What would you do?

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play the owner of my pool hall every week. He wins I pay double for the table time. I win I get the table time and drinks free. Its nothing serious just friends playing for some bragging rights. So that was the situation I was in.

We were about 5 games in and a group of around 6 guys came and played on the table directly next to us. No big deal. Then they all take their shoes off and they HAD NO SOCKS ON...wtf? Right, they were all Chinese...maybe that's how they roll in China idk...but the smell of feet was off putting to say the least. They were playing some kind of combination between a card game and pool and were having a great time but they were being really loud. They could of all been slightly deaf...idk. No big deal. But everyone, around 30 or so people in the pool hall were getting pissed. They all stood around the table so shooting a shot on the side closest to their table became impossible so everytime (like 15 times, after the 2nd you'd realize) I had to ask them if I could just squeeze in and shoot my shot. No big deal.

The combination of smelly feet, shouting and having no common decency started to piss me off. Then as I'm down to take a shot one of the guys (I'd say twice my age and in his 50s) bumps into me pushing me off balance and making me miscue like a MF. I stand up, he looks at me I look at him waiting for the appology and he turns around and acts like nothing happend. So I confront him and get a tonne of abuse in Chinese so I offer to wrap his cue around his face. Now no violence happened and the owner told them to pay and leave, which they did.

I was thinking after if I could have handled the situation better. And regretted the way I conducted my self. I lost my cool and that wasn't cool.

What would you guys have done?
 
Pidge said:
I play the owner of my pool hall every week. He wins I pay double for the table time. I win I get the table time and drinks free. Its nothing serious just friends playing for some bragging rights. So that was the situation I was in.

We were about 5 games in and a group of around 6 guys came and played on the table directly next to us. No big deal. Then they all take their shoes off and they HAD NO SOCKS ON...wtf? Right, they were all Chinese...maybe that's how they roll in China idk...but the smell of feet was off putting to say the least. They were playing some kind of combination between a card game and pool and were having a great time but they were being really loud. They could of all been slightly deaf...idk. No big deal. But everyone, around 30 or so people in the pool hall were getting pissed. They all stood around the table so shooting a shot on the side closest to their table became impossible so everytime (like 15 times, after the 2nd you'd realize) I had to ask them if I could just squeeze in and shoot my shot. No big deal.

The combination of smelly feet, shouting and having no common decency started to piss me off. Then as I'm down to take a shot one of the guys (I'd say twice my age and in his 50s) bumps into me pushing me off balance and making me miscue like a MF. I stand up, he looks at me I look at him waiting for the appology and he turns around and acts like nothing happend. So I confront him and get a tonne of abuse in Chinese so I offer to wrap his cue around his face. Now no violence happened and the owner told them to pay and leave, which they did.

I was thinking after if I could have handled the situation better. And regretted the way I conducted my self. I lost my cool and that wasn't cool.

What would you guys have done?
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What would I do? I'd tell the manager to go forth and multiply, for starters. Unless you've absolutely no chance of losing to the guy, he's screwing you. He'll get free table time, obviously, but he'll also have a comp allowance for drinks. It costs him nothing, win or lose.

I'd also used the word "pissed" more judiciously as well. It doesn't mean angry where we're from. ;)

ps how well do the chinese lads play - ever seen one that's any good? There are hundreds in my pool hall, none of which can hold a cue.
 
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Managers a mate of mine. Can't play to save his life. Obviously he doesn't want to give free drinks and table time away but he's a competative old sod! Correction - *stupid competative old sod.

Funny you mention about them not being able to play. I'd say 90% of people that use the American tables here are Chinese and they bring the whole family. None of whome can play to save their life. Maybe if they put some shoes on they might be able to pot a ball!
 
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I would have done you a favor by coming in loudly with my Immigration hat and yelling “Everybody against the wall….I need to see papers…or you go to prison!”
Walking in with a barking K9 dog enhances the effect.
 
As for you, i think your decision was easy, either stay and endure what was going on or unscrewing your cue and leaving since you were outnumbered in the potential shit stirring department. Obviously the owner chose keeping you around over that whole group of weirdos. As for them walking around barefoot which the more i think about it is pretty much the same thing as people wearing sandals or those atrocious flip flops which gives you the same funky smell.

