Don't Charge Babies for Movie Tickets, AMC!

Hey, I'm sorry, but babies count as people, too, so ANYbody has to pay
for their movie ticket. Just thought I'd let you know that.

A 2-year old is not a baby.

I agree with other posters who say butt in seat = charge for ticket.

And I saw Chronicles of Narnia and that is NOT a little kids' movie. I
am surprised you would expose little children to such a violent movie,
too! Are you kidding me???

Butt in the seat = ticket. You expect to not pay for your child for a
movie when that child will be using a seat a paying customer could
occupy? It'd be one thing if the child in question was still an
infant, and would remain in your arms, but that's ridiculous.

However, the drunk and disorderly man should've been escorted out, you
are right there.

I'm surprised you took your 2 year old child out to a violent movie
like Narnia at 10 pm on a Friday night. That movie would've gotten
out at around 12. Why would you keep your little child up that late?


You're too cheap to buy a ticket and get a babysitter.

Sorry, but a 2 year old is not a "baby" and like another poster said-
if they take up a seat you should be charged.

Personally, I congratulate AMC for charging for babies.

Bringing a young child to a movie-- particularly one with as much
violence as the Narnia films-- is like playing Russian Roulette, only
you're only pointing the gun at everyone else in the theater.

It's very nice that YOUR child didn't start crying or fussing and only
slept through the movie quietly, but other people's children are not
so easy to please.

Part of the benefit of that charge is that it deters people who ignore
the impact their children have on the rest of the world.

If your child is too young to appreciate movies, why even bring them
in the first place? Find a babysitter, and spare some quality time
with your nine-year-old, who is probably getting less attention
than his new baby sister anyway.

Sorry, but your claims are idiotic. If you're using a seat, you have
to pay for it. End of story.

As for the drunk guy, you did nothing about the situation so I fail to
see how this is the theater's fault.

Next time, spring for a sitter and grow some balls.

Same as on a plane if you want to TAKE UP A SEAT you get to pay for
it.

Now IF the baby does indeed sleep through the movie were you planning
to hold her on your lap the entire tiome so as to NOT take up a seat
that could have been used by a paying customer? Because if you do NOT
PAY FOR A SEAT YOU DON'T GET TO HAVE AN F-ING SEAT!!!!!!!!!!
What is so hard to understand about that?

Or next time I have had to much cold medication, do oyu think that *I*
should get a free seat because I will likely sleep during the movie?
And if NOT, whyat ius the difference? One sleeping patron is the same
as any other, regardless of who has more or less control over their
bowels -



And ALL of that is ASSuming that your kid actually DOES SLEEP thorugh
the ENTIRE MOVIE and does not wake up ONCE to make NOISES which will
disturb the people who actually DESERVE to be there. AKA the PAYING
customers.

If someone sits in a seat, they must pay for that seat--period.
Asleep, awake, "baby," adult, whatever. Seat = pay. There is nothing
"offensive" about it.

Also, I don't considering 10 PM to be that late for a small
child to be out, but I definitely consider past midnight, when the
movie would have actually ended, to be too late. It's a lucky thing
you paid for a seat for the child to sleep in, lest she fuss and whine
throughout the whole movie. (This is, of course, assuming that we are
talking about 10 PM, not a 10 AM naptime, which is not mentioned and
counterintuitive.)

You guys are harsh! I think she means 10 am. I take my son to the
movies at 10 am too! It's his naptime and I would rather have him
sleep than be chasing him around the movie theater.
Next time they want you to pay, talk to the manager. They shouldn't
charge until the child is old enough to understand the movie (around 3
yrs.) but they do anyway.
We have a Cinemark and they are very understanding about children, and
the first showing of the movie M-F is $5.00 a person to bring in young
families. It's nice that for once, someone can be nice to people with
kids.

I have a 29 year old friend who sleeps through most movies he pays go
see. Should he get in free too?

Okay ...

