Mandatory bag search at cinema

ronbyrne2005

krudler wrote: »

I used to work at a cinema and the no outside food thing is a joke, a bag of popcorn gets something like 200 boxes to sell for them but it only cost (at the time, this was years back) 30 quid a bag, bout the size of a kg of spuds, 200 boxes of popcorn from one bag at about 4.00 a box is a massive profit, so fook em, they also admitted they have no legal right to stop people bringing in their own food

I said to one guy before that I had a special diet for medical reasons so needed to eat my ham,cheese and coleslaw roll during film and he beleived it or at least didnt refuse me. Mmmm tasty roll that was.

brettmirl

Mentioned this on another thread, but Movies@Swords now put a green sticker on everything they sell over the counter. Not seen anyone actually check on the way in, but there are signs up saying you can only consume food/drink bought there on the premises.

Shelflife

THe problem with the cinemas is that they rip the arse off their confectionary prices, you can make good enough money on sweets without that. this is why people resort to stocking up before they go in.

if they charged fair prices , people would buy their sweets there.

Max Power1

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

I always buy before and put the stuff in my pockets. Sometimes i have carried bags of stuff that are clearly popcorn/coke etc and no one has said anything to me. We pay enough for the film admission alone in this country without having to pay 4euro for a 40cent cost price coke. .

+1 here. I normally go to the savoy or ugc.. walk past the ushers/attendants chekcing tickets etc with popcorn/sweets/coke etc that was brought in from the shops in the vicinity - nothings ever been said to me

leeroybrown

I brought a bag (normal backpack) to a screening at the Eye Cinema in Galway a couple of years ago. Their security guy refused me entry to the screening area as 'no bags were allowed in'. No search, just no bags full stop. I had to go back downstairs and leave it unsecured behind the desk where they sold me the ticket and where they could have pointed this out to me at the time. I couldn't see a single sign pointing it out either.

I haven't been in with a bag since so I've no idea if they still do it.

rubadub

T-Square wrote: »

With all due respect moderator, you are incorrect, in my view.

You go to a pub for drink
so you cannot bring drink
You go to a cinema to view a movie
so you cannot bring a camera

If the cinema did not charge 500% over the odds for simple items,
people wouldn't even have this discussion.

What happens when people want a specific sweet to eat while watching a movie they just paid 20 euro for? for a couple.
I'm partial to candied kitten paws, Vue don't sell them (over the counter )
so am I to go without?
I don't like the muck they call "Coke"
I like "the real thing"
why should I pay a fiver for their Coke dish water at 500% more than a shop, that is already charging a margin over wholesale prices,
when I can have a cold, fizzy, 500ml for a *fraction* of the price.

I don't care if they "make their money" from sweets (and boy oh boy do they "make money" on their sweets.)

Cinema's make money from tickets at 10 euro each.

Fock them

hmmm. So what about night clubs, you pay your €10 in to dance & socialise, the consumables inside are optional, just like in the cinema. They also charge over 500% markup on drink in the nightclub & pub, and also might not have the particular drink you want (just like your sweets).

If they did drop prices people would buy there, but obviously they have done there maths, just like the pubs & clubs and they still think that the few people who do pay the 500% more is better. e.g. if a popcorn is €5 and €1 in the shop and costs 50 cent, then 1 sale makes €4.50, if they charged €1 they need 9 people to make the same profit.

Don't get me wrong I am a cinema smuggler! and used to stash drink in pubs and still do into concert venues. But I do view it similar to stashing drink into pubs. Would you agree it is similar to bringing food into pubs at least? you say you go there to drink, so food is also secondary. Most pubs will not let you bring your own food in, esp. if they sell it.

The other factor is paying for cleanup of spillages & wrappers etc left behind. You are not allowed eat in most clothes shops.

I don't believe cinemas make feck all from the €10, and they are not losing out much to the smugglers since they would not buy it there anyway, they would just go without. I'd sooner go to burgerking afterwards and get a full meal for the same price as a popcorn & coke and have a chat about the film. It would be like UPC claiming to be losing millions from people using dodgy cable boxes, as though all the people would otherwise subscribe to every single package.

TheDriver

There was a guy near me last week who had a McDonalds Bag and with the smell, it was "fresh" from the McD next door! Chomping on the happy meal during my bloody valentine!!

shellyboo

What everyone seems to be ignoring here is the fact that no-one's forcing you to eat in the cinema. They're not ripping you off by providing confectionery there, it's a service - an overpriced service, but one they're not obliged to offer in the first place. I think they're within their rights (figuratively if not legally) to not allow outside food - because after all, just because you can't bring your own doesn't mean you HAVE to buy theirs. They're not ripping the money out of your pockets.

I like the pub analogy as well - just because they're charging you €1 for a bag of crisps doesn't mean you can wander down the road and buy a multipack in Tesco instead and munch them at the bar. Same idea, I reckon.

yoshytoshy

shellyboo wrote: »

I like the pub analogy as well - just because they're charging you €1 for a bag of crisps doesn't mean you can wander down the road and buy a multipack in Tesco instead and munch them at the bar. Same idea, I reckon.

Often happened in my local ,we would get chips around in the chipper and eat them when a match would be on;)

tallaghtoutlaws

Cinemas are like any other business they have their rules and are usually on private property. So if you don't like their rules don't go. I hate going to cinema due to the high prices but hey if you are hungary either pay their prices or go without. If you dont like the rules though sh*t in my opinion. Its their busines, their premises, their rules, the end.

