What's in the bag, Dad? (May 15, 2009)
Posted by Reel Mountain Theater on Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What's in the bag, Dad?
A long long time ago, when I worked in a movie theater for Stan Pratt in Conifer, Colorado- in high school- that's the line we used sometimes to make it sound a little less threatening to customers when we wanted to look inside bags they were carrying into the theater. The objective was to prevent things that were not welcome in the auditoriums, past the ticket counter. Then, I was just following directions and trying not to get yelled at by irritated customers.
Today, I understand the reasoning behind the rule I have set in place. I'll share that with you, since you may be the one that reported to our staff this week that "everyone in the theater was talking about how rude it was, that we were asking to look in their bags"
A few true stories are in order, to illustrate the reason for the practice:
1) 2000: Young man carries in a bag of talcum powder, to create mayhem when he- like the unknown person 2 weeks before him- planned to spread the powder across several rows of seats, maliciously.
2) 2008: Well intentioned lady brings in a glass iced tea bottle and proceeds to drop it directly behind a family, shattering glass across the concrete floor (and their belongings) in the middle of the movie, necessitating the family moves to other seats, accompanied by the related disruption for everyone in the theater.
3) 2009: An entire pizza makes it's way into the theater, in the box as evidenced after the film lets out- by the box in the 6th row, and the uneaten pizza slices upside down on the seats.
4) 2008: Alcoholic drink containers are recovered from the floor in front of the seats formerly occupied by several customers asked to leave because of their belligerent comments toward other customers.
As you have known probably since your first movie ever, you aren't allowed to carry in food or drinks to a movie theater. That would be like bringing in fast food to Cafe Fancy Pants, because you like the atmosphere at Cafe Fancy Pants.
In addition to the outside food rule, there are several significant things that we're looking for, including video recorders (yes people do), alcohol, glass containers, small Brach's candy with very noisy individual wrappers, weapons or potentially dangerous goods of any kind (think confined area with large group of people), etc. Of course, our primary interest in is your comfort, and our liability policy runs a close second.
You may recall the last time your oversized bag was checked going into a public building? Sadly, a minority of people create a reason to check. You can expect that we will, when you come into Reel Mountain carrying a beach bag or mothership sized purse, ask you to open it up or leave it in the car.
For your comfort & safety- we also checked the bag of that mysterious looking character sitting behind you. He is not carrying liquor, glass or crunchy hard shell fish tacos that you will hear and smell every morsel of. But for that protection, you recall that we eyeballed your big bag, too, and he knows that you're not going to pull out a six pack and a pizza.
Is there a better solution? Leave your big bags in the car... and accept our thanks for understanding our position and not badmouthing our policy for even checking sweet little old ladies bags.... Did I mention that the shattered glass bottle fell from the hands of an innocent little 65-ish year old lady? Or that the alcohol containers were next to the seats of a family of 4, that had their kids with them? We'll treat everyone the same and hope that our consistency will be perceived as fair treatment.
A long long time ago, when I worked in a movie theater for Stan Pratt in Conifer, Colorado- in high school- that's the line we used sometimes to make it sound a little less threatening to customers when we wanted to look inside bags they were carrying into the theater. The objective was to prevent things that were not welcome in the auditoriums, past the ticket counter. Then, I was just following directions and trying not to get yelled at by irritated customers.
Today, I understand the reasoning behind the rule I have set in place. I'll share that with you, since you may be the one that reported to our staff this week that "everyone in the theater was talking about how rude it was, that we were asking to look in their bags"
A few true stories are in order, to illustrate the reason for the practice:
1) 2000: Young man carries in a bag of talcum powder, to create mayhem when he- like the unknown person 2 weeks before him- planned to spread the powder across several rows of seats, maliciously.
2) 2008: Well intentioned lady brings in a glass iced tea bottle and proceeds to drop it directly behind a family, shattering glass across the concrete floor (and their belongings) in the middle of the movie, necessitating the family moves to other seats, accompanied by the related disruption for everyone in the theater.
3) 2009: An entire pizza makes it's way into the theater, in the box as evidenced after the film lets out- by the box in the 6th row, and the uneaten pizza slices upside down on the seats.
4) 2008: Alcoholic drink containers are recovered from the floor in front of the seats formerly occupied by several customers asked to leave because of their belligerent comments toward other customers.
As you have known probably since your first movie ever, you aren't allowed to carry in food or drinks to a movie theater. That would be like bringing in fast food to Cafe Fancy Pants, because you like the atmosphere at Cafe Fancy Pants.
In addition to the outside food rule, there are several significant things that we're looking for, including video recorders (yes people do), alcohol, glass containers, small Brach's candy with very noisy individual wrappers, weapons or potentially dangerous goods of any kind (think confined area with large group of people), etc. Of course, our primary interest in is your comfort, and our liability policy runs a close second.
You may recall the last time your oversized bag was checked going into a public building? Sadly, a minority of people create a reason to check. You can expect that we will, when you come into Reel Mountain carrying a beach bag or mothership sized purse, ask you to open it up or leave it in the car.
For your comfort & safety- we also checked the bag of that mysterious looking character sitting behind you. He is not carrying liquor, glass or crunchy hard shell fish tacos that you will hear and smell every morsel of. But for that protection, you recall that we eyeballed your big bag, too, and he knows that you're not going to pull out a six pack and a pizza.
Is there a better solution? Leave your big bags in the car... and accept our thanks for understanding our position and not badmouthing our policy for even checking sweet little old ladies bags.... Did I mention that the shattered glass bottle fell from the hands of an innocent little 65-ish year old lady? Or that the alcohol containers were next to the seats of a family of 4, that had their kids with them? We'll treat everyone the same and hope that our consistency will be perceived as fair treatment.
