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Author Topic: Do you check bags??? Andrew Bangs Expert Film Handler Posts: 148 From: Kerrville, Texas, United States Registered: Sep 2008 posted 09-22-2008 01:07 AM                        We have been trying to get our ushers to do a better job of checking bags for outside food and cameras. But they keep telling us they are scared of people getting mad at them. Well to that I said Pish tosh and I stood there and showed them how it was done after catching two ladies with Candy Bars and Bottles of water I figured they got the idea so I waited and let them ask one lady as I stood next to them, of course she said no, I then asked her why not she looked as if I just ran over her cat and demanded a full refund of her concession she had just purchased and of her tickets. (mind you while giving her the refund she opened her purse for her wallet and showed me she had nothing but still wanted her refund and swore she would never return) I am starting to wonder if it was really that necessary to check and then once the shock of what happened wore off I realize it is. One of her Complaints is that she has been to theatres in every part of the world and never had to open her bag before why should she now. Which got me to thinking. Who else out there Checks Bags?  |  IP: Logged Sally Ann Burgess Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Queenstown, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2008 posted 09-22-2008 01:34 AM                     Hi Andrew, well I'm pretty anal mainly about people bringing in hot food from outside, we've had people bringing in McD's, pizza, burgers etc. Those are a definite no-no. I always just ask the patron while I'm tearing their ticket, "Do you have any hot food or alcohol in your bag?" Older people mainly. With the young crowd, I always ask nicely if I can check in their bags and to date no-one has minded. I live in a touristy place so people nearly always have cameras with them. What really gets my goat are people using their mobiles during the film, in which case I flash them from the booth. With a torch, I hasten to add.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 09-22-2008 01:40 AM                     She has every right to be upset if you ask me. This to me is a huge invasion of privacy. This isn't the airport, not a sporting event or concert. These people are not coming to your theatre to blow it up. They are Paying to see a movie in your establishment. Kudos to you for stopping somebody from bringing in a candy bar and a bottle of water. To ask a 15/17 year old kid to ask a COMPLETE stranger to let them look through their purse or bag is really bad IMHO. Your putting that kid in a confrontation with your GUEST to maybe gain yourself 5 dollars. If some one comes in with a doggy bag from an outside restaurant we will ask them to leave it at Guest Services and we will put it in the fridge for them till their movie is over. We allow outside water, (really now, who doesn't) and hot coffee(We do not sell this item) even if I saw someone with a candy bar in their purse, I'm not about to stop them because if they are going to sneak in a 99cent candy bar. Then they are most likley not goign to be buying candy from my stand. Win the customer not the PETTY argument  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 09-22-2008 03:27 AM                     quote: I'm not about to stop them because if they are going to sneak in a 99cent candy bar. Then, they are most likely not going to be buying candy from my stand. Win the customer not the PETTY argument. This has been the longest argument in the theatre industry for quite the long time: people bringing outside food or drink when it's posted that this practice is not allowed in theatres. Yet, the patrons REALLY don't know the reason WHY this rule HAS to be strictly followed. They think that bringing in this 99cent candy bar is a simple resentment to the theatre's higher conc. pricing, but not knowing that its really the insurance company orders in posting those signage of 'illegal outside foor or drink' posted in obvious places in the theatre. For if they snak on that candy bar and maybe the rest of it hits the floor, and when they get up to leave, step on the remains of the 'illegal' substance, slip and hit the floor, busting a tailbone, do they think that the theatre's insurance company gonna pay for that busted tailbone when the 'illegal' item isn't sold on the premises along with obvious posted signage to protect the theatre from any liability in the first place? I know this to be a proven fact, for a good dozen years ago in a 4plex that I used to work at is when a bunch of teen-agers managed to sneak in a small pizza and one of our doormen didn't do a search as they handed them the tix, and some elderly couple sitting on the other side of row of seats, when leaving when credits were towards the end, managed to step in their remains and aced it pretty hard on the floor...and the halfway lights were on during credits. There was a pretty hard lawsuit over that one in which we had to settle out of court, that doorman was fired and the search policy was enforced pretty heavilly. Quite surprised that the "shoes required" wasn't mentioned in this post as well - for this also fits in this liability insurance area.... -Monte  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 09-22-2008 03:37 AM                        That could've just as easily been a nacho cheese tray. Still same potential for slippage, and still posability for holding the theatre liable. As one can tell from reading one of my other posts, I've worked at a couple of bowling centers. Similar situation there. Captive audience, overpriced concessions, same policy on outside food and beverage. Curious thing is, they told me there, that supposedly is for liability due to food poisoning. Because they can't garantee the quality of the outside food. And, if the customer eats the outside food there, they, in turn, can possibly sue the center stating that they ate the food there. I don't know, still sounds silly to me.