Pay attention? Didn't I just pay for my ticket?!

[Legacy_of_Torment]

This happened to me about fifteen minutes ago, but has long since been a major bugbear of mine.

To reiterate, I work at a cinema, and since being made virtually redundant as a projectionist, I make up my lost hours with front of house shifts. Today I was ushering...and here beginneth the biggest annoyance about working on this station.

During the matinees it's very quiet, so they just have one usher on each of the floors managing the screens for that level. When one screen finishes, the protocol is to stick a nice, bold fonted, sign on the entrance to the level which clearly states: CLEANING IN PROGRESS, PLEASE WAIT TO HAVE YOUR TICKET CHECKED, AN USHERETTE WILL BE ALONG ASAP. Simple, and yet surprisingly ineffective. The wait time is never longer than a couple of minutes during the off peak times, so not what I would call a gear grinding wait.

Not when it comes to SC' s with a sense of over inflated importance, oh no!

The best example of this happened about a month ago, wherein I put the sign up where no one could possibly miss it, then began to clean the auditorium. I'm halfway done when a customer walks in and asks if they can come in yet...

Me- Sorry sir, the auditorium isn't ready yet, I did put up a sign to let you all know.

Old man- Well yes I saw it, but nobody is manning the sign!

Me- o.O

Did I just step into an alternative reality where signs need to have people standing next to them in order for them to be read and understood? At least this was slightly more entertaining than the SC' s who just ignore the signs all together and get really angry when you tell them they can't sit down until we are done cleaning. Thems the rules.

Flash forward to today...

This lady took ignoring the sign to a whole new level of stupid.

So one of my designated screens has just gone in and is a full 20minutes into the feature, when another screening ends. I put up the waiting sign and head in to clean up what little mess there should be. I've barely picked up the first empty popcorn box, when I hear the door open and a really flustered and angry lady walks in and demands I look at her ticket RIGHT AWAY, because she's been waiting for ages.

SC- *tersely* Excuuuuuse me! Can you take my ticket for the Grand Budapest Hotel? I've been waiting out there for aaaages and nobody was at the door!

Me- *bemused at the apparent lack of patience* Uhh sure, sorry (I wasn't sorry, it's just my default response when someone gets initially abrasive with me) I did put the sign up, just a few seconds ago, I didn't see anyone waiting.

I took her ticket and realized she was for the screening that had started 20 mins ago, this is past the point where we are supposed to stop admitting people so as not to annoy people who actually know how to turn up on time. In the event of extenuating circumstances, we offer them the house seats.

SC- I was waiting and there was nobody there!

Me- Yes I came in here to clean this screen to make it ready for the next show.

SC- Well customers should come first! I'm already late!

And apparently staff should be able to see through walls or use their sixth sense to tell when someone is going to show up 20 minutes late.

I decided to wave the 20mins late policy and let the Moody hag have one of the house seats - considerably better seats than the ones she had booked. But this didn't stop her complaining.

Low and behold, two minutes after she enters the screen, she's back and more sucky than ever.

SC- I don't want to sit there, the man in front of me is eating popcorn.

Me- *in disbelief* I'm sorry but I can't give you your original seat as its in the middle of the row and you'd be disturbing a lot of other patrons.

SC- blargle whine bitchity bitch He's eating!!! You should ban him!!

Me- I can't stop someone eating madam, as long as he's not causing a disruption, he's well within his rights to eat as much popcorn as he likes.

SC- When I come out, I want to speak to a manager!

Me- I can certainly arrange that for you.

She then stomped off again. I've since called my manager and told him what happened. Needless to say she's not getting any refund or free stuff out of us. Now I just have to wait and see how she takes that.

[Teysa]

Hmm. Don't most people eat popcorn at movies? It's part of the whole experience. It sounds like this lady was just looking for something to complain about. If the guy hadn't been eating something she would have found something else. At least it sounds like the manager has your back.

[otakuneko]

What an idiot. Also, did the person at the front not tell them which theater their show was in? Around here, even smaller multiplexes have a person up front taking tickets and telling people where their screen is. Of course, an SC would just ignore that and walk into the first one they saw.

