Monopoly will have a hotline open from December 24 – 26 with “experts on hand” to settle any disputes before this Christmas ends with a flipped table and hurt feelings. The experts will have the rule books handy with the hopes that a ruling from an official will keep the eggnog in your cup and off your sibling’s sweater.
The most common cause of quarrels was due to people “making up the rules as they go along”. Smug players who gloat at their good fortune were second on the list of reasons Monopoly games ended badly, according to a survey of 2,000 adults. Someone deliberately buying property they know you want, even if they don’t need it, was also a cause of tension. The poll discovered some Monopoly-based bust-ups have had far-reaching consequences. One parent recalled leading a game against their 14-year-old son, who became so enraged he threw the board across the room, scattering the pieces everywhere, before slamming the door and going to bed – at 7pm. The survey also revealed the extent of cheating in Monopoly.
God bless the folks at Monopoly who came up with this idea. We may even get a game going ourselves, on the off chance we get to use it.
And today we celebrate...