I'd always thought of backgammon as a bit of “an old man's game”. However, imagine you’re strolling in Istanbul on a road full of nargile- water pipes places, on narrow, cozy streets and you watch locals playing backgammon with buddies, while drinking the cheapest beer on top of tiny chairs and eat delicious home plates of traditional cuisine. This imagines seems so Turkish-like, right? Well, wake up and smell the taste of “modern” times, when you’re fined for playing petanque on your neighbor lawn or backgammon with your gang.
Starting today, you won’t see any backgammon board on the streets of Istanbul, as a recent municipal patrol regulation had banned this rather harmful street gaming. There is no word whether they’re going to fine chess players or arrest bingo ladies as well.
However, Backgammon is a very popular game in Turkey and it has a couple of pros in the field, like Tunc Hamarat- the famous Turkish chess players might have seen this coming when he decided to move to Vienna. Hamarat plays backgammon professionally and loves Jazz, which makes us love him!
Anatolia news agency has also compared playing backgammon on the streets with “taking a walk with the dog by the seaside, as both actions are to result in a fine of YTL 125 in the Mediterranean region's Alanya district”. Apparently, the new regulation consists of no less than 190 crazy articles which are set to be announced next week. Wait till you see that coming! Besides dog owners or backgammon players, those who do not give up their seats to elderly or pregnant people on public buses will be fined YTL 125. Does it make any sense to you?
Moreover, all the owners of little shops and stores are going to be responsible for cleaning the street in front of their stores, and they will be fined YTL 125 if they do not keep it clean... of dust, chess players, backgammon or dogs or whatever they may find!
Furthermore, places of entertainment such as clubs and bars are also going to be fined YTL 250 if they are found not to have security cameras and they will be fined another YTL 500 if they still do not have them in a second check. And the places that are still found to be lacking cameras during a third check will be fined YTL 750 and will be shut down for a week. And if the 4th time there is still no sign of camera, they’re going to burn the place down. (kiddin’)Auch!
Other interesting bans, which are being analyzed by the residents of Alanya, concern the drivers who splash water and dirt at pedestrians on the streets, intentionally or not, they will be fined YTL 125.
Not to mention, drinking alcoholic beverages in parks and gardens is banned, and those who do not comply will be fined YTL 125. All the hairdressers have to have a washing machine in the shop. Nevertheless, all personnel dealing with customers must have an identification badge. Stepping on lawns and flowers will be fined with YTL 125, according to the new and bit ‘wacky’ regulations.
I just wonder if they realize that banning street backgammon will encourage all those pensioners who have formed clubs for social play of backgammon to move their businesses online, where they can play for real money and not for Turkish delight, which means more online casinos, more money and more addicts! The Backgammon street-style is dead. Long live online casinos! I just hope I won’t get fined for this!
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