INOX at Citi Centre is a nice theater. It's brand new, only a few months old, clean and pretty comfy. But...
There's always a but, isn't there?
Poor design planning makes it a bit of hassle. There is no waiting area. Oh, there's a large lobby, places to get snacks, movie posters, etc. But you can't get physically into the theater until 15 minutes before your movie. Until then you are shoved to the side, either blocking the ticket windows or blocking the escalator. You and the other 100 people watching the same movie, all crammed together. Heaven forbid there are two movies starting at the same time. Everyone is told is wait in a place about as big as our living room, together with folks in line for tickets, folks trying get by to go down the escalator and folks pushing their way in the middle, forward through security.
Previews start 5 minutes before movie time which leaves 10 minutes allowed for snacks, restroom, whathaveyou. Everyone swarms the snack counters at the same time.
But first you have to go through the security check, which involves men in one line and women in the other. Heaven forbid you're blocking the wrong side (like me, I was blocking the ticket windows on the left when I should have been blocking the escalator on the right in order to avoid pushing my way through the men thronging through the male security check, which I was prevented from passing through). In this security check, they wave their little wands then tell you to open your bags. I refused. I'm going to see Shrek, I have my 2 little boys with me, and yes, I'm carrying a camera (not allowed), a package of cookies (not allowed, even though it's been in my bag for weeks) and gum (definitely not allowed). Too bad for all their Not Alloweds. I said No, she asked what I had in my bag and I said nothing. She waved me through after I repeated again I wasn't opening it and I'm sure I ticked some people off, especially those who had opened their tiny bags and had their open packs of gun confiscated.
It left a sour taste in my mouth, it really did. Our neighbor had an entire grocery store in her bag and she refused to open as well, but told them straight up she was carrying loads of food. They waved her through as well
I don't like being pushy like that. I really really don't. But do I want them to take my camera to prevent me from... what? Pirating the movie somehow? I carry the thing everywhere, and I'm not going to give it to them to put in a little bag and keep on the floor in the lobby of the mall. Nor am I going to hand over five packs of gum and the cookies I carry with me "just in case." (Those with little kids will get that.) It wouldn't have been a hardship, but it would have been a hassle. And really, it's the principle of the thing.
By the way, the movie was OK. The second half was better than the first, by far.
No comments:
Post a Comment