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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that it's wrong to put gambling/ fruit machines in the motorway services?

43 replies

Vagabond · 09/08/2012 23:20

I just think about all the families who are safely on their holidays and then they stop at the services. Then either the mother or father enters into the gambling den once again.....it rarely ends well.
How many arguments do you think start or end this holiday? Britain has gone mad with gambling and it's just wrong!

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 09/08/2012 23:22

So they shouldnt have amusement arcades in seaside towns either then?

YABweird.

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:22

Nobody is forced to use the machines and service stations are used by more than just families.

ClaireRacing · 09/08/2012 23:22

Yawn

VolAuVent · 09/08/2012 23:22

YANBU

Minshu · 09/08/2012 23:23

Are you referring to an episode of the Simpsons? Very rarely seen anyone in them and often wondered how they make any money.

NoComet · 09/08/2012 23:24

I hate them. Seems totally wrong to put them somewhere do unavoidable.

usualsuspect · 09/08/2012 23:25

No ones forced to use them though.

Original poster
Vagabond · 09/08/2012 23:27

I agree - but problem gamblers don't see it that way and fruit machines are addictive. My point is that motorway services are 'family' or 'travelling' places that shouldn't have such distractions. I know of a family who sat in their car for an hour + while waiting for Daddy to play the machines when they were all geared to drive to France! I think it's too much temptation.

OP posts:
crescentmoon · 09/08/2012 23:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:28

That's a problem with that family not with having fruit machines around though.

hairylemon · 09/08/2012 23:28

Grin unavoidable, yea those £5 ginster pasties and meerkat toys are essential!

Original poster
Vagabond · 09/08/2012 23:30

Claire...if you want to yawn, go to bed. I can't stand people like you. How did you even find the effort to post?

Gambling is a massive problem in this country. I just don't find the need to impose it on our SERVICES. Just saying.

OP posts:
RubyFakeNails · 09/08/2012 23:30

Motorway services aren't family places they are mainly people who drive for work regularly, so drivers, salesmen etc

Those places are full of junk food establishments, condom machines and I'm pretty sure I've en a few pubs or bars. So food, sex and alcohol addiction are all covered what makes gambling so special.

Do you have experience or someone you know of gambling addiction because you sound as if it's made you much more conscious of it all.

Original poster
Vagabond · 09/08/2012 23:31

Sirzy, it's not a problem with the family waiting in the car. It's the problem of the addicted gambler in the services. Can't you see that?

OP posts:
usualsuspect · 09/08/2012 23:32

Yes its his problem

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:33

I meant it is a problem for that family as a whole it certainly isn't the fault of the service station if he wants to leave his family sat in the car for an hour.

VolAuVent · 09/08/2012 23:34

Motorway Services are family places, because many families go there. And it's not as though there are lots of convenient alternatives to them.

If they're going to have a gambling section they could at least put it in its own separate closed room instead of all visible to passers-by. I can understand why families wouldn't want to see all this "normalising" of a gambling culture.

usualsuspect · 09/08/2012 23:34

Exactly Sirzy.

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:34

What harm is walking past a fruit machine going to do? Some serious over reactions here!

BertieBotts · 09/08/2012 23:35

I guess it is slightly irresponsible in that they tend to make money from people who are addicted to them, and in a service station you have a captive audience. Whereas it might be easy enough to avoid pubs and arcades if you were really struggling, you have to stop at motorway services at some point.

My ex was addicted to fruit machines, once he drove us at about 4am to a service station so he could play on them Confused Pre DC and I got an alright cooked breakfast and a nice sunrise drive out of it, but ... yeah.

usualsuspect · 09/08/2012 23:36

Plenty of family pub type places have fruit machines in.

Original poster
Vagabond · 09/08/2012 23:36

Sirzy, that's the whole bleeding point.. The SERVICES shouldn't have them. It's hardly a service to give addicted gamblers a place to stop and have a good ole gamble while their family waits...and waits...

I do appreciate that I am vexed about this.

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 09/08/2012 23:37

Motorway services have had fruit machines for as long as I can remember, as have pubs, cafes, and hotels.

Should we start putting everything behind closed doors... ridiculous!

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:38

You can't blame the services for his problem. A lot of people enjoy chucking a few quid in a machine and can do so with no problem.

We best get rid of pubs all together as they will encourage alcoholics. Close all bookies as that encourages people to become addicted to alcohol. Could carry on all day

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 09/08/2012 23:38

Surely if you followed that logic through, you'd have to ban all amuseument arcades?

Seafront ones would be definite no's because there are children on beaches.