Four Teens One Cup

Due to the health crisis, we have a new line system around the soda machines and a dedicated staff member whose job is to pour drinks for the customers. There are also stanchions around the soda machines to keep people away from them. It’s done this way to encourage social distancing and to avoid having too many people crowded around the machines at any given point, in addition to avoiding having too many people touching them. The customers pay for drinks at the concession stand and then bring their receipts over to the drink machines to get their drinks. I will also note that we offer free courtesy cups of water at the soda machines if you just need a small drink but don’t want to buy a soda. A group of teenagers comes up to the soda station: two girls and two boys.

Girl #1: “Can I have a cup?”

Me: “Sure, what for? I can give you a free courtesy cup of water if you’d like.”

Girl #1: “I just want a cup.”

Me: “All righty.”

I hand her a courtesy cup.

Girl #1: “Oh, can I have one of your large cups?”

Me: “Sorry, I can only give you a large cup if you paid for a large drink. Did you pay for a large drink at the concession stand?”

Girl #1: “No.”

Me: “Sorry, then I can’t give you a large cup.”

Girl #1: “Okay.”

I turn back to the group and ask them if there’s anything else I can do for them, when [Girl #1] ducks under the stanchion, and begins tapping on the screen of one of the soda machines.

Me: “Excuse me, you can’t be back here. Please do not touch the soda machines.”

Girl #1: “Why?”

Me: “Due to the health crisis, we have a staff member doing drinks. That’s why I’m standing here and there are stanchions around the machines.”

Girl #1: “Um… I just wanted water, dude.”

Me: “And I can get you water, but you cannot be behind the stanchions. They’re there to keep the machines blocked off.”

[Girl #1] looks a bit flustered but ducks back around to the front of the stanchion. I take her courtesy cup and fill it with water.

Girl #1: *Very snooty* “Thank you for getting my water!”

[Boy #1] steps forward.

Boy #1: “Yo, lemme get a large blue icee!”

Me: “Did you pay for an icee at the concession stand?”

Boy #1: “Um… no?”

Me: “You can purchase one over there and bring me the receipt, and then I can get you one.”

Boy #1: “C’mon! Just gimme one!”

Me: “No.”

[Boy #1] goes silent.

Boy #2: “Can I get a large Coke?”

Me: “I can get you one, but you’ll need to pay first at the concession stand.”

Boy #2: “But she got water!”

Me: “I can give you a water cup, but I can’t give you a large soda unless you’ve paid for one.”

Boy #2: “You can’t just give me a large soda?”

Me: “No.”

[Boy #2] goes silent. [Girl #2] steps up.

Girl #2: “Can I get two water cups?”

Me: “Absolutely.”

Girl #2: “…but fill them with blue icee!”

Me: “I can give you water. If you want an icee, you’ll have to pay for one at the concession stand.”

Girl #2: “Yeah, but I want water cups full of icee.”

Me: “Again, I can give you water for free. If you want an icee, you’ll have to pay for one at the concession stand.”

Girl #2: “Just give me one water cup, then.”

I gave her the water cup and the group dispersed and went to their theater. Their show was the last of the night, and they were pretty much my last customers, so I started to shut down the machines shortly after they left to clean them.

About twenty minutes later, I was standing in another part of the lobby when one of the boys came out and began toying with the icee machine, trying to turn it on. I ended up having to chase him off after reminding him that customers were not allowed behind the stanchions.

And then, about fifteen minutes later, one of the girls came out and tried to do the exact same thing. After giving them a firm warning that I’d have no problems kicking them out without a refund if they kept messing with the machines and trying to steal icees, they finally stopped.

Doncha love teenagers?