Movie honesty questions

[unsinkable]

The theaters don't make money off the sale of the movie ticket. The people in Hollywood get the profit from the ticket.

 

The theater itself makes money off the food they sell.

 

If there's a sign saying no outside food or drinks allowed, then it's really dishonest to sneak food and drink in. It just is.

 

And buying one popcorn with free refills and putting it in a paperbag to go get a free refill is dishonest. You're stealing that second bag of popcorn. It's theft.

 

I think this might vary according to the theatre. Like I wrote upthread, our first run theatre offers small serving containers along with the large refillable popcorn and offers more than one super long straw with the large refillable drink. Another poster upthread wrote that at her theatre the large refillable popcorn is called family size.

 

When the theatre approves and encourages a group of people to share the refillables, it is not stealing, IMO.

[JFSinIL]

Garga...

Refilling a REFILLABLE bucket of popcorn is not theft. I am paying $6 to begin with to have the REFILLABLE bucket. If I choose to use smaller plastic or paper bags and dump the bucket into them and get it refilled BEFORE the movie starts, so what? I certainly do not want to crawl over folks during the film (and miss part of it) to refill halfway through the movie.

[MyThreeSons]

If the theater has a policy of no outside food or drinks, it's wrong to bring them in. It doesn't matter if I think their prices are too high.

 

A movie doesn't last that long -- we either eat before or afterwards. My kids have always known this is the way it is for us.

[MyThreeSons]

To me it is dishonest if they have a sign up and I'm training my son to obey the rules even if he doesn't agree with them. I really don't want him to get the mindset that the rules apply to everyone else but him.

 

Now I can show my guys I'm not the only one who thinks like this. I don't let my guys wade in the river at the park if there is a "No wading or swimming" sign, even if others are doing it. I didn't let my son lie about his age to get his own Facebook account before he was 13yo, even though his friend's parents let him do it because they thought it was a stupid rule. I try to obey the speed limit even if it seems slow. :D

[Orthodox6]

We eat and/or drink before we leave home for the theatre. Not only do we refuse to pay the bloated prices charged for food and drink, but we also wish to model for the children that watching "a screen" (movie at home, movie at a theatre, television, video game) is NOT "tied" to eating. How quickly that can become a habit very difficult to uproot !

[MyThreeSons]

I ABSOLUTELY do this. Movies are a rip off. You pay $4 for candy that normally costs 50 cents. In this one instance, I could care less if I am being "dishonest" because they are trying to rip me off! LOL

 

They are not trying to rip you off -- they are trying to make a profit. That's why they're in business. If you don't want to pay that much, then don't.

 

Just curious: where do you draw the line? How do you teach your children that it's okay to break some of the rules that other people or businesses have, but that they must obey your rules? If you can break a rule because you think it's stupid, why can't they disobey you sometimes because they don't like your rule?

[kewb]

We buy the refillable popcorn portion it out and get the refill before the movie starts so we don't have to disturb anyone when we get the refill. I do bring my own water.

[Angel]

We have brought snacks in before. However, we rarely go to the movies anymore so when we do it is a BIG deal and we splurge for the dye-filled slurpees and big tub of popcorn. It's part of the day.

 

Just like at the convention, I budgeted the pizza and pop into what I'd spend that day.

 

I will say that I do bring a bottle of water with me, if I need it, even if it says no food or drink. Between bad allergies and migraines, I like to keep it with me.

[Mom22ns]

We have always brought food into theaters because my ds has multiple food allergies. He can't eat the popcorn and sometimes there is a candy he can have, but not always. We buy a drink, bottled water or sometimes a soda, but we bring in a snack. Most places that don't allow outside food, will allow this for people with food allergies if asked. Not all though, so we ask in advance for theme parks, zoos etc (places we will spend a long time) and find out if they have dining options and/or will allow food. For quick trips in like a theater, we don't ask, bring our own, and if anyone ever complained, we would put it away and just wait to eat until we left.

 

Having food allergies in the family make us very aware of how much typical Americans tie food to every social activity even if it is totally unnecessary. It can be very uncomfortable to be left out. However, we also know how to base fun on things other than food!

 

For us it isn't about breaking the rules, it is about staying safe and healthy. We can't do a lot of things without outside food. Movies are short, we could do that, but why should we have to be left out of the fun. We only go to the theater a couple times a year. We buy what we can from them (I don't resent their profits), and take what we cannot buy.

[Joanne]

If the theater has a policy of no outside food or drinks, it's wrong to bring them in. It doesn't matter if I think their prices are too high.

 

I completely agree.

 

I'm a bit......baffled? surprised? at the (perceived) sentiment in these threads that businesses should limit profit. Some of the responses read almost like restuarants, movies and other entertainment should operate like a *service* instead of a business.

[mom2jjka]

I have kids with food allergies, so I usually ask/tell the theater personnel that although I will be buying snacks at the concession stand for most of our family - I will be bringing in snacks for the other two kids. (I've never had a problem)

I also usually bring in a sippy cup with juice/water for my toddler - since she doesn't drink soda.

[Janet in WA]

I agree with everyone who says movie theater food is overpriced, unhealthy, etc. But I don't see that as an excuse to sneak in food if the theater has a policy against it. I see it as a reason to make one of two choices:

 

1. Don't go to a movie at the theater. Stay home and rent movies and eat anything you want.

 

2. Go to the theater and NOT eat or drink for two hours. Of course the kids will see everyone else with popcorn and sodas, and they'll want some too. But if I really didn't want to pay the prices for that food, and felt it was too difficult for my kids to do without, then that would probably be when I'd revert to option #1 above.

 

I would really prefer that my children not witness me breaking the rules of a business I was patronizing just because I didn't like the rules. It would be tough for me to then expect them to have more integrity the next time they didn't like someone else's rules.

[Melissa in CA]

I completely agree.

 

I'm a bit......baffled? surprised? at the (perceived) sentiment in these threads that businesses should limit profit. Some of the responses read almost like restuarants, movies and other entertainment should operate like a *service* instead of a business.

 

Hmmm...

 

I don't think anyone is saying that these businesses should not profit. I think the overall problem, the way *I* see it, is that they charge far and above what most people consider reasonable prices. To want a soda, but be forced to pay a ridiculous price of $4.50 for one, seems a bit 'over-the-top' to me. Soda syrup and popcorn are extremely inexpensive items in and of themselves, so the profit margin for theaters is incredible. I personally feel...as another poster so eloquently stated...ripped off by such prices. :tongue_smilie:

 

So, yes, I confess, I am a sinner. I have sneaked items into a theater! [gasp!] Not every time, in fact it's rare, but I have done it and I'll likely do it again. ;) I feel no guilt about it, my conscience is apparently seared.

 

Now, I've never taken in drinks, but if I have candy bar in my purse, I can pretty much guarantee that I will eat it before paying $3.00 for a bag of M&Ms. Oh, now don't tell me that I'm suppose to clean out my purse of all edible items before entering the theater?! :blink: My gum? Mints? Lifesavers? SNICKERS BAR?? I think not. And if you forget about the time a girlfriend and I took in burgers and fries, and the time my dh and I took in frozen yogurt...I typically do abide by the rules. Typically. :w00t: :D Besides, I mostly love popcorn at the movie and it has to be fresh, it has to be hot...so I pay the price...grudgingly. ;)

 

I wonder if the theaters gave better snack deals, if in the end, they would actually make more money?