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Author Topic: An idiot ruined a night at the movies by smoking Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-19-2003 05:11 PM                        I do not watch too many movies in a theatre any more for various reasons including excessive talking, cel phone use and late comers. You can add another reason why I do not feel bad about watching movies at home . I decided to see an early evening movie instead of a matinee last Sunday and went to Consolidated's Pearl Ridge complex to see "SEABISCUIT" in house #13. It was the 7:00 showing and before the show started there were only six other people in the auditorium. Shortly before the feature started, in walked a couple who sat a couple of seats away from me and started talking for a little bit and settled down and became quiet. This did not last long because about midway through the movie, they started to talk again and the guy lit a cigarette and permeated the entire auditorium with the filthy stench from the smoke. It is unlawful here in Honolulu to smoke in public buildings especially theatres and restaurants. When this idio started to smoke, I thought about leaving but decided to stay because I was really enjoying the movie but the remainder of the film was no fun to watch anymore. Has anyone have a similar experience? I have noticed that once the feature starts, no one comes in to monitor the auditorium. Is this common practice with all theatres or just with our theatres operated my Consolidated and Signature,. We do have some Wallace Theatre but I consider them a moot point when it comes to customer relation and satisfaction. Claude  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 08-19-2003 05:20 PM                        Smoking has been illegal in NYC theaters for many years, so it hasn't been an issue. More recently, smoking has become illegal in virtually all indoor public places, including bars. Many people are opposed to this although I would venture to guess that NYC has a lower smoking rate than most other places. It has caused some problems: there have been some fights between patrons and bouncers that resulted in the death of at least one bouncer and now that patrons congregate outside to smoke, neighborhoods are complaining about the additional noise. Owners seem to be split on the issue: I would say a majority feel their business has been hurt, but there are many others who claim that either it hasn't been hurt or that it's actually improved because patrons are willing to stay longer without the smoke. As for me, I have given a lot more business to music clubs since the ban began. I used to hate walking out of these places and reeking of smoke. Even in winter, I would leave my coat in the car, otherwise it would have to be cleaned after each outing. One other problem with the ban is that European tourists hate it and can't believe they can't smoke in a restaurant or a bar. There have been claims that tourists have avoided NYC for this reason, but I find that a little hard to believe.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-19-2003 05:36 PM                        If anybody tried to smoke in a movie theatre here, they'd be risking their life! They might get beaten senseless by the anti-smoking crowd. I can't remember the last time I saw someone try to smoke in a movie theatre. Smoking was recently banned here in Eugene even in places like bars, and has been banned in most public places for many years. If someone lit up during a movie, I wouldn't hesitate to tell the manager "There's some nimrod smoking in there" and let him/her deal with it. I wouldn't be shy about asking for a raincheck either. The theatre has some responsibility in this. Regal regularly walks the auditoriums here, sometimes more than once during a show. I'm not sure what they're looking for other than picture and sound, but at least they make their presence known to the audience.  |  IP: Logged Roger Katz Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Thomaston, CT, USA Registered: Feb 2003 posted 08-19-2003 05:47 PM                     I was at an urban Crown theatre last year and some ghetto people showed up late, were laughing noisily (not at the movie), talking, and smoking in the auditorium. I reported this to the manager and as soon as he heard there was smoking going on he got the theatre police officer and ushers and they ran to the theatre to deal with the situation. I wish they had kicked the @sses out, but they posted an usher inside and let them stay. While the smoking did stop they continued to talk and the usher did nothing about it. Later two other ushers joined the first usher and the three of them sat there talking loudly too. needless to say I have never gone back to that theatre again.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-19-2003 05:56 PM                     On the idea smoking bans hurt business, perhaps that might be possible in a bar or night club (many women smoke, and the guys are going to congregate where the women go). But even in this area, the anti-smoking pressure is building up -even here in Oklahoma. It is definitely not "cool" to smoke anymore. There are a number of marketing studies that show smoking bans actually improve business in other places like restaurants. Lots of people have smoking allergies, asthma or just plain don't want to breathe somebody's second hand smoke. A lot of those people won't enter a business where others are allowed to smoke. Restaurants willing to risk pissing off militant smokers (thus losing some business) will gain the business of more who cannot tolerate cigarettes.  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 08-19-2003 07:05 PM                     Last month while seeing "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" with a buddy, the guy in front of us started to smoke. But he didn't have tobacco in his pipe! hahaha I don't think anyone around cared. That's some guts to do that in such a public manner. Danny  |  IP: Logged Ron Lacheur Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 650 From: British Columbia, Canada Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-19-2003 07:13 PM                     I've seen a person smoking in a movie theater. It was about 6-7 years ago, actually I think it was opening night of Lost World and this theater had a half wall between the back wall and the last row of seats. I could see the glowing end of a cigarette in the corner. Another story, same theater, someone lit one of those magazines they give away in the lobby on fire. The theater REALLY smelled bad and the manager came in and was looking row to row. They weren't caught though.