I'm an ex cop!

[Legacy_of_Torment]

I'll start with a little background. The cinema I work for, until recently, was a small independently owned place. Recently the owner had some serious financial trouble and had to sell to one of Europe's larger chain cinemas.

For me this meant that my once kushy little job as a projectionist was no longer required, because most of the large chains no longer employ them. As a token of good will, they offered me a house staff job so I didn't have to be laid off. Not ideal, but a job is a job right? What I had forgotten about, was that this now meant dealing with the general public. Something I hadn't had to contend with in my previous role.

Here beginneth the suck...

I've got so many stories to share, but these one is probably felt by anyone who's had to sell an age restricted product.

I'm an ex cop!

The cast:

BMAM = bitchy middle aged mother BMAMS = bitchy middle aged mothers son PAF = Passive aggressive father GM = awesome manager LoT = Me

It was an ordinary afternoon during the holidays, sold out screenings for each film as families got together to see the latest winter blockbusters. Everyone was getting into the festive spirit, but as with every holiday came the stress, and nothing is worse than a stressed parent trying to juggle ordering tickets, food and looking after their kids.

I had drawn the short straw and was working in the box office, when up walked this tall man with his young son. Everything seemed fine until he asked for one adult and a child's ticket to a 15 rated movie. For those who aren't aware, most cinemas class anyone 15 and over as an adult. It so helps with weeding out those who wish to sneak in to a movie they aren't old enough to see yet, and with that in mind, I'll continue...

PAF- "I would like one adult and one child ticket to 'insert movie title here' please.

Me- "I'm sorry, we can't sell child tickets to movies rated 15 and above, they're classed as adult."

PAF- *grumbles something under his breath* "That's ridiculous but okay, how much will that be?"

Now that I get a good look at his son, I can safely say that there's no way this kid is 15, I don't think he's even above the age of 12! So naturally, the conversation continues like this...

Me - "Is your son here the person you would be taking with you?"

PAF- "Yes, he's just turned 15"

Me- "Do you have any form of ID to confirm his age?"

PAF- "Well no, but I'm his father."

Why parents think that by stating they either gave birth to or sired a child classes as a legal form of ID, I will never understand. People LIE sir, and I don't care if you won the Nobel prize for honesty, I can't just take your word for it. Funnily enough, I don't want a hefty fine or a jail sentence.

Me- "I need to see one form of photo ID like a passport or young persons card, I'm sorry." I don't even know why I was apologizing, I wasn't doing anything wrong, but I'd rather defuse a situation before it began.

PAF- "Well I didn't bring that with me! This is ridiculous, I'm his father, you should just let us in. But obviously you just enjoy being awkward." Me-

BMAMS- "Dad just leave it, we can see something else,"

Bless you kid, you know the score.

PAF- "You're right, they obviously don't want our custom"

Oh yes, obviously I'm not letting you break the law just to stop you spending your money here. That sounds exactly the sort of thing I'm in to.

At this point he makes a show of storming off with the kid and I think the ordeal is over fairly painlessly.

I was wrong.

Barely a minute later, the kid and his father are back, this time with a short, stout peroxide-blonde woman wearing so much fake tan it looks like she wouldn't be out of place in the fruit isle under satsumas! And oh boy does she look pissed off.

She literally elbowed her way to the front of the line and slams her hand down on the counter, then proceeds to yell,

BMAM- "I want to know why you turned my son away from buying a ticket!"

Me- "I'm very sorry Madame but he looks very young, so I will need to see some proof of age before letting him have a ticket to 15 rated movies. He didn't have any so I can't sell him a ticket."

BMAM- "15 year olds don't have ID! This is ridiculous, his father was with him, this should be enough"

Me- *grumble grumble not that steaming heap of rubbish again* "there are a number of forms of ID a 15 year old can bring, passport, young persons card, rail card...

BMAM- Don't you condescend me! I'm older than you, I'm telling you they don't give ID to 15 year-olds!!"

Wow, just wow. Meanwhile the people she's just pushed in front of are getting annoyed at having to wait, so I try to move her on.

Me- "Madam I've already apologized. There's nothing else I can do, no ID no entry, it's the law. I've got several people waiting to buy tickets so if you wouldn't mind..." hint hint, giant nudge towards the door."

BMAM- "I want to speak to your manager!!"

