Sticking it to The Mann Theaters.

Or maybe The Mann Theaters stuck it to me. You be the judge.

Drew and I decided to go see a matinée today and he picked Terabithia over Mimzy. There was a 4:30 show over at the Mann 4 in Glendale.

We go over and buy the tickets. It was $17.50 for one adult and one child. Yikes !

So far so good, but then Drew is thirsty and the snack bar has nothing but soda. I am told if I want juice, there are plenty of places outside that sell it.

Fine. We go back out and locate a place that has some apple juice and head back into the theater. That is when the trouble starts.

The boy/girl team taking tickets (apparently this is a two person task), inform me that "you can't come in here with that soda". I point out it is juice, which the snack bar people told me to go buy outside the theater.

Too bad. Policy is policy they say. Actually it was more like a grunt. I ask them why them have to be such jerks and tell Drew to finish his juice up.

The guy informs me that he is doing us a big favor by even allowing Drew to drink his unauthorized juice in the lobby, that he should really ask me to leave, and that if I call anyone a jerk again he will.

At this point my urge is to kick him in the nuts. Instead I throw my tickets on the ground and we leave.

Drew helpfully points out the absurdity of the situation and demands we go ask for a refund. I told him I would rather be out $17.50 than lose my temper and kick some poor Mann minion in the nuts. This causes a bit of juice to come out his nose for laughing.

I don't go out to the movies much these days and sometimes I forget why. You would think theater chains would be striving to retain their declining business. I guess not.

If anyone knows someone at Mann Theater I can mail a complaint letter to, that would be great. All I can find is a generic email address (Talk2Mann@manntheatres.com).