[TimmyHate]

She....complained....that...someone....was...eatin g...popcorn....at...the....movies.


*Unable to parse*
*Brain rebooting*
Beep
Beep
*Brain rebooted. Do not attempt previous instruction*

[MoonCat]

WTF??? No, really, both of those, just....W.T.F.

That's all I got.

[Legacy_of_Torment]

One of our top complaints from customers aged 60+ is actually that we let people eat popcorn. I'd never even thought that was a genuine complaint until I started working for an independent company and not a multiplex. Sad but unfortunately true, though I admit, every time I hear it I have the same "WTF??" Moment.

[Ironclad Alibi]

One of our top complaints from customers aged 60+ is actually that we let people eat popcorn.

Maybe they're complaining because their dietary restrictions won't allow them to eat popcorn.

[EricKei]

These are the people who would be the first to complain if they food item/amenity THEY wanted was not available to them. It's a MOVIE THEATER. Popcorn is part of the point. I don't even eat it all that often, myself (and I do so at home), but I'm not gonna begrudge anyone else's right to do so ... well, maybe if they start throwing it in my direction

[AccountingDrone]

One of our top complaints from customers aged 60+ is actually that we let people eat popcorn. I'd never even thought that was a genuine complaint until I started working for an independent company and not a multiplex. Sad but unfortunately true, though I admit, every time I hear it I have the same "WTF??" Moment.

Given that popcorn is the original snack served back in the silent movie days I can not really understand their objection. My mom remembered the popcorn that she didn't have to make as the highlight of going to see movies back in the late 20s and very early 30s.

[cinema guy]

To reiterate, I work at a cinema, and since being made virtually redundant as a projectionist, I make up my lost hours with front of house shifts.

I too was made redundant as a projectionist. I chose not to take their offer of front of house work - I wouldn't have been able to make it pay on low wages and part-time hours.

Having worked front of house for a long while I came to hate it. I really did not want to go back. Customers being one of the main reasons.

[Silent-Hunter]

They have assigned seats? Actually, I kinda wish theaters here in America did that, would be easier to get the middle seats.

[Monterey Jack]

No way would I want to see assigned seats catch on...then you're essentially trapped next to a potentially-annoying moviegoer, with no opportunity to change seats.

[KellyHabersham]

Maybe they're complaining because their dietary restrictions won't allow them to eat popcorn.

My mom's stepmother was (allegedly) one of those people - her attitude was something alone the lines of "I'm on a dietary restriction for salt/tomatoes....etc., so when we have family gatherings, nobody else should have those things.

[registerrodeo]

We went to the movies yesterday..got there early to get good seats, got our popcorn and sat down (with our cell phones off) but of course, some twit and his kid come in late..about 15-20 minutes in) and is whining they can't find 2 seats together where they want to sit (Sneak preview of the new Muppet movie and it was packed). The dad proceeds to plomp himself and his kid on the steps next to me and say , loudly, 'Well, if no one can move for us to get the seats we like, we will just sit here!" Keep in mind, there is 3 sections to the theater..lower, middle (where we were) and the top 'balcony' type where there was seats but Mr. Whiny didn't like those seats. He then complained when a few people tried to get down from the upper section to go out of the theater to take a crying child out and they needed him to move, he told his kid "no, the popcorn is too expensive to get any for you, altho I know you are hungry"..said while staring at my popcorn bag i had set down on top of my purse..which I quickly moved to the other side of me. Finally, an usher came in and told him he had to move, to which the moaning started again..and he then told the usher his day was ruined and he was going to see a manager.

BTW...these tickets were free give aways by a certain radio station, so this moron didn't pay for anything. I felt for his poor kid..

[Monterey Jack]

My mom's stepmother was (allegedly) one of those people - her attitude was something alone the lines of "I'm on a dietary restriction for salt/tomatoes....etc., so when we have family gatherings, nobody else should have those things.

Why should everyone else in the theater have to go without because of one person who can't have popcorn? Should they ban popcorn commercials from TV just to appease her?