I decided to go to the movies last night, here is a story of what happened when I got there. This trip to the movies wasn’t as enjoyable as trips have been in the past.
Last night I decided to go to the movies. I was sick of being at home so I went to see The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. So I dashed off in my wheelchair to the cinema complex. As soon as I got out of the elevator the complex was so packed it took me a few minutes to think where exactly I was (I don’t go to the movies often). Once I knew where I was I made my way to the line to the ticket booth. There was a whole heap of rubbish and junk on the ground and I found myself constantly reaching over and moving things out of the way when I was moving forward in that cramped line. Once that whole ordeal was over and I had my ticket it was 8:15 (the movie was set to start at 8:15).
There was a loooong cue up the ramp that I needed to go. This line extended past the elevator and towards the snack stand. I sat in line assuming it was a line for a ticket collector. At one point one of the men who works at the complex asked me if I was ok. I got up that series of ramps only to realise that it was a cue for a private function in one of the other movie theatres!!! Why couldn’t they have them cued up the stairs next to the ramp? This ramp was the only way for me to get to the movie theatre. I got to the last ramp that I needed to go up and there was one of those ropes blocking that ramp off, by now I was not happy. I undid the rope and made my way up the ramp to be greeted by that first man who asked me if I was ok. He told me I should have said something to him. I didn’t know what that cue was for! How should I know? I’m sitting down; I can’t see everything as well! I get into the movie theatre at 8:20 and the row of seats next to where I put my wheelchair was completely filled up. I had to watch the movie from my wheelchair, uncomfortable!
The movie was ok. The drifting was great to watch. I’ve gotten quite absorbed in programs like Initial D (a Japanese drifting cartoon) so I already had a fair idea about the subject. Watching the main character in the movie was so painful. Even compared to the main character in the first two films his driving was so painfully crappy. He depended on the speed of his car to make up for all that crashing he did going round each and every corner. As a driving fanatic I don’t think I could have watched much more, thankfully his drifting improved. I won’t say too much about the movie because I don’t want to give too much away, but I think the people who made it reflected teenager culture in Tokyo quite well.
About halfway through the movie I had to go to the toilet. So I go out of the theatre, roll down the ramp, only to find a huge sign and a rope blocking the exit to that ramp. I had to sit there and wait till one of the men opened it up for me. I go to the toilet and there’s no freaking soap or paper towels in the disabled toilet. I’ve learnt a couple of things about accessibility over the past year and the sink in that toilet was way to close to the corner to use properly as well. I then went back to the movie theatre and watched the rest of the movie, only to have to come out, roll down the ramp and wait for someone to move the huge sign again.
Ultimately this visit to the movies was a huge disappointment. Sure there aren’t that many people that night who needed to use the ramp but I have just as much right as anyone else to get to the theatre by myself. The actual movie was ok, but we all know that the actual movie is only half the trip, the “social interaction” makes up a big deal of what makes an enjoyable trip for anyone.
There are only two ways of telling the complete truth–anonymously and posthumously.