They’re Not Even Trying To Hide The Scam Anymore
A family (mom and two kids, maybe six and two years old) are walking into the theater. They are holding WAY. TOO. MUCH. Mom has two large popcorns and a large drink in hand, the six-year-old is (barely) hanging onto ANOTHER large popcorn and the two-year-old has his own large soda the size of his torso and is clearly struggling to hold it, with some Twizzlers balanced on top for good measure.
I greet them and take their tickets.
Mom: “Question for you: How do you guys expect people to carry all of this food?”
I’m confused at first since in the several years I’ve worked for a theater, nobody has ever asked this because people tend to only buy what they can carry/eat themselves. This customer clearly went overboard and for some reason, wanted to make it OUR problem. I couldn’t think of a satisfactory explanation fast enough, so I answered with:
Me: “Uh, with your hands?”
Mom: “You think that is an acceptable answer?! You see my kids and I struggling to carry our stuff and you don’t even volunteer to help?!”
Me: “I’m here to check tickets, ma’am, so I can’t leave—”
Mom: “—this is terrible service! I expect some free passes or something for this!”
There it is. She’s trying to get something out of this so has decided to invent a complaint.
Me: “I can call my manager over to—”
Mom: “—that’s the least you could do!”
I call the manager and thankfully he’s close to the screen so he’s there quickly.
Manager: “How can I—”
Mom: “—You! Carry this stuff to my seat!”
Manager: “Uh… okay?”
He’s confused but he obliges, and he helps her carry her stuff into the theater. He doesn’t come out for another five minutes, but when he does he looks a bit bemused.
Manager: “If that woman comes out trying to get free passes, please let it be known I did not authorize it. She will also claim she’s the owner’s wife – she is not. In fact, anything she says is likely bull-s*** and she’s trying to get free stuff.”
Me: “Yeah, that was obvious.”
Unsurprisingly, she storms out of the theater about halfway through the movie claiming it was “complete s***” (it was ‘Moana 2’ – so, that’s her opinion I guess) and wanted a refund. The manager grants it because he thinks he’s just getting her out of there, but then she turns around and tries to go back into the theater.
Manager: “Ma’am, where are you going?”
Mom: “To finish the movie!”
Manager: “You can’t. You just got your tickets refunded. You said you didn’t like it.”
Mom: “I don’t! But I’ll still sit through it for my kids! I’m not a bad mother!”
She was not allowed to re-enter the theater. The entitlement of some people!