I'd also recommend stopping by a store and picking up one of those "No shirt, No shoes, No service" signs to give to your buddy, at the very least it will be a laugh out loud moment and worth the $5 sign...lol.

P.S. I hate sandals and flip flops. Every time i see someone wearing them i get a vision of the first time a caveman tied leaves to his feet. I think we've evolved to better footwear than that at least in 1st world countries.
 
Besides the fact none of them could reach the CB in the centre of the table there was 30 or so other people willing to bend them over and take their manhood with a cue. So I think I was covered on the shit stirring front.

As for their pool ability...nah I stand by the fact every and I mean every Chinese player I've seen in my pool hall can not run 5 balls. They don't play with the right type of cue for a start. All play with an 8mm brass ferrule house cue. The 13mm house cues aren't that bad for a house cue!
 
Why didn't the owner step in earlier and tactfully give them corrective direction?

Did any of them speaka da english?

That sounded like a torturous session. If I couldn't switch tables, or have them switch, and/or the owner couldn't get them in line - heck - I wouldn't want to continue playing. I'd be steaming too.
 
Pidge said:
They were playing some kind of combination between a card game and pool and were having a great time but they were being really loud.

Then as I'm down to take a shot one of the guys (I'd say twice my age and in his 50s) bumps into me pushing me off balance and making me miscue like a MF. I stand up, he looks at me I look at him waiting for the appology and he turns around and acts like nothing happend. So I confront him and get a tonne of abuse in Chinese so I offer to wrap his cue around his face.
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A devil's advocate might put you on their side of it. They're just out to have some fun, and some cranky white guy keeps getting in the way and tries to start something with your friends.

The person who bumped your cue probably doesn't know much about playing anyway. He had no way to know you were gambling (whatever the stakes might have been) or that pool is a serious sport to you. As far he was concerned, you might have just been another pretty boy American with a stick up his arse.

I don't agree with their behavior but perspective helps sometimes. I probably would have said something before to the effect of, "Gents, I'm trying to play a game here, could I have a little room?"

Some people don't understand manners in a pool hall and if they aren't pool players they just won't have them. They also come from a different culture where personal space has a different meaning. How offensive is it to a devout Muslim that we let our women speak without being asked to? Or show their faces in public? That's pretty obnoxious if you look at it from their point of view.
 
Pidge said:
I play the owner of my pool hall every week. He wins I pay double for the table time. I win I get the table time and drinks free. Its nothing serious just friends playing for some bragging rights. So that was the situation I was in.

We were about 5 games in and a group of around 6 guys came and played on the table directly next to us. No big deal. Then they all take their shoes off and they HAD NO SOCKS ON...wtf? Right, they were all Chinese...maybe that's how they roll in China idk...but the smell of feet was off putting to say the least. They were playing some kind of combination between a card game and pool and were having a great time but they were being really loud. They could of all been slightly deaf...idk. No big deal. But everyone, around 30 or so people in the pool hall were getting pissed. They all stood around the table so shooting a shot on the side closest to their table became impossible so everytime (like 15 times, after the 2nd you'd realize) I had to ask them if I could just squeeze in and shoot my shot. No big deal.

The combination of smelly feet, shouting and having no common decency started to piss me off. Then as I'm down to take a shot one of the guys (I'd say twice my age and in his 50s) bumps into me pushing me off balance and making me miscue like a MF. I stand up, he looks at me I look at him waiting for the appology and he turns around and acts like nothing happend. So I confront him and get a tonne of abuse in Chinese so I offer to wrap his cue around his face. Now no violence happened and the owner told them to pay and leave, which they did.

I was thinking after if I could have handled the situation better. And regretted the way I conducted my self. I lost my cool and that wasn't cool.

What would you guys have done?
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Dude sometimes you just have to bust some skull,or cut some toes off smelly feet to get the point across<i would have shoved that stick up his a!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You did not do wrong and sometimes you have to meet force with force,as its the only language low lifes understand.
 
Them damn "forners"

Pidge said:
I play the owner of my pool hall every week. He wins I pay double for the table time. I win I get the table time and drinks free. Its nothing serious just friends playing for some bragging rights. So that was the situation I was in.










