By Gus Saltonstall
Upper West Sider Jacqueline Tobin is an avid moviegoer. She goes to the AMC Lincoln Square theater, on Broadway between West 67th and 68th streets, as often as once or twice a week, usually by herself, and usually during off-hours.
This was the case on June 2, when she arrived midday at the Upper West Side theater excited to watch “The Karate Kid.” But then, something all too familiar happened, according to Tobin.
The previews ended. The lights went down. And five minutes into the movie, a man wearing a hat and a large backpack quickly entered the theater and sat directly next to Tobin, she said.
“My entire row was empty and there were probably only 10 people in the entire theater,” Tobin told West Side Rag over the phone.
Feeling uneasy, Tobin immediately got up and moved one row behind her to a different seat. Seconds later, the man walked out of the theater as quickly as he had entered, according to Tobin.
Tobin did not hesitate in her action to move that day because it was not the first time something similar had happened, she said. In fact, Tobin said it was at least the fifth time in the past year and a half that she has had a run-in with the same man in the Upper West Side theater, always wearing a hat or a hoodie, a large backpack, and often a big jacket.
“That day was a good example of his usual MO,” Tobin told the Rag. “Five minutes into the film, always after the previews and full house lights down, a man comes in really fast, swooshes past me and sits right next to me, despite the abundance of empty seats. He never checks the seat numbers, never hesitates, and never speaks.”
“Every time, I immediately move to the row behind my purchased seat and every time, he gets up right after that and leaves, fast,” she added. “It’s unsettling and clearly intentional. The vibe is creepy. I hate to be so direct. I don’t know if he’s there to touch me, rob me, or stab me, but it’s pervy.”
Tobin added that she wished she had made more of an effort to report the repeat experiences.
“I am embarrassed to say I only tried reporting it a couple of times because when it happens, I move and stay to watch the rest of the movie,” Tobin said. “When I did manage to tell someone who worked there on two occasions in the past, I was just told they would keep an eye out.”
But while she did not inform the theater that day, Tobin did post in the Upper West Side Together Facebook group on June 2, describing her multiple experiences at AMC Lincoln Square.
To her surprise, other women in the 24,000-member group immediately began chiming in with similar stories. Six women on the Facebook post commented that they had gone through, or witnessed, something akin to Tobin’s experience in recent years at the AMC theater. And the same description kept repeating: The lights go down in a nearly empty theater, and five to 15 minutes into the film, a man with a hat and backpack rushes in and sits directly next to a single woman. If he’s confronted in any way, he immediately leaves the theater.
One of those who commented in response to Tobin’s Facebook post is Upper West Sider Mindy Katon.
“I went to select a seat and I saw that it was a very empty movie on a Saturday afternoon, so I chose a row all the way off to the side with just three seats, and I chose the one plop in the middle, thinking who in their right mind would choose a seat next to me,” Katon told the Rag over the phone, describing an early June visit to the AMC theater. “So, I’m in my tiny little row all the way off to the side, and I’m by myself, and the previews end and the movie has started, around 15 minutes in and I’m paying attention, and out of nowhere, some guy is suddenly inching his way into my row.”
Startled, Katon immediately made a remark to the man and he “ran straight out of the theater,” without ever sitting down. He was wearing a hat and had a large backpack.
“I thought not much of it and even felt bad after the fact until I saw that Facebook post,” Katon said. “I really dodged a bullet, I don’t know what this person would have done sitting next to me.”
Moviegoer Ally Seracki described watching a similar scene when she and a friend went to the movies at AMC Lincoln Center in January.
“This guy came in around 20 minutes into the movie and came into our aisle and sat next to this girl who was alone,” Seracki told the Rag, adding that the man wore a hoodie and a large backpack. “She looked at me and I grabbed my friend’s hand because it was clear something felt off. And then after 15 minutes he got up, jumped over the seat, and left the theater. I whispered to her and asked her if she knew who that was, and she said she had no idea.”
Other women shared similar experiences on the Facebook post.
The Rag reached out to AMC Theaters, noting that multiple women had described similar experiences at the Upper West Side location.
“The safety of our guests and associates is our top priority. In rare cases where guests or crew members feel threatened, on-site security and local police may be engaged,” a spokesperson from AMC told the Rag in an email. “We have conducted a thorough review of theatre reports, guest contacts, and discussions with theater staff and security. The information gathered from that review does not support the claim made in your email about a repeated trend or occurrences at this location.”
It’s not clear how many women have reported to the theater about encounters with the man. Tobin said she reported twice, but “The last few times I came out of the theater, there was an employee or two mopping the floors or working at the popcorn station so I didn’t stick around to find a manager.”
Others said reporting this type of behavior to a larger authority was difficult.
“Look, I can understand that if we called the police and said somebody tried to sit down next to me they’d laugh and hang up, and maybe so would a theater manager,” Katon told the Rag, who did not report her experience with the man to the theater. “They’d ask if someone was assaulted or if someone was saying suggestive things, but no, somebody just tried to sit next to me.”
