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Author Topic: Regal Theatre Bag Check
Terry Monohan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 379
From: San Francisco CA USA
Registered: May 2014


 - posted 08-20-2015 11:24 AM      Profile for Terry Monohan   Email Terry Monohan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Today's news says the Regal Theatre chain will start bag and backpack checks at all their cinemas. Will they hire a separate security person at the door? Will they be armed? What happens If they find a soda, bottle of water or candy in your bag? Will they make you dump It in the trash after you bought a admission ticket? Lets see If they give this new duty to the ticket taker. Wait till the lines form with all this extra door security. What happens If they find a gun in someones bag? By the time they call the police or 911 the people will have run into the cinema with the weapon. Regal in not going to spend the money to put in metal machines. After waiting in a long line to buy a ticket as Regal never has all the ticket windows open as It is, plus waiting to buy drinks and candy from a understaffed candy counter, the movie public will not like all the extra wait time to check a bag or purse at the door just to see a film on a crowded popular movie on opening weekend. Lets see who the next circuit will be to copy cat Regal.

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Sam Graham
AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues.

Posts: 1431
From: Waukee, IA
Registered: Dec 2004


 - posted 08-20-2015 12:18 PM      Profile for Sam Graham   Author's Homepage   Email Sam Graham   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The specific language now found on Regal's "Admittance Procedures" page
quote:
Backpacks/Packages/Bags:

Security issues have become a daily part of our lives in America. Regal Entertainment Group wants our customers and staff to feel comfortable and safe when visiting or working in our theatres. To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, backpacks and bags of any kind are subject to inspection prior to admission. We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope these are minor in comparison to increased safety.

Everyone on social media, of course, is posting a lifetime boycott of Regal declaration from their cell phones while being anal raped by the TSA.

I, for one, will never go to a Regal Cinemas again with a bag.*

(*=I've never ever gone to any cinema with a bag.)

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 08-20-2015 12:34 PM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Maybe a "no-bag-discount" line would encourage people to leave all their useless crap in the car. All you need is a credit card or a pocket with a bit of cash in it to go to the movies anyway.

Cinemas in a "mall" environment could install a free locker setup out front.

You might say, "what about baby bags?" I say, don't bring babies to the movies.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 08-20-2015 12:36 PM      Profile for Martin McCaffery   Author's Homepage   Email Martin McCaffery   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Put the babies in the locker [evil]

Locker's would be a great place to put a bomb, which is why they no longer have them in airports. Now we have to haul or luggage around during our interminable layovers.

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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001


 - posted 08-20-2015 01:01 PM      Profile for Mitchell Dvoskin   Email Mitchell Dvoskin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I would certainly feel safer, but on the other hand I would generally be equally happy to wait for the Bluray and watch it at home rather than be subject to a search. Further, I think putting everyone thru metal detectors would be better than a search. It would be less bothersome and intrusive.

Of course, partial security opens a legal can of worms. This would not have stopped the Colorado shooter, who entered the theatre with nothing, and propped open an emergency exit door to go out and get his weapons. By acknowledging some known potential danger point (the entrance) while ignoring others (emergency exits), any lawyer would have a fairly easy time of nailing Regal should something happen. On the other hand, doing nothing now that this is known to be a problem will also cause liability.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004


 - posted 08-20-2015 01:45 PM      Profile for Justin Hamaker   Author's Homepage   Email Justin Hamaker   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Mitchell Dvoskin
On the other hand, doing nothing now that this is known to be a problem will also cause liability.
Is there really a problem. A couple instances spread out over a period of time is hardly indicative of a widespread concern over safety and security at theatres. You might be able to suggest a problem at an individual location if there were multiple incidences within a period of time. But a handful at different theatres in different parts of the country does not indicate a huge problem.

While a bag check policy might provide some with the illusion of security, it will also provide some with the illusion of a threat to safety.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005


 - posted 08-20-2015 02:01 PM      Profile for Louis Bornwasser   Author's Homepage   Email Louis Bornwasser   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We've been through this already at Sunrise Cinemas, Valley Steam NY. This is just below the landing Kennedy Airport traffic. (Parking light lamp poles get shorter near the runway.)

Irate customer murders another in a "theatre rage" accident. (Like road rage,) Metal detectors installed. Business never fully recovered. Think 25+ years ago.

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Jonathan Goeldner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1360
From: Washington, District of Columbia
Registered: Jun 2008


 - posted 08-20-2015 03:39 PM      Profile for Jonathan Goeldner   Email Jonathan Goeldner   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
having a 'no-bag' policy in a mall that is an urban setting that has folk using mass transit is a major hassle - what? where in the hell do you expect to put my bag - I don't have a car to put it in... ??

