7 Things I Never Do At The Movies After Working In A Cinema For Years
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I worked at movie theatres in Canada for a lot of my young life, from my first job in high school to one of my many jobs during university.
From selling tickets and working at the concession stand to cleaning theatres, all those years beside the big screen have taught me a lot about the cinema-going experience.
It was always a fun time and there are parts of it that I miss now that I've moved on to a different career.
But, no matter how old I get, there are still so many things that I won't do when going to the theatre after working in one for so many years.
Here's a look at just a few of them:
Get "butter" on my popcorn
Unless you're going to a fancy or upscale theatre, most run-of-the-mill cinemas only serve a butter-flavoured oil with their popcorn.
And while a bit can be good, it's now hard for me to forget the image of the massive jugs of yellow-brown oil that we'd have to pour into the butter pumps.
So, that's why you'll often see me opting not to get that scary stuff on my popcorn.
Real butter, however? Count me in.
Make a mess
As someone who used to clean up theatres after showings, I do everything I can now to make sure I throw away all my garbage after the movie.
Before you say "it's their job to clean!" let me just say that the average movie employee doesn't get a lot of time between film showings to clean up.
I know how annoying it can be to sweep a theatre and pry crumbled bags of popcorn from underneath seats on a time restraint. Which is why I always ensure I pick up after myself when I'm done.
After all, it would take each individual person just seconds to clean up their own rubbish. It could take one employee over an hour to pick up everybody's!
Do things that I wouldn't do in daylight
While the darkness might give you a sense of anonymity, I have it on good authority that this is not always the case.
A lot of theatres actually come equipped with camera systems — that work in the dark! — so you might not be as sneaky or hidden as you thought.
So, basically, I would not do anything in a movie theatre that I'm not going to do in broad daylight. And I would advice you don't either, for the employees' sake!
Break etiquette rules
Of course, this might feel like common knowledge, but apparently, a lot of people need to hear it.
It was never fun as a 17-year-old to tell a grown adult that they need to be quiet during a movie, or that their bright phone is distracting those around them.
Before the movie begins, make sure everything is set on silent, keep your phone away and save any conversations you want to have for after the showing.
Oh, and don't take the law into your own hands! I have witnessed fist fights over talking during a movie. Things can escalate when you don't follow basic etiquette rules.
Sneak into a movie
The theatre I worked at didn't have the most advanced system for checking tickets, so it was possible to sneak into a different movie... or into a movie you didn't pay for.
But, a lot of the time, people would get caught by the oldest trick in the book — counting how many people were in the theatre versus how many were supposed to be there.
It was always super awkward when you do actually catch a person attempting to do that.
So, obviously, I make sure that I'm actually paying for the service I'm enjoying.
Revolutionary, right?
Complain about the price
Movie tickets are expensive. Snacks are expensive and so are the drinks. The whole deal can be super expensive.
But you know what you should never do? Complain to the person behind the counter.
They don't have any control over the cost of anything. Matter of fact, they'd probably give it to you for free if they could.
Snide remakes about the cost of things to them aren't going to do you (or them) any favours. It certainly won't make anything cheaper.
And, ultimately, no one is forcing you to buy popcorn or a pop. So, if it's too expensive, just walk by and complain to your friend about the prices like a normal person!
Sneak meals in
On the subject of snacking, it's not uncommon for people to sneak snacks into a theatre. I'll admit I've done it in my days, but there is honour among thieves.
If you feel the need to sneak something in, please let it be something discrete. No one wants to be accosted by the smell of McDonald's or your Chipotle burrito in the middle of a movie.
And the employees don't want to scrub ground beef or ketchup off of the theatre seats.
If you absolutely have to sneak stuff in, which I am not suggesting you do, keep it simple with small things that aren't going to make a mess or annoy your fellow movie-goers.
Hopefully, with this knowledge you can, the next time you catch the latest blockbuster flick, make life just a little bit easier for everyone involved!