The AMC spokesman said: “If the moviegoers you’ve spoken to have not yet contacted us directly to share their experiences, we highly encourage them to do so. And we strongly encourage any moviegoer who feels uncomfortable because of another guest’s actions to speak with a member of our staff immediately so it can be investigated. We take these issues very seriously, and we do not hesitate to involve local law-enforcement, to formally ban individuals from the theater, and to press charges to the fullest extent when appropriate.”
Meanwhile, Tobin and other women wait to see if the man continues to appear in AMC theaters.
“Has he done something to me? No. But I don’t stick around. I always move,” Tobin said. “I’m old. I can take care of myself, but this is my personal space, why does he get to come in and ruin my movie experience? But my big issue is, how is he getting into the theater?”
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I haven’t been to a movie theater in 8 years and will likely never go again. Is some distracted ticket-checking employee still the only barrier to entering a theater?
This creep clearly needs to be investigated and at least interviewed by police.
This is a fairly low-danger opportunity for a strong women’s group to take action against a proven male predator. There are a lot of good ideas in the comments. Talk to the precinct and find out how you can gather effective evidence to help police arrest him. Ask your local government officials what actions you can take to make this stop. (Start with Assemblymember Linda B Rosenthal – she’s great about local issues). Set a precedent for putting public predators in their place.
This kind of stupid sh*t has been happening for a long time. As a 70s teenager, I often had to switch seats multiple times when I went to see vintage films at the Regency theater, staying one step ahead of the perverts sitting too close and rubbing themselves.
Ever since the AMC 2010 and 2015 bedbug scare I haven’t gone to a movie theater in years. I used to go weekly.
Other than a ticket checking employee what kind of barrier to entry would you like?
Barbed wire and howitzer emplacements.
A singular security guard milling around the lobby for 2 days would have probably noticed a weirdo who comes to the theater every day with the same big backpack and leaves 10 minutes into the movie.
And would have been a useful outlet for people to notify someone, in the general absence of a manager in sight, as noted by victims below.
They do have security guards at this AMC discussed and many others
is it possible that he might not be leaving the premises altogether, but moving into a different theater? creepy as heck.
Yess, that’s what I think.
Armed guards, preferably in costume for whatever action movie is playing that week.
Used to be such a great place, would go often but my last time was in 2015 when I went to see Fury Road. Already I was noticing a certain element was ruining it for those of us who don’t talk or use cell phones during a screening, can’t imagine what it’s like now. I have a 60″ TV and it’s much more comfortable nowadays at home. Stuff like this is why the movie-going experience is in its last throes.
When that theatre complex opened, Sony ran it, and there was an agent at every theatre’s entrance, not just someone taking tickets at a general entrance.
This experience does sound creepy for sure and is probably another reason why many now choose to see movies in the privacy of their own space. Glad she had a way to validate her experience but…..one would expect a member of a group called Upper West Side Together would be less rattled and more accepting of the vibrant diversity of those who participate in our shared community opportunities. There is no law against sitting next to someone in a movie theater, wearing a hoodie, or carrying a very large backpack. Maybe this guy doesn’t enjoy trailers and is in a rush? It seems a bit elitist to me to ask how he got in. Perhaps he purchased a ticket like everyone else?
I was a member of this group years ago but after being admonished and censored a few times for statements I made regarding feeling uncomfortable around certain situations I decided to leave it. The hypocrisy here is palpable. But do appreciate the heads up should I decide to see a movie. One never really knows who might select a seat next to you. At least it wasn’t one of those recliners on 84th street!
Ida – do you genuinely not think there is anything disturbing about someone who does this? He hasn’t caused harm, but he has behaved in a way that suggests he is more likely to than the average person. When women have to be on the alert for men who are going to take action against them (and given the experiences I’ve had and others in my acquaintance have had, assuming we are representative), and given the difficulty in getting help until the harm is severe, we do, this kind of behavior – not recognizing common social norms – is enough to set people on edge. Hopefully not enough to lead people to do the man harm, but he really should stop when it becomes clear that it is upsetting people (even if he thinks they’re the weird ones), and he hasn’t.
I completely agree with you. There used to be a time in the city when women and men could report these kinds of anti social behaviors and something would get done, Ir wasn’t tolerated or excused due to politics around mental health or insufficient solutions there. I too have had my situations. Once on a public bus. I went up and told the driver. He asked me what I expected him to do about it. I said to make him leave the bus or call the police. He laughed at me.
There were plenty of other seats. No, this is not DI-versity; it’s PER-versity. If that guy cannot get a date, let’s call his illness that, he avails himself of a brief, disturbing opportunity. It is an invasion, a very “low-level” type of attack.
Would his bizarre behavior stop if enough women confronted him aloud, yelling and pointing in the theater to alert other women, taking his picture? Would his obsession turn elsewhere, into worse physical attacks on women. Would he go to other theaters? (Maybe he DOES.)
It would be good if a theater employee keeps an eye on afternoon audiences for a while.