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-19-2003 07:34 PM                     I have found the the Tucson Police Department to be a bunch of morons, the reason why people tend to be disrespectful to cops! On one occasion, some gang-bang teenage punks lit up some reefers in one auditorium of a Century Theatres 20 plex where I worked as a projectionist. The stench permated outside the particular auditorium in question and around the lobby and hallways of this complex. There were several complaints from both customers and theatre employees, and the Tucson Police Department was called. Although these gangbangers were visibally under the influence, the cops refused to arrest them because they were not in physical position of a reefer/reefers when busted. Instead, the remnants of the reefers were ashes on the floor at their feet, but the cops said that this was not evidence enough. But the cops did escort them from the theatre. As expected, these gangbangers were not too happy and hung around the theatre/shopping mall grounds until after the show let out. They then tried to intimidate both theatre employees and the customers who initiated the origonal complaint, who happened to be a group of young ladies. The Tucson Police Department was no where to be found.  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-19-2003 08:18 PM                     Claude, you should NEVER hesitate to go out and grab a manager and insist he/she handle the offender. Even with regular checks of the auditorium it is very hard to catch offenders without other patrons reporting it first.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-20-2003 12:46 AM                     quote: As expected, these gangbangers were not too happy and hung around the theatre/shopping mall grounds until after the show let out. They then tried to intimidate both theatre employees and the customers who initiated the origonal complaint, who happened to be a group of young ladies. The Tucson Police Department was no where to be found. That would be funny for those idiots to pull that garbage around here. Try that on a crowd exiting a Lawton theater and they'll likely be staring at the barrel of more than one handgun.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-20-2003 01:33 AM                        Brad, I thought about doing what you had suggested but I do agree with what Will said about facing these people after the movie. To them, I am an old man and someone they think they can intimidate but if push came to shove, I can still take care of myself but I do not feel it is worth going through all that trouble. I still feel the theatre staff people should monitor their auditoriums from time to time. If someone walked into house #13 about midway, they would have smelled the smoke and knew someone was smoking and hopefully do something about it. -Claude  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-20-2003 02:24 AM                        In many cities, smoking in an auditorium is a violation of fire code & will get the theater shut down. You have only the choices of being aggravated because you have to put up with it, or the aggravation of having the theatrical experience made worse by having to miss part of the show to get a manager, but those are the two choices at that point. Haha, non-smoking NYC now. Sheesh, I remember going to the movies in NYC & sitting & smoking in the balcony (which was set aside for that), or sitting in a floor seat looking up at that classic haze of smoke & smokers up in the balcony. That's one reason so many people smoke in films - it looks so visually interesting & good in the light. Black & white especially.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-20-2003 04:18 AM                        i would have had a fit. i have fielded complaints of smoking in the theater, and while it was obvious that it had been going on, it was extraordinarily hard to pinpoint. as soon as you walk in, the puffing stops. i'm convinced i've smelled it in the bathroom too, but never caught anyone in the act. it's pretty frustrating. if you want to know why theaters aren't checked very much, read the thread about proper staffing. what also bugs me is people who smoke directly outside the theater (including much of the staff). the smoke drifts right in. personally, i refuse service to people smoking when they approach the box office. we actually have an unenforced ordinance prohibiting smoking within 20 feet of a doorway or vent. of course, when they finish smoking the butt flies onto the sidewalk, not into the ashtray we provide. i fail to see why this ubiquitous form of littering is seen as acceptable. carl  |  IP: Logged Peter Kerchinsky Master Film Handler Posts: 326 From: Seattle, WA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-20-2003 04:35 AM                     Claude I agree with Brad. You should have complained to a staffer or manager and had those idiots removed. In Washington, no smoking in public places, period. I smoke, probably alot more than I should, but never, never in a public place.....except for our local watering hole. Don't put up with this. It's illegal. Have them thrown out buddy.  |  IP: Logged Richard C. Wolfe Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Northampton, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 08-20-2003 09:12 AM                        Carl, you have hit on something that has irritated me for a long time. What is it that tells smokers to throw away their butts on the floor or sidewalk? I know people that would never think of littering in any other way, who actually go out of their way and pick up trash when they see it, but think nothing of throwing their butts down when finished with a cigarette. We have an ashtray in the lobby just inside the front doors before you get to the ticket taker. It is always empty. Sometimes weeks go by without one butt being placed there. I would have one outside but local fire ordinance prohibits the placement of anything in the path of exit or in front of any door and our doors are the exact same width as the vestibule. Ordinance also prohibits placing anything on the public sidewalk. Therefore the only place we can have one is inside, but everyone throws them away before entering.  |  IP: Logged

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