games followed by a stern “One more time and You’re out!”.
Women? Children? Families? Not so much. They were seldom seen.
And if They were, the odds of Them being “comfortable” would be quite low in fact.
We kept the Pinball, the Pacman, the Zeppelin, the décor, and even Disco, but Bullying, Discrimination, Intimidation, Stereotyping, Sexism, or any behaviour which infringes on the ability for All to share the Arcade in a stress free environment have been written out of the book, and left in the past where they belong, as the dark example by which we define the light, exposing such archaic behaviour as an example.
Bear in mind, the Arcade is based on the Personal Fantasy Pinball Arcade of Mike’s Youth, and these are issues and behaviours Mike has dealt with and spent a lifetime fighting against, and it is Our will that the Arcade reflect the perhaps better adjectivized “Utopian Fantasy Pinball Arcade of Mike’s Youth”.
In Our vision, Kids are more than welcome, and We encourage Family Play, reflected in our Family friendly hand painted Pacman and Pinball Art are displayed to welcome younger Guests, while making Our not as young Guests feel more so.
Of course, We welcome the not as young 40 and 50 something Hordes of Teenage Boys from the 70’s and 80’s by all means, but in Our version of 1979, We also encourage You to come either alone, or with Your whole extended Family! Or with Whoever You Wish to share the Experience.
Playing alongside All others while ensuring They are also comfortable in the Pinball saturated environment They longed to enjoy as younger Children back in the 70’s, and let today’s Younger Generation have a break from Their I-phones and get Experienced with Pinball as their Parents and Grandparents did then, right here in Ottawa, in 2018, and beyond!