First of all I want to say, I understand where you are coming from
with the whole charging for your child thing, but as far as I'm
concerned if you are going into the theatre, they are going to charge
you..

Second of all, to all the people who keep saying that OMG 10 is soooo
late, get over yourself. Yes , 10 is late for having children out, but
for some of us that is the time we have to spend with our child. As a
single mother working as a server, I normally work anywhere between
the hours of 11 am to 9 pm...my daughter is on my schedule..thats just
how it is. She is up late, but also sleeps in later than most of you
would agree is " normal ". If my daughter went to bed early I would
never get to see her. If she was in school I would never take her out
so late and would agree that 10 is too late... however, as Tera had
posted this was a friday night...who cares??

Nothing more annoying then a child at the theater? My son and I went
to see The Strangers yesterday. There were about five adults in the
theater that were more annoying. They weren't even all from the same
group. Two of them were adult women right behind us who insisted on
giggling the whole time. Make stupid jokes about what was going on in
the movie, then giggle some more. Nobody seemed to be phased. I don't
know when that kind of behavior became acceptable.

My question is, why were you taking children to a 10:00 PM movie in
the first place? Shouldn't a two-year-old be in BED by then?

I'm sorry, but there is nothing more annoying than a baby at a movie
theater. I've got a 2 year old little girl, and I wouldn't ever dream
of taking her to a movie. Yes, she is well behaved, but still, at the
risk of being a burden to everyone else? No way.

You should try redbox/netflix, it is MUCH cheaper than renting/going
to see a movie, and although you don't get the "theater" experiance,
you can have a family night, and the best part is, you don't have to
shell out extra cash for a sitter.

Some theater chains do require tickets for children and babies because
of the annoyance that a crying baby or talking toddler can cause to
others trying to listen to the movie. And one chain I know of does
not allow children under 5 into PG 13 or R rated films. A 2 year old
will start talking to his parents (or just to hear him/herself talk)
because he/she does not understand the film and is bored. And some
people are simply too cheap to hire babysitters, so they bring their
crying, bawling, or chattering babies/toddlers to the movie theater
with them. If I'm trying to listen to a film, a crying baby or
chattering toddler can be an annoyance. It's just as bad as someone
using a cell phone during a film. I don't blame AMC for charging
babies/toddlers for admission. And a film like "Chronicles Of Narnia"
would be too complex for a 2 year old to understand. Sure the child
may be sleeping through the film, but he/she might wake up and start
talking. And AMC does include this message during the previews:
"Please don't spoil the movie by adding your own soundtrack."
Sorry for the rant, but talking or crying babies during a movie is
one of my biggest pet peeves.

This letter is featured on Mommage. Twice.

http://planetfeedback.typepad.com/mommage/2008/05/would-you-take.html

http://planetfeedback.typepad.com/mommage/2008/05/lights-camerasl.html

I didn't post on this letter until now because up until a couple of
days ago, everyone pretty much said how I felt. But, as a read more
responses to this letter, I came away with a different feeling about
Tera and her motivations.

First, from a consumer standpoint, the theater has a right to charge a
two-year-old child; after all they're charging for seats, and it
doesn't matter if the child would be sleeping or not. And Tera
certainly had the right to refuse to pay and to leave if the charge
wasn't acceptable to her.

But from a mother standpoint, my thoughts are more personal. I have a
feeling that the nine-year-old son wanted to see the movie, and Tera
figured this is the only time she would be able to do it. Believe it
or not, babysitters are not always ready, willing, and available to
watch your brood while you cavort about town. I found this out last
week when my husband and I had plans to go to dinner, and my sitter
(my mom) "called in sick."

Also, Tera specifically chose a time when her child would be sleeping
and therefore less likely to disturb the other movie-goers. To me,
this shows consideration for the other movie patrons, not the other
way around.

