Yesterday I read this article in the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=515585&in_page_id=1770

It regards a man who went to Cineworld in Stockport with his own sweets, then had his bag searched by a security guard. When the security guard found confectionery in there he tried to confiscate it, then refused the guy entry to the film when he wouldn't hand them over.

As SheffieldForum member Beakerzoid is the manager of Sheffield Cineworld, I'd like to ask him if this is also the policy of that cinema? If so, are security guards employed to monitor the contents of customer bags?

I can see them searching for any recording equipment...but getting narky over a pack of minstrels (for example) seems a bit over the top.

The price of sweets in cineworld is criminal thou

I can see them searching for any recording equipment...but getting narky over a pack of minstrels (for example) seems a bit over the top.

The price of sweets in cineworld is criminal thou

Warners in Meadowhall used to get shirty (hell, I snuch a McDonalds in there once.... ah, youth), but Cineworld is so busy a lot of the time I can't see them enforcing it.

I'll admit to taking my own drinks (because over £2 for a bottle of coke is taking the weewee somewhat), but pick'n'mix is fun, and part of the experience!

The company line is for no items of food to be devoured which were not bought on the premises. We can ask to check bags/ pockets for hidden items and refuse admission should the request be refused (we cannot force someone to comply, but we can refuse admission - it is private property after all).

Now, we at the Sheffield branch only tend to stop people who are bringin Burger King, McDs, Pizza boxes, Tesco carrier bags with a feast of goodies in, and other such 'far too much' items. We tend to turn a blind eye to those who bring a can, a bottle, a bag of sweets etc from outside - after all, you will generally find that those who try to bring in their own stuff will never buy the stuff from us (also I tend to bring a can of coke in myself - and I get discount on the snacks).

You also get the people who bring some of their own stuff, and buy something else (such as mr chris above). I'm not going to turn those people away just because they have a bottle of coke from elsewhere.

To be honest, I can understand the crackdown in the article - they have a sweet store directly opposite the cinema (we don't). Cinemas have always charged more for the confectionary etc as they make no money off admission prices (distributors take the majority of that - this has all been covered on another thread somewhere so will not go into detail on it). Thus, with a sweet shop directly opposite (and considering that it was a bag full which, as I mentioned, we would stop too), I can understand the stance.

So, just to clarify - company line is 'no externally purchased items', but on site we offer a degree of leniency (we don't have a sweet shop over the road in direct competition to us).

As SheffieldForum member Beakerzoid is the manager of Sheffield Cineworld, I'd like to ask him if this is also the policy of that cinema? If so, are security guards employed to monitor the contents of customer bags?

With regards to security - we have security over the weekends. At other times it is just us managers with the thankless tasks of stopping people and then having torrents of abuse thrown at us ("smarmy sh** with a bald head" was my favourite one recently) :)

As an aside and totally irrelevant to the thread i admit. I assume you assign the screens for the week well in advnace so is it possible to post somewhere which film is going to be on which screen?

I'm not surprised that guy got stopped, it was taking the P a bit to walk in with a bulging carrier bag full of snap - and imagine the noise generated by EIGHT bags of M&Ms and a multipack of crisps for just two blokes?!

As an aside and totally irrelevant to the thread i admit. I assume you assign the screens for the week well in advnace so is it possible to post somewhere which film is going to be on which screen?

We assign the film screens and times on a Monday (my favourite day of the week as i am left to my own devices to sort everything out). If I think on I could start a thread to list what is going where (I assume it is really the important screens you are wondering about - Screen 6, 7, 8 for the size, screen 17 and 20 for digital, screen 15 for audio description and subtitles). I know this weekend Rambo is in the biggest screen (7), as well as in one of the smaller screens for the 7pm and 9.30 shows. U23D is in 17 (digital 3D), and we have There Will Be Blood with audio description from friday, and with subtitles Sunday early evening and monday last show.

I will not be doing the times myself for the next 4 weeks now as I am taking a couple of weeks holiday and then a couple of weeks paternity leave, but will try to think on when I return to work just before easter.

It's an interesting concept, that companies can go so far as 'confiscating' peoples private goods.

While I completely understand the commercial desire has anyone ever tested this legally? Obviously don't try this on romantic first date :hihi:

I'd hazard a guess that the average judge might just chuck it out regardless of any T&C's that might happen to be in place.