On the bag search thing that is highly dodgy. Worked in security and we were told to check bags as staff left store but NEVER touch the bag just get staff member to open and show whats inside. You touch the bag you leave yourself open to any accusation.

Davei141

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

On the bag search thing that is highly dodgy. Worked in security and we were told to check bags as staff left store but NEVER touch the bag just get staff member to open and show whats inside. You touch the bag you leave yourself open to any accusation.

That's correct. You never put your hand inside a bag, you ask them to take out the contents/or show you.

daheff

dont get me wrong...i can understand why cinemas dont want people bringing in their own food or a camcorder....but how are they within their rights to demand that they search your property ??? I cant see how that is a fair prerequisite for entry to see the film.

In fairness to the cinema, I didnt see them abuse this "mandatory bag search" (or even see them doing one)...but I think it is wrong for them to make this demand on their customers

seamus

daheff wrote: »

dont get me wrong...i can understand why cinemas dont want people bringing in their own food or a camcorder....but how are they within their rights to demand that they search your property ??? I cant see how that is a fair prerequisite for entry to see the film.

You're having a party at your house. A guy you don't know, arrives at the door, says he's a mate of Joe's (who's a mate of yours), and is carrying a big bag marked "Burglar Tools". And no, it's not a fancy-dress party. Would you let him in, or would you ask to look in the bag?

OK, it's a silly example, but illustrates my point. Basically any private business or property has the right to impose certain conditions on admission to the premises - Right of Admission Reserved and all that.
The only thing they cannot do is use one of the seven (?) discriminatory criteria (sex, age, etc), but otherwise if they insist that you wear a diamante-studded tutu or you don't get in, they can do that. Their only issue is that any condition must be imposed on all persons equally. So don't get offended that they're searching your bag - they're searching it because they have to search *all* bags or none at all, there's no middle ground.

krudler

People could easily get around this but not stuffing their face for 2 hours with enough coke and popcorn to feed a small family, that comment about outside food making cleanup harder is just plain wrong as well, as a former cinema worker who spent my evenings crunching through spilt (or just thrown on the floor) popcorn and coke it was a pain in the arse regardless of whether it was food we sold or stuff that was brought in, and people who eat nachos and cheese at the cinema, you are scum

Cabaal

TheDriver wrote: »

There was a guy near me last week who had a McDonalds Bag and with the smell, it was "fresh" from the McD next door! Chomping on the happy meal during my bloody valentine!!

argggh in the sickening smell of McD's, kick him out!

shellyboo

yoshytoshy wrote: »

Often happened in my local ,we would get chips around in the chipper and eat them when a match would be on;)

Did the pub sell chips? That's a bit cheeky, if so... but if they didn't mind then fair play. However, if you've been requested not to bring in outside food, then you have to play by the rules.

bigdogbarking

rubadub wrote: »

hmmm. So what about night clubs, you pay your €10 in to dance & socialise, the consumables inside are optional, just like in the cinema. They also charge over 500% markup on drink in the nightclub & pub, and also might not have the particular drink you want (just like your sweets).

I thought people just done coke in the toilets now in nightclubs and don't really bother with the drink????:D

the_syco

T-Square wrote: »

Cinema's make money from tickets at 10 euro each.

Cinema's make f**k all money from the tickets. Never have, never will.

Profiler

the_syco wrote: »

Cinema's make f**k all money from the tickets. Never have, never will.

Never will? what if they charge €150 per ticket?

yoshytoshy

shellyboo wrote: »

Did the pub sell chips? That's a bit cheeky, if so... but if they didn't mind then fair play. However, if you've been requested not to bring in outside food, then you have to play by the rules.

Nah ,it's a local boozer. No gourmets slogging it in the kitchen or anything;)
To be honest ,even though I don't agree with been searched ,I'd buy popcorn and large drinks 80% of the time.
It does affect the amount of times that I'd go to the cinema though.

If it was even slightly cheaper ,I'd probably go that more often. Greed has a sneaky way of killing off things ,this is a prime example I think.

yoshytoshy

Profiler wrote: »

Never will? what if they charge €150 per ticket?

What if they charge you for renting a seat ?

the_syco

yoshytoshy wrote: »

If it was even slightly cheaper ,I'd probably go that more often.

If they still did butter popcorn, I'd go

yoshytoshy

the_syco wrote: »

If they still did butter popcorn, I'd go

the magical buttery delights

Padraig Mor

Profiler wrote: »

Never will? what if they charge €150 per ticket?

The distributor will take 95% of it!

aidan_walsh

Profiler wrote: »

Never will? what if they charge €150 per ticket?

Nobody would pay it, so they would still make **** all.

ch750536

FruitLover wrote: »

What's the big deal? Just fill your bag with mousetraps before entering. Problem swiftly solved.

Even better, put a broken glass bottle in the bag and a load of ice.

brettmirl

the_syco wrote: »

If they still did butter popcorn, I'd go

They do at the cinema in Blanchardstown.

Never quite saw the attraction myself. Even the smell of it turns my stomach.

the_syco

mick_irl wrote: »

They do at the cinema in Blanchardstown.

Never quite saw the attraction myself. Even the smell of it turns my stomach.

Gotta check that out. A few started to do fake butter, when cinemas stopped doing butter. Fake butter for the lose.

Lollipops23

why did they stop doing butter?i bought 2 tickets the other day, our sweets(standard stuff) came to 1/3 more than the ticket price.absolute rip-off. if they asked to see my bag i'd ask for their garda's badge.

swingking

krudler wrote: »

people who eat nachos and cheese at the cinema, you are scum

mmmm nachos and cheese