Alex Yenni recently endeavored to take his wife and 5-year-old son
bowling with another family in Petaluma, Calif., close to their home. The plan quickly went into the gutter.
Mr. Yenni, a 42-year-old advertising executive, tried to book online in advance at AMF Boulevard Lanes, where he wanted to reserve two lanes for two hours at 3 p.m. on the last Thursday of the year during winter break.