I do think her decision to take the child to a 10 p.m. Friday night
showing probably wasn't the best, and I have a whole host of reasons
why I feel this way. (The drunk in the theater only highlights one of
them.) But who among us, parent or otherwise, hasn't been guilty of a
lapse in judgment at some point in their lives? And while her decision
may arguably lack common sense, it certainly isn't child abuse, as
some people suggested.

So, I came away with a different feeling than I orginally had about
Tera, and if my above surmisings are correct, then I think she did the
best she could under the circumstances. She tried to please her son
and to do it in a way that would allow her to take her daughter too.

But her daughter still had to pay for the movie.

Most theatres have a policy that any child 2yrs or older has to have a
ticket because its unusual for a 2yr old to sit in an adults lap the
entire length of the movie...no matter how quiet or good they are.

Check the age limit then question the cashier...if its 2yrs and older
then your 2yr old must have a ticket.

Also 2yr olds are not babies they are toddlers. But then my 22yr old
son will ALWAYS be my baby! So I get your wording on that part.

Ya know I think one of the points she was stating was the rudeness of
the ticket teller and I guess all you mothers are such great mothers
neve done anything worth of questioning, I think this woman had every
right to complain. RUDE people should not work in retail!!

I hope CPS gets wind of this because I'm pretty sure they would
consider bringing children that age to a movie that late at night to
be neglectfully bad parenting. Sounds like you need a few parenting
classes because you're not doing your children any favors with poor
decisions like this.

Old enough to fill the seat means you need to be buying a ticket.

nuf said.

Your children should not be out past midnight especially in a movie
theater! People choose to go to the movies at this time to escape from
annoying children. You deserved to be charged for your daughter, she
falls within the age range to be charged.

Don't take "babies", in your case, a toddler, to movies when they
should be in bed. Common sense and babysitters are wonderful things.
You would have had to pay for the movie even if you slept through it.

even if your intent was to hold your daughter, that is probably not
the case with most/all toddlers. I agree with the point that has
already been made, if your child attending the movie causes one less
seat to be available for others, then it makes sense to have to pay.


Also, it has been pointed out that AMC charges for 2-12, so
regardless of size, your child falls into that age range.

And finally, and I am not making any statement about the quality of
your parenting, isn't it too loud for her to sleep? I am careful
about what movies I take my kids to, just because I don't want them
hearing such loud noise for an extended time, I can't imagine anyone
really sleeping.

Children need structure and stability, being in a movie theater with a
drunk and an entitlement queen mother isn't good for them. You had
the option of asking for a manager then and there or not paying and
going home and putting your kids to bed properly. Babies should be
charged full price everywhere period whether a movie theater, museum
or airplane since they take up space and impact others.

I don't think a toddler should be allowed to go to a movie, period.
They don't have the attention span to sit in a theatre and I think it
is rude to subject your toddler to other people who also pay to go to
a movie and have them listen to your toddler whine, cry and constantly
move around. You should be lucky you even got your todder (not baby!)
into a theatre.

I can't agree with this letter because I looked it up and a child
ticket at AMC is ages 2-12. Maybe a better idea would be to write a
suggestion letter and give them your opinion on what age they should
start charging and why.

I agree with LadyMac. It's not our business to tell somebody how to
raise their child. When I was little I'm sure there were times when I
was up much to late too. That doesn't make my mother or father bad
parents.

I must have missed it.

When did this letter stop being about AMC's movie ticketing policies
and start being about how this woman raises her children?

Granted, most of us wouldn't take our kids out to a movie that late,
but it's really none of our damn business what SHE does with her kids.

I surely hope this was a 10 A.M. showing. Otherwise, what parent in
their right mind would have children (9 and 2 years) up at this time.
Put your children on a schedule. Sleep deprived children don't
thrive.I'm sure these poor children are also lacking in diet,
excercize and communication skills. How sad their young lives are.

You are kidding, right? She is no longer a "baby". She is a toddler. A
baby is held at all times. Get over it and pay.

