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I’m going to assume a good chunk of people reading this have brought their own snacks to a movie theater at some point, but two women who decided to go that route in New Zealand ended up dealing with the police after getting caught.
It can be hard to resist the urge to drop more money than you should on the popcorn that just hits different when you order it at a movie theater, but it can be equally difficult to stomach the borderline criminal prices those establishments typically charge for items at the concession stand.
As a result, it’s only natural that plenty of moviegoers will bring their own soda or candy instead of paying the premium that comes with purchasing those items at the theater, although cinemas obviously have plenty of incentive to dissuade people from doing so when you consider concessions are responsible for an incredibly significant chunk of their revenue.
Virtually every movie theater has rules banning food and drinks that aren’t purchased within their walls, but they also tend to be staffed by minimum-wage employees who could not care less about enforcing them.
However, that’s apparently not the case at one cinema in New Zealand.
According to The New Zealand Herald, two sisters recently brought their children to a screening of Despicable Me 4 at Cinema 3 in the town of Pukekohe along with a bag filled with popcorn, chips, and candy.
One woman who spoke with the outlet said they were in a rush after arriving late and failed to notice the signs that read “‘No Outside Food or Drinks Allowed.” She said the rule was brought to their attention after an employee approached them a few minutes later to tell them to put the food away before sticking around to make sure they complied.
One of the kids already had a Skittle in his hand when they were approached and eventually popped it into their mouth, which led to the employee “yelling” at them before an argument spilled into the lobby.
A manager stepped in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but by that point, someone else had already called the police, which led to four officers arriving on the scene to address the complaint.
When everything was said and done, no arrests were made, but the theater verbally informed the women they were trespassing on its property in the presence of the cops before banning them from the premises for two years.
Don’t let anyone ever tell you movie theater snacks aren’t serious business.