“Can I leave my bowling ball in the car?” is one of the most common questions asked for several decades. This is primarily because leaving stuff in our cars is a realistic scenario and a seemingly practical solution for people who have to go to other places without bringing every single thing with them.
However, much like leaving other things in a car, there is a danger to be considered with bowling balls. To know the answer to the question posed above, continue reading!
Should Bowling Balls Be Left In Cars?
Absolutely not!
Bowling balls are crafted with different materials and layers all the way from the weight block inside to the coverstock and paint layer outside. This may lead to cracking or breaking of certain regions of the bowling ball which will negatively affect how the ball performs on the bowling lanes.
Conditions in a parked car will never be ideal for a bowling ball. Let’s look at the related aspects that affect the integrity of the bowling ball when inside a car.
Time or Duration
Leaving your bowling ball in the car for 10-15 minutes every now and then may be okay compared to leaving it inside for several hours, but you have to consider the cumulative effect of those short durations.
There is no general time or number of hours when the bowling ball will break. As mentioned earlier, there are different materials that go into a bowling ball, so the best practice is to avoid the practice of storing the bowling ball in the car as much as possible.
Temperature
Constant changes in temperature will cause constant expansion and contraction in any object or material, and that includes bowling balls.
The heat will generally make the ball expand and the cold will make the ball contract. In general, varying temperature conditions exist everywhere, but when a bowling ball is left inside a car, the effect of temperature is exacerbated.
Humidity
A humid environment means that there is a lot of moisture in the air, and when this moisture seeps into bowling balls, it can spell disaster if paired with constant temperature swings.
Low humidity, on the other hand, may yield a different type of danger. Since there is minimal levels of moisture in the air, this may cause the bowling ball to contract faster in colder temperatures.
Storage Conditions
There are some bowlers who think that placing the bowling ball in a holder, cloth bag, or bowling bag and leaving it in the car would be better than leaving it naked in the car. Others believe that leaving the bowling ball in the backseat, hidden away from the rays of the sun, is alright. There are some who even think that the trunk is as good a place as any to leave their bowling balls and other bowling equipment and accessories.
Sad to say, none of these are ideal. Whether you have the bowling ball completely exposed inside the car or not, all the factors mentioned previously will still be in play.