Comments on: Is It Acceptable To Bring Your Own Food To The Movie Theater? Day 60: Eating Well On $1 A Day

By: Benji

Benji — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Even if 100% of movie patrons were foolish enough to spend $5.00 for a soda, prices would NOT drop! No shrewd businessman is ever going to be so satisfied with profits that they suddenly start chopping prices. Eating chemically-laced theater food is a great way to get diabetes and cancer. So, essentially, the rule is: Eat our poisonous, over-priced food or go hungry! Any person with half of a brain would defy such idiocy and bring their own nutritious foods to the theatre. You really think theaters have a hard time making money? That’s a hilarious notion. Go walk the employee parking lot and you’re bound to find at least one Jaguar or Mercedes-Benz in the lot. The problem with movie theaters is the same problem with any business: distribution of money. The poor slobs that are actually working make minimum wage and take the bus home. The guy with the Jaguar is sitting on his duff and figuring out how to raise prices so he can buy a Rolls Royce. The only thing more hilarious is the fact that all of these people talking “policy” are regular speeders and would have a fit if a cop pulled them over for going 26 in a 25 mph zone. Hey, it’s policy! The folks among us with common sense and a love for the temple that is our body already know what to do. We will continue to bring our own food into the theater and let the fat slobs of the world stand in the “food” line.

By: Carolee

Carolee — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:43:38 +0000

Food purchased at the theater is part of the whole movie experience and would not count towards your $1 a day limit.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:00:34 +0000

i managed an art house movie theatre for five years and we struggled with people blatantly ignoring the ‘no outside food or drink’ policy. namely, these were the people who tried to carry in food (from Starbucks coffee to an entire pizza) visibly, in hand, and arguing with us when we denied them permission to bring it in.

it is true that theatres make the vast majority of their profit from concession sales. but this doesn’t really mean anything if the choice is between bringing in outside food or not eating anything at all — in other words, if you’re not going to purchase concessions either way, what difference does it really make?

that said, i personally had no problem with people bringing in food as long as they would abide by the following guidelines:

1. don’t flaunt it. if i didn’t see it going in, didn’t see it coming out and didn’t have to clean up after it (candy wrappers on the floor, etc.), it’s a harmless infringement.

2. don’t bring anything that violates basic codes (glass containers, alcohol).

3. don’t bring anything that will bother others in the theatre, e.g. smelly or really noisy foods.

if you are bothered by the ethical question, a great compromise is to bring something with you and splurge on buying something there as well; bring a snack and buy a drink, for example.

By: Ari

Ari — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:25:46 +0000

Dana is absolutely right–movie theatres make only a small percentage on the box office (distributors demand a high return per ticket, which is what inflates ticket prices), so concessions sales really are important to their survival. I make sure to budget enough to buy one item at concessions any time I see a movie, even if it’s just a bottle of water (I’m by no stretch wealthy, but if I see matinees, I can make a concessions purchase with the difference between the cost of a matinee and the cost of a normally priced ticket).

That said, I worked at an art house theatre once upon a time where we permitted any food that wasn’t disruptive (strong smelling or messy), so long as it was withing fire codes (no glass). Doesn’t sound like you’re in that situation, though. If you’re sneaking food in, that seems pretty unethical to me.

(Also, chiming in late on the gum issue: if you get calories from it, I think it probably ought to come from your food budget. You’ve already conceded the point on booze, which is similarly non-nutritionally useful.)

By: Zoe

Zoe — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 05:37:39 +0000

Loads of people do it, even if it’s ‘not allowed’. Pffft, who can afford movie tickets + food? They ask outrageous prices. This is something people on a restricted budget would definitely do

By: lawbreaker

lawbreaker — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:20:42 +0000

LOL, I never buy stuff from the concession stand! I always bring my own candy. I’m already paying $10.50 for tickets, I’m not paying for overpriced snacks, too. I have a friend who even brought popcorn from home in a plastic bag and carried it in a big purse last time we went together. I never thought to do it, but I’m sure gonna do it from now on.

By: baselle

baselle — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:17:35 +0000

I’m laughing here. I appear to be in the minority. I think your sister’s right, and I voted no. If you have to sneak, its a sign that you’ve crossed a line. Frankly, you have other reasonable choices:

1. Don’t eat or drink. Cripes, its two hours out of your life. One of the smaller lifestyle choices I’ve made is to de-link pleasurable activities with eating.

2. Go to a theater where it is permissable – tends to be permitted in a drive ins (who takes the time to search the car?), or where the policy is published.

3. Eat or drink during intermission – if there is one.

4. Eat or drink before or after the movie.

By: Priskill

Priskill — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:06:40 +0000

How can anyone watch a movie without Jelly Bellies or Jelly Belly fakes in hand? Call me a desperado, but moonshining your own treats seems fine to me . . .

By: FallenPixels

FallenPixels — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:34:04 +0000

I voted yes, since I have brought my own snacks in, but I still buy some there too (popcorn) but since they have started to sell water, I don’t.

But lately, I have been using coupons to get free or cheap Old El Paso kits and using the free concession snack coupons from them at Cineplex theatres and cheap admission.

But I agree with whoever said that food in theatres comes out of the entertainment budget, I know I didn’t include the fudge I bought at the Canada Day fireworks last night in my grocery budget!

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:57:38 +0000

@Lynette

Apparently you and my sister would get along great