Twice in the past couple of years there have been mass shootings inside movie theaters. The most recent one happened during the opening night of the Amy Schumer/Judd Apatow movie “Trainwreck”. The other happened on the opening night of “The Dark Knight Rises”. In both cases, those movies were apparently only chosen because opening night of a popular movie guarantees a crowded auditorium. More people to shoot, more chaos to ensue.
Amy Schumer was even prompted to join her cousin, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, in calling for tougher gun laws. They, like many others, want guns to be impossible for a deranged individual to obtain. And right now, that’s not the case.
So what can be done besides gun control? The answer is security. But even that’s not terribly popular. A new study shows that 34 percent of regular moviegoers, or about one-third, would love to see metal detectors installed at theaters. Of course, that means that 66 percent don’t want them.
According to the study, 75 percent of people feel very safe in a theater already. Personally, I would feel safe in three or four of the auditoriums at the Edwards 21 multiplex here in Boise. That’s because each of those auditoriums has a back door near the top row that leads to a staircase heading to the lobby. I like to sit in the top row generally, so if something happenes, I’m out the back door.
One-third of those surveyed would like to have purses, bags and coats searched at the door. I assume none of those people are cheapskates (or thrifty, depending upon your point of view) who bring their own snacks. If you get searched, they’ll take away your can of Coke, the Milk Duds you bought at the dollar store and the popcorn you popped at home in the microwave. Or in my case, they’d confiscate my two-piece and a biscuit meal.
Only 14 percent think theaters should have armed guards, but 34 percent think an armed guard plus a metal detector would be a great idea. The more security, apparently, the better.
So here’s the 64-thousand-dollar question: Will metal detectors be coming soon to the multiplex near me?
The answer is probably no. Security experts point out that metal detectors cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase, install, staff and supervise. Those costs would be added to the already-expensive (in my opinion) tickets. And what’s more, the few theaters that have installed metal detectors have seen a large drop in movie attendance. People don’t seem to like to see metal detectors in theater lobbies because it just reminds them that danger is a possibility.
The solution? I’m going to keep watching movies at home for now, where I don’t have a metal detector or a guard, and I don’t need them. I just need to keep my wife happy. She’s a good shot.
