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Topic: Ticket scam

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-20-2001 07:13 AM

Jim --- that sounds scary.

Is your theatre in a "bad part of town"? Or are the gang tactics described becoming common across the country? Any particular movie titles that attract this kind of mob mentality audience?

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 02-20-2001 07:36 AM

Sounds like this theatre should employ either an off duly uniformed cop or as I read, a few years ago, members of the local high school football team, to work security.This seemed to work for a theatre that was having problems with crossovers and people trying to slip by the ticket takers and generally giving personnel a rough time.

Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 02-20-2001 10:09 AM

We are located in the suburbs, but anytime you put 1000 teenagers in once place, problems start to occur. We employ 2 off duty police officers on Fridays and Saturdays and one on Sundays. This may not seem like a lot, until you take into accoudn that the city as a whole only has 5 officers on duty Friday and Saturday nights..

We have taken several steps to attempt to fix this problem, and they are, slowly, starting to work. So much so that we captured the attention of the newspaper as, apparently, we are one of the few theatres attempting to enforce order.

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-20-2001 03:23 PM

In addition to the beefed up security personnel, I would suggest installing some video cameras to monitor the boxoffice and podium lines (with the pictures displayed on TV monitors in plain sight). This will let these hooligans know that their actions and identities are being recorded to share with the police if there is trouble.

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 02-20-2001 10:02 PM

John, I agree. Seems like some hoodlums respect a machine more than they do a human. It goes right back to the earlier post about the father and his two sons.

Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 03-04-2001 11:53 PM

Now I've been reading the latest "Maxim" (I gotta get some new reading material) and they have an article on "How to Cheat."

A Leows employee explains how to get free movies. You're supposed to "complain to the manager about the conditions in the theatre, which are always horrible anyway," and you'll get your money back. He gives examples of horrible conditions: Too cold, urine smell, etc. This from a Leows employee!!

Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 03-05-2001 05:09 AM

This is pretty common.. There are people at my theatre who complain, and recieve passes, every visit.. I don't think they have paid for a movie in 2 years... But, if we don't give them passes and they call corporate and compain (even if the complaint is total BS) we get in trouble.. So we hand out an average of something like 20 passes a day...

Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 03-05-2001 05:08 PM

Century doesn't tear their tickets in half. Either did the company I started out with. They tore the tickets down the middle (spine if you please) They didn't worry about other ticket halfs. As IF they were really going to count them?

This way - ONE TICKET per ONE PERSON. No halfs to mess around with.

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 03-06-2001 12:48 AM

The theatre that I just started at as Assistant Manager has a reel problem with 12-15 year old kids who think they own the place. One of them punched one of my employees saturday night. Its a good thing I wasnt there cause I would have picked the kid up and threw him through a window. I say zero tolerance is the way to go, NO WARNINGS NOTHING just youre out.

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-06-2001 01:23 PM

Sean,

Obviously if a customer punches an employee they would get zero tolerance but what if an older couple comes in and while discussing the movie they don't realize they are disturbing others by talking loudly....do they get zero tolerance? There are exceptions to everything, you can never go with zero tolerance in this business, it doesn't work!

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"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 03-06-2001 06:22 PM

Rachel,
There are rules that are there so that everyone can equally enjoy a movie. Yes there is a difference betwwen a quiet discussion of a film and a teenager shooting spitballs in the lobby. If a 70 year old was shooting spit balls in the lobby they would get the same treatment as a 13 year old who did the same thing.

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-06-2001 06:27 PM

Sean,
Don't twist my words around. If a 70 year old were spitting spit balls in the lobby of course they would get kicked out!

I'm saying, some people do not realize that they are making a disturbance, it happens all the time....people discussing the movie loudly not realizing they are bothering others is alot different then kids yelling and screaming during the movie...

Zero Tolerance just doesn't work!

------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 03-06-2001 06:33 PM

Rachel,

people not realizing they are making a disturbance is not the issue. the issue is the kids who are intentionally doing it on purpose. these kids have been allowed to run wild. They have been allowed in every week and the situation escaleted further and further. A quiet discussion is not breaking the rules. Someone making a scene is. thats where I have no tolerance.

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-06-2001 06:37 PM

I had never said if other people came in and made the kind of disturbance you get from those kids everyweek you shouldn't have kicked them out. I dealt with those same kids and their friends for way too long because your owner wouldn't let me kick them out. I'm glad he finally wants them out, that is not what I was talking about and you know it!

------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-06-2001 06:40 PM

You can correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought that zero tolerance applied to everyone, thats why I don't agree....

There are exceptions.

------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

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