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Theater calls cops on diabetic man for bringing in strawberries
NY Post ^ | March 28, 2014 | Georgett Roberts, Gabrielle Fonrouge and Natalie O'Neill

Posted on 03/29/2014 10:26:17 PM PDT by kingattax

That’s bananas!

A Brooklyn movie house in health-food-centric Park Slope called the cops on a diabetic customer — just because he was munching strawberries that were sold outside the cinema.

“It was embarrassing. I didn’t expect it. Two police officers came and told me to leave with a full theater of people watching. I said ‘Is this for real?’ and they said, ‘Yes, you have to leave,’ ” said Michael Kass, a 41-year-old financial analyst.

Kass, who has Type 2 diabetes, couldn’t eat the junk food for sale at the Park Slope Pavilion, so he brought a carton of prewashed strawberries to keep his insulin level in check during a showing of “Divergent” on Sunday, he said.

But before he could watch the action flick, a worker cut him off near the theater entrance and checked his bag — demanding he toss the forbidden fruit and explaining no outside food is allowed, Kass claims.

The strawberry-stashing father of three tried to explain his disease, but “they didn’t seem to care,” he said, so he asked a manager to refund his $12 ticket.

When the manager refused, he stuffed his snack back in the bag and took a seat in the theater, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


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To: kingattax

Having to watch ANY movies out of Hollywood makes me ill too. Thank goodness I do not have diabetes to contend with as well.


61 posted on 03/30/2014 3:04:28 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: Jonty30

I’ll try to remember that the next time fags want a wedding cake...


62 posted on 03/30/2014 3:13:19 AM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: kingattax

I am glad the cops are finally cracking down on felonious
strawberry smugglers.


63 posted on 03/30/2014 3:15:33 AM PDT by Minutemen ("It's a Religion of Peace")
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To: sagar

personally, I’m trying to understand how any organization thinks it can remove food from ones person. that’s just amazing. they can say its not allowed... but if the person refuses to discard the items, entrance should be refused and ticket price returned.

the confrontation was forced when the manager didn’t offer a refund. he should have


64 posted on 03/30/2014 3:20:49 AM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Smokin' Joe

“I think the theater does have the right to set their rules, just as the person has the right to not go there.”

The theater does not get to take your money for a service and then refuse to provide that service.


65 posted on 03/30/2014 3:27:14 AM PDT by WhiskeyX ( provides a system for registering complaints about unfair broadcasters and the ability to request a)
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To: All

When I worked in a movie theater about 40 years ago the way the money worked was that the film distribution company got all of the ticket receipts and the theater got the concession sales.


66 posted on 03/30/2014 3:46:33 AM PDT by Mycroft Holmes (<= Mash name for HTML Xampp PHP C JavaScript primer. Programming for everyone.)
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To: All

It’s the theatres’ right to control food and drink brought in from the outside. This has pretty much been the norm with any business that serves food and drink as their main source of income.

This guy has a social problem. Millions of people live with diabetes and would never consider bringing fresh strawberries into a theatre. Likewise, it’s kinda “uncouth” to bring a sack of hamburgers and a 2-litre into a theatre or restaurant.

I and others of my generation wouldn’t dare try to rob the theatre of its profits, but some people today would. Guess they want to always be the “victim” and make the theatre manager look like the bad guy for enforcing the rules of his establishment. I always expected to pay higher prices for food at bought at the theatre. That’s why as a kid mama always told me “be sure and eat before you go to the picture show”. That folks, is the way we were raised when GOD blessed America.

Too bad drive-in theatres don’t exist any more. This guy would have loved them. He could have sneaked a full-course meal and the chef who prepared it into the drive-in in the trunk of his car. If it was half-price night and he would have had the satisfaction of saving even more.

Being diabetic is a poor excuse for his actions. It is a serious condition that does not need to be abused by the MSM and someone with social issues. I would not wish this condition on my worst enemy.


67 posted on 03/30/2014 4:50:25 AM PDT by Texicanus (Texas, it's a whole 'nother country.)
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To: cva66snipe
Good Grief. I remember back in the 70’s you brought a bag of rice to the movies. For the wedding of course. LOL.

"Great Scott!"

68 posted on 03/30/2014 4:55:56 AM PDT by Flick Lives ("I can't believe it's not Fascism!")
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To: Darksheare
I’m surprised they didn’t find grounds to pummel him. “Stop resisting! Stop resisting!” *whack whack whack*

They will next time, and the third time, they will fill him with bullet holes.

69 posted on 03/30/2014 4:57:15 AM PDT by Mark17 (Chicago Blackhawks: Stanley Cup champions 2010, 2013. Vietnam Vet 70-71 Msgt US Air Force, retired)
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To: Jonty30

True, but they don’t have the right to charge for a ticket and not render services, regardless of what they guy tried to bring in.


70 posted on 03/30/2014 5:12:45 AM PDT by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: Jonty30
It’s the theatre’s right to decide what goes on in its establishment.

