Movie Theater Employee

[thatguyatthemovies]

So I've been working on a project for the last few years about what it's like to work at a movie theater. A lot of the stories I post here will be on the show. Here's our indiegogo page. Check it out. If you like it share it. If you really like it then donate. Thanks guys

[thatguyatthemovies]

I work in a movie theater that has 24 theaters and almost every other Saturday night we have to stop giving out our courtesy cups cause we get a group of teens that comes in pay for children tickets and take only get our cups and fill them up w icee.

Oh damn. My theater only has 16 theaters and that's a nightmare. I can't imagine having that many

[thatguyatthemovies]

Babysitter

A woman stood in the middle of the lobby and screamed at the top of her lungs “I HAVE A PROBLEM!”  When one of my coworkers walked over to talk to her she said she had a missing child.  We sent people to every theater and were asking customers if they had seen him and were watching every person who walked out the door.  It was a pretty scary situation.  The woman who was hysterical was sitting in the lobby while one of the my coworkers tried to console her.  Then the boy walked down the hall.  She jumped up and ran towards him.  He was scared because he was with his parents.  Apparently the woman was the boys babysitter who had not worked for the family for over a month and very confused.  When she talked to the parents she simply said “Oh” and walked out the door. 

[thatguyatthemovies]

Pacifier

The theater recently got alarms installed on the emergency exit doors that go off whenever they're open for more than 15 seconds. When the alarm suddenly went off my and another manager had to investigate. When we got there we found a grown woman who kept opening the door to get a breeze. When we asked her to stop we found she was sucking on a pacifier

[thatguyatthemovies]

Racist Sexist Woman

A older white woman complained that the person we had up at door only checked her bag because she was white.  It is a new policy where we have to check everyone’s bag no matter what but she felt singled out.  When I explained that it was because of the recent events that have happened at other theaters she said “Oh you mean the shootings? But those were all done by men.  Why are you checking the women’s purses?”  

[thatguyatthemovies]

Short Fat Bitch

Because of the recent shootings that happened at movie theaters across the country we have to check everyone’s bag no matter how small it is.  One short fat woman did not like this policy.  She said that we were going against her constitutional rights by asking to search her bag.  When I explained that the theater was a private business with certain policies she flipped out and said it was a public building because the public used it.  When she walked away to her movie she stuck her finger in me face and said “Don’t fucking mess with me.”  Her four kids laughed at that.

[thatguyatthemovies]

Horror Story Hobo

It was closing time and we were getting ready to bring in the line. The girl at door was a tiny 18 year old who had to take the poles in one at a time. As she was talking in one of the poles a hobo walked up behind her and started to follow her. She got scared and ran inside. She called me and one of the managers up to door. The hobo was a short man with a baggy coat and hat pulled over his face. When we got to door he gave a creepy cackle and then walked away. We never saw him again.

[thatguyatthemovies]

3D Eyepatch

I came up to customer service where my general manager was talking to a man. They both seemed frustrated.  When the man finally walked away I asked my manager what that was all about.  She turned to me and asked “What would you do if a one eyed man asked if he had to pay for a 3D movie?”  Apparently the man could only see out of one eye and didn’t want to pay for the 3D movie he was about to watch.  

[thatguyatthemovies]

This is Awkward

Two middle aged women came up to concessions and ordered a kids pack.  The first woman said she wanted two things of ice in the drink.  When I gave it back with two ice cubes she laughed and asked if I was flirting with her.  The second woman then asked if I could “butter up” her popcorn because “We’re whores!”  The first woman then asked if she could have a cup of ice.  When I gave that to her she said thank you and “I like to suck it.”  She then winked at me and both women walked away laughing.

[thatguyatthemovies]

My favorite story from working at a movie theater happened on Sunday last year, when Son of God was still playing. I told a lady she couldn't go in to the auditorium quite yet, as it was still being cleaned, to which she replied, "Well, fuck you!" and stormed off to concessions. Let that sink in: A lady, going to a Jesus movie on Sunday, cussed someone out.

