A very good friend of mine works at a small movie theater a few blocks from my apartment. Occasionally, I go and hang out with her, watch a movie, get some popcorn and coffee, then we go to the bar across the street when she gets off.
Last Friday, I was dying to see Tom Ford's movie. I asked my friend if she was working, she said yes, so I went. I got there about half an hour before the film and hung out with her at the concession stand. She gave me popcorn and a coffee and I went in the theater, waiting for everyone else to go in first so I could trickle in at the end. She told the girl ripping tickets that I was going to go in for a movie, so I don't waltz right past her like I own the place.
I walk into the first theater on the left, take my seat on the left side of the theater, and settle in. Not a minute later, the owner's daughter walks in.
The owner's daughter is probably in her mid-30's. She's really pretty and petite and doesn't seem to know how to smile. I've seen her there a few times before since she has recently been brought to the theater to do whatever the owner's daughter is supposed to do. She was standing three feet from me as my friend gave me my popcorn and coffee and apparently watched my friend tell the ticket ripper to let me past.
So she walks in the theater and says, "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, you didn't pay for a ticket." Confused, I tell her that it's okay for me to be in here. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave since you didn't pay for a ticket." Again, I tell her that my friend let me in to watch this movie. She says, "Well you need to leave because you snuck in and didn't pay." She turns around and walks out the theater.
I gather my things and call to her at the end of the hall. She stops as I walk up to her. "Really? You're going to run away and not talk to me about this?" And then she goes batshit.
"YOU DIDN'T PAY FOR THE MOVIE. I SAW YOU SNEAK IN."
"Oh, except I wasn't sneaking in because [friend's name] let me in."
"WELL YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST SNEAK IN TO A MOVIE WITHOUT PAYING?"
"I WASN'T SNEAKING IN, [FRIEND'S NAME] LET ME IN. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ACCUSE ME OF SNEAKING IN? LIKE I DID SOMETHING WRONG? AND REALLY? YOU'RE YELLING AT ME RIGHT NOW? DO YOU THINK YELLING AT A CUSTOMER IS PROFESSIONAL?"
"YOU'RE NOT A CUSTOMER! YOU'RE EATING FREE POPCORN AND SNEAKING INTO MOVIES! I'VE SEEN YOU HERE SO MANY TIMES BEFORE! SNEAKING IN TO MOVIES!"
"SO WHAT IF I'M NOT PAYING? DO YOU WANT ME TO PAY? IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FUCKING MONEY. IF MY FRIEND LET'S ME IN TO A MOVIE THEN I'M GOING TO WATCH A FREE MOVIE."
The yelling continues as she continues to accuse me of something I didn't do. I demanded her to apologize for yelling at me right then and there but she continued to yell at me like an insane person. I told her that it's not my fault that her employee let me watch a free flick and give me free popcorn. The fact of the matter is, she knew [friend's name] let me in to watch the movie. Yet, she continued to accuse me of sneaking in to the theater. Why? Because she's completely unprofessional and immature. Somewhere in the argument, I told her that none of this, whatsoever, is my fault. It's clearly a managerial issue between her and her employees. How was I supposed to know that letting people in to watch movies is not allowed?
And let's not forget that I have witnessed groups of four be "let in" to the theater.
The crazy thing is, [friend's name] came to the yelling match and stood right next to me saying, "It's my fault, I let her in. It's my fault," but Miss Crazy Lady didn't even look at her. Just me, all me. And it's not even [friend's name]'s fault. The manager knew it was happening and was okay with it. And what was this about seeing me SO many times before? Before Friday night, I hadn't been there in three months.
So again, Miss Crazy Lady runs away from the argument. Perhaps she knew she was completely out of line and completely in the wrong and was embarrassed that she presented herself this way. Out in the open. For everyone to see. It doesn't make sense that she did that. Did she think she was going to gain the respect of all of her employees?
The manager comes by and I explain what was going on. Then I start crying, hysterically. I haven't cried like that since I was 12. You know, where you can't stop and that thing in your throat happens where it keeps trying to catch air so you're constantly making that gasping noise. Tears are running down my face as I try to make sense of the situation. [Friend's name] started crying because I was crying as we're telling the manager the story.
I was crying because I was SO furious. I was so angry that I was made out like the bad person. I did nothing wrong and I'll stand by that 'til the day I die. I don't know what Miss Crazy Lady's problem was. Maybe it was an accumulation of a bunch of things and I happened to be the person she blew up on. Either way, someone in that position Does Not act that way. And if you can't handle your emotions and decipher which emotions go where, then you need to check yourself.
I ultimately feel bad for [friend's name]. She was put in such an awkward position and I sincerely apologize for that. The last thing I want is for her to feel weird at work because of anything that had to do with me. Either way, three days since the incident and it still feels like a dream. Better yet, a nightmare. I woke up Saturday morning thinking it was just a dream.
It just blows my mind that people suck that much. I would hate, so much, to be her. To be near her. Though, I really hope what happened with me defers any other instance of similar circumstances. And I hope she's "okay".
