Thursday, August 20, 2015

Regal Cinemas Bethesda to begin searching bags of moviegoers

Regal Cinemas has responded to the latest movie theater shootings with a new bag check policy at its theaters nationwide. The cineplex giant operates the Regal Bethesda 10 in downtown Bethesda. Its new policy reads as follows:

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 theatres. 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 security check policy applies to bags, backpacks and packages, including purses.

Regal's corporate Facebook page is blowing up with customer backlash against the new policy, with many patrons feeling their 2nd and 4th Amendment rights are being violated. A few posters thanked the chain for ensuring their theaters would be gun-free zones.



Regal patrons weighed in on
both sides of the issue on
the chain's Facebook page
However, Regal's policy does not explicitly state which legal or illegal items would not be allowed to be brought into the theater. Nor does it specifically refer to firearms, even though it would seem obvious that weapons and explosives would be the primary intent of the policy.

Such a policy would not have prevented the infamous Aurora, Colorado theater mass shooting in 2012. In that incident, the shooter left the theater through the emergency exit. He then retrieved weapons and other materials from his car, and re-entered through that exit, which he had propped open enough to prevent it from locking.

That case made clear the security issues caused by a lack of ushers regularly patrolling theaters, as they once did not that many years ago. Had an usher simply ensured that door was closed on a routine walkthrough, and thereby locked to outside intruders, the shooter would have been foiled.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

People are only upset because their Mike & Ike's are going to be full price now.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Can one be arrested for shouting "Dyer" in a crowded theater?

Anonymous said...

Another, cheaper strategy is an alarm on the outer door that goes off if the door is open too long.

Anonymous said...

Dyer makes it sound like Regal "Bethesda" is the ONLY theater doing bag searches. Nilla please, it's the whole damn change. Stop being an F'n alarmist.

Anonymous said...

Now how am I going to smuggle in my pot belly sandwich!! Seriously.

Anonymous said...

How will this affect the people waiting for TripperBus, as pictured in this post?

Anonymous said...

@ 7:10 AM - Yes. It's shameful that Regal would use legitimate security concerns as a pretext for searching patrons for smuggling in candy bought at CVS for one-fifth the price of their concession stand.

Anonymous said...

I am 7:10 and never said it was shameful of regal. More shameful of me to sneak in. :)

Anonymous said...

Will iPic follow Regal's lead?

Anonymous said...

That Regal Bethesda is such a pit. Especially now with Landmark, ArcLight and iPic, why would you ever go there except to watch teenagers have sex during the film? Yuck.

Anonymous said...

I agree regal pales in comparison to iPic and Arclight, but it's walkable and cheaper.

Robert Dyer said...

6:52: It is the first and only theater in Bethesda doing bag searches. That's why this is called "news".

Steve D. said...

"Anonymous said...
@ 7:10 AM - Yes. It's shameful that Regal would use legitimate security concerns as a pretext for searching patrons for smuggling in candy bought at CVS for one-fifth the price of their concession stand.

8:24 AM"

"Legitimate"? Yeah, right. Just another excuse to violate 4th amendment rights.

I guess Regal doesn't want Bethesdans' business.

Anonymous said...

This is one of the worst theaters in the DMV. The place is old, smelly and a total dump! Love how they're building multi-million dollar condos a block away and this is the BEST of Bethesda. Just raze it and build a state-of-the-art Arc Light theater.