We were about 5 games in and a group of around 6 guys came and played on the table directly next to us. No big deal. Then they all take their shoes off and they HAD NO SOCKS ON...wtf? Right, they were all Chinese...maybe that's how they roll in China idk...but the smell of feet was off putting to say the least. They were playing some kind of combination between a card game and pool and were having a great time but they were being really loud. They could of all been slightly deaf...idk. No big deal. But everyone, around 30 or so people in the pool hall were getting pissed. They all stood around the table so shooting a shot on the side closest to their table became impossible so everytime (like 15 times, after the 2nd you'd realize) I had to ask them if I could just squeeze in and shoot my shot. No big deal.
The combination of smelly feet, shouting and having no common decency started to piss me off. Then as I'm down to take a shot one of the guys (I'd say twice my age and in his 50s) bumps into me pushing me off balance and making me miscue like a MF. I stand up, he looks at me I look at him waiting for the appology and he turns It's so easy to criticize those who are different, isn't it? around and acts like nothing happend. So I confront him and get a tonne of abuse in Chinese so I offer to wrap his cue around his face. Now no violence happened and the owner told them to pay and leave, which they did.

I was thinking after if I could have handled the situation better. And

regretted the way I conducted my self. I lost my cool and that wasn't cool.

What would you guys have done?
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Easy solution. Round up all them Chineses and send them back where they came from. ???

Chinese culture, believe it or not, has a different history than the US. Millions of people on this planet have never owned a pair of shoes, and may choose not to.

An alternative solution to insults or potential violence in your earth-shaking situation with the Chinese might have been be to speak to them. And don't give me this, "They don't speak English"; I have four Chinese neighbors (we share a garden) who barely speak English, but somehow we manage to communicate...

My personal experience with the Chinese is they are rather polite, caring and thoughtful people.

By the way, I've met a number of Americans who choose not to wear shoes or anything on their feet.
 
You were playing with the owner. If I were in a calm mood, I would have asked the Owner to either (1) Move to a table sufficiently far away where they at least wouldn't bump you and the foot smell couldn't be detected; (2) Ask the Owner to inform them of some basic etiquette and tell him you'll wait to play while he covers it; or (3) Tell the Owner you can't take the smell, yelling and general bad manners, you'll see him later.

Were I in a stupid mood, I would have (1) Tried to politely discuss this with the Chinese guys myself; as that failed (2) Tell them they're a bunch of assholes and on the verge of getting their asses kicked; or (3) Waited until the guy that bumped me was in stroke, then shoved him hard enough to push him into the table, then say "so solly".

Obviously, one of the first three would be the most intelligent. 20 years ago, 99% chance I'd taken one of the latter 3. 10 years ago, about 66.67% chance I'd taken one of the latter 3. 5 years ago, about 50/50. I'd like to think that if this were to happen to me tomorrow, there's a 90% plus chance I'd choose one of the first 3. It's only taken me 55 years of living to act intelligently 90% of the time. :embarrassed2:
 
When you walked around the table to where they were, just put you heel down first real hard on their toes:eek:. Don't forget to say I'm so sorry and excuse me! :rolleyes:
 
Pidge said:
I was thinking after if I could have handled the situation better. And regretted the way I conducted my self. I lost my cool and that wasn't cool.

What would you guys have done?
Click to expand...
I would have paid, left and washed my feet.

Freddie <~~~ may those that have no smell on their feet throw the first Odor Eaters
 
No chance of me just paying and leaving. A few games away from getting my beer and table for free!

Some have mentioned saying something before the wrapping of cues around faces commenced. Maybe. But when I did say something I just got a torrent of abuse in a high pitched squeal. Idk for all I know he could have been in a bad mood for forgetting to put his socks and shoes on when he left home.
 
I just want to thank you for this post and making me add 1 more item to my case... a box of 100 thumb tacks in case i ever run into a bunch of shoeless asians :thumbup:

A bunch of women who were at my local joint for a Xmas party and who squealed louder than a pig farm every time a ball went near a pocket already got me to add ear plugs a few years ago...lol
 
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