The Boy Who Cried Bingo
Friday, 29 March 2013 | Written by Rachel Collins
It is inevitable that during the year there will be outlandish incidents that come to light in the global media. Here at www.WikiBingo.co.uk we take a particular interest in when these incidents occur in the bingo world. There can be some rather amusing events that transpire, giving us all the opportunity to have a giggle. In recent news there has been plenty of turmoil engulfing the UK bingo industry, so it is about time that he offset that with a funny story. This story that we are about to share is all the way from across the Atlantic. To be honest, that’s because it could only be the Americans to take such a drastic step.
Kentucky is a US state noted for Bourbon production and horse racing. And from this moment forth, it will also be known as the state that banned a teenager from uttering the word ‘bingo’. Austyn Whaley had been sitting in a bingo hall during a session in which a number of bingo games were held. The 18-year-old, presumably out of boredom or amusement, took it upon himself to call ‘bingo’. The problem with doing this was that Austyn had not actually completed all of the numbers on the bingo card. Anybody that has played bingo before will likely have come across a young grandson or son attempting to do something similar. Such incidents are inevitable, much like the old adage ‘boys will be boys’.
Austyn and a couple of friends had went into the bingo hall with the intention of doing some amusing, and it appeared that calling ‘bingo’ was the best they could come up with. However, the misguided group was apprehended by an off-duty police officer who was moonlighting as a security card on the premises. He decided that the best decision would be to arrest the teen after a ruckus ensued in the wake of his false claim. The game ceased because it was though that somebody had won, so there was confusion for a few minutes before the game started again.
Surprisingly, the furore in the hall was pretty much entirely caused by the elderly females in attendance. They took it upon themselves to shout and swear at the teen for interrupting their game. The police officer’s explanation that the ladies take their bingo seriously is underlined by the fact that he felt it necessary to arrest the boy. It is moments like this where you realise how great online bingo is, with minimal potential for false claims to be made on full hose wins. Following the incident, Austyn Whaley was ordered to appear before a judge for sentencing.
Shockingly, it would have been possible for the teen to receive 90 days in jail as well as a $250 fine. The judge instead opted for leniency and sentenced him to not say the word ‘bingo’ for six months. The entire incident has captured the attention of the global media, even seeing the teen culprit appear on a national TV show to recount his tale.
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