We may soon have to go through security checks at the movies
Next time you go to a movie, you could be in for a security check. Regal Entertainment Group, the largest movie-theater chain in the country, will begin checking bags at their theaters. The policy was added to their website recently, and signs have started popping up at locations. It’s a change designed to ensure the safety and comfort of both workers and movie-goers in the wake of theater shootings in recent years.
“Security issues have become a daily part of our lives in America. Regal Entertainment Group wants our customers and staff to feel comfortable and safe when visiting or working in our theaters,” the company posted on their website. “To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, backpacks and bags of any kind are subject to inspection prior to admission.
“We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope these are minor in comparison to increased safety.”
The decision comes on the heels of two movie theater attacks this year, just three years after the shocking attack in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. Last month a gunman killed two and injured others during a showing of Trainwreck in Lafayette, Louisiana. Earlier this month, a man wielding a hatchet and pepper spray attacked movie-goers.
Details are hazy with Regal’s new policy, although analysts don’t expect it to cause any big hiccups in box office sales. Indeed, in a recent survey, 50% of moviegoers said they would pay $1 more for movie tickets if that enabled enhanced security measures.
“Moviegoers have become so accustomed to having these types of security measures enacted in all kinds of public spaces, from theme parks to sports venues and rock concerts,” Rentrak (a company that monitors what movie-goers are watching) analyst Paul Dergarabedian told USA Today. “Regal has decided to make a concerted effort to show their patrons that they’re aware of security issues.”
We will wait to see if other theaters follow suit.
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