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This Movie Theater Sucks!
Last week I went to the Regal South Beach Cinema 18
expecting an enjoyable night out, but instead events
caused me to leave without seeing the movie. A
couple arrived just as the film was starting and the
woman asked if I could move over so that she and her
male companion could sit together. I moved as
requested, and immediately regretted it.
The
man sat next to me and his breath reeked of alcohol.
He took the woman’s hand, placed it between his
thighs and they started moving their hands. I don’t
know exactly what they were doing, but the
continuous motion prevented me from concentrating on
the movie.
Eventually I asked the man if they would stop moving
their hands, and they did for a while, but he then
put a hat on top of their hands. By now I’d lost
track of the film, and the smell of his breath was
unpleasant.
Also, there was a woman at the back of the theater
with a young baby, which was crying occasionally.
That was a minor irritation, but either someone
asked the woman to leave or she realized it was
annoying people, and she left. However, after a
while she returned. That was when I decided to
leave.
In
addition a woman in the same row was making a call
on her cell phone. I complained to the manager on
duty, who said he couldn’t discriminate (“Not even
against drunks and people with young babies?” I
asked) and suggested that maybe I’d like the whole
movie theater to myself.
Well, I can discriminate. Although I live
within walking distance of the Regal, and have been
a regular customer for years, I can choose to see a
film at another movie theater, or watch one on cable
television or hire a video. This way I won’t be
annoyed by drunks, crying babies, inconsiderate
people using their phone while other people are
trying to watch a film they have paid to see, or —
most important of all — insolent movie theater
managers.
M.
David Frost
Miami Beach
Answer Me, Mr. Molloy!
I
have just read the article by Lee Molly [Make Me the
President, “Episode 2: A Question of Race,” by Lee
Molloy, published Jan. 17]. I would like a written
answer by Mr. Molloy about his statement, “It looks
like a yarmulke may now be joining the cranial
attire,” speaking of Mayor Bloomberg. What does a
yarmulke have to do with Mayor Bloomberg thinking of
running for president? Mr. Malloy’s try at humor did
not work. Maybe he should try another career. Does
Mr. Malloy have a problem with someone wearing a
yarmulke running for president? Mayor Bloomberg does
not wear a yarmulke. If he does have such a problem
then he deserves Clinton.
Norman Grossman
Miami Beach
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Response from Lee Molloy:
What's up Norman? Wow, I'm impressed by your
ability to spell my name three different ways in
as many sentences — good job! So, now you have
four episodes of MMTP to read and I'm sure that
even you can see that I have made fun of every
candidate or potential candidate equally
throughout the race so far. And, to answer your
question directly, I couldn't care less if
Bloomberg wears a yarmulke, a fedora or a tiara
— if he runs for president he is fair game for
my column and I will continue to make fun of
him. The bottom line here, Norman, is that you
need to stop seeing anti-Semitic conspiracies,
or indeed columnists, around every corner and
relax. Anyway, my buddy Mel Gibson is on the
line and I have to take the call. Peace Out. |
Majority Rules
As
a high school government teacher in
Miami-Dade
County,
I read with interest your article regarding the
county Charter Review Task Force debates on
single-member districts. [Wakefield,
“Task Force TV,” published Jan. 24.] You inform that
the day the issue was debated, 11 members of the
task force voted to maintain the single-member
district system that was originally imposed by a
federal court as a result of a finding that
Miami-Dade County's election system violated the
Voting Rights Act. You also informed that there are
21 members on the task force.
How
could Mr. Mario Artecona state with a straight face
that the process wasn't fair, or was somehow
manipulated? The last time I checked, in our
democratic system of government, the majority rules.
Mr. Artecona needs to learn to count; 11 members
constituted a majority of the board.
Ray
Del Toro
Miami
Be Honest, Mr. Artecona
It
is obvious why Mario Artecona and the Miami Business
Forum want to go back to the days when commissioners
were elected at-large. [Wakefield, “Task Force TV,”
published Jan. 24.] The bigger the district that you
have to run in, the more money you need from special
interests to win the race, and the more beholden you
must be to groups like the Miami Business Forum. I
think Mr. Artecona had every right to express his
disagreement or disappointment with the task force’s
decisions, but he should not cloak himself in the
mantle of good government in doing so. He should be
honest about the fact that he represents a special
interest group that is nostalgic about the days when
their money could buy influence at County Hall.
Aimée Fraguela
Miami
Forget At-Large Elections
It’s obvious that the Miami Business Forum and its
mouthpiece, Mario Artecona, would love to see the
at-large system return to county government, where
politics are again dominated by the lily-white
Miami
business establishment. [Wakefield, “Task Force TV,”
published Jan. 24.] If it wasn’t for the
single-member district system that was imposed by a
federal court, we would still have only one token
Hispanic and one token African-American member on
the commission.
Luke Meadows
Miami
So, What’s Up, Mr. Sarnoff?
Commissioner Sarnoff:
Erik Bojnansky of the SunPost asks the
following question: “So why haven't commissioners
done anything about it?” [“Inside Man,” published
Jan. 24.] As you know, I have asked this question of
your office numerous times, but to date you and your
fellow commissioners have done nothing. Why is that?
Brent Cutler
Miami
Comments? E-mail
letters@miamisunpost.com. |
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