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Chuck E. Cheese and the Notion of Root Cause

By Tom Gehl
Saturday, Jun 14 2008, 06:59 AM

In what seems to have been a proactive acceptance of the inevitable, the managers of CEC Entertainment have decided not to pursue a renewal of their liquor license for the Chuck E. Cheese pizzeria on Bluemound Road.

Those who have followed this story are familiar with the sad saga of unruly parents, confrontations in parking lots, irresponsible use of alcohol, and signs of drug use.  The Town of Brookfield Police Department has logged an incredible eighty-one calls to the venue in 2007 and early 2008; a rate of one every five days.

Aristotle was probably the first to introduce the notion of root cause analysis with his dissertations on "first things".  In business his notions are now called  "root cause analysis", a tool which teaches the need to understand the underlying relationship of cause and effect when trying to eliminate defects or errors. 

So what's the root cause in this matter?

A liquor license is not the root cause of this defect.  I certainly support the Town's position on this matter, but the real root cause is a matter of self-control; or more accuratley stated, the LACK of self-control that has been demonstrated by so many patrons of the establishment. 

It is clear who the real "kids" have been at CEC's over the last sixteen months, and while I am in strong supoprt of the Town's position on this matter, let's not delude ourselvs that a liquor license was the root cause.  

Self-control is a concept we don't hear much about anymore.  It's too limiting - too restrictive for our liberated and progressive age.  Many don't even want to talk about it anymore, much less exhibit it. 

But maybe it's time that we do.

Comments

Larry Knetzger   

Hi Tom, quite a subject . A further investigation of all the complaints might lead a person towards racial profileing. Of course the far left media will not go that route, but lets face it. If you looked at the police reports you just might end up with a group of people that abuse adult beverages more often than not with un-stopable behavior to the point of major proportions and the use of firearms to enforce their liquid courage. Out of control individuals maybe even from out of the immediate area. Milwaukee has lost control of the inharmonious groups of people. Alderman Michael McGee is a great example of the mentality of that group of inharmonious people. What a shameful existence.

June 14, 2008 12:13 PM

muwarrior   

I never saw alcohol being the reason that place is such a mess. I stopped going there because I would take my kids during the day for lunch and there would be loads of daycare kids that would come in big vans and their "caregivers" would just let them run wild and not supervise them. They also wouldn't give them tokens, so - more than once - I would see the daycare kids begging and/or stealing tokens from kids like mine who were given tokens by their parents. They would make the rounds, hitting all the kids or looking for a cup of tokens that someone set on a table for a moment. It made me so sad for these kids.

Not to mention, these kids were of a different race than my kids and now my kids think "those" are the kids that try to steal their tokens at Chuck E Cheese. Not something I need my kids at such a young age talking about.

So I just stopped going there.

June 17, 2008 8:35 AM

Tom Gehl   

I don't believe the issue of self-control is related to race, creed,or gender; it is far too apparent in all cross sections of society.  Our culture comes up with ridiculous aphorisms like "road rage", which in fact is nothing but a lack of self-control.  Self-control is an "equal opportunity" virtue, or conversely, lack of self-control is an "equal opportunity" vice.

June 17, 2008 12:08 PM

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