For no particular reason, perhaps it was on a whim, I decided to drive the 20 minutes for me, down to Bloomington and check out their only bowling alley. It's the only one I'm aware of and for a city of this size, I would think there would be more than one. A Yelp search returns this location as the only bowling alley in Bloomington. It does not list the one on the IU campus probably because it is for students and not the public.
The location was not so easy to find even with GPS. I missed the first turn because it didn't look like a street but more like a driveway. Eventually arriving close to my destination, I found the building is located behind a row of buildings on a main road and then set back out of sight on a side street to accommodate a large parking lot.
Upon arrival I saw half of the overheard lights turned off making it rather dark inside. The counter person gave me an open lane sandwiched between two sets of young children. Out of 32 lanes, everyone was crammed into the last eight lanes all bunched up together. The other 24 lanes were empty on a day when no leagues were due to bowl per their website. Could I not get a lane without having to share the ball return with people that don't know proper bowling etiquette? It is customary to wait for the person next to you to take their turn so they have no distractions. This was not the case with both sets of people on either side of me, including the adults and the children.
Then someone turned on the music on these large speakers mounted every ten feet or so. It was so loud people had to shout to be heard. I happen to be on a phone call and had to step outside the building to talk. I could not hear them and vice versa. If it was later in the evening I could understand but it in the middle of the afternoon. I wasn't there to party, I was trying to practice my bowling skills which takes concentration. I found it too difficult to concentrate with their blaring offensive music.
Then there was the snack bar. It was closed! There were no alternatives. No vending machines providing liquid refreshments and a big sign on the door that said no outside food or drink is allowed. Is bowling a sport? Hydration during sporting events is not allowed here?
I bowled four frames and left; never to return. I donated my remaining games to the children next to me. read more