homeaboutourstoryphotographyinfertility

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Nacho Lady

The other day i was house managing at the manship for a short film festival. We had a 45 minute break between two of our sessions. The next one was starting at 8:30. A lady came up to us asking what the next film was about. She decided to stay to watch it & asked if there was any good food around, as she had not yet eaten dinner. We told her, sure, there's Capital City Grill over there, and Lucy's over there, and Schlitz & Giggles down there... we told her Capital City might take awhile since it's a nice sit down restaurant. The other house manager told her that she could get it to go there & then come back & eat it here.

She meant come back & eat it here BEFORE the next show started. I mean, one would think that is a given. Right?

The manship allows food & drink inside the actual theatre. I always am amazed by that, because BRLT does NOT allow food or drinks - even when they had old ugly seats. Manship is a nicer theatre because it is relatively new. But they allow food & drinks because it boosts sales at the bar. The bar sells alcohol, soft drinks, water & small snacks like m&m's, pretzels & animal crackers. Those are the kinds of things you are allowed to bring into the theatre. You can't really bring beer in from somewhere else.

I mean, this is not a movie theatre. I know they were watching movies, so maybe that's where the lady got confused. But really? It's a performing arts theatre. There is a difference. 

So the lady left to get some food & we forgot all about her. We see her again around 8:28 - just in time for the next film. She is holding a purse, a bag, and another bag. And beer in a cup. I thought nothing of it, because i was thinking it was a beer from our bar.

We go into the theatre & sit down to watch. Me & the other house manager. Everyone is seated ready for the film to start. There were only about 40 or 50 people in there. Not many for a 300 seating audience.

Then she comes in. She scoots past myself & the other HM (we were sitting on the end, closest to the door) & proceeds to walk ALL THE WAY to the CENTER. Right smack dab in the middle of a bunch of people.

She sets her beer down on the floor by her feet. I said, "oh great, she's gonna kick that beer & it is gonna spill everywhere." Then she proceeds to take a TO-GO box out of one of the bags. What?!?! I turned to the other HM. "She is going to EAT her DINNER right here!"

You may think i am crazy, but please note: NO ONE else was eating. When we told her she could pick up her food & bring it back, we meant - to eat before the show started!! We thought that was a given. But perhaps not.

The lady took two little containers out, and i thought maybe that was salad dressing. I was hoping her food would be rice & chicken or something. Something quiet. But then i decided it must be a salad.

I was wrong.

How did i know this?

Well, she opened that box. And a lovely fantastic unbelievable smell FILLED the theatre. And then we heard it.

CRUNCH.

What?! The woman was eating NACHOS!!!!!! Fully dressed, SERIOUS nachos.

CHOMP. 

WOW. Just...WOW.

"OMG. I can hear her CHEWING." I said to Becky.

No shame at all.

CHOMP. CRUNCH. CHOMP. CRUNCH.

I finally got up. I would never be able to think about the movie. All i could think about was this shameless woman!

I mean, honestly. I do not eat when no one else is eating in most situations. I mean, i'm overweight (as was this woman) & i don't want anyone thinking "she shouldn't be eating that". I know that is silly or something, but i know i am not alone. Even if i am STARVING, even if i hadn't eaten all day, i don't want to walk up in the middle of a theatre where NO ONE is eating & start CHOMPING away at NACHOS! If i MUST, then i would get something HEALTHY. AND, even though i would never do what this woman did - even if i was that hungry & simply HAD to eat something, i would have gone to sit where no one else was around. There were PLENTY of spaces available where ALL the chairs around her would have been empty. No. She goes & sits with people behind her & beside her. WHAT? No shame, i tell you.

Aren't you aware when you eat chips that others can hear it? You hope they can't. But it sounds so loud in your own ears? Maybe she thought it was just loud to her, and not to everyone else? Well, she was mistaken!

CRUNCH.


Now, you may ask, why didn't i say anything to her? Why didn't we, as house managers, say anything? The answer to that is - i don't know. And i feel bad about it. I mean, our job is to make the place comfortable for the [sane] audience members. But i couldn't bring myself to do it. "Maam, you can't eat that in here." The other HM is one that has been there longer than me. She always handles these kinds of situations. With grace & with professionalism. But she was just as floored as i was. And she was frozen. She didn't do anything either. I always follow her lead. But she said it was just awkward & she didn't know what to do. So we left it alone. And yeah, maybe we should have said something. In fact, i am sure we should have. But we didn't. And lesson learned.

Thankfully the woman finished the durn nachos!!!

Just....WOW.

4 comments:

  1. Wow, while that is weird, it's probably good you didn't say something to her, since you said Manship does allow food and drink. It probably would have caused a bigger scene. That is pretty rude on her part, though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It amazes me how oblivious people can be!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! Bizarre. I hate eating crunchy stuff when no one else is haha.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hahahaha, this made me laugh. I love this line.."how, you may ask, why didn't i say anything to her? Why didn't we, as house managers, say anything? The answer to that is - i don't know." I loved all the dramatic crunching too, bahahaha.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are my favorite.