Dear Room Escape Operators,
Y’all know I love you, so you know this is coming from the heart.
You cannot have my cell phone while I play your game. It’s not happening. I’m not giving it to you.
I have a life and a career, and whether I like it or not, my iPhone is essential in holding it all together.
My mobile device is the most valuable thing I carry on me. Not my wallet. Not my keys.
When you’re holding a pretty wooden box with the little diary lock in front of my face, asking that I relinquish my phone to you, the answer is, “No thanks… I’ll just leave it in my pocket while I play your game.”
You may retort, “But we have a policy that you’re not allowed to have your phone with you in the room. If you have your phone, you might pull it out… You might spoil our game!”
To which I will point out that there’s a long list of rules that I have to follow in your game. If I can refrain from sticking metal objects into your electrical sockets, jumping out your windows, unplugging your carefully setup devices, smashing your beautifully crafted room, running, climbing, futzing with the blinds, or touching things that have a “do not touch” sticker on them… Then I can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that I can spend sixty minutes without grasping at my phone.
And, you’re watching on a camera.
Some of you just made me sign a waiver saying that you aren’t responsible for anything. I think I’ll keep my phone in my own possession.
It takes some serious stones to demand that your customers waive you of all liability, even for negligence, and then demand that they surrender their valuables to you.
If you have policies like this, I urge you to reconsider. Room escapes require a lot of trust.
Your players need to trust you enough to let you imprison them.
You need to trust your players enough to let them feel comfortable in your game.
Besides, if someone wants to steal or spoil your game, they don’t need photos to do it.
Hugs and kisses,
David
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