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

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


 - posted 08-20-2015 05:17 PM      Profile for Jack Ondracek   Author's Homepage   Email Jack Ondracek   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Aside from bruising a few egos, I don't get why this should be such a huge imposition.

Try getting into a major league football or baseball game without getting your stuff searched. Over here, even the University of Washington checks bags for their Huskies games. Will you stomp off in utter disgust when you get to the search line?

When I arrived at the stadiums on gameday to do engineering or production duties for the radio broadcasts, anything I brought in with me was searched... tool boxes, flight cases... even the metal briefcase my laptop is in.

I think these searches are a bit of a joke, in that I doubt any of those contract folks would have recognized something sinister in my toolbox. I guess they might spot a gun though, so maybe a bit of usefulness there.

Given the seeming attractiveness of movie theatres to kooks with guns, I'm sort of surprised the chains didn't start something like this earlier.

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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010


 - posted 08-20-2015 07:25 PM      Profile for Buck Wilson   Email Buck Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
1) All bags get 'checked', no exceptions. Customers will be redirected to the box office for a refund if they choose not to comply. this includes conceal and carry permit holders.

2) Usher does the bag 'checks'. No additional staff unless the manager can spare a few minutes to help get the line down. Which means no 'no bag express line' Safety is important, but not important enough for an increase in payroll! Lets not get crazy now!

3) 'Checks' consist of the usher asking the patron to open their bag, and the usher shining a flashlight into it. Usher may ask patron to move stuff around. Usher may not touch bag at any time.

4) Ushers are specifically instructed to "keep with your normal level of scrutiny concerning outside food and drink". Around here, it's zero fucks given and patrons are told before the search that we are not looking for outside snacks.

One comment I found on their facebook page brought up an interesting point- Husband and wife came in, both CCP carrying. Only the wife got checked because she had a 'bag'. Couple brought up the point of this system being far from perfect. Regal said something like "We know the system isn't perfect but feel it's worth the extra safety" WTF if you can still get a gun in what's the point?!

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Pravin Ratnam
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 844
From: Atlanta, GA,USA
Registered: Sep 2002


 - posted 08-20-2015 08:15 PM      Profile for Pravin Ratnam   Email Pravin Ratnam   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Security theater. It's a hassle to go to NFL games too. We couldn't even take open bags. Terrorism has won if we have to change life so much to make things inconvenient. Torture by a 1000 cuts.

I would rather be reactive. Just put better CCTV and have a centralized security area that can be monitored remotely. There is nothing stopping a terrorist from just planting a bomb outside the theater as moviegoers crowd the box office for a popular movie. You saw what happened in Boston and Bangkok.

There is nothing stopping a terrorist (local or foreign) or a madman from just shooting into a crowd OUTSIDE the theater. A guy can take out 20-30 people if he really chooses to in any setting.

Let's be thankful terrorists are generally dumb people who overcomplicate an easy but distasteful mission.

What I didn't realize is that this is supposed to be new. Didn't theaters always check bags for food that is snuck in? I remember a thread a while ago about a customer who compliai9ned about that.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004


 - posted 08-20-2015 08:27 PM      Profile for Monte L Fullmer   Email Monte L Fullmer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Nothing to laugh about, but when the 2012 Batman midnight show thing happened in Colorado and we at REGAL began the bag checks, we found 7 firearms in women's carry bags.

We never touch the bag but ask them to open the bag so we could see inside. We asked them to return the bag to the car and have it off the premises.

Yet, we would disclose the reason why with the comments stating that for security reasons is why we must look inside the bag.

Backpacks were verboten totally on location.

-Monte

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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010


 - posted 11-19-2015 12:53 AM      Profile for Buck Wilson   Email Buck Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Policy has, within the last 6 weeks, changed from "100% all bags checked" to "bags MAY be checked".

Ushers are encouraged to look into bigger bags, use discretion on who to probe.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000


 - posted 11-25-2015 05:41 AM      Profile for Jesse Skeen   Email Jesse Skeen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've seen LOTS of negative comments on Yelp about this locally, as well as how the ushers have to walk through the theater with that light-saber thing and distract the audience during the movie. Why did I EVER stop working for Regal? [Razz]

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 11-25-2015 09:11 AM      Profile for Martin McCaffery   Author's Homepage   Email Martin McCaffery   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Buck Wilson
use discretion on who to probe.
That never ends well.

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