And this wasn't even at my store. I was at a theatre yesterday attending a matinee showing of Pirates of the Caribbean. 10:30 in the morning, $5, needless to say, the place is completely packed. I'm with my grandfather who wants to see the movie as well. I'm still hobbling around on crutches (see The Worst Day of My Life thread) and we end up finding some room in the back of the theatre. At the back there is a single row with 4 seats in it that is just in front of the handicapped area. My grandfather and myself take two of the four seats, I have my crutches braced up in one of the others, clearly visible.
People are coming in with groups of five or six up to 10 minutes after the movie starts, and just STANDING in the aisle. Not looking for seats, but just watching the movie. People eventually start throwing popcorn and ice at them and they finally get the hint because they're blocking quite alot of people from seeing the screen.
About 15 minutes into the movie, I deal with the rudest person I have yet met. This blonde businesswoman who has been there at the back of the theatre with a group of three others leans over and taps me on the shoulder. I'm on the aisle seat.
SC: Excuse me, are these seats taken?
Me: No, these two here aren't, if you'd like them.
SC: Well no, I meant, are ALL these seats available?
Me: ???
SC: Well, you see, there's lots of groups of two seats together in the movie and this is the only one where there's four seats together. I was wondering if you would move so our group could sit here.
Me: You're serious?
SC: Yes. There's only two of you and four of us.
At this point, the only reprieve that's coming to me is that these people aren't bothering someone else.
Me: Well, I'm on crutches if you couldn't tell, the theatre is packed and I'm not getting up to go anywhere. Sorry.
You think that would have been the end of it. Who could possibly be that rude? This woman was dressed in a dress outfit with a miniskirt, sporting the fast pace female lawyer stereotype, so I'm sure the sense of entitlement went along with it. She turned around and walked back to her group. I turned around to watch the movie. Then someone else puts their hand on my shoulder (my grandfather and myself are VERY annoyed at this point. I turn around and it's another member of the group. Looks businessmanlike, early to mid 30s, from what I could tell. He then starts on the same line she did.
SC2: Look buddy, there's two seats a few rows up. Why don't you move up there and we can move here.
My grandfather: Look asshole, we already told you we aren't moving. Why don't two of you sit up there and two of you sit back here? My grandson has a broken foot and we're sitting near the exit so he doesn't have to walk far.
SC1 (blonde lady): Well you OBVIOUSLY shouldn't be taking him here if he's disabled.
I know we don't advocate violence to customers, but what about when you're a customer too? At this point I'm pissed, the people around me are pissed. I lose it.
Me: Well you OBVIOUSLY should have arrived here sooner so you'd find four seats together. Now leave us the f--- alone already.
So what happens? Apparently one or two of them leave, and 5 minutes later, they're back with an usher. The usher asks if I can step outside with them for a minute. I'm EXTREMELY pissed but I don't want to scream at this lady just yet because of the other people there. I hobble up on my crutches (still a very painful process) and hobble over to the exit. I get outside the theatre to where the four of them are together, and my grandfather comes with me too.
Usher: This woman is claiming you were using foul language towards her and harassing her.
Me: (absolutely livid) She came in with her group and has been harassing US to move so she could have four seats together. I'm in the back of the theatre so I don't have to walk far because my foot is broken.
SC1: Well you shouldn't be here if you have a broken foot! (yes, THAT was her arguement, ladies and gentlemen.)
Grandfather: Why the hell should we have to stay home when we want to see a movie or why should we move when you ask us to because you showed up fifteen minutes late?
SC2: Well you shouldn't even BRING a cripple out in public.
Me: Talk about me like that again and you're going to get the shit beat out of you by a cripple.
I was PISSED. He actually took a step back when I said that. The usher gets on his radio and calls over security and management. I know ONE of us is going to get thrown out. They get there, and we repeat what happened. The blonde lady was complaining that we were harassing her. The manager is confused as to what to do when another person (Awesome Lady) come out of the theatre with her Assistant Dog.
In the handicapped section a row behind us, there was a lady and her husband who were there. The husband had his own chair, and they brought their dog. The dog is one of those trained to help people with disabilities and the husband had just had major back surgery, I found out later.
Awesome Lady: I was going to take him out to go to the bathroom, but I couldn't help overhearing. Is this about those four bothering you?
Grandpa: Yes.
Awesome Lady: I was sitting right behind them and I saw the whole thing. They walked in a few minutes late and started bugging these two to give up their seats. They did it twice.
SC2: This is bullshit. We didn't come in late!
The manager then gets a scowl on his face and looks at the group of four.
Manager: Let me see your tickets.
SC2: Why? You're going to take her word over ours?
Manager: Show them to me, NOW.
All four dig them out and turn them over. The manager looks at all of them, and says "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to walk over to the front counter, you're getting a refund, and you're banned from returning to this theatre."
SC1: WHAT?
Manager: All of the tickets have the time of the movie, AND the time they were issued. The time on your tickets show they were printed at 10:53, 23 minutes AFTER the movie started. Goodbye.
SC1: You can't ban me, I'm a lawyer and I will sue you over this!
SC2: This is rediculous!
Manager: What makes you people think you can harass a poor kid with a broken foot to give up his seats because you people were late to the movie and then lie about it.
The two rather beefy guards then decide to escort them by grabbing the two males by the arm and leading them away.
I'm still trembling at this point because I'm so furious. How can someone be THAT rude towards someone and then justify it by having the person have a disability (although a temporary one)?
The manager apologizes for the trouble, and gives us two vouchers for a free movie on the spot. He asks if there's anything he can do, we say no, thank you for his troubles, and he leaves. The Awesome Lady is left with us and I thank her immensely. My grandpa smiles and goes "That dog didn't have to go to the bathroom, did he?"
