Why do people leave their trash strewn about when they leave the movie theater?

Question

I've never understood this. And it's not just slobs who are doing it. MANY people just don't pick up their trash as they exit. I usually leave after the credits have rolled and the lights have gone on, and you should see the incredible mess! It's as if it has become acceptable behavior ... it's okay to do it because the staff is there to clean it up. This same thing happens on school campuses. I am a high school teacher, and you should see the mess after lunch. I've even asked students I see leaving trash behind: "Would you do that at home?" They look sheepishly at me and say no, and then pick up their trash and throw it away. Anyway ... thanks for letting me share my pet peeve.

Answer 1

It's dark in the theater so they can be anonymous slobs.

Answer 2

The staff is not there to explicitly pick up trash that others leave behind. My first job (23 years ago) was in a movie theater and I had more than enough things to do besides cleaning up after people. We actually had a cleaning crew come in at the end of the night. The whole "somebody else will clean it up" mentality is why trash abounds!!! My pet peeve is having someone throw a lit cigarette in the path of my car. What is up with that?!?!

Answer 3

I took my sons to the movies about 2 weeks ago, they are 9 and 6. We got our popcorn, candy and pop. We watched the movie, and when it was over the boys picked up there stuff and I picked up mine. We were walking out and someone actually had their popcorn bucket in their hands walking up the isle and he turned and set it on the floor, my 6 year old stopped and said "why didn't that man (about 40yrs old) take that and throw it away?" My son said I will throw it away for him. So to answer your question, I think people feel its someones job to clean up after them and they think, well someones getting paid to pick it up. I know my kids are being taught to respect places they go and pick up your stuff. They don't get a night snack before bed time if they don't have toys picked up. Its my pet peeve too!!!!

Answer 4

I don't really understand it either, but I suppose that people know that the movie theater employees will pick it up. I always throw my own trash away.

Answer 5

maybe because people are just too lazy to, and even though the trash cans are RIGHT there. I guess they dont realiza that their slobbishness is just causing someone else more work; I agree with you. if everyone picked up their mess, it would be easier for everyone.

Answer 6

I know. I always grab everything I brought in with me, to throw it away.
I understand that there are people who are paid to clean the theatres between showings, but I know they aren't paid enough for people to give them extra work to do.
They understand a few dropped popcorn bits, or a few candies.

Answer 7

They are too lazy to keep their things with them until the end of the movie. The hour and a half-two hours+ movie is too long to keep track of any food or drink they had. They figuare that they don't have to clean it up why not put it where ever.

Answer 8

Because people are nasty and lazy. They think that the people that work at the theaters are getting paid to clean up after their nasty a s s e s.

Their mothers obviously didn't raise them well enough. It's disgraceful.

Answer 9

A phenomenon called tragedy of the commons. If it belongs to everybody, then nobody sees why THEY should keep it clean. So, essentially, people suck like that.

Answer 10

I think they do that because they know theater personnel will clean it up or they may have forgotten about the trash.