A klutzy California woman was freed from the inside of a Chuck E. Cheese arcade game after shoving her arm into a narrow tube, all while a small armada of confused children watched on.
The young woman — who had to sit on her knees to even fit inside the capsule designed for young children — was rescued by a crew with the Burbank Fire Department around 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, officials said.
The “Snow Day!” machine has users step inside where soft “snow” balls rain down on them. Users are to then place the balls into the indicated scoring holes to rack up points.
The game is only supposed to last a few minutes, but the woman’s attempt to cheat the system turned it into a nearly one-hour ordeal after she got her arm snagged in a narrow tunnel.
The entire time, a group of children seated in the booths watched on in clear fascination as the firefighters worked to get the helpless woman out, according to a video captured by curious bystanders.
The game doesn’t typically pose a risk to players, a spokesperson for Chuck E. Cheese assured, adding that the “young adult was playing one of the games intended for children and decided to stick their arm in a hole not intended for hands or arms.”
The arcade game was created for some of the youngest children, according to the Coastal Amusements website.
“‘Snow Day’ is a perfect game for the younger audience and fills an under-served age gap in our industry,” the website states.
The woman was freed from the game by firefighters. She was uninjured and “continued to enjoy an evening of fun with the family,” according to the restaurant chain.
In late July, a mascot for the famed family arcade chain was arrested on the job for credit card theft charges. The crook, fully dressed in the Chuck E. Cheese costume, was escorted out of the Florida establishment in handcuffs during a kids’ birthday party.
Near the booths, a gaggle of wide-eyed toddlers watched as their beloved Chuck was hauled away to a waiting patrol cruiser outside.
Chuck E. Cheese recently opened a spin-off arcade intended for adults, swapping out games like the ill-fated “Snow Day!” for gore-filled arcade games not fit for children — and an expanded menu including alcohol for its now-legal base.
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