Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: We got rid of our Burn out projectionist

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Posted by Tracy Bellar (Member # 3049) on 06-30-2005, 11:48 PM:

Saturday is the last Day I have to work with a guy thats been a problem for a while. This guy would smoke so much pot in the booth on his night to work that he would screw up prints and everything else he touched. Cheech and Chong would have a tough time keeping up with him. Finally I won't have to worry about what kind of mess I'm coming back to after a day or two off. However, This guy will be working for a new theater in my area. Portsmouth, Ohio. However, Now I'm dreading the possibility that I will pick up a second run print in the future that I know will be a piece of [bs]

! So if you pick one up from Portsmouth Ohio good luck. at least he's not my problem any more. Farwell [fu]

Has anyone had any experience with projectionists so stoned they ruin every movie they touch?

Posted by Rick Long Jr (Member # 541) on 07-01-2005, 12:02 AM:

Something stinks here. And I don't think its dope.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-01-2005, 12:06 AM:

Well it's good that he'll finally be gone, but I have to ask:

It's just one of those things, ya know, that should getcha fired right away.

Moving to Ground Level

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 07-01-2005, 02:28 AM:

Good question, Joe.
We never found the source of bud in the booth a few weeks ago. I'm thinking it was a now gone useless employee.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 07-01-2005, 02:36 AM:

Cummon Joe! Thars nuttin rong wit maryjane n da buth! ur sondin lik a antidoper. i 4 1 like it 4 medacal purpossess.
get a life!

Posted by Tracy Bellar (Member # 3049) on 07-01-2005, 03:59 PM:

The owner didn't want to know about it. Didn't care as long as he worked for cheap. I don't care what he does on his own time but when you have a bad wrap every week and screw up every movie played to one degree or another it's a problem at work. When he is to stoned to tear down and build by himself it's a problem. He screws up the books when filling out concession and B.O. reports. I always had to fix the monthly because of him. He left weed and blunt wrapers and cigar filler everywhere. he spilled enough to make a small central american country happy.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-01-2005, 06:27 PM:

Phil, did Thomas hack in to your account and post that?

Tracy, your owner is a complete moron and a bad businessman. Please print out this thread so he can see my comments. I hope they are able to remove the brain tumor from his ass. Please get another job at someplace moderately respectable.

Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 07-01-2005, 07:58 PM:

quote: Tracy Bellar
he spilled enough to make a small central american country happy.

Hope you saved some for me, running a bit low!

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 07-01-2005, 08:09 PM:

I would have not only fired his ass ... but prosecuted him as well ... what a complete fucking waste of skin.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-01-2005, 10:57 PM:

I tend to agree with people above that what a person does on his own time is his own business... UNLESS it spills into work time. Then it's, "Game OVER!"

One thing you have to watch out for is by NOT firing somebody who obviously SHOULD BE fired, it makes it harder to get rid of the next Jerk-Off employee who deserves a trip to the Tuna Factory. (To get CANNED!) By not firing when you should you demonstrate tolerance for bad behavior and poor work ethic. The next person you try to fire might be able to make a case against you.

(i.e.: "You didn't fire Fred the pothead but, now, you want to fire ME!?")

If you know that somebody is doing something blatantly wrong at work you NEED to solve that problem as soon as possible just to cover your ass!

Posted by Dylan Marchetti (Member # 2764) on 07-20-2005, 09:08 PM:

I don't think you can really prosecute someone for that- you can call the cops but they generally have to catch him in the act.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 07-20-2005, 11:28 PM:

quote: Tracy Bellar
He left weed and blunt wrapers and cigar filler everywhere. he spilled enough to make a small central american country happy.

That there is PROSECUTABLE. It's called possession.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 07-21-2005, 01:01 AM:

But Mike, there's no proof it was him.

Best thing is to club him over the head and push him down the booth stairs. Then throw a couple of shipping containers down after him and stuff his pockets with the dope (and some needles if ya can). Then call 911 and say there's been a terrible accident.

They usually send the cops as well as the paramedics...tell them he was acting weird...like drunk...just before he stumbled down the stairs.

All will be taken care of when they find the dope while searching for his ID. [thumbsup]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 07-21-2005, 01:05 PM:

Of course, the above scenario is purely hypothetical. Phil and I would never ever participate is such a scheme! (again) [Razz]

Posted by Dylan Marchetti (Member # 2764) on 07-21-2005, 08:11 PM:

quote: Mike Spaeth
That there is PROSECUTABLE. It's called possession.

You're right, but I'm not sure that YOU can prosecute him for it. I think the state would have to do that. For example- if someone steals from you, you can elect to press charges, and then drop them later if you feel like it. But if someone murders someone on your property, you can't press charges or drop them, it's up to the state. I think this falls into the latter category, at least in my state.

That said, you can (and should) totally fire his ass... if not for possession, definitely for stupidity.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 07-21-2005, 09:02 PM:

A long time ago....

