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Topic: Restricting and/or banning children

Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 07-06-2003 04:51 PM

Deserves a thread of its own although it's been mentioned elsewhere.

Several theaters and/or chains have adopted policies to limit attendance by children.

Film Forum, New York: No one under 6 admitted (though this policy is relaxed if a family-friendly title is shown).
AMC Theatres: No one under 6 after 6 PM, except for G and some PG titles. (Snow Day, yes; Runaway Bride, no.)
Destinta Theatres, New Windsor NY: No one under 10 after 6:30 PM, unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. The adult must sit with the child throughout the film. This policy is per a sign posted at the theater entrance on 7/5.
Cinemark Country Club Plaza 14, Kansas City MO: Children 6-16 must be accompanied by a parent attending the same feature. Children under 6 not admitted. This policy went into effect 7/4; it drew a picket line yesterday and news of the picket line made the Associated Press wire. The Country Club Plaza 14 has also banned all G and PG titles per the AP story. (Terminator 3, yes; Finding Nemo, no.)

Does your theater have policies similar to these?

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-06-2003 05:14 PM

The no children policy is not a new one. When I was at K-B theatres in Washington DC...the Cerberus did not admit anyone below age 6 after 6pm either.

The Senator theatre in Baltimore has an interesting policy of "no babes in arms", all tickets the same price (young, or old...everyone pays the same price) after all, "The Senator does not 'discriminate' based on age!"

I don't know what their policy of mere young people on some films.

Steve

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-06-2003 05:37 PM

Infants and toddlers are great at disrupting movies. And for some damned reason it seems like many of the parents think it is just joyous for their kid to act up and upstage the show.

Some parents are very responsible and get noisy kids out of the auditorium. But many others have this superiority complex where they feel like the rest of us just need to live with it. Some think their child's freedom to make noise is more important than the rest of us enjoying the movie.

I don't think I would agree with a total complex-wide ban on kids under 6. The policy ought to be flexible. No kid under 6 has any business attending a PG, PG-13 or R-rated film. But they should be able to attend G-rated films during daytime hours.

I think major high-traffic movie theaters should be built with "crying rooms" like those of some IMAX theaters I have visited.

To put this in another perspective, I think cellphone use needs to be more greatly punished. If I managed a theater (and could enforce policy of my own) I would have a no-tolerance law on cellphones ringing in an auditorium. The offender would be ejected without refund. Simple as that. I would post signs in the lobby and the box office warning of the rule. Basically it would say:

quote:
Warning: turn off all cellphones and pagers or put them into silent mode. Do not take phone calls in the auditorium. Violators of these rules will be immediately ejected from the theater without refund. These rules are not negotiable and are enforced with a 100% no-tolerance policy.

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-06-2003 06:22 PM

I dislike other people's children. I wish they didn't bring them to the movies. But I also feel that negative signs promote negative feelings.

I wish I had Cry Rooms. But Cry Rooms can also promote bad behavior.

I like the policy of restricting "R" rated films with a no children under 6 policy. I also don't mind AMC's policy. But ultimately it comes down to parental responsibility and personal responsibility.

I am not your mother.

Right now with two "G" rated and Two PG-13 Rated films on hand; I don't feel like restricting children at all, they are a sizable percentage of our audience.

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Nicholas Roznovsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: College Station, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-06-2003 08:25 PM

Honestly, most of the 0-12 year-olds we get in the evenings are far better behaved than the 13-18 year-olds... [Frown]

I think the ability to enforce such policies depend greatly on the market. If one's in a large urban area with a market for such an establishment, more power to them. I don't think such a policy would fly in a lot of smaller towns though. I know it certainly wouldn't in some of the markets we serve.

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William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 07-06-2003 10:30 PM

quote:
And for some damned reason it seems like many of the parents think it is just joyous for their kid to act up.

We had that very thing happen the 1st weekend the Hulk was in my theatre. We had a lady and her kid in there. The kid was crying and screaming and the lady would not remove the kid from the theatre. Finally, someone came out and complained. When Management went in to remove the lady, she popped of with "I paid my fucking $5.50 to see this movie and I am not leaving." After she was forced out of the auditorium with the threat of having the police come remove her, she turned it into we were being racist and discrimanation claim because she and her kid were both black. Give me a break I am so sick and tired of hearing minority people use discrimination as a grounds for them and thier kids to act like a bunch of Jackasses in public without anything being said or happening to them. Get a Life.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-06-2003 11:12 PM

Hats off to the Senator! If I was to ever be in a position to make such a rule at a theater, I could copy that policy exactly. [thumbsup]

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-06-2003 11:31 PM

I think people with their little sniveling, crapping, burping, crying, whining brats should be charged 5 times the adult ticket price. AND, if there are such individuals in the theatre, ALL other patrons should receive a 50% discount on their ticket price or given a free pass for a later showing. That would at least be fair to all the other patrons that have to endure the "pleasure" of the inconsiderate parent and their love child!

It is ANNOYING to ALL patrons when some F*CKING idiot parent thinks JR is meant for EVERYONE to enjoy his self-expression Horse Sh!t!

