Theater calls cops on diabetic man for bringing in strawberries

[n2doc]

By Georgett Roberts, Gabrielle Fonrouge and Natalie O'Neill

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 explained his disease but “they didn’t seem to care,” he said, so he asked a manager to refund his $12 ticket.

more

http://nypost.com/2014/03/28/theater-calls-cops-on-diabetic-man-with-strawberries/

[marmar]

1. Jeezus, Mary and Joseph

I guess they wanted him to buy a $6 box of Raisinettes instead.

[yeoman6987]

9. Most theaters do not allow outside food

To call the police is a bit much. They normally check purses and backpacks at the theater I go to. Why did they not see the food before he went into the theater. Regardless, kicking him out would have been enough.

[marmar]

16. Letting a diabetic man eat his strawberries merits kicking him out?

I think a little bit of flexibility with stupid rules was in order here. At the very least, he should have been refunded his ticket.

[pipoman]

19. I agree they should have refunded his ticket

I don't allow people to bring food into my restaurant either, I get that. OTOH, we have good selection and options for most any food allergy or dietary restriction..

[WinkyDink]

20. A restaurant's raison d'etre and a MOVIE THEATRE'S differ substantially.

[pipoman]

24. I'm not sure about that...

Theaters claim that they only make money on concessions, not the movie admission. ..don't know if it's true. ..that is always the claim. ..

[kcr]

37. The primary purpose to go to theaters is to watch movies

Whether or not they actually make money on the concessions is irrelevant. They're drawing customers with the movies.

[Crunchy Frog]

17. I usually bring food and drink into a theater, discreetly.

The day I get searched is the last day I ever go to a movie in the theater.

[hobbit709]

2. That's why I wait until the movie comes out on DVD

1. You don't have to put up with the crowd at the theater
2. you don't have to pay for their high priced tickets
3. you don't have to eat their crappy overpriced junk.
4. you can pause the movie if you want to take a break
5. you don't have to listen to some idiot on their cellphone.

[blueamy66]

4. 6. You can lay on the couch in your jammies.

[hobbit709]

5. Or nothing at all.

[blueamy66]

7. Well there ya go.

[Blue_Tires]

27. If those are the types of movies you prefer, it's your business...

[hobbit709]

33. Nope. Just if I don't feel like getting dressed inside my house, I don't.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. Me too.

I haven't been to a movie at the theater in years, and it's all because of the aggravating bullshit you mention. There used to be a wonderful cheap movie theater here in town that sold pitchers of beer and a variety of foods at the concession stand. They had tables and chairs inside the screening room, and they allowed smoking in the lobby, so it was easy to step out real quick to have a smoke and not miss too much of your movie. They didn't have new movies, but that was just fine with me. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by Katrina. I wish someone would open another one like it. I'd go see movies at a place like that.

[sendero]

13. Same here...

.... I only go to movies when it is a company function or something like that. I can enjoy a film in my own home much more than in a theater.

[Katashi_itto]

3. I hope he sues.

Its a violation of the Americans with Disability act.

[yeoman6987]

10. I doubt that

The movie is 90 minutes to 2-hours. No doctor is going to swear that they needed to have food in that timeframe.

[Katashi_itto]

11. Go do some research at the Diabetic association

[sendero]

14. If you are "low"..

... you barely have 9 minutes so I'll have to disagree with you there.

[blueamy66]

6. The manager should have just refunded the $12 ticket.

nt

[malaise]

12. Fucking morons

Greed on steroids.

Boycott the damned cinema

[marions ghost]

15. What is wrong with people

in this country?

There is no flexibility. No thinking outside the box. Just enforce the "rules."

[pipoman]

22. They should have refunded his ticket

Flexibility = exceptions, when I began managing a restaurant I was flexible. I would allow patrons to order 1/2 orders, and would make things for people that were not on the menu. It snowballs. The next thing you know that is all you get done...being flexible, then when you can't fully accomidate some request, the person gets pissed. Now we will do things like sauce on the side, not salt fries, split plate, etc. we just aren't completely 'have ityour way'..

[marions ghost]

25. Fair to compromise on this--

as you seem to have done in your case--and certainly a restaurant has to set limits on requests. But when someone is a diabetic, to compromise on eating fruit in a theatre is a compromise we can live with IMO.

Usually what I see is too much authoritarianism, a disturbing trend.

[meow2u3]

18. ADA lawsuit in 3...2...1..

Go sue the bastards.

