Let me tell you about the jousting incident of '87, because I still have the insurance paperwork to prove it. Knight Flyer was one of those cabinets that just brought out the competitive fire in people. Gorgeous machine — layered parallax backgrounds, this incredible dragon boss that showed up every fourth level with a roar that shook the speakers. Kids would line up six deep waiting for a turn.
So these two kids — brothers, maybe thirteen and fifteen — they're going at it on a head-to-head match. I mean going at it. Elbowing, trash-talking, the whole nine yards. One of them pulls off some combo that knocks the other guy's knight right off the griffin, and the younger one just loses it. He shoves his brother. His brother shoves back. And before I can get out from behind the counter, they've grabbed onto the cabinet and the whole thing goes over. Six hundred pounds of wood, glass, and electronics, just toppling like a domino.
The screen cracked right down the middle. The coin box lid popped open on impact and quarters went rolling across the floor in every direction. Kids are diving for quarters like it's a game show. I'm standing there watching my beautiful Knight Flyer lying on its side thinking about how much this is going to cost me. The two brothers just froze. They knew they were done.
I banned them for a month. Their mom came in the next day and paid for half the repairs, which I thought was decent of her. But here's the thing — a month later, both kids show up at the door with a hand-drawn card. Colored pencils, the whole deal. It said "Sorry Sal" with a little drawing of the Knight Flyer cabinet. I still have that card somewhere in a box. I let them back in. They never touched each other in my arcade again.
PACIFIC MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CLAIM FORM
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Policy #: PM-88231-ARC
Claimant: Galaxy Zone Arcade
14208 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91405
Date of Incident: March 14, 1987
Time: Approx. 4:15 PM
Nature of Incident:
CUSTOMER ALTERCATION — CABINET TOPPLED
Equipment Damaged:
Knight Flyer arcade cabinet (1986)
- CRT monitor: CRACKED (replacement req.)
- Coin mechanism: DAMAGED (lid separated)
- Side panel art: SCRATCHED/SCUFFED
- Cabinet frame: STRUCTURAL STRESS
Estimated Damage: $1,840.00
Claim Amount: $1,840.00
Deductible: $500.00
Adjuster Notes:
"First arcade-related claim in our
30 years. Frankly wasn't sure which
form to use."
Status: APPROVED — CHECK MAILED 4/2/87
"I'd never seen a cabinet go down like that. Quarters rolling everywhere, kids scrambling. It was like a slot machine jackpot, except I was the one paying." — Sal "Pixel" Martinez
_____ | _ | | |_| | - Sal "Pixel" Martinez | _ / Galaxy Zone Arcade |_| \_\ Est. 1982