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-22-2008 06:27 AM                     So....what do you do if the person that is "sneaking" in the candy bar has it in their purse for medical reasons...say diabetes? It is pretty common for someone on insulin to have a source of quick sugar in the event of an incorrect injection depleting the sugar too fast. Steve  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-22-2008 08:49 AM                        This sounds like a great way to annoy your customers and convince them to go somewhere else or stay home. I can understand not allowing outside food with a strong smell (garlic, etc.) or which is noisy to eat (potato chips, etc.) or otherwise offensive or distracting to other patrons, but to disallow all outside food because it might (emphasis on "might") hurt concession stand revenue, especially if it gets to the point of asking to search customers' bags and purses, is invasive and is likely to do more harm than good. I agree with those who feel that bringing outside food to the movies is pretty tacky and cheap, but that doesn't mean that exhibitors should stoop to the same level and start searching peoples' bags. Customers who are that cheap would probably not buy anything from the stand anyway. One theatre I know has a sign that says "no prepared foods allowed in auditorium," which seems to address the pizza-and-sub crowd, without affecting the candy-bar-and-water people.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-22-2008 09:43 AM                        We have a sign saying "Please finish outside snacks before entering the theatre" but we generally don't stop anybody from carrying stuff in anymore, except hot foods and ice cream. As noted, it would just tick them off and it's not worth the hassle. Many times, they still buy something from the concession anyway. We don't check bags at all. We had a family one timw who showed up with a pizza and were pretty ticked when I said they had to eat it outside, but they've been back since with no problems.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-22-2008 11:17 AM                     If any theatre I attended wanted to check my wife's or my bag, clothing or anything else, I would turn around, walk out and never attend that theatre again.  |  IP: Logged Galen Murphy-Fahlgren Master Film Handler Posts: 405 From: Canton, MI, USA Registered: Oct 2007 posted 09-22-2008 01:28 PM                     I would be opposed to doing bag checks, because serious "outside food or drink" issues can be headed off easily without them. It is pretty easy to see if someone is trying to sneak a pizza box in, and regular theater checks will alert the ushers as to anyone eating hamburgers or tacos in the theater. As others have said, it is only the large, smelly items that are a real issue, as they may be offensive to other patrons. I sure wouldn't want to sit next to someone eating a crave case of White Castle. This does mean you'd have to have people doing theater checks, but there are so many other reasons why you should that if you don't already you have bigger problems.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 09-22-2008 01:47 PM                        If someone is bringing in a large backpack or a bag that obviously contains food or drink, I'll usually ask them to leave it in the car or check it at the front counter. But I don't feel like I have the right to inspect a person's bag just to see if they are sneaking in food or drink. My position on the outside food or drink is that if I can see it then I'll say something. But if I can't see it, I'm not going to assume you might have something.  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 09-22-2008 05:19 PM                     I carry a back-pack with me most of the time and I've only ever had a check once at a cinema. The usher said he was checking for "cameras", but I did happen to know that this particular theatre had had a bomb scare the week before. The last time I went, no bag check.  |  IP: Logged Andrew Bangs Expert Film Handler Posts: 148 From: Kerrville, Texas, United States Registered: Sep 2008 posted 09-24-2008 10:34 AM                        quote: Justin Hamaker My position on the outside food or drink is that if I can see it then I'll say something. But if I can't see it, I'm not going to assume you might have something. This is how I used to feel as well But since management said go ahead and check bags That is what I have been doing and will continue till they tell me otherwise. They relate it to going to a sporting event or Amusement park where they have people at the entrance checking bags. Folks there don't seem to mind, so why not here at the theatre. I think it is because the folks checking at those places have a "uniform" even though it is usually a sewn on badge. Plus they are usually a bigger venue. Not to mention people are previously aware that their is a good possibility of being searched when they attend those events and are not used to the idea of having to do the same at a simple Movie theatre. As scary as it sounds times are changing. I have stopped a gentleman from bringing in what looked like a camera bag. He was upset that I would not let him in the theatre with it but he reluctantly left it in his car and latter told me the reason I could not look in the bag was because he had a concealed hand gun license. My answer to that was well we definitely don't want you to bring that in here either!  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 09-24-2008 11:46 AM                     quote: Andrew Bangs told me the reason I could not look in the bag was because he had a concealed hand gun license. That's why at the places I've worked there've been signage up saying "No weapons allowed." And if the person keeps the weapon (whether they have a license or not), you can have them arrested for trespassing.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-24-2008 11:56 AM                     quote: Andrew Bangs They relate it to going to a sporting event or Amusement park where they have people at the entrance checking bags. Folks there don't seem to mind, so why not here at the theatre. They don't SEEM to mind because they don't have a choice. If I want to see that concert, I have to put up with these tactics. There is only ONE place to see a concert and (usually) only one amusement park. What you DON'T see here are the people, like me, who will NOT go to any concert or event that searches people. I choose not to fly for the same reason. There are many theatres around in most towns. I will choose to go to another venue if you want to search my things. Actually, it might be fun to have some spring loaded toy jump out when the bag was opened. I'd just say, "Oops, I forgot that was in there."  |  IP: Logged

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