Entitled Slobs
YES! This is one of my pet peeves. I have ranted about this for years.
What's odd is that these people know how to act in other settings. If they get a slice at a pizza place, they take their paper plate to the trash can on the way out. It's as if movie theaters are some sort of different universe where normal rules of conduct don't apply. I often find myself apologizing to theater staff on my way out.
But I have not noticed this the last few times at SOPAC. A little trash, but not everywhere.
It's bad at Maplewood.
Maybe you're seeing more adult-oriented movies at SOPAC? I hardly ever go to SOPAC, so don't have much first-hand experience.
It was about 40 years ago at the Millburn Theater. After the trailers, an animated garbage can popped up on screen and the animated lid opened up.
"HI, I'm Herbie the garbage can. Don't throw your litter on the floor, throw it in here (Herbie's 'mouth' opened wide.)"
With that, several people stood up and threw candy and drinks at the screen.
I never saw Herbie again.
I would feel ashamed to cause others to have to stoop down and pick up my garbage off the floor. Blecccch!
Very bad form. Happens a lot though, unfortunately, even in our supposedly enlightened and environmentally conscious area.
Multiple times I've been shocked at the trash left behind at the top of Flood's Hill in South Orange after a winter day of sledding -- coffee cups, juice boxes, plastic parts of broken sleds, etc.
People can be -- as the title of this thread says -- entitled slobs.
Hate litter. Don't get me started on the garbage left at the bottom of Flood's Hill after the Memorial Day weekend soccer tournament.
The key word here is "entitled" Yes, there are entitled slobs but let's not forget those who are entitled snobs as well. They act as if they (and their children in many instances) should have special privileges bestowed upon them. Thoughtlessness, rude behavior, and arrogance are all too common these days.
FilmCarp said:
Today I took my son to a showing of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Millburn. We like to wait through the credits, and when the lights came up it looked like hell in there. Everyone got up and left and left all of their trash behind. Row after row of water bottles, popcorn boxes, papers, you name it. There were plenty of parents in the theatre. What lesson were they teaching their kids? Someone else will be along to clean up after you? There were no large unsupervised groups or anything like that.
If we can't take personal responsibility for our own trash this planet is flat out doomed.
Oay, YOU try to eat popcorn w/out spilling it. And I used to work in a theater. We were just like "them".
I remember back when I was a kid. We never used to spill our sodas, leaving a sticky mess on the floor, or throw jujubes at the screen, or just leave our wrappers wherever gravity deems they lie, or have popcorn fights, and not dispose of used ammo properly.
No, we were angels. Angelic little angelistas.
These kids today!!
(and get off my lawn!)
shanabana said:
FilmCarp said:
Today I took my son to a showing of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Millburn. We like to wait through the credits, and when the lights came up it looked like hell in there. Everyone got up and left and left all of their trash behind. Row after row of water bottles, popcorn boxes, papers, you name it. There were plenty of parents in the theatre. What lesson were they teaching their kids? Someone else will be along to clean up after you? There were no large unsupervised groups or anything like that.
If we can't take personal responsibility for our own trash this planet is flat out doomed.
Oay, YOU try to eat popcorn w/out spilling it. And I used to work in a theater. We were just like "them".
It's one thing to have some pieces of popcorn end up on the floor, but all of the cups, boxes, etc.? There's really no excuse for that.
drummerboy said:
I remember back when I was a kid. We never used to spill our sodas, leaving a sticky mess on the floor, or throw jujubes at the screen, or just leave our wrappers wherever gravity deems they lie, or have popcorn fights, and not dispose of used ammo properly.
And we all cackled only at the appropriate moments.
Really folks, you are okay with boxes, drinks, and lids being left everywhere? A spill is one thing, but just getting up and leaving your trash is BS.
My son and I went to see the second Spongebob movie a few years ago and we were the only 2 in the entire theater. Of course we accidentally spilled the popcorn. I got down and picked it all up. I figured they would know who left the mess....
As someone who used to work in a movie theater, cleaning up after an audience was simply part of the job description.
drummerboy said:
I remember back when I was a kid. We never used to spill our sodas, leaving a sticky mess on the floor, or throw jujubes at the screen, or just leave our wrappers wherever gravity deems they lie, or have popcorn fights, and not dispose of used ammo properly.
No, we were angels. Angelic little angelistas.
These kids today!!
(and get off my lawn!)
No one used to laugh out loud either.
Societal mores have changed. Thankfully for the better, in this regard.
I grew up down the shore and one summer circa 1990 I worked on the beach crew, cleaning up the beach every morning at the crack of dawn. We would pick up cups, wrappers, soda cans, diapers, cigarette butts, etc etc. ad nauseam. Sometimes on the morning after a busy weekend day you could hardly see the sand -- a 'cup garden" was how we referred to it.
It was not unacceptable to just leave your trash on the sand.
Now, I'm sure there are still uncouth slobs here and there, but people walk their trash to the trash cans.
ridski said:
As someone who used to work in a movie theater, cleaning up after an audience was simply part of the job description.
Add my wife to the list too... she leaves garbage all over the house. 
Finding a discarded grocery list in a cart is a highlight of any shopping trip.
j_r said:
Finding a discarded grocery list in a cart is a highlight of any shopping trip.
http://www.grocerylists.org/po...
I always leave mine behind in the wagon for archivists and AJ Weberman-type stalkers.
It's also people's attitudes to public streets and the properties on them. We live on Park Road, and are always a designated parking street for the 4th of July activities, Maplewoodstock, and other events in Memorial Park. Cannot begin to tell you how many times over the past 30+ years we've found food wrappers, bottles, cups with straws, dirty diapers, discarded food and the like scattered on the grass next to the sidewalk or stuck into our bushes. Who do these people think is cleaning up after them? Certainly not the town....it's the homeowners who have to come out after every one of these events and clean up. It is very annoying. I can understand an occasional food wrapper, but a used dirty diaper? Come on now! (I do have to add that the Maplewoodstock crowd this year was very considerate and didn't leave this sort of stuff behind...the 4th of July crowd did.)
When I saw the title of this thread, I assumed it was about the Trumps.
Not for the squeamish, but I saw a used tampon in Essex Green ShopRite parking lot last week. 
j_r said:
Finding a discarded grocery list in a cart is a highlight of any shopping trip.
http://www.grocerylists.org/po...
We live by the high school, where trash/garbage are routinely deposited on the street, sidewalks and yards. Very disgusting.
Marylago, I can top that! I learned something from a "Girl Scout" that I never learned in The Boy Scouts...
A Tampon, covered in Vaseline is the best fire starter ever...
Useless info unless lost in the forest with tampons and Vaseline...
Best Regards,
Ron Carter
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Today I took my son to a showing of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Millburn. We like to wait through the credits, and when the lights came up it looked like hell in there. Everyone got up and left and left all of their trash behind. Row after row of water bottles, popcorn boxes, papers, you name it. There were plenty of parents in the theatre. What lesson were they teaching their kids? Someone else will be along to clean up after you? There were no large unsupervised groups or anything like that.
If we can't take personal responsibility for our own trash this planet is flat out doomed.