Hmmm... looks like rain...

[logicprobe]

For those of you thinking about automatic ball returns, consider this:


Balls rain on pachinko gambler's head
2004.08.26

MAEBASHI -- Part of a pachinko parlor ceiling here collapsed under the weight of pachinko balls, causing thousands of metal balls to fall into the parlor and injure a customer, police said Thursday.
At around 2:50 p.m., a 1-square-meter part of the ceiling of the Jalan 6342 pachinko parlor in the Hiyoshicho district of Maebashi fell through, sending about 88,000 pachinko balls weighing a total of 400 kilograms into the parlor, according to investigators.

Of about 250 customers, a 63-year-old woman suffered slight head injuries after being hit by some of the balls. Nobody else was wounded in the incident.

A massive number of pachinko balls leaked from a junction in one of the pipes circulating balls above the ceiling, and piled up on the ceiling. Because of their weight, the 1-square-meter part of the ceiling fell through, according to investigators.

An investigator quoted one of the customers as saying, "pachinko balls fell like rain." (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Aug. 26, 2004)

[gwarzin]

That's one way to get around the 15 ball payout limitation.

[Tulsa]

Talk about your jackpots! That injured woman can proably sue and make more than she was ever going to make playing with her own balls! 8)

[Bilko44]

Law suits? We don't need no stinkin' law suits!

Japan isn't as law suit happy as the US.

If it had occurred in the US all the customers would rush to the loose balls and fake a fall, lay on the floor and call their blood-sucking attorney on their cell phone while demanding a strawberry daiquiri from the cocktail waitress.

[arbycoffee]

The owner will see to her care and bring her flowers and ask for her to forgive him of all the problems he has cause her. he will make a amends both to save face and clear his guilt