Aweseome Lady: Nope. I just thought you would need a witness. After all, us cripples have to watch out for each other!
Laughed LONG and hard over that one, then watched the rest of the movie.
People are coming in with groups of five or six up to 10 minutes after the movie starts, and just STANDING in the aisle. Not looking for seats, but just watching the movie. People eventually start throwing popcorn and ice at them and they finally get the hint because they're blocking quite alot of people from seeing the screen.
About 15 minutes into the movie, I deal with the rudest person I have yet met. This blonde businesswoman who has been there at the back of the theatre with a group of three others leans over and taps me on the shoulder. I'm on the aisle seat.
SC: Excuse me, are these seats taken?
Me: No, these two here aren't, if you'd like them.
SC: Well no, I meant, are ALL these seats available?
Me: ???
SC: Well, you see, there's lots of groups of two seats together in the movie and this is the only one where there's four seats together. I was wondering if you would move so our group could sit here.
Me: You're serious?
SC: Yes. There's only two of you and four of us.
At this point, the only reprieve that's coming to me is that these people aren't bothering someone else.
Me: Well, I'm on crutches if you couldn't tell, the theatre is packed and I'm not getting up to go anywhere. Sorry.
You think that would have been the end of it. Who could possibly be that rude? This woman was dressed in a dress outfit with a miniskirt, sporting the fast pace female lawyer stereotype, so I'm sure the sense of entitlement went along with it. She turned around and walked back to her group. I turned around to watch the movie. Then someone else puts their hand on my shoulder (my grandfather and myself are VERY annoyed at this point. I turn around and it's another member of the group. Looks businessmanlike, early to mid 30s, from what I could tell. He then starts on the same line she did.
SC2: Look buddy, there's two seats a few rows up. Why don't you move up there and we can move here.
My grandfather: Look asshole, we already told you we aren't moving. Why don't two of you sit up there and two of you sit back here? My grandson has a broken foot and we're sitting near the exit so he doesn't have to walk far.
SC1 (blonde lady): Well you OBVIOUSLY shouldn't be taking him here if he's disabled.
I know we don't advocate violence to customers, but what about when you're a customer too? At this point I'm pissed, the people around me are pissed. I lose it.
Me: Well you OBVIOUSLY should have arrived here sooner so you'd find four seats together. Now leave us the f--- alone already.
So what happens? Apparently one or two of them leave, and 5 minutes later, they're back with an usher. The usher asks if I can step outside with them for a minute. I'm EXTREMELY pissed but I don't want to scream at this lady just yet because of the other people there. I hobble up on my crutches (still a very painful process) and hobble over to the exit. I get outside the theatre to where the four of them are together, and my grandfather comes with me too.
Usher: This woman is claiming you were using foul language towards her and harassing her.
Me: (absolutely livid) She came in with her group and has been harassing US to move so she could have four seats together. I'm in the back of the theatre so I don't have to walk far because my foot is broken.
SC1: Well you shouldn't be here if you have a broken foot! (yes, THAT was her arguement, ladies and gentlemen.)
Grandfather: Why the hell should we have to stay home when we want to see a movie or why should we move when you ask us to because you showed up fifteen minutes late?
SC2: Well you shouldn't even BRING a cripple out in public.
Me: Talk about me like that again and you're going to get the shit beat out of you by a cripple.
I was PISSED. He actually took a step back when I said that. The usher gets on his radio and calls over security and management. I know ONE of us is going to get thrown out. They get there, and we repeat what happened. The blonde lady was complaining that we were harassing her. The manager is confused as to what to do when another person (Awesome Lady) come out of the theatre with her Assistant Dog.
In the handicapped section a row behind us, there was a lady and her husband who were there. The husband had his own chair, and they brought their dog. The dog is one of those trained to help people with disabilities and the husband had just had major back surgery, I found out later.
Awesome Lady: I was going to take him out to go to the bathroom, but I couldn't help overhearing. Is this about those four bothering you?
Grandpa: Yes.
Awesome Lady: I was sitting right behind them and I saw the whole thing. They walked in a few minutes late and started bugging these two to give up their seats. They did it twice.
SC2: This is bullshit. We didn't come in late!
The manager then gets a scowl on his face and looks at the group of four.
Manager: Let me see your tickets.
SC2: Why? You're going to take her word over ours?
Manager: Show them to me, NOW.
All four dig them out and turn them over. The manager looks at all of them, and says "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to walk over to the front counter, you're getting a refund, and you're banned from returning to this theatre."
SC1: WHAT?
Manager: All of the tickets have the time of the movie, AND the time they were issued. The time on your tickets show they were printed at 10:53, 23 minutes AFTER the movie started. Goodbye.
SC1: You can't ban me, I'm a lawyer and I will sue you over this!
SC2: This is rediculous!
Manager: What makes you people think you can harass a poor kid with a broken foot to give up his seats because you people were late to the movie and then lie about it.
The two rather beefy guards then decide to escort them by grabbing the two males by the arm and leading them away.
I'm still trembling at this point because I'm so furious. How can someone be THAT rude towards someone and then justify it by having the person have a disability (although a temporary one)?
The manager apologizes for the trouble, and gives us two vouchers for a free movie on the spot. He asks if there's anything he can do, we say no, thank you for his troubles, and he leaves. The Awesome Lady is left with us and I thank her immensely. My grandpa smiles and goes "That dog didn't have to go to the bathroom, did he?"
Aweseome Lady: Nope. I just thought you would need a witness. After all, us cripples have to watch out for each other!
Laughed LONG and hard over that one, then watched the rest of the movie.
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