We had some gang-bangers (watchin a gang-banger flic) light up some joints in a 20-plex where I was a projectionist. The stench (I cannot stand the smell of weed) was sooo dense that it actually drifted out of the auditorium and into the lobby! Of course there were customer complaints.

Anyhow, the police were called and responded. While the reefer ashes were at their feet, and they were obviously stoned, the police failed to arrest them because they were not physically holding the evidence.

These gang-bangers also harrassed some female customers that complained about them, as well as some female theatre employees. And this failed to get any action from the cops.

Despite the fact that they were escorted from the premisis, they did loom around the theatre past closing, intimidating both customers and theatre employees.

Thanks for your WONDERFUL HELP...TPD!

K.

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 07-22-2005, 05:44 PM:

Sounds like some lazy officers. Even if they couldn't make the pot charge stick (which they could have), sure AZ has a law against public intoxication or disorderly conduct.

Posted by Alan Dallas (Member # 2537) on 08-05-2005, 07:16 AM:

Public intoxication is the appearance of a person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol in a place open to the general public. In most American jurisdictions, public intoxication is considered a misdemeanor.

However... Arizona state law has no public intoxication laws and does not permit any city police to remove intoxicated individuals from the streets or public places, intoxicated individuals must commit a crime before they can be arrested. In Will's case above the "Evidence" for a Possesion arrest got smoked up. May have been a case for "Igniting a flamable matertial inside an enclosed space" however. But thats stretching it even with witnesses.

There is one thing your Theatre can do in AZ state though. You can have the Police remove and detain an individual(s) for "Trespassing". A Trespasser is anyone you do not want to have access to your property. You can press charges for Trespassing easily in AZ. May need to check with your local Police dept. how they handle Trespassing cases but if its like in my neck of the woods here in AZ when we ask a disruptive customer to leave(complete with a Re-admit Pass) we also get their name and a description and we inform them to please not return for that day or the Police will be contacted and Trespassing charges will be brought forth.

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 08-05-2005, 06:29 PM:

In most states they could probably also be cited for violations of fire codes prohibiting smoking in auditoriums...

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-05-2005, 06:31 PM:

quote: Jim Ziegler
Sounds like some lazy officers. Even if they couldn't make the pot charge stick (which they could have), sure AZ has a law against public intoxication or disorderly conduct.

Geez Jim just think about it. If they arrested the guys, then where would they get their weed from??? [Razz]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-05-2005, 06:49 PM:

quote: Phil Hill
But Mike, there's no proof it was him.

If someone is habitually smoking pot on the job it would be pretty easy to get the proof. Getting it on video would be pretty easy. You don't have to try to hide some MiniDV camcorder with the play button pressed. Just set up a little WiFi video camera with its own built in wireless 802.11g server. Plug it in anywhere on site. Aim it remotely. And catch the on-the-job stoner in the act. Those little cameras actually scare me a bit. They could really unleash the "big brother is watching you" spectre a great deal.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-05-2005, 08:34 PM:

Sorry Bobby, but I think you're smoking some of that I-30 stuff yourself. WITHOUT a sworn peace officer there (even "undercover"), live, in person, the camera would only show that there was *something* there/smoked/etc. It would be the doper's word against yours as to what it was... MJ or oregano. And a "Citizen's Arrest" would open you up to an expensive court battle and possibly a lawsuit.

Also, if YOU tried to collect the "evidence," YOU are the one going to get busted for possession.

My prior suggestion IS the BEST course of action... Adam will help. [beer]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-05-2005, 08:55 PM:

The police are almost completely useless to society, as are druggies. Best to take matters into your own hands. Eliminate (permanantly) the stoners. The world has no use for their presence, and they will be missed by nobody, guaranteed.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-06-2005, 12:21 AM:

quote: Phil Hill
Sorry Bobby, but I think you're smoking some of that I-30 stuff yourself. WITHOUT a sworn peace officer there (even "undercover"), live, in person, the camera would only show that there was *something* there/smoked/etc.

Given the way said stoner was described in his practices, catching him in the act probably would have been very easy. People are creatures of habit. The manager or whoever could record video of the stoner doing his thing, show it to the cops and at least raise their suspicions and then conduct a sting on the dude. Normal people take a coffee break at a particular time. This guy smokes pot like clockwork. Just have a black and white come by, watch the life Wi-Fi feed of the dude toking it up and then go in and bust his ass for being so stoopid.

I, too, have nothing against someone who wants to smoke marijuana on their own time. It's not proven to be addictive or nearly as harmful as legal cigarettes. It also doesn't deserve to be put in the same class as other dangerous "hard" drugs like methamphetamine or cocaine. Still, it impairs your functions like crazy, thus it shouldn't be acceptable for anyone to be high on the job. It is at least very similar to someone getting drunk on the job. If someone shows up at my workplace drunk or gets drunk on the clock they get fired immediately. That's probably what should have happened to this guy at the very least.