Did you hold your baby, or did you let her sit in a chair? That's the
real question. If her butt took up a seat, then you should have paid.
If you held her the whole time, then maybe I could see them not
charging.

Before he died, my grandpa used to take me to the movies. He had to
pay for a ticket even though he slept through most of the movie.

Once again we hear from that unique segment of the parental contingent
that feels the world revolves around their children and themselves. I
won't even go into the concept of taking 2 young children to a 10 PM
movie where many of the people go at that time so they can expect an
adult experience. The 9 year old, if well behaved, I can sort of see,
but a 2 year old....give me a break. Get a babysitter or stay home.

At the end of the day, the theater sells SEATS to see a movie. If
there is a person in a seat, no matter how old, that person should pay
for it. End of discussion.

Why oh WHY do people like this take kids to the movies?! Especially at
10 at night! These kids needed to be at home in bed maybe 2-3 hours
prior to this!

I have had movies ruined because of parents like this. One happened
yesterday where a lady dragged her poor, tired 5 year old to Indiana
Jones, and while the kid was asking questions (he was being quiet
about it at least) his mother told him to "be quiet and watch the
movie." No more than 10 minutes later, he was asleep and snoring
loudly.

Many adults go to movies late to avoid children. PLEASE, for the sake
of others and your own kids...leave them at home if you plan to see a
movie this late.

The drunk man would have been dealt with by the usher. There's no way
he would have known you said anything unless you were pointed out.
Also, 2 year olds aren't babies. They are toddlers.

that I have ever sat through. I had no interest in those movies, and
don't see why I should have had to pay, just because I went along to
please a girlfriend.

...let me give some advice. If you want people to take you seriously,
don't end your letter with "...not be so offensive to children who are
tall for their age."

I admit it... I wasn't there. But unless the employee stopped down to
your child's level and called her a "freak of nature," I don't see
(based on what you've written) how any of this was offensive to your
child.

What we have here is someone who saw a larger child, assumed the child
was older than 2 (my not-yet-2 child is rather large and towers over
some 3 and 4 year old kids), and gave you "a nasty look." If it was
really just a look, might I suggest that you overlook it.

What your letter really is about is how you'd like to SUGGEST, like
their competitor, that they let children under 3 in for free.

There's nothing wrong with suggesting that. The chain is then free to
decide if they like your suggestion or not. In turn, if you don't
like the policy, then don't go there.

As for the issue with the drunk: that can be scary. But I cannot
believe that you'd rather sit in a theater, with two children, and
cower than to get up, take your kids to safety, and report the problem
to management or the police. Unless this man was actively blocking
you from leaving the theater, your best action is to get yourself and
the kids to safety.

Let's be clear: you would NOT be having a confrontation with the man.
You'd be asking management, security, or the police to "confront" the
man.

I can only suppose that you didn't get up and leave because (a) that
would wake your sleeping child and (b) you'd have to miss (and your
9yo would have to miss) part of the movie.

Also, a 10:00 movie of something this popular: gotta be a lot of
people in the theater. Unless this person had a gun, I'm sure that
there were enough of people to protect you. There's safety in
crowds.

In any case, I'll chime in like the rest: please don't take children
to a 10:00pm movie. It's your own business if you think it's
acceptable to have a 9 yo up at midnight. It's not courteous,
however, to the hundreds of people who purposely came to a 10:00 movie
NOT to have to be with kids.

And, no, just because your kids are angels isn't reason enough. I
have two kids and I would NEVER dream of taking them to anything but a
matinee. Moreover, I'd never take my almost-2 kid. Never.

a two year old isn't a baby, she's a toddler. and if you are so
frightened of a confrontation that you would let yourself be
miserable, you get what you get. grow up.

Oh my gosh, I am laughing so hard I have to take a breath. Your "baby"
wasn't going to watch the movie so you shouldn't have to pay for her?


