Do not do this. Dead bodies are a pain in the ass to clean up.
It’s questionable from an ethics standpoint, since the theater specifically prohibits bringing in your own snacks. From a health standpoint, it’s a wonderful idea.
Y’know, I’ve always heard this, but I don’t ever recall seeing a sign prohibiting it–and I’m the sort who reads signs compulsively. Where would I find this policy, and ethically speaking, how do I balance my obligation to find out their policies against their obligation to tell me the policies?
Well, at the theater I work at at least, there’s a sign by the concession stand and another one at the usher’s stand stating it in big block letters. From an ethical standpoint, I’d say you shouldn’t bring food in if you know you aren’t supposed to, (As everyone does. An usher can look meaningfully at any given purse or Target bag and get a guilty look in return 90% of the time.) but at the same time, people sneaking food in is part of the business. It isn’t worth our time to search bags, so it only gets brought up if people are openly carrying food. Put it in a plastic bag, and you will almost never be hassled.
I didn’t know they gave free refills on popcorn at movie theaters! I’ve never finished my popcorn…usually take the rest home with me. But it never occurred to me that they gave free refills…how come I never see signs about that?
Only if my kids were starving, literally famished and clinging to dear life.
Depends on your theater. Most, though not all theaters give either free or very cheap refills on their largest popcorn or drink. However, if you don’t know about it, you might buy another at full price. Hence the lack of advertisement. Hint: order a medium. If they offer refills on the large, the cashier will mention it as part of the upsell.
You’d think a bunch of people that loved The Wire would be more supportive of a young man’s hustle. 
Holy Crap people, did you miss this post and not notice it’s a lot grosser and more dishonest than the OP?
Let’s see if I understand this. The theater keeps tab on cups and popcorn containers to track sales and help prevent free give aways and stuff? So they scoop up containers already sold , rinse them and resell them so they can pocket the cash? Is that it?
Is there not any management in the theater to prevent this, or is management in on it?
Again, I can only speak for the theater I work at, but that couldn’t happen at my theater. Well, it theoretically could, but it would require management to be in on it, and a lot of skill besides. Inventory is tracked absurdly closely. Being 3 large cups short at the end of a night where we’ve sold 500-700 large drinks is enough for heads to roll. With management coming around to drain your till on a semi-random basis, you’d have to keep track of your reused cups and money on the fly, while keeping up with the crowds.
So, yeah. Could happen, with enough people in on the fraud and a slow enough day. Not very likely at all, though, at least where I work.
Look, saying you “liberated” something just marks you as a tool. You stole the cups from the cafeteria, when you could have gone down to the dollar store and bought them for practically nothing.
If you’re gonna steal something, make it something worth stealing, at least. Stealing cheap crap from the school cafeteria shows that you have no ambition and no creativity. Claiming to “liberate” stuff is even worse. You’re part of the problem…they’re losing money because of you.
Even in the summer months, our college student building had movies and such, and the popcorn and drinks were pretty reasonable. Quit trying to cheat, and take advantage of the legal resources you already have.
UGH! Not to mention everything in the trash that came in contact with the bucket!
Vomit.
I don’t quite get why an offer of free refills at a movie theatre is very attractive in the first place - wouldn’t you have to get up and leave the cinema and go out to the front to get your refill? Thus missing part of the movie? For a refill of popcorn? When you’ve just eaten a giant bucket of popcorn anyway? How many people actually take up this offer of a refill in exchange for missing some of the film? Or do they have a popcorn refill man parading around the aisles of the theatre in case you need yet another massive popcorn serving? Could I possibly put any more question marks into this paragraph?
It takes quite a lot to squick me out, actually.
OP - well played - I am officially squicked out.
While you are out seeing a movie? Mother of the Year Award, here it comes!
You steal cups from the cafeteria too? You’re a real winner. Why do you think the food prices are high? I know money is tight for a student, but if you can afford milk and cereal, you can afford $1 for a set of plastic cups from Dollar General.
I am a freegan, but even I have my limits. Would you take food out of a dumpster and eat it?
It you really want to do that, at least reuse your own tub.
I had no idea they tracked the cups and tubs but it makes sense from a business standpoint. I would think it would take cooperation among employees to get used cups and tubs back behind the snack counter. Once you’ve got them in place it doesn’t matter when you pocket the money. You know there’s 1 or 2 or 3 extra tubs or cups so when the time is right you pocket the cash. Change would be another problem. Lots of businesses notice if no sale is hit too many times.
We used to take extra sugar packets napkins and other minor items from the Wendy’s nxt door to have at work. Even though I knew it was technically stealling it was so minor I did it anyway. ONe day I saw a kid empty both napkin holders and walk out with a huge stack of napkins. Why buy them when you can steal them from Wendy’s. It made me realize how that minir crap we justify adds up to a business.