And furthermore, how is this hypocrisy?!
Vibrant diversity?? You’re equating this strange ( I’m being polite) person as an example of “diversity?” This man has been repeatedly behaving in this manner toward women who are alone in the theater. No, there is no law against sitting next to someone in a theater, wearing a backpack or a hoodie. There IS something terribly wrong if said person exhibits this behavior(which would at least cause alarm to any sane person) toward strange women in the dark over and over and over again.Coming to just see the trailers?? In a rush?? And buying a ticket just to do what he continually does? Hello? Wake up and if he sits next to you, run. Perhaps someone can snap a cell phone photo of him to show the management?
Whatever. Not going back to AMC. It’s too bad–mid day mid week are the least crowded times, which I used to love.
Elitist? Really?! Let me guess who you voted for…
This guy never watches the movie, ever… in fact last time he just kept staring at me as he sat practically on top of me before I moved. And my whole row was empty AND it’s reserved seating but he never looks at the seat number as he is he’s barreling into the empty seat. He never stays and instead goes from movie to movie within the larger theater looking for single women. I’ve witnessed it. . How is that even possible? if I tried to go into one of the other theaters for a movie I didn’t pay for it I’d be booted immediately.
One time a ticket taker there let a similar looking guy in who said he worked there yet he had no ticket and no ID and he was let in anyway after the ticket taker told him she didn’t recognize him from the recent team meeting. And I’ve never stuck around to see what he was going do to me, but he’s done things to other women there and that’s a fact. A few women’s legs were touched and another’s bag was taken and several others were made to feel very uncomfortable in an empty theater, including me.
Again, No reason for a guy to swoop in after the lights go down and sit next to a woman who’s sitting alone when the whole rest of the theater is empty and then bolt the minute she moves or says something. He’s not there to see the movie. And it’s always after the previews that he always comes barreling in. Hopefully it never happens to you.
Thank goodness for the 2nd amendment.
I think you might be responding to a different article?
You clearly have not been to an AMC Theater in many years or you would understand exactly why this is unsettling behavior, and has nothing to do with “profiling.”
AMC seats are numbered. At the time of PURCHASE, an individual selects exactly where the seat is located. It is NOT random when they enter the theater, like things were 10 years ago.
People without nefarious intentions don’t typically pick a seat next to a stranger, if they can help it.
What wasn’t stated in the article, but was online when this was posted in the group, is that most of these women were attending screenings at off hours or during the day, when the theater is near empty. It is rather peculiar under those circumstances to have a stranger sit next to another when they could have purchased a seat nearly anywhere else in the theater. What was mentioned, is that the guy never even looked at the row letter or seat number. He just sat next to the woman.
What makes you think people always sit in their chosen seat, particularly when the theater is nearly empty? I’ve changed seats in such situations if I want a better view, but NEVER next to someone sitting alone. And I’m a woman!
The entire point is that this creep sits next to women in empty theaters. Not that he doesn’t sit in his purchased seat.
What point were you trying to make?
I selected a seat (online) in a small side row consisting of 3 seats, I chose the one in the middle so no one would take the single ones on either side. The theater was empty. He shows up ( not in a hoodie but a baseball cap ) just when the feature film was starting ,and tried to lodge himself into this tiny row in the nearly empty theatre
Maybe a few woman should sit together. It would feel safer.
There is no law against sitting next to someone but there are rules. When you buy a ticket you select a seat, say D5. Most people on a random afternoon will spread out and not sit next to others. I doubt this man was.buying D4 in the hopes that the person in D5 was a woman. It seems more likely he isn’t going to his assigned seat but chooses to sit next to a woman thus breaking the rules.
SEVERAL rules!
LOL found another socialist! Screw peoples safety! Yes, avoid natural instincts when someone does something totally socially off….let me guess, you voted for Mamdani?
I voted for Mamdani – I would deck this guy if he touched me – does that make me a socialist?
If the UWS had a Shomrim like Flatbush or Boro Park, someone from Shomrim will be there even if the NYPD cannot just to straighten things out.
Why hasn’t anyone done this yet or said “get away creep” and had someone intervene?
Nope – just tired of the pearl clutching hypocrisy of many neighbors I lived through the Lucerne. All the name calling and accusations because I stared that I was not willing to accept this behavior in my neighborhood. Glad to get this reaction. Gives Ida hope that UWS residents have reached their limit. Funny how Open Hearts have seemed to disappear. No kore sleepovers and Narcan classes at homeless shelters so we can teach our kids to be good humans. Brava!!
The Lucerne situation was not quite the same, nor is stopping drug addicts from dying of overdoses. But then, you know that.
Thank you for admitting your comment had nothing to do with this article in the first place. Gross that your petty grievances are taken out on what is clearly stalking and harassment of women at best. This is one of the most useful reports I have ever seen, and I will be vigilant and even proactive about it.
Ida, do you wear a hoodie and carry a large backpack??
