One expensive cup

I am writing to share a recent experience I had at Hoyts Cinemas in Bangor.

Last week I brought my little brother to the movie theater to see the movie “James and the Giant Peach.” My mom had given me some extra money, so I bought him a large popcorn and soda. We then found our way into the theater and he excitedly chose seats for us. I soon realized how large a large soda really is for a small child of only 5 years, as I tried to help him hold the drink that was much too heavy for him to manage on his own. I asked him if he would like to go and get a smaller cup, and that I would pour some soda into it a little at a time, so that it wouldn’t be so heavy.

He and I then went back to the popcorn lines, waiting to request a small cup and cover. When it was our turn in line, I asked the woman working if I could please have a small cup with a lid, and showed her the large soda I had purchased, and explained it was too heavy for my brother to hold. She told me that they did not give out cups. I again tried to explain to her why I wanted the cup, and asked if I could even have the same size cup, just to be able to put less into it for him. She then told me that if I wanted another cup I would have to buy one.

I then asked her how much a cup with a cover would cost, expecting her to say 5 cents or even 25 cents. She told me I would have to pay the full purchase price of a soda to get a cup, an amount close to $3. With the line mounting behind me and only a few minutes before the movie I asked her if there was anything that she could do for me. She then handed me a tiny dixie-type cup, without any lid, and ushered me off. I tried pouring soda into the cup for him, but even with only an inch of coke in the cup he managed to spill it all over himself and me. And as he tugged on my sleeve and asked me in the dark theater, wet with soda, why he couldn’t have a lid and a straw for his tiny drink, I did not know quite what to say.

After watching the movie and returning home I began to really ponder what had happened. As we all know, popcorn and soda prices at the movie are very high. I had paid for the soda, and found the idea of not being provided a cup when requested to be unfair.

When I was in high school I worked at McDonald’s for almost three years. Throughout my time there I’d been asked for many things from customers. I’d done everything from searching high and low in our stock room for a specific happy meal toy to heating up water to warm a baby bottle. I would have certainly provided anyone who asked with an extra cup. As my manager would always say: “Rule one, the customer is always right. Rule two, if the customer is ever wrong, reread rule one.”

I told my mom about the incident, and she even called the manager of Hoyts to complain. She was spoken to rudely, and was told that it was against their policy to give out cups, even to children. It’s really too bad when a service industry is the only one of its kind, like the movie theater is here in Bangor. There is no other movie theater near here for customers to choose, so Hoyts has the option of not valuing their customers, treating them rudely, charging outrageous prices and disregarding customer complaints.

I am very bothered by the events of that day. I do not intend to return to that theater, and I would advise others with small children companions to do the same. Hoyts does not accommodate for its smaller customers, and it is time to voice our disapproval of a monopoly with such disrespectful business practices. Jennifer Roberts Bangor