[thomasDrooney]

This has happened to me once, and I was just curious to know if it's happened to any of you.

On Dark Knight Rises opening day, me and a mate decided to go to the cinema - because I hadn't seen The Dark Knight, we decided to see Ice Age, and this happened:
Me: "Hi, can we have 2 teens for Ice Age 3D please"
Staff: "Sure-hang on, why aren't you seeing Batman?"
Me: "I haven't seen Dark Knight"
Staff: "Are you sure you don't want to see Batman?"
Me: " Yes."
It happened twice - the second time was when we had our tickets ripped.

I went to the preview screening of The Lorax the day after - same cinema, roughly same time - and they didn't seem to care.

[degsyhufc]

Who knows.
It could have been an informal survey that the bosses asked the staff to carry out.
It could have been a coincidence that you got two staff members who were Batman fans that were just making conversation or looking down on you.

[chrisii2011]

Its not the cinema's business what you want to see

[theonlyweeman]

It's a reasonable question, Ice Age 3D and The Lorax, whilst Batman was showing? Really?

I'm kidding, you can see whatever you want. It is a bit weird, but no worse than some guy I saw question a poor member of staff at my local cinema on which films were worth seeing, and whether "Killing Them Softly" was as awful as he had heard, for 5 minutes, twas rather awkward...

[jalal]

Originally Posted by degsyhufc

It could have been a coincidence that you got two staff members who were Batman fans that were just making conversation

THIS!

[mintchocchip]

Me and my mates had the same thing when we tried to see The Amazing Spiderman a couple of days after Dark Knight Rises came out. He actually said 'what are you seeing that for? EVERYONE is seeing Batman.'

At which point my friends' all changed their minds and I still haven't seen TAS.

[TOONARMY12]

I just see it as making conversation . When I buy a dvd in HMV theres a few members of staff who always ask me if I have seen a film or not or say "Oh you should enjoy it, its good"., I quite like it as it shows an interest.

[CLL Dodge]

Originally Posted by TOONARMY12

I just see it as making conversation . When I buy a dvd in HMV theres a few members of staff who always ask me if I have seen a film or not or say "Oh you should enjoy it, its good"., I quite like it as it shows an interest.

All I get is "Did you find everything you want?"

[Starry Eyed]

Some people are just really bloody nosy and have no filter between brain and mouth to suggest they might be overstepping some boundaries with their over familiarity. It could also be the increasingly common and really bloody annoying faux mateyness which idiot management force their staff to adopt.

Either way, I'd be pissed off too. I can't stand nosy strangers or those who act like you're friends when you don't know them from Adam.

[Starry Eyed]

Originally Posted by TOONARMY12

I just see it as making conversation . When I buy a dvd in HMV theres a few members of staff who always ask me if I have seen a film or not or say "Oh you should enjoy it, its good"., I quite like it as it shows an interest.

That's not the same to me. The HMV example just seems like staff being polite and is not intrusive in the least. The example the OP gave of the cinema staff reads like interrogation!

[Sinbazro_05]

Me: Two tickets for 'The Iron Lady', please.

Staff: The Iron Lady'?

Me: Yes.

Staff: Are you sure? You'll be the youngest person in there by twenty years. (I'm not exactly a young thing by the way)

Me: Yes, I'm sure.

It was a pretty crap film, but I could still have done without the questions.

[treme]

Originally Posted by thomasDrooney

On Dark Knight Rises opening day, me and a mate decided to go to the cinema - because I hadn't seen The Dark Knight, we decided to see Ice Age, and this happened:
Me: "Hi, can we have 2 teens for Ice Age 3D please"
Staff: "Sure-hang on, why aren't you seeing Batman?"
Me: "I haven't seen Dark Knight"
Staff: "Are you sure you don't want to see Batman?"
Me: " Yes."

Perhaps they asked out of mild surprise that two teens were watching a kiddies film instead of The Dark Knight Rises? Why are you mad about it?

[TOONARMY12]

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

All I get is "Did you find everything you want?"