If you miss the beginning of the move, and miss the end of the movie, and only watch 15 minutes of the movie, one is not in the theatre for the movie. Surely, this is some sort of a joke?
The staff is clearly aware of this guy, there is no way they aren’t aware of what he is doing. AMC’s response is B.S.
Andy Kaufman risen from the grave? That or simply a very messed-up person.
LOL! I’m laughing, but not WITH you.
The vibrant diversity of those who participate in our shared community opportunities? Are you for real? Do you want me to tell you what that guy did for the 15 minutes he spent sitting next to that girl before he left?
“vibrant diversity”?? you cannot be serious.
Your post is frankly more disturbing than this creep’s behavior – on so many levels.
Are you joking? If this guy is in a rush, he wouldn’t keep sitting next to single women in mostly empty theaters where there are many other seats closer to the entrance. You are dismissing the experience of many people who report the same pattern, and calling them/insinuating they are “elitist” is again dismissive.
Well said! It’s completely condescending and quite frankly alarming that this woman would say that, especially about another woman who’s had the experience happen several times and while she didn’t get touched or groped or robbed it was only because she was smart enough to leave instantly. So much for spending $25 on a movie ticket and then having to watch it with some creepy guy sitting next to you when the rest of the theater is completely empty . Trust me, he’s not there to see the movie Ida.
Fyi I don’t wear pearls!
I was “ clutching my pearls” the entire time. Forget about my safety , imagine if he stole my pearls !
Typical canned, apathetic corporate response. They won’t do anything until someone is actually assaulted. Pack your mace and daggers, ladies. And have them handy. Nobody is looking out for you except you.
Dino – you took the words right out of my mouth…
Can you name a law that this individual is breaking?
Entering theaters he has not bought a ticket for. Harassment.
How about loitering with intent?
It’s true there might not be a law being broken (and in any case, the law, especially in this day an age, seems either useless, or really not designed to protect us but to use after the fact and in litigation), but this guy (who is obviously disturbed) is breaking the already thin moral and social codes that needs to maintain in order to live peaceably in a crowded city. Even as man of intimidating build, I would be creeped out if someone sat next to me in an almost empty theatre with assigned seating. That’s just wrong.
Imagine that when you use the urinal in bank of 10 urinals, all empty, and you’re the only one there. A guy swoops in and uses the one right next to yours. And the next time you’re there, the same thing happens. Yes, you are free to choose any open urinal, but to choose one right next to someone else, then there are multiple others that are free, well, that’s a pretty clear and deliberate violation of the social contract.
This is not an example of no-harm-no-foul: he is clearly harming the feeling of safety of the women he’s targeting. Harassment, mental bullying, intimidation… these are real, and don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.
unless the person buys a ticket for a seat that is next to another movie goer. the box office would sell it without prejudice, i assume, and then what?
Picture this happening in a bar, where a strangely behaving guy sits next to a woman sitting by herself, with many other seats available. Is he there to hit on her? Maybe. But if he’s acting odd or dressed strangely, wouldn’t a responsible bartender look out for the woman? Maybe ask the guy a few questions, move her to another seat, or loudly proclaim that her date would be right back?? One would hope so.
A lot of women and men go into bars to meet members of the opposite sex. This is not true of movie theaters.
“Can you name a law” that a middle-aged man is breaking when he sits close to a little girl on a park bench and offers her candy to go look for his lost dog? And yet we who experienced this growing up know what happens next – I would venture a guess that MOST women have had this experience, or one close to it, growing up. We have creep radar because we HAVE to. If these women hadn’t moved their seats, or said something to this guy, he would certainly have made some kind of disturbing advance on them, even without touching them. Ladies: how many times have guys like this sat next to you on the subway?? Men: listen to the women in your lives! Jay – I hope you don’t have a wife or daughter or a sister, because it’s clear you don’t have a clue what they face every day.
1. Menacing. 2.Public lewdness.
Of course, a man would not think this is weird. You don’t think it’s creepy as heck when a strange man sits beside a woman in an empty movie theater?
A favorite recent song that deals with this precise sad state of things: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJc0_-QvJtU
Thanks for the great reporting. Hope this perp is made to feel uncomfortable.
This happened to me also several years ago. There were plenty of empty seats and this man came in after the movie started and sat down right next to me. I felt uncomfortable and moved to a seat further back and noticed that he left a short while after. I didn’t think much of it until this article.
Same thing happened to me too. And during the Me Too movie “Bombshell” of all things.
This happened to me at this theater, Unfortunately I didn’t move and he put his hand in my lap half way through the movie. I was too afraid to make a scene but he left quickly after I pulled his hand away. I feel shame at not having done more for myself and now for others.
I’m really sorry this happened to you 🙁
You did well; escaped a very disturbing attack. possibly “frozen with fear.” Most women experience these hindsights and regrets that haunt us.
In women’s self-defense, we instructors (all women) repeat, “You DID NOT ASK to be attacked, regardless of your wardrobe, state of awareness, or whether or not you are by yourself. This is not your fault or responsibility.”