This rule should apply to airlines and restaurants as well!

Have a nice day,

>>> Phil

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R. Andrew Diercks
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 232
From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere)
Registered: May 2003

posted 07-06-2003 11:48 PM

I agree whole heartedly that children can ruin a movie for many, but some of your opinions of children are frightening. I hope you're not parents. I think PARENTS are the problem. They are the ones that should be punished. I have a 4 year old boy that loves movies and has a longer attention span than most adults. He has been to many movies and knows how to act. To suggest that all children under 6 can't is a sad display of american parenting. I know not to take my daughter to movies with an audience because she doesn't have the same attention span. I would much rather have young children than 13 year olds in my theatre.

I also think that with some movies you need to expect a certain audience. Like Finding Nemo for instance, there will be kids there, deal with it. If they are overly loud ask them to leave. Sinbad will be bad because it can't hold anyones attention. Besides all of this, kids raise my concession per cap by a ton, I can't live without them.

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Christopher Duvall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-07-2003 12:31 AM

Funny this thread came up this week. As William had happen to him, I had a very simialar incident. I had a complaint from the Italian Job about noisy children. Upon investigation, I see 6 adults and 2 children in the same row. The kids were about 2 and 4 years old and they were running back and forth in the row screaming loudly. I went to one of the adults that picked up the younger child and asked him if he could take the children to the lobby until the calmed down. He turned to me and in a matter of fact tone said "Fuck you, I paid for my tickets." After about 4 seconds of trying to wipe the shock from my face I demanded the he and the children step in to the lobby right away. He again went on with the profanity. I eventually had all of them out when I signaled to my ushers and managers that followed me into the theatre. As they were exiting the 3 "men" were boasting that they are going to kick my ass and take on my entire crew. The profanities increased once I had them in the lobby and as the casino security blacklisted them from ever coming back. I swear there needs to be a breeding license for people. The "adults" had no right to have children by the way they were carrying on. However, when I do have these problems, I do love my relationship with the casino and their security force. These guys are almost like having a real police force on hand all the time.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 07-07-2003 12:40 AM

We do not allow children under 13 into our auditoriums without an accompanying adult, who must attend the same show (conspicuously posted at ticket counter). We don't have a lot of trouble with this policy (the benefits have outweighed the challenges). It's been in place since we opened. However, when we do have a problem, the offending adult usually would rather give us a raft about the policies under which we've chosen to run our business, rather than accept that we really did mean what the sign said. We have the same issues with the "no outside food and drink" sign on our doors!

quote:
After she was forced out of the auditorium with the threat of having the police come remove her, she turned it into we were being racist and discrimanation claim because she and her kid were both black. Give me a break I am so sick and tired of hearing minority people use discrimination as a grounds for them and thier kids to act like a bunch of Jackasses...

Hmmmm.... thought I was the only one that had to deal with that crap. It's almost universally the first response we get when dealing with this problem. Not that it makes much difference, but I usually invite them to note the ethnic makeup of my staff as they leave the theatre (over 70% are minority, and are generally my best employees at that location).

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-07-2003 02:18 AM

"In America, there are two classes of travel -- first class, and with children."
-- Robert Benchley

[ 07-07-2003, 03:32 AM: Message edited by: William Hooper ]

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-07-2003 02:30 AM

i think problems like these would be largely solved if theaters would stop admitting toddlers for free. that's just asking for trouble. i don't believe in age discrimination and i think people of any age who can behave in the theater should be admitted. if everyone has to pay, then only those who intend to get something out of the film will attend. the theater is not a babysitter. sure, poor judgements will still be made, and should be dealt with case by case. i do believe in childrens' rates, and think they should apply up to age 25, after which the senior discount should apply. seeing a film is too damn expensive!

carl

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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 07-07-2003 09:05 AM

I'll have to admit as a parent of a 3 year old... he has NO place in an indoor theatre for several more years. His attention span just isn't long enough.....yet.

I took him to the Regal/Imax at Oprymills earlier in the year to see Lion King and it was nuts!! There were only maybe 12 people including us in the whole theatre, but my rug rat wouldn't sit still. He tried out all of the seats in our row, and moved all of the armrest/cupholders up and down on every single seat in our row, and was a general terror for almost two hours. He was quiet though if that helps any?

He and his brother have their own 12' x 12' "room with a view" at our new drive-in, so hopefully that will keep them appeased till they're old enough to feed the corn in the popper.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-07-2003 03:08 PM

I like the "no children under 6" rule for 8:00pm and beyond. Not because it keeps "those damn brats" out, but because I have seen far too many irresponsible parents dragging their 4 and 5 year olds to stuff like "The Core" or "Phone Booth" at 9:45 when the poor kids are barely awake!! Yeah, they'll be quiet, up until they start whining to go home because it's way past bedtime and Mom & Dad just HAD to see that movie...

For midnight shows, there should be an 18+ rule. Mainly because teens and pre-teens think, "Ooh! We can cause trouble here until at least 2am!" [Razz]

=TMP=

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