Now in theaters
My first job was working in a movie theater in Indy for three years or so, and I thought it would be fun to share some of my time from that. You’re in for some doozies. Here’s the first installation in this series.
It was one of those massive cinemas, an AMC with 17 theaters, one of which was an IMAX.
I started as a part of the usher crew, which meant keeping the halls, lobby and theaters clean. This was a ragtag team of one to four or so people covering everything. And yes, one person was a team.
When you work somewhere like that, you realize all the crazy things people bring into theaters. Sure, there’s the candy and fast food packages that get snuck in. But it's the fun stuff like pizza boxes, a container for boneless, skinless BBQ chicken wings or a bottle of Fireball whiskey (which we did not sell) that kept things interesting.
Do theaters care if you sneak food in? From the business side of things, yes, they would prefer you to buy from them. But as someone who worked there for a significant period of time, I get it. The prices can be crazy, especially in larger theaters with more amenities.
But here’s a secret: the theaters don’t get money from the tickets. Most of that money goes to the production companies. That’s why concession prices are so crazy. And remember to not take it out on the minimum-wage-making box office worker or concessionist.
I swear that I never, ever snuck any kind of food or drink item into a show because I didn’t want to pay for something. Not once did I fit as many quart-sized bags of popcorn into my bag as I could, or stop at the store down the road for some 99 cent candy.
My $7.25 an hour could always allow for the exorbitant prices.
*insert sarcastic laugh here*
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