It's bad enough to kick a diabetic out for not buying their junk food and bringing fruit in from the outside. But to treat the guy like a criminal, that's going way too far.

[LuvNewcastle]

21. The cops should have refused.

Are there really that many cops that they have time to kick people out of movie theaters? It's ridiculous for cops to get involved in situations like that.

[pipoman]

23. It was his refusal to leave that made it a police matter. ..

Which could have been easily handled by simply refunding his ticket. ..

[LuvNewcastle]

29. True. When they told him he wasn't allowed in, they should have

refunded his money. Common sense.

[Dorian Gray]

38. Seriously...

they should have laughed at the theater workers for requesting they come in.

But we're in a relatively low crime neighborhood, so maybe they wanted to have something to do.

[CFLDem]

26. Once again

I reiterate, we are surrounded by morons.

This is what happens when these morons value profits over people.

[Blue_Tires]

28. A little common sense from the manager would have gone a long way...

[Boom Sound 416]

30. Because I'm ignorant on the subject

Was 'movie' popcorn a non-option?

[2pooped2pop]

32. it is an option

without butter. But it tends to send the sugar up later than most foods making it sometimes confusing. So if you use insulin for it right away, it could send you crashing down while raising your sugar later.

[2pooped2pop]

31. I have two diabetic grandkids

I always carry a 15 carb snack for them, even to the movies. Cause you just never know. Of course if we get popcorn they won't need it but we don't always get popcorn since we can get food for about the same price after the movie. They almost never get my snack while in the movie but I will carry it.

[Inkfreak]

34. The cops didn't shoot him.

so there's that, I guess.

[1000words]

35. Is fructose the wisest way to manage levels?

Just curious

[haele]

40. Depending on his regieme and the medicines he takes, maybe.

My husband has several different medical issues going on besides being diabetic, so when his sugar drops, the best thing for him to have is a handfull of nuts - as in approximatly an ounce of almonds, peanuts, or pistacios and one or two fresh berries or grapes - gives him the the necissary combinations of protiens and sugars in his situation without potential for extra calories in trans-fats, grains and dairy, which can interact with some of the other medications he's taking or his current health/pain level. It's easier for him to monitor what he needs when he brings his own with him.

Dried fruit tends to have more sugar than he needs for the servings available and it's harder to monitor exactly what you're getting in a bag of trail-mix, so he can't just get it at the concession stand or pop one in my purse when we go out.

Haele

[1000words]

42. Thanks

Inquired out of curiosity. The theater is way out of line.

[Dorian Gray]

36. Hah

That theater is just a few blocks from me.

It's the most disgusting movie theater in all the city. There are perpetual rumors that there are bedbugs. The floors are always sticky. And despite being in a neighborhood with more kids per capita than Bombay (well... close enough), they have ads for motels for "all your love needs."

I love movies, and I haven't stepped into that theater in four years. It's that gross.

Not surprising that they wouldn't turn a blind eye to his strawberries. The guys who own the theater are known for being petty and refusing to update the theater at all.

Try to find yelp reviews of the movie theater.

[whistler162]

39. Needs to carry a manpurse

why do you think mothers carry really big purses into movies?

[Nolimit]

41. Try cargo pants.

My roommates and I always used to use cargo pants to sneak in beer and snacks to movies.

[Egnever]

43. He is type 2

this article is garbage.

If he was type 1 and insulin dependant I would sympathise but he is not.

[Ms. Toad]

44. There is not as clear a distinction as there used to be -

but I tend to agree. Most people with type 2 diabetes are not dependent on insulin, or the other two classes of drugs which put one at risk for low blood sugar. I don't see anything in the article which suggests he had any particular time related eating needs other than the recommended 2.7-3.2 hour (5/6 small meals a day). It smells to me like disgust for the commercial practices of most movie theaters - which I share, disguised (when he was called on it) as an ADA concern - which disgusts me as the mother of a child who has a hard enough time getting the accommodations she actually needs because professors and employers think she doesn't really need them.

[Egnever]

45. Well said and I agree completely.

[MineralMan]

46. I'm betting this is covered by ADA.

He has certain medical needs, and the theater must reasonably accommodate those needs, as a place of public accommodation. If he needs strawberries to reliably balance his blood sugar levels, then it costs the theater nothing to accommodate that, and it doesn't interfere with any other patrons in the theater.

If he makes it an ADA case, he'll win going away.