Regal, Miami Beach - Insolent Movie Theater Manager

posted by mdavidfrost on February 15, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Recently I went to a Regal Movie Theater in Miami Beach expecting an enjoyable night out, but instead events caused me to leave without seeing the movie.

A couple arrived just as the movie was starting and the woman asked if I could move over so that she and her male companion could sit together. I moved as requested, and immediately regretted it.

The man sat next to me and his breath reeked of alcohol. He took the woman´s hand, placed it between his thighs and they started moving their hands. I don´t know exactly what they were doing, but the continuous motion preventing me from concentrating on the movie.

Eventually I asked the man if they would mind stop moving their hands, and they did for a while, but he then put a hat on top of their hands.

By now I´d lost track of the movie, and the smell of his breath was unpleasant.

Also, there was a woman at the back of the theater with a young baby, which was crying occasionally. That was a minor irritation to me, but either someone asked the woman to leave or she realized it was annoying people, and she left.

However, after a while she returned. That was when I decided to leave.

In addition a woman in the same row was making a call on her cell phone.

I complained to the manager, who said he couldn´t discriminate (not even against drunks and people with young babies? I asked) and suggested that maybe I´d like the whole movie theater to myself.

If he had´t made that gratuitously offensive remark I wouldn´t be writing this.

Well I can discriminate. Although I live within walking distance of the Regal, and have been a regular customer over the years, I can choose to see a film at another movie theater, or watch one on cable television or hire a video. This way I won´t be annoyed by drunks, crying babies, inconsiderate people using their phone while other people are trying to watch a film they have paid to see, or â€" most important of all â€" insolent movie theater managers.

M. David Frost