Quarter goes up... what?

[Dark Jaguar]

Okay so I was basically reading in on some conversation elsewhere on the high interseas (gathering a crew at the pub for a voyage you see) when they are talking about some bizarre arcade custom I never experienced in all the time I've been to arcades.

The idea is simple yet makes no sense. Apparently amongst this tribe, instead of doing something barbaric like "waiting in a line", they would put up a quarter on the machine to indicate they had "next".

How did this work exactly? How COULD it work? Are you telling me they actually would trust that stranger to not just assume it was a gift and TAKE the thing for when they hit a game over? Further, since when are MASS PRODUCED LEGAL TENDER a method of personal identification? Here's how it plays out in my mind.

Someone: I got next, I put that coin up there.

Someone else: No, that's my coin, you are a liar.

First person: No, you are the liar, and I can prove it because.... oh fantastic...

[DMiller]

I have never heard of that before, but I also haven't frequented arcades in quite some time. I would more than likely give someone a dirty look who put a quarter on the machine I was playing.

[A Black Falcon]

I've heard of this... you use the quarters to play the games, after all. Why not?

[Weltall]

Someone places a quarter on a machine I'm using, I call it "free continue".

[Fittisize]

In pool halls and the like I know that if a person puts a loonie on the table then it's a sign that they have the next game. Don't see what's so different about this. Just respect it and don't hog the machine all night.

[EdenMaster]

In pool halls and the like I know that if a person puts a loonie on the table then it's a sign that they have the next game.

You canadians and your wacky money.

[DMiller]

In pool halls and the like I know that if a person puts a loonie on the table then it's a sign that they have the next game. Don't see what's so different about this. Just respect it and don't hog the machine all night.

The way I've usually seen it work is people ask to have next. Are we that anti-social that a crazy Canadian coin (I'm assuming a loonie isn't paper money) must talk for us?

[Dark Jaguar]

I've heard of this... you use the quarters to play the games, after all. Why not?

Well because I have no idea who put it up there. Multiple coins means... what? I ask "who had the 1978?"