Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Student Discount

Okay, so our youngest daughter was in her middle school production of "A Christmas Carol" this past Friday night. She played young Ebenezer's fiancee in Christmas past and she was wonderful. Our oldest had just gotten home from college that morning and brought along her boyfriend to visit for a few days. The whole family was there. I was proud of my baby and fun was had by all.

After the show we decided we all wanted to go to the movies to see "I Am Legend" because we wouldn't have been able to sleep at night without helping Wil Smith break a huge box office record for the weekend. We had some time to kill so we grabbed a quick dinner then headed to the theater.

There we are at the ticket window. My wife, me, our three kids and my daughter's boyfriend. The oldest and her boyfriend are college students. The other two kids are in high school and middle school respectively. The sign has a regular, full price and a STUDENT price. So my wife asks for two adults and four students.

The troll hiding behind bullet-proof glass (for a reason) in the booth says she needs to see student ID's. The two 19 year olds produce college ID's. The 16 year old produces a high school ID. The 11 year old (because they don't issue ID's in middle school) gets busted for trying to buy popcorn without a license.

Troll: "You're going to have to pay full price for her."

Wife: "So, the two college students and the high school student can get the student price but the 11 year old can't?"

Troll: "Sorry." (At least it sounded like sorry, I wasn't totally sure because of the raw goat leg she was gnawing on).

Wife: "You're really not going to give her the student price just because she doesn't have an ID?"

Troll (lips curled in an angry sneer, fangs dripping with goat blood): No, I'm not and it won't do you any good to argue about it."

Wife: "I'm not arguing, I'm expressing disbelief over how ridiculous it is that the older students can get in but she can't even though she is clearly a school age girl. Don't you think that's just a little ridiculous?"

Troll: "No."

At this point we had the tickets (three student, three full price) and everyone just wanted to go see the movie. But I, not being happy with the level of aggravation to which the troll had been aroused entered the fray.

Me: "What are you saying? Are you saying that you don't believe we send our children to school? She's clearly school aged. So, if she's not a student then you must be saying that we don't send her to school."

Troll (who had now resorted to using the microphone instead of just snarling through the glass): I could have enforced our rule that "student" only applies to COLLEGE students but I didn't. I didn't have to discount the other girl."

Me (matching her volume without the microphone): "Oh so that interaction you just had with my wife was you being NICE? And what do you mean "student" only means "college student"? Where does it say that on the sign? SHOW ME WHERE IT SAYS THAT ON THE SIGN!"

The last was said as I was being dragged away from the ticket booth. Likely a good thing since the next words out of my mouth were going be something along the lines of "I can see why they keep you in that cage you fucking primate!" Then I would've missed the movie.

Once inside the theater.

Perky blonde taking tickets (with big smile and in a very friendly voice): Hello and welcome. Thank you for coming. May I take your ticket please?"

Me: Wow. You're MUCH more friendly and pleasant than the hag out in the ticket booth."

Perky blonde taking tickets: Yeah. I get that a lot.

I hate officious idiotic pricks with a little power.

10 comments:

Malach the Merciless said...

SUE!

Tequila Mockingbird said...

you should've brought the flask like i did. it made the movie better. i would've shared with the perky blonde, and asked her to sit beside/on me...

Bruce, a work in progress said...

Mal, I don't know what her name was but she was a pain.

TM, I thought the movie was pretty good. I had a few issues with the story but Wil Smith acted it really well. It's tough to carry a movie when you're alone in it most of the time. He did a fantastic job showing that mental break of someone who had been alone for so long.
That blonde is kinda intimidating. She looks like a Viking and her name should be Brunhilda. You'd probably like her.

Kitty said...

Write a letter of complaint to the manager - you might get free tickets out of it. Even if you don't, at least you draw attention to her rudeness, and no business wants to be known for their rude staff.

:-) x

Hungry Mother said...

Unfortunately, little pricks like that are all over the place. I've found it's better to just smile and say, "whatever."

Bruce, a work in progress said...

Kitty, unfortunately, I think she was the manager.

HM, yep. Tiny brained wipers of other people's bottoms are all ove the place. Whatever is usually what I say but I was in the mood to poke a troll with a sharp stick.

Tequila Mockingbird said...

goddamn right i would've liked her. probably would've given her a special movie time treat.

Leslie Kelly said...

Oh, I am the queen of letter writers. You can bet the theater is getting one.

JulieLeto said...

Actually, you should send one to whoever owns the theatre CHAIN.

Bruce, a work in progress said...

Oh you are the queen of letter writing indeed. I think the last time you wrote a letter we got a direct flight to Ireland.

Why Ms. Leto what an honor it is to have you here. Thank you for you to coming out of lurk mode. May if you and Leslie team up on the letter thing they won't know what hit'em. We'll own the theater.