Where a kid can be a kid…and watch brawling adults

I am pretty sure I had a birthday at Chuck E. Cheese when I was like 5 and had a really good time.

I do remember one friend who bit Chuck E. Cheese in the tail cause he thought Chuck was attacking his mother.

I don’t remember seeing any grownups throw down.

But maybe I wasn’t watching close enough (via Adfreak):

It isn’t clear exactly how often fights break out at Chuck E. Cheese’s 538 locations…

But in some cities, law-enforcement officials say the number of disruptions at their local outlet is far higher than at nearby restaurants, and even many bars.

…

Law-enforcement officials say alcohol, loud noise, thick crowds and the high emotions of children’s birthday parties make the restaurants more prone to disputes than other family entertainment venues.

The environment also brings out what security experts call the “mama-bear instinct.” A Chuck E. Cheese’s can take on some of the dynamics of the animal kingdom, where beasts rush to protect their young when they sense a threat.

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This article describes a brawl involving 80 people at a Chuck E. Cheese in Flint, Michigan earlier this year:

Police still aren’t sure exactly what sparked a brawl among 80 people Saturday night at Chuck E Cheese, 3489 Miller Road.

The first call came in at 8:53 p.m. concerning a fight among three teenage girls at the pizza parlor. A Genesee County Sheriff’s paramedic and state troopers quickly got the fight under control, and canceled other officers headed that way to back them up.

But a few minutes later, the officers sent out a second call as the fight erupted again, and quickly turned into “a knock-down, drag-out between 75 and 80 people,” said Flint Township police Sgt. Tim Jones.

Maybe Chuck E. Cheese has struck just the right balance of low entertainment to kid ratio, annoying sounds and flashing lights, and crappy parenting that would drive anyone to smack the person next to them.

Add an economically depressed city as a backdrop and it’s over.

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Here’s a music video that seems to accurately capture the zeitgeist of the situation: