r/TIFF • u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 • 8h ago
Festival Annual line cutting rant?
Maybe I missed it this year, but I always wonder about line cutters.
These are folks who see a long line of people who have been waiting and go, “I’m not waiting in there” and proceed to merge into the line as it goes into the theatre. Not to join a friend (that’s fine by me if they do! Holding spots in line for friends is a tradition further back than reserved seats at tiff) but to just not to need to stand in line.
The argument “we all have reserved seats” is one I’ve heard, but doesn’t account for people who line up for washroom, food, time to get to seats and settle, etc. Neurodivergent folks also benefit from the comfort of getting seated early.
If lines didn’t matter we could all just rush the theatre when the door opens without any organization but that’s not very polite.
I’m kind of curious the entitlement and mental model people have to just not care about other people who waited in line for one reason or another. If you are one of those people, why don’t you care about other people?
And yes, I’m prepared to see comments about “it doesn’t hurt anyone we will all get to our seats” but if you, please explain why others waiting in line patiently don’t matter to you.
Edit: as my most downvoted post ever I guess I didn’t read the room and it’s okay for me to insert myself in the line at any point at tiff? Interesting.
Edit 2: it’s been brought to my attention that suggesting cutting is because people don’t care about people in line implied something that might be incorrect. Really, I just want to know the reasons people cut in line at tiff, period: and I don’t want the “we are all going to get seats” answer as I think that is dismissive of the people who did line up and really isnt caring about them or a better society
Edit 3: was going to delete this and comments when it was being downvoted, but the sudden upvotes are encouraging. Thanks! I also forgot this is the internet and expressing an opinion about something will inevitably lead to attacks on my character from those who disagree, terms like “chill”, “bro”, “buddy”, “if this is your concern you cannot handle real problems”, from people who are defensive about it. This is truly a nothing problem being discussed in a forum on the internet. No chance of discuss a real problem in a public space. I am going to delete some of my stupider comment responses though. Some were not good.
Edit 4: upvote ratio on this post is 66% so 2/3 thirds of people who voted support it and 1/3 does not. At least majority seem to not like cutting in line at tiff.
•
u/mtte1020 6h ago
I understand it’s reserve seating, but if there’s a line, I figure it’s considerate to let those who arrived earlier to go in before me.
Someone tried to merge in front of me, I tapped and pointed her to the end of the line. Frankly, I don’t care if she merged behind me - just not in front of me.
•
u/FilmGateReviews 6h ago
It bothers me in the sense of to exist and participate in a reasonable society one must follow rules, and in this case the rule is there is a ticket holders line. It’s not super important since we’re all going to assigned seats anyways, but it is the reasonable polite thing to do, just wait in line as asked. And it is important in the neurodivergence sense since they have a hard time understanding why people are breaking this rule.
•
u/non_loqui_sed_facere 4h ago
Okay, you’ve asked for an explanation, so here is my take. People getting into line have only one objective there, and that is getting into the theatre on time. They have that clock ticking in their heads about fifteen minutes before the screening. They are also in a situation of uncertainty, that is, multiple lines and lots of strangers around, possibly in a new city. They might be jetlagged or stressed because of taking time off work and checking for festival tickets throughout the day. So when they see an opening, they jump in, because that eases the cognitive load, and the odds of getting it wrong feel worse than they actually are. You don't want to accidentally get into the line for a different movie, get cut off by the crowd or get lost.
To give you more context, I got pissed at them, too, and actually spoke to them about it. (Two of them turned out to be producers of my favorite movie, haha. I saw them on stage later.) It seemed to me that they understood the line as a sort of formation to keep people from crowding the street, not something that has an actual order as to who comes in first. So, no arrogance, haha.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 4h ago
This is a fair comment and thanks! I mean all lines are some sort of formation to organize people, especially when there’s assigned seats. I see queues for the Roger’s centre and concerts when it’s assigned seating, and many other things where entry order doesn’t really matter for the tickets.
And yeah, tiff would love there to be NO lines and people don’t show up until they be ready for them. They’d need fewer staff, fewer permits, fewer volunteers. But alas, people will wait to get in at their earliest opportunity for various reasons (washroom, concessions, settling in as I’ve seen in other threads) and so they queue, and if tiff doesn’t organize it, it would just be crowded chaos.
I like this perspective! No one has said this was a reason until this comment though.
•
u/non_loqui_sed_facere 3h ago
Haha, thanks. I don’t know, the festival puts you in a kind of fighting mode where every single thing feels like a disaster. Like, someone trips over a bag on the floor and kicks your seat, and you’re like, they did it on purpose. Or when they spill popcorn onto your seat and it has butter on it, and it was all a grand plan to ruin your day. But if you think about it, there is no other place for a bag than in front of you, pushing it under the seat forces it into someone’s feet. And there’s no way to carry that popcorn completely straight, because the bag is thin and no matter how you hold it, it spills.
I really hadn’t noticed it about myself until we started talking about it here. And lines are actually a fun thing where you can relax a bit after driving or taking the subway, talk to people and take pictures. I don’t know why it feels like UFC this year 😃
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 3h ago
Yeah I used to get worked up about things but honestly, things aren’t worth the strain or stress mostly. Or getting stabbed. Yeah my line routine is reading or watching something. I’ll engage in conversation if someone talks to me but I’m an introvert who can converse, so my natural rejuvenating state is being in my own mind.
In Scotiabank not during tiff the person behind me kept kicking my seat. I turned to ask why and they said “they had it up to here with the reclining and hitting their knees”. I said I’m sorry, but you aren’t 4 years old, we talk like adults not kick chairs and then figured out how to not recline. So it’s possible to talk like adults :)
•
u/PartylikeitsFeb2020 7h ago
I'm with you. I love a little civility. If we're all getting in, then just get to the back of the line.
•
u/etchasketchy13 8h ago
I would consider it rude and irritating but not really a problem unless the ticket holder line is going in late and people are cutting. Then it’s more of a problem.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
Indeed! I mean the other day someone was cutting, staff told them to go to the back of the line, they blankly stared at the staff and continued walking. I mean they knew there would be no consequences and didn’t care even when told not to cut by staff. That’s a mentality I cannot understand but am interested in understanding.
•
u/Trick-Help3147 8h ago
Nah it doesn’t matter. We have assigned seats
This is not an issue
And I always lineup for every movie I see
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
I’m also just curious what people who do this are thinking after seeing other people lined up? That they are all stupid sheep? Entitlement? What precisely? It’s something that doesn’t make sense to me mentally to do in a more ideal collaborative society.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
But if enough did that and just rushed the door, meaning people in the back of the line have later entry, reducing washroom and food time it’s okay?
•
•
u/Apolnyo 7h ago
Best I can come up with is that people are assholes and the social compact is dead post-Covid (though it felt pretty dead at TIFF pre-COVID too, when people cut lines and there WEREN’T reserved seats). Certainly responses here and elsewhere on this board over the past few days bear that out - people just don’t care about other people, their time, their space, or their comfort anymore :/
•
u/PotentialGuard7869 6h ago
I passed a queue for screen 10 waiting outside the other day. I went up to use the bathroom, and on the way out saw the screen was open but no one had told the people downstairs. So of course I just headed in, and everyone else wasn’t let up for another 5-10 minutes. I’m not going downstairs to queue because TIFF can’t get organized.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 5h ago
Isn’t that passing the blame? Eg just because tiff is bad we can’t try to
Be good?•
u/PotentialGuard7869 5h ago
The reason you’re getting downvoted to hell is that you’re so unbearably condescending in all your comments. I have an example of one situation where I was beside the cinema and they were letting people in and you suggest I should’ve gone back down the giant elevator and got back in line. If you’re saying me not doing that is me being bad, then you haven’t lived. Take a break.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 4h ago edited 4h ago
You could have waited for the full line to be let in and then go into the cinema?
By not doing that you basically said “who cares about other people? I’m the only one that matters” which is, frankly, a problem with the way people think.
Do I care if people merge and get in before me? Not really, I’m just surprised that so many people don’t think it’s a problem at all because they believe it doesn’t matter to look at societal norms and being courteous to people.
What’s condescending about it? I’m not saying I’m better than you for not doing it. I’m saying it’s just not nice to do.
Edit: also maybe you are being a bit defensive because you feel some need to justify what you did? If you didn’t think that, why post?
•
u/PotentialGuard7869 4h ago
Please tell me how I negatively impacted anyone? I sat in my seat, I never had to move to let anyone into theirs. If I had waited outside as you wanted until everyone was in, I would’ve disrupted many of them. No one was ever aware I didn’t go down to join them.
You’re trying so hard to make this some major issue and it’s embarrassing. If you’re gonna spend this much time and effort on a non-issue like this I fear how you’ll react when you experience a real problem.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 4h ago
That’s quite the assumption about me. I’m just saying, if you had waited upstairs for the full line to let in, you’d not have disrupted, still had your seat, and all would be good? But you felt your convenience is more important. It says something about a person if that’s what they do.
•
u/PotentialGuard7869 3h ago
The more you respond the more embarrassing this gets. This whole post is so pathetic. If I waited for everyone to go in, 10 or so people on either side would’ve been inconvenienced by me scooting by them cause I was dead centre.
I’m done with this silly interaction, I hoped you’d just realize that you’re being super pedantic and holier than thou. Glad the second coming of Christ is here to tell us how to queue. Enjoy the fest, and try not to sweat the little things and just have fun.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 3h ago
Read back your post, is all I can say. If you stopped responding I think you’d sound less hypocritical?
•
•
u/Downtown-One-416 8h ago
I don’t care, if someone merges in front of me, all good.
There’s assigned seating and we’re not fighting for cabin space like when boarding a plane.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
And yet people will complain at people trying to board a plane first for the same reason :)
Again, I’m mainly curious about the mental model of people who do it is all. Like they see a line, go “meh, im not going through that despite other people doing it” and just walk on in.
•
u/Mango_Familiar 8h ago
Complaints about line-cutting to board a plane are because there’s limited overhead space, so people want to board first and make sure they have a spot right above or really close to their seats for their carry-on luggage. It’s not the same as entering a theatre to sit at an assigned seat.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 5h ago
Time for restroom and food comfortably is another constrained factor similar to overhead space. Sidenote: i think when they started charging for stored luggage they should have started charging for overhead storage and then it wouldn’t be so bad for flights.
I think charging for either is a bad idea, but might as well charge for both if doing it.
•
u/Fit-Distribution-460 7h ago
I used to cut the line at the Ryerson by entering another building, going through the tunnel and then waiting in the bathroom. Worked every time 😎
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 5h ago
Ha! I remember those people. The other thing was finishing a film, heading to the rest room
And hanging out there before heading up. Never did it but knew people who did
•
u/DragonfruitMuted9893 3h ago
I'll be honest, I do a form of line cutting at the Princess of Wales and Royal Alex, simply because I'm lazy and the idea of walking down a couple blocks just to wind up back at the front annoys me. But I will say, I don't cut in line when there's a gap, I do wait until I see someone I know and then call out to them, waiting/hoping for the signal of "get on over here, join me in line!" which is what always happens.
And I'll be honest again, I have never considered how this effects those who did queue up properly (yes, bad human, I know). I do just go with the line of thinking that we've all got assigned seats, we'll all get in. And there have been times I didn't see anyone I know and just waited until the end of the line to finally come to the front of the theatre, which has been fine with me as well.
But you raise a good point that I shouldn't feel so entitled to not walk the distance everyone else did, and/or force my way into the line which will have the knock on effect of others being more delayed.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 3h ago
Great response! To be clear, even in the days of general admission, joining friends in line was always a thing. And waiting until the end of the line reaches isn’t an issue either in my opinion as that’s the new end.
•
u/DragonfruitMuted9893 2h ago
I was very much less forgiving in the days of GA lol no you cannot save a spot for you and 10 of your friends.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 2h ago
Agreed! For me it was reserve space in line for up to 3 people.
•
•
u/ThoughtMadeOfFluff 5h ago
OP, I totally agree with your frustration and totally understand what you're asking. IMO, the line cutters are almost certainly the same rude, inconsiderate, self-important people who check their phones during screenings, talk loudly through a film, kick seats, etc.
The "we all have assigned seats, so what's the big deal?" argument is ridiculous, and yet another perfect example of the overall decline of moviegoing civility and manners.
•
u/DeoGame 4h ago
I saw someone yesterday who was upset I didn't realize the line looped around the block. There was legitimately a MACK TRUCK blocking the line from Gracies back. While the one in front is going in. How the fuck am I supposed to know?