The second, more difficult principle for us to get is: “Whatever you decided to do, whatever you did AT THAT TIME to survive the attack, was THE RIGHT THING. We are taught as women to second-guess and self-recriminate for the rest of our lives. You did what you did, from deciding to walk (or run) away, using ‘laser-eyes,’ your voice, strong physical techniques, or mental resistance if you couldn’t leave; you did what you needed to do to survive and escape.”
Unfortunately, we also need to teach these principles beginning with girls.
The shame isn’t yours, Mary. It is his, with the intention to pass it on to you. Don’t take on what is not yours. We should speak up, stand up for each other, and use our intuition best we can. And, if we are paralyzed with fear or disgust or confusion, it is a reaction born of many centuries of learning how to survive. Society at large has a lot to do to make sure women are safe AND that those who prey on them are held accountable. Not the woman questioned about what she could’a/would’a/should’a done differently.
The same thing happened to me over 20 years ago at the Lincoln Square AMC. To this day, I wish I had chased him out of theater but I was so shocked, I just sat there after he left. You are definitely not alone.
Don’t be ashamed ! I got rid of him , continued to watch the movie and said nothing until I saw the post on social media later
Oh My Gosh Mary you don’t need to feel any shame at all. I’m so sorry that happened to you. And for the few who are asking, what law is he breaking by sitting next to you, my response is this: Most of us are quick enough to get up and move and if we hadn’t, he might have also put his hand in our laps or more. Once I actually saw him rubbing himself and I jumped up and left. yuck
And I would have probably froze as well back in the day. . So sorry Mary!
More than yuck, that’s a crime. For all those asking about the law as if they would not have the exact same reaction as everyone who has experienced this, there’s your answer. Women aren’t waiting for it to happen in most cases. And no man would be fine with this if it happened to them either so don’t even try.
Please don’t feel shame! These situations are scary and there is no right or wrong way to react. I am sorry this happened to you and hope this article brings some attention to this issue
NEVER feel shame. NEVER.
That spokesperson needs a lesson in spokespersoning.
I had an odd experience at the same theater a few years ago. An ‘older’ man with a cane came in after the movie had started and he had trouble navigating his way in the dark. He stumbled in the row in front of me and sat down, then went across the aisle to try another seat and sat down and got up, so I finally helped him to the row directly behind me where most of the seats were empty. Then I felt him stand up again suddenly and he left the theater. It wasn’t until the movie was over that I realized my purse was open and my wallet was gone (my phone is always in my pocket). Chances are he wasn’t that old and probably didn’t need the cane. I’ve always wondered if he grabbed more than one wallet during those moves to the 3 different seats. I reported it but it was pointless.
This also happened to me years ago, in a theatre downtown – I was wearing shorts and sure enough the guy started touching my leg. I told my husband we had to leave immediately and then he screamed at the guy, who ran out quickly. And I never saw Breathless, and now I never want to.
Truly creepy and infuriating. It is hard to be a woman alone sometimes, because of incidents such as this.
Mashers! Used to be a very common occurrence with movie theaters in NYC. I don’t know what is it like now. We were taught not to be afraid to move away and/or talk to a theater staff member.
I was in a movie theater that had stadium seating. Each row back was a step up. When the movie was over, I did not have my wallet. I looked under the seat and under the adjacent seats and could not find it. A teenage couple was several rows behind and was watching. I told them what had happened and they told me that that was terrible. I was ready to give up when I looked at the row in front of me. I found it. It had somehow fallen out of my pocket and I had kicked it forward and it fell down the step into the row in front of me. The couple congratulated me on finding my wallet. As I left, I heard the girl say to the boy, “I never have any luck” .
There are only two things the guy wants: One is to sexually arouse himself; and/or two, to steal your belongings. The Precinct should be on this if you show them this article. If this had happened back in the 1990s, the Commanding Officer would have set up a sting. Sadly, he retired many years ago. He passed away this Friday upstate. This story reminds me of the great times we used to have conducting stings to catch troublemakers — whether they were thieves, vendors, or reckless bike riders, we always had fun taking care of the quality of life issues in the hood. Those were the days!
So you had fun breaking the chops of people who mean no harm?
I’m all for staking out this theater, easy enough then alert the staff immediately.
I plan to do a “sting” operation next time i go. My male friend said he would come with me and sit a bit apart from me or in a different row and then if this guy shows up and sits next to me, I will attempt to take his photo, follow him out and also report it. Because again, it is CLEAR this is not someone who is there to watch the movie. One time he just kept staring at me before I moved. He never looked at the movie screen! Am I supposed to wait for him to touch me or worse so we can call it something he shouldn’t be doing, possibly even a crime?. And my larger issue is, I don’t think he has a ticket. And if he does, it doesn’t entitle him to bop from movie to movie to movie all day long. I think he’s living in the building! I saw a guy get in with no ticket or ID and then disappear into the back staircase. I told a worker but nothing happened.
Why doesn’t he go do this at the Fair Theater in East Elmhurst, Queens? At least if it is arousal, his advances would be welcome! You can pay $15 and spend all day long in the theater and they have free refreshments also. Easily accessible by taking the E, F, M, R, 7 trains to 74th Street Roosevelt Avenue and taking the frequent Q49 bus
lol. Thanks for those very thorough instructions; sounds as though you’ve been there before, can you tell us of your experience? How are those “refreshments”?
I miss Paragon…..good old days
One last thing — a few years ago, a construction crew was demolishing an old movie theatre in midtown. They found literally HUNDREDS of empty wallets in the walls and crevices of the building. Seems like theatres are quite an old pickpocketing location. People come in to steal, but take the contents and leave the wallets. (Take the cannoli, leave the gun!)
This happened to me there a few weeks ago at a daytime screening of Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.
There were only about 5 people in the audience so many seats available.
A man came in after the movie started and sat one seat away,
Definitely was spooked.
I moved.
He left after about 10 minutes
Tricky. He’s up to no good but you really can’t call the police on somebody for sitting next to you.
A reason to take an aisle seat.
Back in the 60s there was a guy who’d prowl movie screenings at MOMA and sit next to a girl who was there on her own — me more than once (with a membership you could see movies every day with no extra charge!) — and would slither his hand onto your seat until it was under your thigh.
I never thought of telling anybody about him, I’d just move or leave.
I always sit on the aisle, always. But it’s happened to me several times by same guy. Ugh.
I’m a male and I’ve had this happen to me before. The theater was empty, except for me. Five min
Idea – since this guy’s MO is so clear and often repeated…
Why not bring a powerful flashlight to the theater and the next time it happens – shine it right in his eyes (to blind him) so you can run for help or try to take a photo. Alternatively, along with the flashlight, bring a loud whistle to blow when it happens again.
Meanwhile, it would be helpful to better describe his”giant” hat .
That is SO SMART-shining a flashlight in his eyes. You could do it with your cell phone.
It wasn’t a giant hat, it was a giant backpack. Blue cap, blue giant backpack, blue jacket. At least he’s color coordinated.
i wonder if he’s a paying customer of the theatre. seems like an expensive hobby.
With a monthly pass (~$26), each additional visit is essentially free.
Someone needs to get a picture of this creep! And if it happens to you, report it to the management, so they can’t claim they didn’t know when he finally gets caught.
Take his picture, scream real loud and post the picture all over social media.
That theater is woefully understaffed and I can understand how challenging it would be to find anyone, much less a manager, to report the issue to. Hopefully this “publicity” will help to get them to take this seriously. I used to love going there, but it’s really gone downhill. The ladies room is disgusting and the whole place smells like rancid popcorn oil. And the movie industry wonders why people would rather stream from the comfort of their own homes!
This happen to me too at an AMC movie theatre on 86th and 3rd Avenue.
A year or two ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I was watching a documentary on Yogi Berra in that theater when a guy around 60 who was sitting next to me (there was a good crowd for that screening) tried to cop a feel off me. I am also in my 60s. I instantly hit him on the arm as hard as I could, which unfortunately was feather light, and I screamed loudly at him to get away from me. My fury startled him and he took off. I didn’t report it and I felt a bit embarrassed disturbing the viewing pleasure of anyone around me which I know is absurd. No one told me to shut up nor did they come to my defense. These losers are pathetic cowards. ButI’m also lucky that he didn’t retaliate when I flipped my lid. I was furious. And my response was immediate.
Why aren’t we focused on his sad life and upbringing? Is it privileged for a woman to attend a movie – paying her ticket – to expect an experience that doesn’t invite a perv?? Even if his experience was less than? We must ask ourselves this question..
That’s more than enough attention for you, IRA. Muting/blocking you.
Your shtick has gotten old.
WHAT?? ? HIS sad life? No, it is NOT privileged for a woman to expect an experience that doesn’t invite a pervert. Good grief!!!!
WTF
Meanwhile crimes are being described here so maybe take your woman hating elsewhere. By the way, it’s 2025.
I can’t take anything you say seriously. First you wrote that you left this forum but I’ve seen you post consistently for years. In the last post you referred to yourself in the 3rd person. If you’re attempting to be facetious you have a long way to go.
WSR. This commenter is suggesting (again) that it’s hypocritical to object to actual established thieves/creepers actually imposing themselves on people while at the same time expecting people to tolerate immigrants and people from other cultures living normal lives in public. This is disgusting. It’s wrong of you to suppress comments objecting to vile racist/xenophobic “jokes” like this because you think of people like “Ida” as readers/members of the community who deserve to be treated nicely while the people they pour their nasty venom are just a “group” who aren’t present here. But those people live on the UWS too. Please ask yourself how you would feel watching some nice Bangladeshi lady reading the comments you tolerate here.
Very troubling.
My partner and/or I typically go to that AMC once or twice a month.
We’ve always found the staff to be very sweet and helpful (I think some of the employees are supported/special needs).
