I've never seen more than one-lane courtesy. Well, perhaps I have, but haven't noticed it. However, I can see how giving two-lane courtesy would is more respectable. When I'm bowling in league, I do in fact notice someone who is on the approach 2 lanes away. It's a bit distracting especially if we start walking at the same time but I deal with it.

One lane is the norm around here for mixed leagues. Two lanes for the high stakes scratch leagues. I figure if you need more then one lane then you are not very focused and/or easily distracted.

If everyone took two or more lanes bowling on a 4 or 5 man team league would seem to take forever.

Erin

I once bowled with a guy in Vermont who was from New Jersey. He expected 2 lanes of courtesy but the league was only a 1 lane league. My teammates warned me about him because he used to get pissy when someone "breached his 2 lanes." Even the deskperson said something to me about him. Me, I didn't care. If the league is a 1 lane league that's all you get, and if you're going to get pissy about it, that's even more reason for me to step up on you.

One night I was on lane 11 and he was stepping up on lane 9. I saw him get up before me and he got onto the approach. So did I just as he was trying to get set (of course I did this on purpose, you know). When I was getting set to bowl, I heard a "bang" on the ball return, which was this guy's ball slamming onto the return and a few cuss words. I laughed to myself for a second, turned around, smiled and winked at him, and threw my ball. After he finished his frame, he came over to me and said, "Hey, my name's Walt and where I come from we got 2 lanes of courtesy. I didn't appreciate you jumping up there on me." I said, "And where are you from?" He said, "New Jersey." I said, "Well Walt, here's the thing; I don't give a rat's a-- who you are, but you're in Vermont now, and this is a one lane courtesy league, so if you want 2 lanes of courtesy, I suggest you take your f------ a-- back to New Jersey. Otherwise, sit down, shut up, and deal with the rules."

After that point he didn't bother me or anyone else. Sad thing is it's not like he was an intimidating person or anything, but it was stupid how people used to "cower" to him. Like I said, if you're going to be an idiot about it and cry about not getting more than what the league allows, then you deserve to get set straight, and he got set straight. People thought I was crazy - here's a 20 year-old guy, new to the league only bowling for a couple of weeks, putting a 50-something year old guy who's bowled there for a few years in his place. As I said, I didn't care. Still don't. If you can't handle one lane, then that's your problem, not mine. If the league says two, then I can accept that and play by the rules.

Some people are such primadonnas, I swear.

Here's another primadonna issue. The splits. When there's a split on the lane next to you, you stop and wait for the bad karma to be cleared off. Well it disturbs the flow of game if you are constantly waiting for splits and washouts to be cleared. Not to mention just being stupidly supersticious. I've gotten up to bowl, waited the required one lane curtesy only to have both lanes on either side of me NOT want to bowl due to splits or washouts on their opposite sides. Now there's 5 lanes being held up for NOTHING.

Last week this happened to me, and I couldn't help it, with karaoke ringin in my head I started singing....."splits to the left of me, washouts to the right, here I am STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU". I struck of course because splits and washouts have no power over me, especially when they are not in my own game.

Erin

I usually just give 1 lane courtesy, but at international competitions when I see someone expects 2, I give them 2. Most of the people know it's a 1 lane courtesy, so they don't get upset if you jump on the approach, while they are 2 lanes away.

But if someone were to get pissed at me, I would start jumping up intentionally.

One thing I am guilty of, though, is that I can't start the approach at the same time as someone 2 lanes away. So if theres someone setting up 2 lanes away, I usually set up and wait until the other guys starts his approach, and then start mine.

I do that too, most of the time. It's distracting if we're set up at the same time but even more so when we start walking at the same time. I try to wait for them to go while I'm in my stance but sometimes they're either doing the same thing as me or they stay in their stance for a while. So it doesn't always work out.

So 2-lane courtesy is not unreasonable but I think for most leagues one is enough. I think it's one thing to get pissy about having your two lanes especially if it's not a rule. But, I think if someone just politely asked to have those two lanes, the people might actually be nice and give it.

I must say though, I've never seen such rediculous things going on in a bowling center as far as arguments, management, etc. Maybe I just haven't been around enough, but at my local center at least, it's normally really calm and there's mutual respect among the people.

humm 1 is it 2 maybe but most people i bowl with went with ya just for the fun of it just to see who would strike out and who wouldn't. they where very good at waiting and even sometimes 2 was there but most was 1 and no one cared. redneck really dont care that much as to what goes on. so yeah i miss them people

2 lanes is the norm at my local lanes where 1 lane is the usual at the one I travel too. 1 is fine for me I dont get distracted by someone 2 lanes over. It does throw you off at first when all you know is 2 lanes.

What I don't like is when I am on the approach, and before I start, the person next to me grabs their ball and runs right up in front of me. I will say something to that person.

I honestly don't know what my league's rule is, but I give 1, and I still don't get out till midnight sometimes. If you need more than 1 lane, you need to work on your mental game. If it wasn't for the fact that this place is so dry that my trail leg ends up on the lane next to me, I could use 0 lanes of courtesy. I practice next to kids - I'm used to it. It is nice to have a little room to run out your shot though