Bringing food into cinemas

C

Christy

Registered User
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On a recent trip to my local cinema I noticed a sign saying something along the lines of 'Only food purchased on these premises can be consumed on these premises'.

I mentioned that as far as I was aware that there was legislation introduced against exactly that. I was informed that this was no longer the case and because they sell food on the premises they have the right to stop people bringing food in, something like a pub or cafe.

Has the legislation changed, if so does anyone know when, or if not does anyone know the piece of legislation that allows you to bring in food? I would like to be able to have all the facts if I am to raise the issue again.

Thanks

Christy
 
I don't have the facts that you requested but what strikes me is the thought of cinema employees lining everyone up to have pockets and handbags searched on the way in to take your seat...never going to happen so how can they enforce a rule like that?
 
Yeah - no way they can search people so there's no way they can realistically enforce such a rule.
 
I don't know about the legislation, but as long as cinemas continue to charge €2.90 (why not €2.99? ) for a drink of coke/carton of popcorn/packet of sweets, my kids will be going there 'pre-packed'..!
 
Too right DrMoriarty the prices charged in cinemas for food and drink are scandalous!!
 
DrMoriarty said:
I don't know about the legislation, but as long as cinemas continue to charge €2.90 (why not €2.99? ) for a drink of coke/carton of popcorn/packet of sweets, my kids will be going there 'pre-packed'..!
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2.90 is good value compared to many cinemas!!! Mahon Point in Cork the small popcorn and drink meal(i.e. the kids meal) is I think around 6 or 7 euro.

There was also a very interesting article a while back in either the Tribune or Sunday Indo I think about the dangers of cinema food, mostly based around the amount of calories and salt in the coke/popcorn. The large popcorn is something like 30 times bigger than the correct kids serving size in terms of salt I think.
They mentioned that the a 15-20g serving...which is the size of those Tayto Honest popcorn bags is the way to go for a kids serving of popcorn. I reckon that would fill up about 5-10% of even the medium sized popcorn in most cinemas....
 
legend99 said:
2.90 is good value compared to many cinemas!!!
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I meant €2.90-ish for any one of those items, not the three!

I think my local charges about €6 or €7 for their kiddie 'meal', too, but can't be sure as I never buy it. If I can at all help it, each of my kids goes in with a mini-carton of fruit juice, a bag of homemade popcorn and their choice of one normal-sized choccy bar/packet of sweets bought outside the cinema.

Looking forward to a confrontation with a manager, one of these days...
 
Mind you - perhaps a blanket ban on munching/slurping in the cinema would not be such a bad idea? Or else personal (surround sound!?) headphones (like on long haul flights) to drown out the surrounding din from ill mannered patrons?
 
I'm with you on that, ClubMan, I havent been to a cinema since, I think, Evita for that very reason. However no doubt as V Jnr gets older I suppose I may have to start going again, unless Mr.V can be bribed to stand in.
 
Agreed also. Practically the only time I go to the cinema nowadays is to bring the kids to something.

Admittedly, King Kong in 'Sensurround' would drown out most munching/slurping noises...!
 
I'd be happy to ban food altogether; I was at a ballet in the Point Theatre (not the nicest of places at best) before Christmas and the endless chomping, sweet wrappers, spilling of drinks not to mention the muck left behind was just disgusting...
 
I saw someone being kicked out of the cinema in Blanchardstown for having a burger king meal - I was glad as the stink was disgusting!

As for the Point, they don't even allow you to bring in a bottle of coke to the main area now so I'm surprised that the ushers weren't all over the people at the ballet. To make things worse, when you buy a bottle, they take off the lid so you can't reclose it and put it in your bag.
 
I questioned the price of cinema food one day to the chap working there. I think it was 1.40 for a tangle twister.
He told me thats how they make their money as they get little or nothing off ticket sales. I'd believe him if you look at the scandalous fees the stars are paid.
 
Cahir said:
To make things worse, when you buy a bottle, they take off the lid so you can't reclose it and put it in your bag.
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I think thats actually to prevent you using the full bottle as a weapon..to throw into the crowd. At all outdoor gigs in the last couple of years, they have been taking the caps off bottles ...even at Oxegen on the way in. Our answer to this is to stick a spare bottle cap in our pocket/down our sock
 
Are ballet audiences that unruly these days? Do the tickets state that crowd surfing and moshing will not be tolerated as well?
 
ClubMan said:
Are ballet audiences that unruly these days? Do the tickets state that crowd surfing and moshing will not be tolerated as well?
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With the ballet, set one too many G&T's you just can't predict what will happen daahhhling

I would assume the crowd surfing and moshing rules apply too....afaik the back of the ticketmaster tickets are pre-printed and are not event specific......one size fits all
 
Kiddo said:
With the ballet, set one too many G&T's you just can't predict what will happen daahhhling
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The two oul' wans on Joe Duffy a few months back talking about getting pissed in the gallery box on a bottle of spirits that they had sneaked into the Pavarotti concert were very funny...
 
In Dun Laoighaire the newsagent right beside the cinema does a roaring trade before every screening......

I can never understand why people queue up to buy food in the cinema itself as its just as convienent to go to the shop and pay half the price
 

...or just conceal a knife down your sock.
 
I was at an afternoon showing of Narnia last week. The cinema was full of mothers and babysitters each with several children in tow. No doubt there was a mixture of treats brought in and bought in the cinema.
However, what surprised me was the number of babies in pushchairs in the cinema. To be fair, none of the babies created any noise or disturbance. The aisle of the small cinema was cluttered with the buggies though and when a wheelchair user tried to pass, there was a bit of difficulty involved. I wondered if there were some safety issues about the situation.
Is it usual for babies in buggies to be brought to the cinema? To me it is a bit odd. Not as odd though as being at Bugsy Malone in the Olympia and seeing two parents share the minding of a baby in a buggy. This child didn't create any disturbance either but the parents stepping in and out of their seats to push the buggy repeatedly in the aisle did as they were right in our eyeline.
Is this the new way of doing things? It beats the cost and problem of getting a sitter but what about the other patrons who paid equally good money to watch the show?
 
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