Refusing to refund the ticket is also the a$$hole manager's prerogative.

71 posted on 03/30/2014 5:15:45 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: RC one
The whole movie industry can eat the peanuts out of my turds. They are no longer entertaining to me.

The peanuts are no longer entertaining?

72 posted on 03/30/2014 5:32:07 AM PDT by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: Flick Lives

“Don’t eat the meatloaf!”

LOL

CC


73 posted on 03/30/2014 5:41:46 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (tease not the dragon for thou art crunchy when roasted and taste good with ketchup)
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To: willywill
if he has type 2 and doesn’t use insulin, he has no medical need to eat to raise his glucose, so somethings fishy.

Yes, there is something fishy--willywill, you have a keyboard and internet connection--this does not also mean that you know what you are talking about. Sometimes it is better to read and learn, than to post asinine comments.

74 posted on 03/30/2014 5:52:03 AM PDT by NautiNurse (Obama sends U.S. Marines to pick up his dog & basketballs. Benghazi? Nope.)
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To: cva66snipe
Good Grief. I remember back in the 70’s you brought a bag of rice to the movies. For the wedding of course. LOL.

And toilet paper - "Great , Scott!"

75 posted on 03/30/2014 6:00:43 AM PDT by KosmicKitty (WARNING: Hormonally crazed woman ahead!!)
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To: kingattax

His mistake was open carry. This time of year in the northeast, a jacket with big pockets is acceptable. When I was a youth, I managed to bring in an entire footlong meatball grinder from Rosa’s Deli in the my snorkel winter coat, which had a large hole in the pocket.

Another time, McDonald’s was running a hamburgers for 30¢ promotion. I managed to bring five in to see “Bugs Bunny, Superstar”. A bag of strawberries would have been child’s play.

P.S. My wife hates when I repeat these stories, so don’t tell her.


76 posted on 03/30/2014 6:02:58 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("I'm a Contra" -- President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Mastador1
But isn't that how we the 99% always react after the 10% have have coerced an operation to put in healthy food?

109%? I think that only works in Philadelphia.
77 posted on 03/30/2014 6:04:10 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("I'm a Contra" -- President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Texicanus
Thank you. And a couple more things to consider.

The strawberry-stashing father of three tried to explain his disease, but “they didn’t seem to care,” he said, so he asked a manager to refund his $12 ticket. When the manager refused, he stuffed his snack back in the bag and took a seat in the theater, he said.

Yes, IMO the theater manager probably should have given the guy a refund. OTOH, it is pretty common knowledge that movie theaters do not allow you to bring in food from the outside. This is nothing new or unusual. Theaters don’t make all that much off the movie ticket, they make most of their profits from the concessions, yes the way over priced concessions so that is why I have something to eat before the movie or go out to eat afterward or at most might share a bag of popcorn with my friends.

But then for whatever reason the manager had for not refunding the ticket (who knows why; company policy, the movie was too close to starting or had by then started to issue a refund, the movie customer was already acting belligerent?), the guy instead of giving up the strawberries, stashed them in his bag and took his seat anyway and that is where the customer was also wrong. Of course I think calling the cops was over the top but then we also only have this guy’s word for what transpired before that happened.

And why should they, the movie theater “care about his disease”? How are they to know if the guy really is diabetic or just scamming them because he just prefers to bring in food from home? I guess anyone could claim some type of special food need in that case. I could claim I have to eat Kosher, I have to stick with my paleo diet plan or I only eat free range organic tomatoes..….I have a popcorn allergy (and in which case, should I be able to insist that no popcorn be allowed in the theater I’m in?)

What does this guy do if he goes to a restaurant that doesn’t serve fresh fruit to his liking? Does he bring in his own? Do you think a restaurant also has the right to say, “no you can’t do that”?

FWIW, my dad was an insulin dependent diabetic and he often carried a few small hard candies in his pocket in case his insulin level dropped too low. However I don’t recall him ever having to use them. Why? Because he understood how to manage his disease. He planned ahead and ate at regular intervals and if he was going to have to go without food for more than a few hours, he’d adjust his insulin or take it a bit earlier or later than normal, eat a bit more, etc.

From what I know about diabetes, if this guy couldn’t sit through a two hour movie without having to eat fruit, it sounds to me like he’s not learned how to manage his diabetes very well, or doesn’t care to, but insists that others bend the rules to accommodate him.

78 posted on 03/30/2014 6:07:24 AM PDT by MD Expat in PA
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To: Kartographer
Did they shoot the strawberries?

Strawberry jello vodka shooters are the best.

79 posted on 03/30/2014 6:35:46 AM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: Jonty30

But if he has a health problem they need to refund his money.
Especially after an idiot decision like calling the cops.

They refused to render the service they offered to everyone else - sitting there watching a movie while eating. They count on people eating because the margins on tickets are small compared to the concessions mark up. They work hard to make you hungry -which is why the popcorn pops continuously.


80 posted on 03/30/2014 6:42:58 AM PDT by MrEdd (vHeck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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