#1
Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:31pm
Is there any recourse audience members can take for an usher who was legitimately being rude to them? I did a search of the archives and found a lot of evil usher stories, but no discussion of what to do.
Before you think I’m needlessly complaining, allow me to explain.
Tonight at High my friend turned off her cell phone after the pre-show announcement. Like many phones, hers takes as long as 30 seconds for the screen to actually go dark while it still says Powering Off.
The second the lights started to go down, the usher came up to us and told her she had to turn it off. My friend explained that she was and showed it to her. The usher then slapped it out of her hand. Hard. The phone dropped to the floor under the seat of the woman in front of us.
Then as Kathleen Turner began her first monologue to the audience the usher yelled at my friend to find the phone. She got right up in our face. No less than a foot away. I said, “Excuse me,” and moved my head to the side to try and watch the show. Then she threatened me, saying “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. I’m getting security to come here and throw you two out of here.” The second scene had already started by the time the debacle was over.
Security never materialized, but the usher reappeared again to scold us on our bad behavior during the intermission. She claimed she saw the phone on the floor and was worried someone would step on it, an excuse that makes no sense when she clearly slapped it out of my friend’s hand.
She was watching us like a hawk the entire intermission. As the show ended, we wanted to get as far away from her (and the theater showing the not so great play, if I’m being honest) as possible.
I understand that many ushers are grouchy from having to deal with mean audience members, but slapping and threatening patrons is clearly crossing a line.
Should I have talked to the house manager? Should I send a letter somewhere? Or should I just grit my teeth?
Before you think I’m needlessly complaining, allow me to explain.
Tonight at High my friend turned off her cell phone after the pre-show announcement. Like many phones, hers takes as long as 30 seconds for the screen to actually go dark while it still says Powering Off.
The second the lights started to go down, the usher came up to us and told her she had to turn it off. My friend explained that she was and showed it to her. The usher then slapped it out of her hand. Hard. The phone dropped to the floor under the seat of the woman in front of us.
Then as Kathleen Turner began her first monologue to the audience the usher yelled at my friend to find the phone. She got right up in our face. No less than a foot away. I said, “Excuse me,” and moved my head to the side to try and watch the show. Then she threatened me, saying “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. I’m getting security to come here and throw you two out of here.” The second scene had already started by the time the debacle was over.
Security never materialized, but the usher reappeared again to scold us on our bad behavior during the intermission. She claimed she saw the phone on the floor and was worried someone would step on it, an excuse that makes no sense when she clearly slapped it out of my friend’s hand.
She was watching us like a hawk the entire intermission. As the show ended, we wanted to get as far away from her (and the theater showing the not so great play, if I’m being honest) as possible.
I understand that many ushers are grouchy from having to deal with mean audience members, but slapping and threatening patrons is clearly crossing a line.
Should I have talked to the house manager? Should I send a letter somewhere? Or should I just grit my teeth?
