Teenager whining at arcade - any suggestions on how to tell them no if they go bowling in a couple weeks from now?

[LindaMtchell]

About a week ago, me and some of my friends went out to Hollywood Bowl, and they brought their teenage boy along.
The kid (C) wanted to play a Jurassic Park arcade game, but we were there to bowl, not play games, but he kept begging to play it. He ended up sitting inside the machine, and his dad (F) and another dad (T) had to go & get him out because C wouldn’t move.
Is there a way to try and get him to stop whining in public?

Was it really a big deal if he played the machine?

Well, the parents I was with said to him “we aren’t here for the games.”

Also, he appeared to be 17-19 years old, and he threw a fit when his parents told him no. FFS

Why is it so important to not play the arcade game?

That all sounds like unnecessary drama stemming from an unnecessary lack of flexibility. Presumably the idea had been to go to the venue and have fun. Is it really such a big deal if that fun involves something other than the initially stated activity?

He may have acted like a child much younger than his age, but that's how he was being treated. Let the boy play his arcade game if it means that much to him, don't react to tantrums and don't insist on unnecessary rules.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.