What Next? Dancing?

“Why should I have to go to Pembroke to play Pac Man?”

George Mallet, Video arcade game afficionado

Twenty-nine years ago—the year the term “Internet” was first used, the personal computer was named Time Magazine Man of the Year, and CDs were introduced—townsfolk in Marshfield, Massachusetts (population 25,137) were dealing with technology issues of their own. Video arcades had come to town, and folks didn’t like it one bit. A town meeting was held, and the citizens passed a ban on video arcade games in all businesses.

Fast forward to today, the 21st century, and computers are everywhere—homes, cars, phones, airports, restaurants, shops . . . you get the idea. Certainly the townsfolk don’t mean it anymore, do they? They must’ve simply forgotten the dusty old bylaw was still on the books. That’s what long-time resident George Mallet thought. He petitioned the town to reconsider. Fair enough, the town put it to a vote last month, and whaddya know? They meant it. In a vote of 655 to 554, the good citizens of Marshfield upheld the ban on video arcade games. And it looks like the ban is here to stay. Back in 1982 when the bylaw was originally passed, every appeal failed, including a request to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.

This got me to thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if we really could turn back the hands of time? Our walkmans would be tuned in to Thriller, we’d be watching ET at the theater, and gas would be $1.30 a gallon.  

Read the Article ® New England town keeps 29-year-old ban on arcades