# Poll: drinking at the movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671 "2007-03-05T13:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/1 "2007-03-05T13:33:56Z")
You’re sitting in a movie theater. When the movie starts, the guy next to you pulls out a beer, cracks it open, and drinks it while eating his popcorn. He’s not talking, burping, farting. . .nothing. Just having a beer with the movie. I’m not talking about seeing “Over the Hedge” during a matinee. Let’s say it’s an R-rated movie starting at 10:30 on a Saturday night. If you would go tell an usher, would you also do so if the guy pulled a can of soda out of his pocket, and snuck in? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/2 "2007-03-05T13:36:04Z")
Nope. I used to bring a half-pint of rum with me and mix it with movie Coke. I can’t imagine why anyone would care (other than the theater folks…they like those concessions receipts). As a patron, who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/3 "2007-03-05T13:37:07Z")
I wouldn’t go tell an usher, but it would affect my enjoyment of the movie. I’d be slightly uncomfortable and kinda expect him to start acting rudely. If it were soda, I couldn’t be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/4 "2007-03-05T14:12:15Z")
Tell on someone who is doing something that has no effect on you or your party in anyway? Uh, no. Someone could light up a joint in a theatre and I wouldn’t care. What if that same person cracked open a beer at a concert? ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/5 "2007-03-05T14:13:34Z")
Why should that bother me in any way? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/6 "2007-03-05T14:14:48Z")
I would not tell an usher. I’m trying hard to find a parallel where I might feel at all interested, so that I can figure out if I should feel any kind of outrage. Currently nothing comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/7 "2007-03-05T14:22:22Z")
Wait. What? There are still ushers at movie theaters? Why would I get up and walk out of the movie to find someone to complain to and miss some of the movie that I just paid too much to see? In reality, I don’t go to many movies **because** I like to drink and smoke during the film. ---
**Author:** ![29car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ebca7d/32.png) [@29car](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/29car)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/8 "2007-03-05T14:41:57Z")
Did he bring in just one, or an entire 6 pack? Is he bogarting? ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/9 "2007-03-05T14:45:34Z")
Nah, wouldn’t bug me at all. My favorite movie theater, locally called the Brew ‘n’ View, also brews the best beer in town, as well as serving great pizza. It’s amazing how much better some movies get when you can have a pitcher along with your popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/10 "2007-03-05T14:47:12Z")
Beer - wouldn’t bother me. Flask - wouldn’t bother me. Pot - would bother me a lot. This is assuming no other bad behavior. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/11 "2007-03-05T14:50:50Z")
If it was just a beer, no problem. If, however, it was a Miller Light, I’d call the cops. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/12 "2007-03-05T14:55:52Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] If it was just a beer, no problem. If, however, it was a Miller Light, I’d call the cops. [/QUOTE] It’s spelled L-I-T-E. Haven’t you seen the “No GHT” commercials? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/13 "2007-03-05T14:56:25Z")
Here’s the story: I went to see Zodiac with a friend Saturday. Late, dark, adult movie. Sometimes my buddy gets away from the wife and kids when a new Tarantino, or Fincher movie comes out and it’s a long-standing tradition that we sneak in a couple of bud pounders (16 oz. cans). Besides, this thing was starting at 10:30. I’m bringing in a beer. We don’t talk during the movie. We don’t even have cell phones. We don’t even shuffle out feet. We’re just sitting there having beer and popcorn. I do this ALL the time. I do it when I go with my wife, when I go alone. I don’t think anything of it. I put my beer right in the cup holder. At least an hour into the movie, when the beers are pretty much empty, this dude leans over to my friend and says, “you know that’s illegal?” It’s like an 18 year old kid who was yelling funny stuff at the screen during the previews, so I figured he was cool. My friend, “O…K…” So, like 5 minutes later, the guy leaves and comes back with two ushers. When he walks past my buddy in the aisle, he leans over and says, “you don’t want to fuck with me.” :eek: I’m not making this up. So, the ushers eye-fuck us for a couple minutes, and then leave. We enjoyed the rest of the movie. That’s pretty much the end of it. Obviously, I was flabbergasted. ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/14 "2007-03-05T14:57:40Z")
I’ve been to theaters that have a bar so everyone can drink. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/15 "2007-03-05T15:02:33Z")
I wouldn’t mind a bit as long as his cell phone was shut off. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/16 "2007-03-05T15:06:50Z")
I wouldn’t care, I’d just ask him for one. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/17 "2007-03-05T15:07:07Z")
Wow, Trunk. Too bad you can’t mute the bug up someone’s ass. What a self-important jerk. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/18 "2007-03-05T15:07:57Z")
The first time I went out with my ex-wife we went to a movie. I was wearing an overcoat. In each pocket I had a premixed bottle of bourbon and coke which we sipped away at during the movie. Part way through I had to go to the toilet. It was down the front around behind the 40 foot high red velvet curtain that had rolled back when the movie began. We were sitting in about the fourth or fifth row and I stood up and headed for the toilet thinking that I was making quite an impression with her, what with my quirky drinking ways and all. However I had been sitting with my right foot resting on my left knee and, as I strode purposefully and, I thought, coolly toward the toilet my leg suddenly turned to jelly. I grabbed the curtain to prevent myself falling face first into the carpet and provided the entire audience with a little mini drama as I pulled my self hand over hand back into an upright position. My future wife later revealed that her only thought had been, “What the fuck have I got myself into?” A few years ago I went to the cinema after a long day of partying. They were showing _Finding Forrester_ and I had read a little about the movie. I was sitting on my own and a group of older people sat down behind me and started talking. They had lots of misperceptions about the movie they were about to see and I turned around and kind of said, “Excuse me I couldn’t help but overhear and…” I raved on for some time to this group and then the movie started. By its end I had sobered up a bit and turned to apologise to the group for being such an asshole but they would have none of it. They insisted that my pre-movie rant had made it all the more enjoyable. Finally I guess I see 40 to 50 movies a year in cinemas. I always, without fail, take a can of drink with me (usually diet Coke) and maybe 4 times a year I buy a choc-top icecream to eat during the shorts. So no, I wouldn’t turn anyone in. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/19 "2007-03-05T16:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] I wouldn’t go tell an usher, but it would affect my enjoyment of the movie. I’d be slightly uncomfortable and kinda expect him to start acting rudely. [/QUOTE] Why on earth should someone “start acting rudely” because they’re drinking a can of beer? If I have a can or two of beer, it’s because I fancy a beer. It’s not because I want to get drunk and act like an arse. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671/20 "2007-03-05T16:15:27Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Nope. I used to bring a half-pint of rum with me and mix it with movie Coke. I can’t imagine why anyone would care (other than the theater folks…they like those concessions receipts). As a patron, who cares? [/QUOTE] Same here. My rationale was that as long as I buy a movie coke to go with it, I’m not hurting anyone. As long as you discreetly pour the booze into the coke, no one is the wiser. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-drinking-at-the-movies/394671.md?page=2)