Arts: Pity for the Popcorn Pushers

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Brow Beat Pity for the Popcorn Pushers By Torie Bosch Posted Wednesday, Mar 07, 2012, at 04:19 PM ET I would like to raise a glass of butter-flavored popcorn topping to Joshua Thompson. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Michigan man has sued AMC theaters for overcharging on concessions: On Dec. 26, he paid $8 for a Coke and a package of Goobers chocolate-covered peanuts at the Livonia theater—nearly three times the $2.73 he paid for the same items at a nearby fast-food restaurant and drug store, the suit said. The suit accused AMC theaters of violating the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by charging grossly excessive prices for snacks. The suit seeks refunds for customers who were overcharged, a civil penalty against the theater chain and any other relief Judge Kathleen Macdonald might grant. I spent four of my teenage years, from 1999 to 2003, working at a five-screen movie theater outside of Philadelphia. There were many perks to such a gig: free movies, fun co-workers, long stretches of quiet time on after-school shifts during which I could do homework, plus all the popcorn I could eat—or haul home in an enormous yellow trash bag. And what teenage girl doesn't love a clip-on bowtie? (Oh right, all of them.) But all was not sweet at the concession stand. As anyone who has worked a service job knows, customers who think they are overpaying can be obnoxious—especially when they are right. People would order cavalierly, not even glancing at the menu, piling on candies and microwave hot dogs and popcorn and Icees and freezer-burned ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Weigel: Five Lessons From Super Tuesday Super Tuesday on TV: Why Does CNN Waste Its Money on Such Silly Graphics? Is Prostitution Really the World's Oldest Profession?	Advertisement
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