I went to Chuck E. Cheese’s last night for a little birthday get together for my Texan friend Sara. Even though it’s a kid place, it’s good for my age people … it helps us feel like kids again.

It’s been a while since I’ve gone to Chuck’s place, and I noticed right after you go in the front door the have the “Kid Check” station, almost like the poor Joe that tears your tickets at the movie theater. At first I couldn’t tell what it was all about since they just let us in without even looking at us, but a little while later I figured it out.

A family with two kids was on their way out and got stopped at the “Kid Check” podium. The worker took the each child by the arm and looked it over as if looking for a stamp … but I couldn’t see anything. Then he looked over Dad’s arm the same way. Every now and then he would hold his hand up to block some of the overhead light so he could see the arm better. I had a pretty good vantage point (right on the other side of the booth). I was looking right where the worker was looking, but I couldn’t see anything.

That’s when I noticed that the light shining from the podium was more than just some neon light. It was a black light. Also sitting on the podium was a big stamp like a librarian would use to stamp the due date on a checked out book, but oddly, it was so clean it looked brand new.

Then the pieces fell into place.

When a family comes into Chuck E. Cheese’s, they all get their arm or hand stamped a matching stamp with special ink that doesn’t show up under normal light. Then the Kid Checker changes the stamp for the next family that comes in. When the family goes to leave, the Checker holds their arm up to the black light to read the stamp. If the child’s stamp matches the adult’s they can leave together. If not … well, I guess they can’t leave together.

I had never thought about it, but a place like Chuck E. Cheese’s is a perfect place to kidnap a kid. While I’m sure there are ways around it, the people at Chuck’s have implemented a great safeguard for their customers.

Kudos to them.

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