Standing before a half-dozen TV cameras set up outside Rockefeller Center’s Guild Theatre last week, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jules Polonetsky dropped a bombshell: After painstakingly surveying the cost of tickets and snacks at the city’s movie theaters, Polonetsky determined that much too much is charged for candy and soda. What’s more, far better deals on popcorn can be had at theaters in Washington Heights and downtown Brooklyn than at ones on the Upper East Side and Times Square!
Now, to our way of thinking, the findings would’ve been far more scandalous if they’d shown the opposite – that higher prices were being charged in poorer neighborhoods – but Polonetsky was convinced he’d performed a great public service.
“New Yorkers could save hundreds of dollars per year using our survey,” he said. Although they might just as well ignore the survey and practice the Polonetsky family custom; “My parents love bringing their own snacks,” the commissioner said.