Collegiettes, in my short time working at a movie theater I have seen a lot of things that I honestly never want to see again. Here are a few of the things you should NEVER do at a movie theater!
1. Complain about the prices to the crew
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “Wow why are these tickets so expensive? Why did y’all raise your prices??? I thought this was a discount theater” I could pay my tuition in cash every semester. Cold. Hard. Cash. I know you know we don’t make the prices, and I know you know that you shouldn’t be complaining about it to me. So just don’t do it!
2. Bring in weird outside-food
Okay, I get it. Popcorn and candy at the movies is waaaaayyyyy overpriced. I sneak my own candy into the theater all the time, and you almost never get caught bringing stuff in. But do you really, really need to bring in a whole pomegranate? Do you really need to bring a whole bucket of chicken wings? Do you? Really?
3. Leave your weird outside food all over the theater floor
Yes, pomegranate-sneaker, I’m looking at you. If you really need to bring weird food into the theater, at least pick it up! My cleaning supplies (aka a dustpan and straw broom) aren’t equipped to sweep spilled pomegranate seeds or piles of chicken bones up off the floor. If they were, we would sell those things.
4. Complain about your movie during your movie
I’m all for constructive criticism and guests telling us when things need to be fixed, but if you come to me telling me your theater is cold during the movie there’s literally nothing I can do about it at this point, because I can’t stop the movie, turn on the lights, go behind the curtains, and turn up that specific thermostat. And no, I can’t refund your movie ticket in the middle of the movie because you it’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen. Sorry ‘bout it.
5. Leave your concessions all over the theater
I’d honestly thought I’d seen everything until I found half a pomegranate spilled under theater seats, and the other half in a cup in the women’s restroom. A quick helpful tip: we place trash cans at every entrance and exit to the theater so you can throw your own trash away. Is it really that hard to pick your drink up out of the arm rest and throw it away? Save me some time doing my job and just throw your own garbage in the trash. It costs $0.00 to be a decent person and pick up after yourself.
6. Break/spill something and never tell the crew
Listen, I get that accidents happen and it’s embarrassing. But if you actually walk into a locked exit door and knock it off the hinges (you think I’m kidding but I’m not, this actually happened) and don’t tell anyone, you’re the worst kind of person. If you spill something where it wasn’t supposed to be and don’t tell anyone (I’m looking at you again pomegranate person) it won’t be found until midnight, when we start closing the theater. Just be a decent person and tell us when you do something wrong so we can fix it ASAP.
7. Hit on the crew
This is not the time or place to shoot your shot. We are at work and it puts us in an awkward position of having to be polite while you’re being creepy. That’s all.
8. Dropping your money on the counter instead of handing it to the cashier
Who raised you??? Is it really that hard to actually hand your credit card or cash to the person ringing up your ticket? The crew members are people too! We don’t bite! It’s okay to physically hand us money!