Bowling? Better Look Sharp

If horse racing is the sport of kings, then surely bowling is the sport of the working man (and woman!), which is why Phillyist was delighted to see the new Lucky Strike Lanes open up on Chestnut Street near Broad. Here, we thought, is our chance to hang out with friends, wear some smelly shoes that belong to who-knows who, drink cheap beer, eat bad nachos made with unnaturally Florescent cheese product, make the person closest to us explain again how to score a strike if someone gets it after getting a spare in the final frame, and every so often get up up to throw a heavy metal sphere down the lane only to watch it land in the gutter. Again. (Or you could try to hit the pins; we understand some people prefer that.) Ultimately - a laid back, casual night out where everyone can be themselves and not worry about their footwear or overall fashion.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Lucky Strikes has a dress code...and one that is more stringent than the traditional "you must wear socks" (because renting shoes without them is just...ick.). Amongst the bowling fashion faux pases: sweats, sports jerseys, sleeveless tees, baggy clothing, construction boots, headgear and MC colors; the latter of which apparently stands for "Motorcycle Colors," or colors which identify motorcycle gangs. Phillyist, worried that we were heretofore unaware of the burgeoning motorcycle gang problem which had been going on around us for sometime, asked if this was really a concern. Apparently, it is in California, where Lucky Strike originated, and they haven't updated their signage for the east coast. If they did, I imagine it would read "No DC colors" just so no football fans get their ire up about the Dallas Cowboys while bowling.

We suppose we should just be happy that there's no reference to what language you have to request your shoes in.

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