I thought I had seen it all, working at this cinema. Elderly people who have lost their dentures mid-movie, only to demand we stop the film so they can look for them (surprise! They're in the cup holder). People complaining that others are eating popcorn too loudly, or that they're eating at all. Kids trying to sneak in, only to get caught and call their parents who actually stand up for the little shits. But yesterday I encountered an SC who took the baton and ran right off the track and into the crowd with this little incident.
I was on another of my cover shifts, just for 30 minutes while the usher had a lunch break. Just 30 minutes, what could possibly happen in that small segment of time?
A frail elderly woman emerged from the lift and asked if I wouldn't mind helping her to her seat as she was almost completely blind. I said "of course" and went to do just that. I placed my tablet down on the ushers desk, as prior to this I had been reading my personal emails. It takes a good 3 minutes for the tablet to time out and go into screen saver mode, so it was still on, displaying an email from my sister.
I got the elderly lady seated and went to return to the usher station, only to find a man, who must have been in his late 50's, standing there looking at my tablet on the desk. He had his back to me and hadn't noticed I was now approaching him. Evidently not content in just looking at what was on the tablet, he decided he wanted a closer look and picked it up. He was clearly scrolling down the page, reading my email as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do. So I decided it was time to announce the fact he'd been caught.
Me: "Are you enjoying my personal emails there, sir?" (Said in the most pleasant of tones.)
Nosey parker: "Oh!...(placing the tablet back down again) I was just curious as to what you were reading!"
Me: "Well it's a good job you clarified that before you really infringed on my privacy isn't it?" (Still laughing and keeping it light. Sarcastic as he'll, but light.)
For a moment there, he looked like he might try and cuss me out, but perhaps common sense prevailed and he, wisely, just carried on his merry way to screen four.
I realize leaving the tablet there was kinda foolish, even if it was secured by this handy device for keeping people's e readers safe on shift (imagine a clear plastic box with a heavy chain attached to it) But seriously, who thinks it's ok to just pick up someone else's device and start reading their mail?! I was half tempted to ask if he'd mind me taking his phone and having a quick flick through his text messages. Cheeky shit.
Oh and the content of the email? My sister was complaining about a sucky customer she'd had to deal with earlier that day. Oh the irony!
I was on another of my cover shifts, just for 30 minutes while the usher had a lunch break. Just 30 minutes, what could possibly happen in that small segment of time?
A frail elderly woman emerged from the lift and asked if I wouldn't mind helping her to her seat as she was almost completely blind. I said "of course" and went to do just that. I placed my tablet down on the ushers desk, as prior to this I had been reading my personal emails. It takes a good 3 minutes for the tablet to time out and go into screen saver mode, so it was still on, displaying an email from my sister.
I got the elderly lady seated and went to return to the usher station, only to find a man, who must have been in his late 50's, standing there looking at my tablet on the desk. He had his back to me and hadn't noticed I was now approaching him. Evidently not content in just looking at what was on the tablet, he decided he wanted a closer look and picked it up. He was clearly scrolling down the page, reading my email as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do. So I decided it was time to announce the fact he'd been caught.
Me: "Are you enjoying my personal emails there, sir?" (Said in the most pleasant of tones.)
Nosey parker: "Oh!...(placing the tablet back down again) I was just curious as to what you were reading!"
Me: "Well it's a good job you clarified that before you really infringed on my privacy isn't it?" (Still laughing and keeping it light. Sarcastic as he'll, but light.)
For a moment there, he looked like he might try and cuss me out, but perhaps common sense prevailed and he, wisely, just carried on his merry way to screen four.
I realize leaving the tablet there was kinda foolish, even if it was secured by this handy device for keeping people's e readers safe on shift (imagine a clear plastic box with a heavy chain attached to it) But seriously, who thinks it's ok to just pick up someone else's device and start reading their mail?! I was half tempted to ask if he'd mind me taking his phone and having a quick flick through his text messages. Cheeky shit.
Oh and the content of the email? My sister was complaining about a sucky customer she'd had to deal with earlier that day. Oh the irony!
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