Quote

So CQ, are you starting fights at your place of employment? :-) Were you there? Was it crazy? Any good inside stories?
chadams

Lol....so, caught the news, huh? :D

Actually, no, i wasn't involved in any fights on Christmas night...but it was close!
I work int he box office, selling tickets. Fights broke out around 8:30 in a couple of different places, probably due to two things- the complete selling out of several shows, including the new Dream Girls movie, plus the fact that since we were checking for ID's for the R rated 'Black Christmas', there were lots of angsty teenagers too.
After the fights started, we were told by the 15+ security Buffalo PD that we were to shut down, and stop selling tickets.
Once that happened, many of the people in the lobby were told to leave, and thus, most wanted refunds. We started giving them out, but there were just SO many of them, that the two of us in the box office were overwhelmed. PEople started yelling and pushing, trying to get their refunds before they were removed from the building, and we soon had a mob 4-5 people deep surrounding the box office.
Not long after that, the BPD came again and told us that we were shutting down completely- stop selling tickets, stop giving refunds. Nothing more. So, we did, and the crowd got angrier- if that was possible. THey started banging on the windows, screaming for their 'god damn money back', reaching into the window s and throwing things, etc. One woman even reached in and nearly took a whole pile of (thankfully voided) passes, but apparently she wasn't thinking, and instead of taking them, shoved them throught he window as well, simply creating more of a mess.
When that happened, I told the other box office attendent (a guy who's been working there at least two years, by the way) to stop everything, and I shut all the drawers int eh box office and grabbed the keys, then told him to head out with me into the little room between the box office and the lobby, where we'd be out of everything.
By 9:35, the lobby was cleared out, the box office vestibule was cleared out, and we'd nearly cleared out all the theatres (which, even the shows which were started had to be canceled and emptied). The police force, which had grown to my estimate of 60 some officers and at least 15 police cruisers, stood guard at the entrance, keeping people from coming in, arresting a few of the fighters and serious troublemakers, and and leaving all the employees to start cleaning up after the whole thing.

All in all, not a fun night.

Oh, by the way?

Don't go see movies on Christmas day.
Just....don't.

The past two days have been awful, too. Refunding all those tickets that were never used, or were canceled due to that whole 'riot'....ugh.

CQ (a very tired box office attendent)

Quote

Quote

So CQ, are you starting fights at your place of employment? :-) Were you there? Was it crazy? Any good inside stories?

Lol....so, caught the news, huh? :D

Oh, by the way, anyone wondering what we're talking about, this is the article from the BUffalo News that I found, describing the incident. The 'Elmwood Regal Cinemas' discussed multiple times (including the location of this past Christmas's big 'riot') is the one where I work as a box office cashier.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061227/1067734.asp

For anyone who cares, i've only been working there since the first week of September.

CQ

wow. that sounds crazy. poor CQ. =(

--The Pink Muffin of DOOM!

okay. wow. that news story makes it sound even crazier. some guy got stabbed in the theater??

"the great theater riot"

sounds like a letterbox to me...

night writer

What craziness! I like this article better from the day before. It even has a picture.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061226/1062825.asp


All because people couldn't see black christmas and dream girls huh? You don;t see riots starting over movies out here at the good ole Orchard park Regal! The worst you have to deal with is like five packed theatres and kids dressed up as witches and wizards when the new harry potter comes out at midnight! ( and I know that cause I heard about those crazy midnight showings not cause I was there to see it myself!!! yep no not me! :-) ) You could come work here!
chadams

Quote

What craziness! I like this article better from the day before. It even has a picture.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061226/1062825.asp

Ooh, I hadn't seen that article. Nice, I like the picture being included. I'm sure if you looked REALLY hard (and had a kickass picture zoom like in all the movies :D) you could see me in the box office!

CQ

Quote

Ooh, I hadn't seen that article. Nice, I like the picture being included. I'm sure if you looked REALLY hard (and had a kickass picture zoom like in all the movies :D) you could see me in the box office!

CQ

Too bad that we don't have any letterboxers who work for the CIA--or do we???

*lifts eyebrows up and down*

Quote

wow. that sounds crazy. poor CQ. =(

Awww, poor CQ nothin'! He and his gang of movie theater related service workers are ALWAYS trolling about looking for trouble and charging outrageous prices for drinks and candy! I NEVER go to theaters anymore because of those naughty Clips and the equally vicious Trailers (okay, I couldn't think of a gang name that sounded like the Bloods!).

The (thinking of joining the THX gang for the cool intro music) Sprite & the (quit hanging with the "Please Turn Off All Cell Phones" gang because the name was too hard to say before getting ganked) Highlander

NEVER go to theaters anymore because of those naughty Clips and the equally vicious Trailers (okay, I couldn't think of a gang name that sounded like the Bloods!).

Sadly, you can't manage to escape the trailers even on video or DVD anymore...sigh.

Pied Piper