But my impression is that the corporate offices makes things harder operationally as it only releases film schedules a few days ahead.
I had something similar 2 years ago in that theater; except he didn’t sit right next to me, just nearby in the same row and then stared directly at me while touching himself. I left the theater to get away and when I went back he was gone. I regret not reporting it; I was so caught off guard and felt embarrassed, and then after, so mad at myself for not doing something.
YES! This happened to me too.
Don’t ever blame yourself!
This is not anything new. I think I heard of it from a relative when I was about ten. The guy wants to make you uncomfortable and thereby validate his masculinity. I guess the best bet is to sit in an aisle seat and put something on the seat next to you as though reserving it for a friend.
It theory, that sounds like a great thing to try. But I always sit on the aisle and nowhere else, and I alway put my stuff on the seat next to me and this guy has literally barreled in and almost sat on my bag before I was forced to remove it
At that point the woman can say, “I am expecting a friend”. If the man says that he has a reservation for the seat, the woman can say, “I need to see your reservation on your phone or a printed ticket, or would you prefer that I call security”?
While this guy does not appear to be doing anything illegal, he is undoubtedly entering each of these auditoriums without an appropriate ticket. Therefore, he is trespassing, and it doesn’t seem like it would be too difficult for the theater to keep an eye out for him and have him prosecuted after sufficient warnings.
Trespassing is illegal. And so is lewd conduct which has been mentioned in these comments.
I hope we compensate the employee who’s job it is to screen out the pervert at minimum wage. Without looking at their housing and those paid to keep tabs on these people. Why are there no daytime activities associated with “housing.”. As a human right?
Hello? Security cameras? If not inside the theater, on the streets around the theater? We know the dates/times the women reported this happening. Look at the footage for a guy who fits the description.
Had exact same thought
I don’t live super close to this theater but if I did I would make it my business to surveil often.
An eerily similar situation happened to me this past Saturday at this theatre! This man was wearing a cap and waiting just outside the auditorium and I assumed he was waiting for a friend. I was there to watch the Materialists alone and soon after the previews began, this man decided to sit next to me. I felt his gaze on me multiple times and eventually his hand began to cross into my seat on his arm rest and that’s when i knew something was off. I got annoyed and decided to slam my large purse on the side of my seat, towards his seat and set it up as a barrier.. he left as soon as I did that!! Always trust your gut and i will be reporting this incident as well.
You guys, it is 100% Ida. Ida is the guy.
you did the right thing by moving, a large dark theater can be a scary place to be with a creep roaming. have you considered carrying a can of pepper spray?
And it’s ALWAYS a man targeting a woman! ALWAYS.
Pepper spray and mace are always a BAD idea. For one, it blows right back into your own face; and two, while you are fumbling to use it, it can be grabbed and used against you; and three, it just pollutes the environment for everyone else nearby. Your loud voice is much more important, and much more effective. I also liked the flashlight idea. It’s innocent and actually good for finding lost items in a theatre. Every iPhone has a bright flashlight in it.
Hmm…it’s very likely that he is doing something illegal. There is no law against being a creep, but he is probably sneaking into movies without paying. Even in the unlikely event that he has a movie pass, he would still need to reserve tickets, which would leave a paper trail. You also don’t have to break the law to be banned from a theatre, making people uncomfortable and disrupting their experience would be enough.
I imagine those of us who go there could keep an eye out, but not sure what to do with the information if we saw him. I doubt theatre staff wants to confront a potentially dangerous individual based on a backpack and something we read on a forum.
Here’s an online form to contact AMC Theaters. If everyone who’s experienced a problem notifies them it may be more helpful than one person with a random complaint.
https://www.amctheatres.com/contact
THANK YOU!
We know what he looks like, what he wears, and his modus operandi correct? Women, if you encounter this man in a theater and he sits next to you in an empty theater…SCREAM at the top of your lungs. His is definitely not normal behavior, so why should he have all the fun? The nerve of this creep!
YELL! SHOUT! Assertively!!
By the way, I know it’s a pain to have to do, but if you have to disrupt your experience to identify or scare this guy off, absolutely ask the theater manager for a pass to see the film again. They have the power to hand one out whenever your viewing experience is disrupted and they’re not going to want you complaining publicly about this.
Absolutely. Have your phone ready and yell at him. You want everyone to know, not the opposite.
“We take these issues very seriously” is corporate-speak for “we don’t take them seriously.”
Does anyone care to describe what the guy looks like? Face? Age? Etc?
He’s white, about 5’8, maybe late 30s, early 40s, always a cap, big backpack and jacket…in the dark they look blue to me (the hat, backpack and jacket). I do my best not to make eye contact or look straight at him so it’s hard to get a more accurate description.
Finally. Why was everyone so afraid to give a description?
Thank you, that is really helpful.
Good advice Charisse.
But first take his picture to give management, police and WSR.
For anyone who was made uncomfortable or actually violated: He is a predator.
Protect yourselves and forgive yourself if you feel you didn’t react fast enough.