Do you know that often blind people go to movies and don't officially
"watch" it? Does that mean they shouldn't have to pay? If you fall
asleep during the movie can you demand a refund? How about people
having to go to the bathroom while they are watching the movie. Do
they get a partial refund for the time they are in the bathroom. I
guess by your reasoning a doctor called away during a movie on an
emergency is entitled to a refund for the portion of the movies he or
she missed.

If you don't want to pay for a large child, take along her birth
certificate. My sisters and I were all big kids and my mom actually
used to do this when we went to a place where kids under a certain age
got a discount. She was realistic enough to know not everyone was
going to believe we were the age we were.

Actually, the ticket price you paid for your two-year-old (NOT a baby,
although I understand they're always "babies" in the eyes of their
mothers) ;) probably was about what you would have paid for a
15-year-old girl to stay at your place and babysit for three hours, if
not CHEAPER than the babysitter.

I used to work at movie theatre and we charged for kids at age 3. We
would usually take the parents word for it, but sometimes, there are
parents who are trying to scam and we would have to charge them the
full kids price. We would also warn parents that just because they can
take the child to see the movie doesnt mean that they should. It's not
fair to you that you should have to get a sitter and it's not fair
that your child could potentially destroy someones movie by being
noisy.
As for the drunk person. WE DO NOT HAVE X_RAY VISION. We can not see
things that are happening when we arent there. It would have taken one
minute to complain, instead you chose to watch the movie with a
disruption. What did the manager say when you brought it their
attention after the movie?

I'm not going to say what I want to say here, I'm really not. I'm
going to bite my tounge.

But I will state that when I took my then two year old to Shrek the
Third (a MATINEE performance), I had no problem paying for his ticket.
When I saw the title of this letter, I was expecting a real baby, not
a toddler. And when I have brought a sleeping newborn in the sling to
the movies, I've never been charged. But yeah, a two year old is old
enough to watch a movie, so they should be charged. Maybe not old
enough to be at the movies at 10PM, but old enough to watch a movie.

Dear AMC,

When my wife and I get a night alone (we have a four year old very
active son), we like to go to the movies to relax and enjoy a show.
It's very annoying when people bring in their children who are noisy
to late night shows where these kids should really be in bed already
anyway.

Please change your policies so that there are times when adults can
watch movies in peace. Sure, it's not your job to parent. But, some
people clearly won't do it on their own.

How about this: all shows after 9pm are considered NC17, regardless of
actual rating? If you like, raise the ticket prices a little. We'll
gladly pay for the luxury.

Thank you.

My husband fell asleep at the last movie we went to.... So, based on
your theory the next time we go to a movie, I should just tell the
cashier that he'll probably fall asleep and we won't have to pay for
him? Sweet!

I have three children, ages 12, 8, and 4. At their current ages, I
wouldn't consider taking them to a 10pm movie for heaven's sake! You
couldn't have got out of that theater before midnight.

Even if the two year old could sleep, surely your daughter would sleep
more comfortably in her own little bed at home than sprawled in your
lap in a noisy movie theater. And then have to be woken up to be put
back in the carseat for the drive home.

Rather than ask theaters to allow small children into the movies for
free, I think theaters should have a "no children at late night
showings" policy.

Next time, leave your 2 year old at home or hire a babysitter. 2 year
old don't belong in theaters at night, especially when a violent movie
is showing.

I think all who see a movie should be charged, even a baby. Especially
if stupid parents let their babies cry and keep other people from
watching the movie.

The drunk has nothing to do with your letter, but yes, I would have
complained about that. Nothing worse than a person talking on a cell
phone at the movies, let alone being drunk. I understand taking your
2 year old to the movies, if they just sleep. But, 2 years old is not
considered a baby, it is a toddler. Most theatres will not charge for
3 years or younger though. Good Luck!

