Date: Decenber 25, Christmas Day 2004.
Time: 10:20pm showing
Location: Muvico Baywalk 20 St. Petersburg, Fl
I arrive at the theatre about 2 minutes into the actual movie, missing the
trailers. I go to sit in my usual spot (back row center) and find it taken. I
sit in the 2nd row to the top.
Now, I want to say first off that in NO WAY am I a racist. I harbor no ill will
towards anyone of any other race, sex, orientation, etc. This is however based
upon what I experienced Christmas night.
A few minutes after me a group of three African American girls go to the top
row and sit a few seats over from me. Now their cell phone rings, and they are
talking on it. The talking does not stop. They left the theatre and came back.
Now it had just started to rain outside, and Baywalk is open air except for the
portion in front of the theatre. There were at least 1-2 thousand people there.
The majority were of African American decent. The theatre and the outside area
had hundreds of them milling about with no where to go and no intention of
going anywhere. They were just congregating and conversing with each other.
They seemed to be going from theatre to theatre as well.
These girls now come back and continue their talking on the phones and to each
other. I turn around and "shhhhhhh" them. They get all up in arms
with their "jive lingo" start to threaten me personally with physical
violence. At this point I was getting quite upset. Also these girls were not
the only ones entering and leaving the theatre. There were a number of others
doing the same thing.
Eventually it was just one girl behind me and she was
gabbing away on her cell phone. I got up, walked to right in front of her and
said, “I’ve asked nicely, now will you please SHUT THE HELL UP!” Perhaps not
the best thing to do, because she got irate and was talking her “jive” talk to
her friends on the phone about what I had just done. When they got back she
continued to tell them and they were “threatening to kick my ass” and “beat the
shit out of me.” At this point, I turned my cell phone off of the auto lock
mode and had 911 dialed and my finger on the send button, ready to go for the
duration of the movie.
After that I went out to the lobby and asked to speak to
someone about the level of talking and immaturity going on in the theatre. I
spoke with a theater employee and a St. Petersburg Police officer. They both
walked into the theatre. I pointed out the three girls behind me, and they did absolutely
nothing at all.
I go and sit somewhere else in the theatre were the antics
are now being perpetrated by a number of African American’s now. Cell phones
ringing off the hook, conversations flying across the theatre, and general
chaos was breaking out in the theater. All at once about 7 people left the
theatre and I went out as well. It looked to be a group of people angry at the
actions going on in the theatre. It was. Eight or so of us all were complaining
to the nearest employee about what was going on in the theatre.
I told a supervisor what they need to do is stop the movie
and check the ticket stubs of everyone in the theatre. It had gotten that bad
that I don’t think a single honest paying customer of that movie would of
minded. They did nothing, they didn’t address the problem at all.
The problems carried on for the duration of the movie. I was
so far into it I didn’t want to leave, but nearly every second I wanted to just
leave the theatre and demand a refund.
When the wonderful movie finally ended, I went up the
customer service counter and started complaining to the manager. About 20-25
other people came up as well shortly after I was there and were complaining
about the problems in theatre 2, The Aviator. Someone even complained about a
different theatre were African American’s were smoking marijuana.
The problems experienced in the theatre were all perpetrated
by African Americans. The days of mass racism and Jim Crow laws are gone with
the days of yesteryear. Today as a society we live as equals where a African
American can be Secretary of Defense and be see as one of the strongest women
to ever be in the White House. American’s are one equal people now. Racism
doesn’t exist in mass forms like it did for our parents and grandparents. The
racism, fear, and despise that people hold for people of different heritages is
now brought upon them by their own actions. The Muslims were looked down upon
because of the actions of 9/11. Sure this isn’t accurate for all Muslims, but
people as a whole tend to stereotype based upon what they see. It is inevitability.
African American’s are feared because you see on the news of riots that they
start. I personally was quite upset and even scared of what was going to happen
to me simply because I was trying to enjoy a movie on one of the most sacred
days of the year, Christmas Day.
So the next time you see someone of your race, gender, origin,
etc doing something that can be looked upon negatively, politely ask them to
stop and reconsider their actions and remind them that actions speak a thousand
words. If they want equality for everyone they have to make sure that they aren’t
ruining that for their race.