If you over-react you can always apologize, but theaters are public spaces just like subways: You have a right to feel safe.
I just thought of a fun new project for hanging out on this block, camera and phone ready.
If you go off hours and know the theater is not packed, maybe the thing to do is wait near the doors till the lights go down before taking a seat. Better yet, wait till the trailers are at least half way over. If you see someone that looks suspiciously like your perv hanging out in the back or just outside the doors, take a photo of him and share it with management so they have a better idea of who to be on the look out for.
..and watch for copycats. Every movie theater in the city should share the perp database.
Women are not safe anywhere. Something as “simple” as sitting next to a female, solo moviegoer is meant to intimidate, frighten and cause discomfort. I stopped going to that AMC years ago.
none of these women are slapping him. don’t ever with me. i will make a scene and embarrass them. i’m the one spooking them enough to hopefully never come back. cause i’m gonna take your picture too or follow you out and start telling everyone around me that this guy is a creeper. he’s not being shamed enough. that’ll stop them. i am not that one.
Many times deviants build on their prior experiences and get more comfortable / want to do more. Eventually he’s going to actually try and assault someone which is why this guy needs to be stopped.
At the U.S.Open with a group of friends. I am no spring chicken and this guy comes and sits next to me. After a few words he says something like “do you trust me” and puts his hand on my thigh. I turned to him and said loudly “get your had off of me, you don’t know who you’re dealing with” and he immediately left.
Unfortunately this behavior is not uncommon nor is the shock and initial feeling of helplessness. Nor is it uncommon that if it is reported a woman is often looked as if she did something to provoke it or bring it on.
At Citibank, west 72nd Street. One other woman and I were at the cash machines after regular bank was closed. A man walked and stood right next to me asking for cash. Then he tried the other woman. Neither of us made a wthdrawal, of course. I am not a loud person but I am just so sick of being intimidated by men (always men) and I said “GO AWAY!” as loudly as I could. And he left! The other woman looked at me as if I were Hulk Hogan (I am a thin woman who is afraid of waterbugs). She said “How did you do that?” I said “I don’t know!” I was so proud of myself for speaking up. LOUDLY! And both safely made our withdrawals in peace.
Good for you! I’ve been harassed, followed, grabbed at, punched in the face (on UWS on Broadway) and generally just creeped and bothered by men since I was 23. I thought it would stop when I got older but no such luck. Glad you spoke up. I don’t know you but I am proud of you, too!
This happened to me on the crosstown bus coming home in the afternoon, but after I cursed at/shoved the guy off (he literally landed on the floor) a bunch of teens turned around and looked at me and yelled, ‘crazy b*tch.’ When I told my coworkers about it we all realized that we’ve been dealing with this in one form or another since we were 9-10 years old (we’re now in our 60’s). Sad but true.
Pervs – easy. Bedbugs – not so much.
Adding another note to all women: if this happens to you, there is “no law against” pulling out your camera and taking several pictures of the guy. Why not? I did so very successfully, then posted the pix all over the walls at the subway stop where he got off.
https://patch.com/new-york/downtown-nyc/nyc-subway-masturbators-targeted-guerrilla-perv-shaming-campaign
Take a BIG dog—
Can’t think of a better “service” it could provide!
I would imagine that AMC has security camera footage available and should certainly be on the lookout for someone dressed as described. (HELLO MANAGEMENT!)
That said, when this happens, try turning around and looking directly at this person and saying loudly “STAY AWAY FROM ME”. The unwanted, unexpected attention can ruin the experience of causing female fear and intimidation that such people typically seek.
I would prefer GTFO here!, making it clear it’s not about me it’s about him all the time no matter who it’s with.
Has any one of the women been able to identify the person’s physical appearance? Just hat/hoodie and backpack? Not height? Weight? Complexion? This would be useful information for those trying to identify the individual.
Somebody did, in an earlier post. About 5’8″, white, and of course hat and backpack. Scroll up.
SAME thing happened to me at the AMC on 86th & 3rd probably 7 years ago. It was off hours, only a few people in the theater, and a man comes in after the previews and sits directly next to me. I’m a single woman, it was creepy. I immediately moved and he left the theater. Not sure if this was the same guy or this is a common MO.
It’s sounding like an unfortunately very common MO, which I was not aware of either. Very glad to have the information, not only for the movies, but to know this is so prevalent in general. I always make myself appear unapproachable to those who would try to mess. Very aware of my surroundings and not to be trifled with. Just a natural defense from a city girl. Of course in the end if someone is determined to hurt you that doesn’t help, but in most cases it does.
Sounds like this should be addressed at the next Community Council meeting of the precinct concerned!
Excellent thought.
Great idea.
I once had someone sit right next to me in that theatre once and then when I left early before the credits and stood at the back, he came right up the aisle after me. I would never hesitate to move if someone sits right next to me. If I’m at the movies alone, I always check the app to see if anyone has bought the seat next to me.
It’s hard to be a woman. Why can’t men just be normal?