You had an infant out to a movie at 10pm. This is hardly good
parenting, in my very humble, meaningless opinion. Regardless of the
issue at hand, I would be embarrassed to start off any complaint
letter with "I took my 2 year old to the movies at 10 pm". I don't
care if you thought they were going to sleep or not.

I'm not being judgemental of course! *laughs*

As for your complaint, if they are old enough to go to a movie after
9pm, make them pay full price! :)

Tera, don't bring your baby to AMC, especially at ten at night to see
a movie depecting a whole whack of violence.

I just don't get it; kill thousands of people and get off with PG,
swear a little and get bumped right up to R.

I really dont think a two year old can be considered a baby, but
that's just my opinion. I figure if a seat is being taken, it needs
to be paid for.

If you had a six month old in a carrier and that carrier took a seat,
I am surprised theatres would not charge you. I wonder how many
people cant get a seat during peak times and/or when new shows open
because babies who cannot/will not watch are in seats?

No offense, it just seems odd, but then, I am not a mom, so what do I
know.

Either way, you had a choice. I will never, ever understand why folks
pay for something then cry foul after the fact.

I think that if a child is old enough to take to the theater, then
they should be old enough to pay for a ticket. As for the drunk man,
you should have gotten up and gotten an usher. I know that can be a
huge pain, but it would have taken all of two minutes and then you and
your son could have continued enjoying the movie.

If her children behave in the theater, I don't think its anyones
business what showing she is taking them to. I have been taking my 7
yr old son to the theater since he was extra young. We both love
watching movies. All kinds of movies. Horror, comedy, drama, all
kinds. Neither of us talk in the theater. On weekends, we have gone to
the occasional late showing. If both of us are up for it, why does
anyone else care?

I hate to break this to you, Tera, but a two year old is not a baby.
It's a toddler. Would you expect them not to charge for toddlers at a
matinee or a child's movie (such as Disney), or not charge every kid
who falls asleep? That would amount to an awful lot of free seats.
Do you really think that's practical?

People talking during the movie annoy me as well.

You know who, besides drunk men, sometimes makes a lot of noise in a
movie? 2-year-olds. Not all of the parents who are confident that
their kids are going to be very quiet are right, and not all of the
parents who are confident that their kids are being quiet enough that
they're not interfering with anyone understanding the movie are
right.

I almost never go to movies because of the difficulties with
accessible seating and captioning. When I do go, I go late at night.
The point is to avoid people who aren't old enough yet to understand
that they should be quiet and to have the self-discipline to put that
understanding into action. If someone's making noise, I can't move --
theatres around here don't offer me a choice between 2 seats, let
alone the kind of choice some people get. I also can't always leave
the theatre. So someone like you is quite capable of destroying an
evening for me -- and believe me, quite a few have done it.

If a theatre wants to make it easy for people to bring their very
small children to a movie, that's their right. But I'd rather there
be some kind of disincentive when it comes to taking a 2-year-old to a
movie that isn't letting out until after midnight.

Was this big 2 year old sitting in your lap, or in her own seat? If
she had a seat means nobody else could use it. Therefore it should be
paid for.

The drunk has nothing to do with your complaint. This kind of thing
happens all the time (unfortunately a % of people are idiots) and the
solution *is* to find a manager.

Why wasn't the two year old in bed at home? It is a movie theater,
not a hotel.

Why on earth are you taking a 2 yr old and a 9 yr old to a 10PM show
anyway? I wouldn't even take my 14 yr old stepdaughter to a 10PM
show.

If you knew you were being charged for your toddler when you were
paying, why didn't you just decide against it?

Your "baby" was still taking up a seat in the theater. If they didn't
charge you for your "baby", that would be one less seat for them to
sell. Friday night is a very busy night for movies, especially new
ones.

As for the drunk man, there didn't need to be a confrontation between
you two. All you had to do was leave the theater to find an employee
and they would take care of it.

And I have yet to see how they were being "offensive" to your child.

At 10pm a baby should be in bed.


Good Day