Nah theres at least two female staff who ask me this in mine. Course they could always be flirting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I wish lol

[Starry Eyed]

Originally Posted by Sinbazro_05

Me: Two tickets for 'The Iron Lady', please.

Staff: The Iron Lady'?

Me: Yes.

Staff: Are you sure? You'll be the youngest person in there by twenty years. (I'm not exactly a young thing by the way)

Me: Yes, I'm sure.

It was a pretty crap film, but I could still have done without the questions.

It's really bad how some people overstep the mark by such length and don't even realise it. Very irritating people.

[theonlyweeman]

You'll notice it only happens when people ask for tickets to weird films outside of their demographic. I doubt many teenagers wanted to see Ice Age 3D or many people that weren't alive during Thatcher's control went to see Iron Lady. Perhaps that's why they're asking?

[Gort]

Originally Posted by thomasDrooney

On Dark Knight Rises opening day, me and a mate decided to go to the cinema - because I hadn't seen The Dark Knight, we decided to see Ice Age, and this happened:
Me: "Hi, can we have 2 teens for Ice Age 3D please"
Staff: "Sure-hang on, why aren't you seeing Batman?"

Your next line should have been: "Can we have two teens for Ice Age 3D, please." Repeat until you get said tickets.

[Starry Eyed]

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

You'll notice it only happens when people ask for tickets to weird films outside of their demographic. I doubt many teenagers wanted to see Ice Age 3D or many people that weren't alive during Thatcher's control went to see Iron Lady. Perhaps that's why they're asking?

Whatever their reasons for asking doesn't make them any less nosy or rude. It's none of their bloody business, frankly. People should be able to see a film without feeling like they're being questioned by police.

[Johnny Clay]

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

You'll notice it only happens when people ask for tickets to weird films outside of their demographic. I doubt many teenagers wanted to see Ice Age 3D or many people that weren't alive during Thatcher's control went to see Iron Lady. Perhaps that's why they're asking?

There's a lot of retail psychology at work these days and it might be part of that - steering the customer towards something they might prefer etc.

Hopelessly naive if so though ("Who is this Bat Man you speak of - sounds ace!").

[theonlyweeman]

Has it occurred to you guys that they are genuinely surprised at your cinema choices?

I''d be a bit surprised if I saw a teen try and buy tickets for Ice Age 3D, and Spiderman was out quite a few weeks before Batman, so maybe they were confused as to why you'd waited so long?

[BastardBeaver]

It's just making conversation isnt it? I would have enjoyed chatting about it tbh.

[NorfolkBoy1]

Originally Posted by chrisii2011

Its not the cinema's business what you want to see

It is absolutely the cinema's business what you want to see, in fact it's the very definition of their business!

[SillyBillyGoat]

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

Has it occurred to you guys that they are genuinely surprised at your cinema choices?

I''d be a bit surprised if I saw a teen try and buy tickets for Ice Age 3D, and Spiderman was out quite a few weeks before Batman, so maybe they were confused as to why you'd waited so long?

And? It's nothing to do with them, their job is to sell the customer a ticket for the film they want to see.

DIfferent people like different films. People need to mind their own business.

[NorfolkBoy1]

Surely it's in the cinema's interest to find out why certain people go to see certain things at certain times? Is this information really so personal that you need to keep it as closely guarded as your PIN number or facebook password?

Some people need to stop being so precious, this information could help cinemas serve their customers a lot better in future, giving it to them is not going to take much out of your day.

[theonlyweeman]

Originally Posted by SillyBillyGoat

And? It's nothing to do with them, their job is to sell the customer a ticket for the film they want to see.

DIfferent people like different films. People need to mind their own business.

If they were all businessman like people would probably complain that their servers were too rigid and didn't care about the customer.... I can't see what the fuss is about, it's not like the cinema stopped you from seeing the film, they just asked...

[Starry Eyed]

Originally Posted by BastardBeaver

It's just making conversation isnt it? I would have enjoyed chatting about it tbh.

I don't know...sometimes it might be but some of the "chatting" described in this thread sounds intrusive enough that I would be very taken aback if faced with it myself.