Wonderful, because the manager who was in would back me up on this, she is one of the nicest people around, but one thing she hates is bullshit from customers who can't accept the rules. I call her and she quickly steps in in an attempt to save the day. I explain the issue to her when she arrives, and she takes one look at the kid and agrees instantly; there's no way that kid is 15.

BMAM- This girl refuse to sell my son a ticket for this movie, he's 16 So you should allow him in. It's managers disgression!"

So he's now 16 eh? Funny how his age keeps changing.

GM- "It's actually not at my discression, it's the law, what LoT told you is correct and I'm agreeing with the decision. I'm sorry if there was any confusion but your son looks too young to see this movie."

BMAM- "What?!! This is ridiculous! She doesn't look over 16 herself, I'm going to report you for employing under age staff. I'm an ex police officer, I know the law and it says it's managers discression."

An ex police officer? Did she, perhaps, get booted from the force for sneaking her son into movies he's not old enough to see yet?

Me- "I'm 33, go right ahead."

BMAM- *sputter sputter bitch bitch whine*

GM- "And I'm using my discression to tell you that we will not sell your son tickets to that movie.

PAF- "I told you, there's no reasoning with them. He gets let in back home."

Well why not go see the movie there, then??

BMAM- "We're not riff raff! I'm going to complain to your head office and get you both fired!!"

At this stage she's finally leaving, and to a chorus of boos and jeers of "shut the bleep up!" From other customers. BMAMS looks mortified, and who can blame him?

She did indeed complain and we heard back a few days later. As expected she was told exactly the same thing about the age policy, and guess what else? Her son's age magically changed again...this time he was a few weeks off being 18!

[Sandman]

Why don't these companies employ a systematic ban when they lie to corporate? Make it part of the accusation!

[Legacy_of_Torment]

I really wish they would. Unfortunately, a lot of our SC' s are regulars, which just makes it a horrible experience for all concerned. Thankfully, I've Not seen this woman or her family again.

[lordlundar]

Why parents think that by stating they either gave birth to or sired a child classes as a legal form of ID, I will never understand. People LIE sir, and I don't care if you won the Nobel prize for honesty, I can't just take your word for it. Funnily enough, I don't want a hefty fine or a jail sentence.

Me- "I need to see one form of photo ID like a passport or young persons card, I'm sorry." I don't even know why I was apologizing, I wasn't doing anything wrong, but I'd rather defuse a situation before it began.

Umm, if this is in the US, there is a mistake in this. The rating systems for any media (be it audio, video or interactive) does not have the power of law behind it. All rating systems and their enforcement in the US is voluntary so you cannot be fined or go to jail because of it. If your company DOES actively enforce the ratings and you choose to let it slide, the worst that can happen is you get reprimanded.

That said, this applies to the US only. Canada is based on province (Alberta for example follows the voluntary procedure, though Ontario had declared it provincial law) and other countries like Japan and the UK have it country wide.

[Legacy_of_Torment]

Umm, if this is in the US, there is a mistake in this. The rating systems for any media (be it audio, video or interactive) does not have the power of law behind it. All rating systems and their enforcement in the US is voluntary so you cannot be fined or go to jail because of it. If your company DOES actively enforce the ratings and you choose to let it slide, the worst that can happen is you get reprimanded.

That said, this applies to the US only. Canada is based on province (Alberta for example follows the voluntary procedure, though Ontario had declared it provincial law) and other countries like Japan and the UK have it country wide.

I'm indeed in the UK, we've always been told there's a hefty fine (approx up to £5000) that either the person responsible for the sale, or the establishment, is liable for if they supply someone under the age of 15 a ticket for a 15 or 18 rated movie. The terms at stated on the BBFC website for parental types to read. The only exception to the rules would be the 12A and lower ratings. That's up to parents to decide. As far as I was made aware anyhow

[siskaren]

Umm, if this is in the US, there is a mistake in this.

It's not the US. The original post said that the movie was a 15 rated movie - there's no such rating in the US.

[eltf177]

It's not the US. The original post said that the movie was a 15 rated movie - there's no such rating in the US.

And specifically mentions the theater is in Europe...

[mjr]

Umm, if this is in the US, there is a mistake in this. The rating systems for any media (be it audio, video or interactive) does not have the power of law behind it. All rating systems and their enforcement in the US is voluntary so you cannot be fined or go to jail because of it. If your company DOES actively enforce the ratings and you choose to let it slide, the worst that can happen is you get reprimanded.

