# Why are movie ticket tellers behind glass? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983 "2014-02-10T16:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/61 "2014-02-12T02:59:05Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The difference is that banks are staffed by fairly well-trained professionals (the odd trainee teller aside) and are under tight FBI scrutiny; you really want to try and grab money and run, power to ya, pal. (Been there, done that, would you like to know what a shotgun shell looks like, looking down the barrel?) Ever thought of doing an “Ask the bank robber thread”? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/62 "2014-02-12T11:45:25Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > It is universally the case that when buying a ticket for a movie, you talk to the teller through a bad microphone and pass your money and tickets back and forth through a tiny slot. I assume this is for security, but what is it about selling tickets that makes it more likely that someone will reach in and grab you, as opposed to most other purchasing experiences where there is usually unimpeded communication. In most businesses, the cashier is not right out at the sidewalk. In most businesses, the cashier is not physically separated from the rest of the store and staff, so a call for help will be responded to almost immediately. In most businesses, the cashier is not ringing nearly so many sales, nor of such high value. In most businesses, the cashier can easily take a minute to run excess cash into a more secure area of the store. Even back in olden times, when there was only one screen at the theater and a ticket cost less than the cashier earned in an hour, by the time the movie started the cashier was holding enough money that a robber could survive by hitting a movie theater every couple of weeks, so the cashier is kept physically inaccessable. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/63 "2014-02-12T16:11:57Z")
They still have tellers? I honestly couldn’t tell (ha!) you if they even have one at my local cinema. Every time I’ve been to the cinema in the past 10 years or so I have picked up my ticket from the automatic machine in the foyer. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/64 "2014-02-12T16:23:16Z")
I’d have to disagree that the glass was for security. Small town theaters had the ticket seller behind the glass even in the 30’s and 40’s. A time when crime was much rarer. People left their keys in the car, homes were unlocked. High school kids worked the ticket booth and concession stand. Robbery really wasn’t a big enough concern to install glass. I agree with other posters that it was simply to keep the ticket seller warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Customers could see the ticket seller without him/her being exposed to the outside temps. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/65 "2014-02-12T17:49:14Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Some banks have glass walls. Many don’t. > > The difference is that banks are staffed by fairly well-trained professionals (the odd trainee teller aside) and are under tight FBI scrutiny; you really want to try and grab money and run, power to ya, pal. (Been there, done that, would you like to know what a shotgun shell looks like, looking down the barrel?) So when was the last time you robbed a bank? ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/66 "2014-02-13T09:49:12Z")
I remember back in the olden days, the tellers were behind glass in the entrance foyer, next to the popcorn and soda counter. I imagined young’uns trying to get tickets to the adult movies and the glass was there for protection when they were turned down. If that happened to me I’d tie an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/67 "2014-02-14T02:51:45Z")
You just sneaked past the booth by crouching under the teller’s line-of-sight. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983/68 "2014-02-14T03:01:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’d have to disagree that the glass was for security. Small town theaters had the ticket seller behind the glass even in the 30’s and 40’s. A time when crime was much rarer. People left their keys in the car, homes were unlocked. High school kids worked the ticket booth and concession stand. Robbery really wasn’t a big enough concern to install glass. > > I agree with other posters that it was simply to keep the ticket seller warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Customers could see the ticket seller without him/her being exposed to the outside temps. Actually, that’s not correct. According to statistics crime was much higher in the past than it is today. Especially during the Great Depression. While other places of business did not have glass, many banks in the era still had metal cages surrounding their tellers and armed guards in their lobbies. Those two are far more rare now than they were then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movie-ticket-tellers-behind-glass/680983.md?page=3)