I kind of loved when Son of God was in theaters. There was so many interesting people doing so many hypocritical things. Or when we had God's Not Dead, Son of God, Noah, and Heaven is for Real all around the same time.

[thatguyatthemovies]

Peeping Toms

Our biggest theater was getting out and we were waiting until everyone left so we could go in and clean it.  It looked like everyone had gone so we went inside to start cleaning.  When we turned the corner we saw two teenage couples making out in the front row.  They were right next to each other and didn’t seem to know the movie was over.  So we stood there staring at them until they felt our presence.  Embarrassed they all got up and started to leave without looking any of us in the eyes.  When the shuffled passed us one of the guys mumbled “Peeping Toms”

[thatguyatthemovies]

I work at a theater in a really small town and the way we stay open is through membership. As such, it is standard protocol to ask members with multiple people on their accounts "is it just you today?" I once asked a beautiful 60ish woman who was on an account with her husband this question, to which she replied, "it's just me from now on." And then started crying. How the hell do you respond to that?! I was mortified and couldn't ask anyone else the same question for the rest of the day.

Oh man that's awful. I try to post only the funny stories that happen to me at the theater but there are a lot things that happen that can make you cry. It's not always being yelled at by angry customers. Sometimes there are really sad stories. Thank you for sharing your story with me.

[thatguyatthemovies]

Sob Story

A woman came up to concessions and ordered a coffee.  While I got her drink she asked for an extra cup.  The coffee cups are all inventoried so I told her the only thing I could give her were the plastic courtesy cups.  She said that those wouldn’t work with coffee.  When I still wouldn’t give her a coffee cup she got teary eyed and said “But we both can’t finish one.”  The coffee cups are 12 oz and smaller than the kids drinks.

[thatguyatthemovies]

He's a Hugger

On a very slow day I was in concessions messing around when a man came up to concessions.  He looked very upset and started to look at me as if I did something wrong.  He pointed at me and said "You, come over here."  I walked over to him and asked if there was anything I could do to help him.  He said "come here."  He pointed to the side of the counter and said "Stand here." I was confused and seriously thought I was going to get hit.  He then asked if one of my managers were there.  I said I wasn't sure and then the man gave me a big hug.  He broke away and told me when I saw my manager to give that to him.  

[thatguyatthemovies]

Sitting in Box

... and a hobo just stole my pen

[thatguyatthemovies]

Special Place in Hell

One teenage boy and two girls came up to box.  They didn't know what they wanted to see and held up the line.  When I asked them to step aside so I could help some other people they simply said "No we're fine."  They finally picked a movie and paid in change. They were holding up the line so much that a manager came in and started helping customers.  When the kids finally left there was a line in concessions so my manager sent me to help.  As I left box I saw the kids arguing with my coworker at door about sneaking food in the theater.  I walked back to concessions and started helping customers.  I noticed one of the girls in line holding an empty popcorn tub she obviously got out of the trash.  When she came up to me I told her I wouldn't refill it and she started to say how much a rip off it was that she paid good money for a refill that she wasn't getting and how I was a horrible worker and should be fired.  At this point I was too tired and wasn't paid enough to deal with it so I gave her the popcorn.  As she walked away I heard her tell her friends "See if you make a fuss and yell they give you what you want."  There is a special place in hell for you.

[thatguyatthemovies]

AARP Combo

A woman came up to concessions with a copy of her AARP card.  At the theater we offer an AARP discount on a small popcorn and a small drink.  This woman wanted that discount but only had the front part of the card not the back that had the barcode we need to scan.  When I couldn't use the card to get the discount she started to get upset.  She demanded that I call a manager.  My manager showed up and I explained the situation.  My manager told the customer that there was nothing we could do without the barcode.  She screamed at my manager "Well why the fuck should I have to pay if I have the fucking card!"  She then turned around and stormed off.