I could see how that would be for a PG or a PG-13 movie, but my understanding is an R rating is different. I think the verbiage is different.

Here are the "descriptions" of the MPAA ratings:

Rated G: General Audiences – All Ages Admitted.
Rated PG: Parental Guidance Suggested – Some Material May Not be Suitable for Children.
Rated PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children Under 13.
Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.

I think R "requires" an adult parent or guardian. I don't know if that's a law or what, but it seems that theaters may be required to enforce it, somehow.

[Legacy_of_Torment]

The UK has its own set of ratings, 15 and 18 and R18 are the only ones that MUST be enforced by law. The rest are very similar to US ratings, with U being suitable for all ages, PG parental guidance needed but generally suitable for most then 12a which is akin to a PG13 in the state's.

[lordlundar]

I could see how that would be for a PG or a PG-13 movie, but my understanding is an R rating is different. I think the verbiage is different.

Here are the "descriptions" of the MPAA ratings:

Rated G: General Audiences – All Ages Admitted.
Rated PG: Parental Guidance Suggested – Some Material May Not be Suitable for Children.
Rated PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children Under 13.
Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.

I think R "requires" an adult parent or guardian. I don't know if that's a law or what, but it seems that theaters may be required to enforce it, somehow.

Nope, all voluntary. Well, semi voluntary. Refusing to acknowledge the rating could result in the distributor cutting off supply to that theater/chain, and distributors can lose their access from production studios if they don't enforce it.

Any enforcement is purely economic based, not legal or political. There have been several attempts over the decades to get legally enforced ratings in the US with little success. The closest was the Comics Code Authority which did considerable damage in that industry for decades. Anything else went up against the 1st Amendment and was summarily wafflestomped, with the most recent being California's Leeland Yee trying to get the ESRB to have the weight of law there.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Ahh, movie theater suck. How I remember thee.

Never had anyone try to claim "the law" (LAWWWWW!) said I had to let them in to see a movie, though.

I could get away with being a bit smart to some of the Sucktomers, too. But then, this was thirteen years ago, now, before Big Corporate sold their souls in the name of the bottom line.

[kibbles]

He certainly grew up quick didn't he from 15 to 18 in a matter of days?? LOL!! It has to be hard dealing with underage kids getting into theater...etc. I know as already said, Rated R is for under 17/18 has to be accompanied by an adult..having the rules say no whatsoever even if your with an adult seems to make it even more difficult for employees.

[MoonCat]

Isn't that nice, they LIED to corporate to bolster their case! "He's almost 18!" That was just to be vindictive, hoping that you'd get fired for not letting in a kid was was "over 15." Don't you hate people sometimes?

[retro]

I remember years ago when I worked in a well-known (and since gone bankrupt) UK company known for selling pretty much anything from pick n' mix sweets to video tapes to children's clothing to gardening. I was working behind the entertainment counter on this one day and my colleague was grabbing a video tape from the rack behind the counter.

At the time I would have been about 20 years old and I was filling our shelves at the time so not serving customers unless it got busy, Up walks a kid to the counter and my colleague takes the video tape off him and starts looking for the cassette to fit inside the box.

I then realise my colleague is looking through the red boxes. Red meant age-restricted - 12/15/18 upwards. I can't remember what the film was but I remember her pulling out a very clearly 18 rated film. I took a couple of steps across to her and said, "Think he's 18?" She turned to me, paused, and looked back at the customer.

Colleague: How old are you?

Kid: 19

Colleague: What's your date of birth?

Kid: (reels off well-rehearsed answer to that question)

Colleague: Oh March? Oh you're a Scorpio?

Kid: (beaming) Yeah that's right.

Colleague: (filing the video back on the shelf) Not quite. You're not 18 yet.

Thanks for playing. Better luck next time.

An hour later, an older man turns up and buys the same video and as he's walking out the front door, I see the kid from earlier join him. Could do no more about it as we had legally sold it to an over-18.

[wolfie]

Colleague: How old are you?

Kid: 19

Colleague: What's your date of birth?

Kid: (reels off well-rehearsed answer to that question)

Colleague: Oh March? Oh you're a Scorpio?

Kid: (beaming) Yeah that's right.

Colleague: (filing the video back on the shelf) Not quite. You're not 18 yet.

Presumably the kid would have used his own birth date (MM/DD) but the wrong year. How could he not have known what sign he was born under? Just curious, but under the Chinese zodiac, was he born in the year of the horse - or in his case, the horse's ass?