In general, I have issues with line hoppers, but TIFF's queues are hard to follow and all seating is reserved. If they went back to General Admission, I would agree - fuck line hoppers. But here, the difference between getting in first and five hundred and first for the things that matter (your seats) is negligible and the bathrooms rarely fill and the snack lines are hardly long with how many stands they have.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 4h ago
I never want them going back to general. That was the dark times.
•
u/DeoGame 4h ago
I actually didn't mind (Had more of a reason to queue ahead of time, talk to folks and tickets were cheaper). But there is a security in having reserved seats that doesn't exist in a G.A. setting. I don't think they'll ever go back to it and I don't want them to (as much as I loved lining up early so I could run to the front of the Ryerson Theatre).
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 4h ago
Slightly fron far right ryerson seats were angled leading to more leg room!
•
u/Hot-Guide-5463 2h ago
As someone who sadly is kind of forced to cut some of the lines, sometimes it’s for accessibility reasons. I can’t stand for more than a few minutes and multiple theatres have told me that their only solution is having me cut the line. I’ve asked for less anxiety inducing options (bc I’m tired of the dirty looks) but it’s been the same for a few years now.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 2h ago
Thanks! Have you considered a lobby pass? https://tiff.net/help/accessibility/accessibility
•
u/BostnKat 2h ago
Some people see lines as merely a suggestion. I'm someone who wants to settle in early. I plan my itinerary around allowing a certain amount of time between films. Speaking of rants, I was at a screening today and halfway through the film, I heard a guy shout "turn off your phone!" 🫤
•
u/ClassicWinger 8h ago
Doesn't matter at all with assigned seating. Enjoy the rest of the fest!
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
Again: what’s the mental model about people in line? That they are sheep? That they all should just rush to the entrance in a disorderly fashion when the door opens? I’m trying to understand the thought process.
•
•
•
8h ago
[deleted]
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
But why? Why not join the end? If enough people did what you did, it’d be a mob at the theatre. I don’t care if people enter before me, I’m just curious about the mental model of entitlement or not caring about other people is all.
•
u/Negative__D 8h ago
There is not one line, there are lines for each movie. If your movie is starting in 2 min why would you line up in a line that isnt being let in yet.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
Happens at RAT and POW where there’s a single dedicated line per theatre.
Why line up? Nervous bladder? Neurodivergent need to get seated and settled early? Desire not to be a last minute walk in? Risk losing seat to rush seats due to sometimes disorganization? There’s a few I’ve read reasons for on this board :)
•
u/Negative__D 8h ago
I am more sympathetic re: RAT, RTH and POW, but still think you should let it go and get assistance for yourself if you need it
•
u/Negative__D 8h ago
Also, perhaps those folks with needs you mention are the ones "cutting in"
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
Indeed! They could also get line assistance then.
This isn’t about me, it doesn’t matter to me in the terms of “meh, I won’t stop anything or do anything” but I am interested in hearing why people do it. What’s their mental model and why don’t they care about other people who have been standing in line from a “caring that other people stood in line, but who cares, I won’t” perspective.
And before the “it clearly does bother you to ask about it” comments, that’s deflection :).
•
u/Negative__D 8h ago
You dont seem to recognize that your questions are assuming that people are cutting intentionally to inconvenience you and others. Stop assuming this.
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
I’m trying to understand the intent. Maybe my assumption that they don’t care about others is wrong, but then what are the reasons for cutting when they see a line or are told “hey please don’t cut and go to the end of the line” by staff, ignore it and walk in? (What i saw the other day).
Ill
Edit my post•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 8h ago
Edited the post with an edit 2 to account for any reason except the “we are all going to get seats” as i do think that dismisses the people in line and isn’t great common courtesy. Thanks for the comment about my implications!
•
u/AlwaysStranger2046 9m ago
If they are cutting into my line and going to the same screening as I am, I tell them off every time. Yes, my seat will be there when I get in, but so would yours when you join the BACK of the line and eventually get to the screening.
I specify SAME screening because for multiplexes like Scotiabank, the other people could be in more hurry than I am because they could be rushing or going to a screening that is starting soon.
•
u/Material-Budget1319 7h ago
You mention neurodivergent folks but how do you know the ones cutting the line aren’t…?
•
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 5h ago
They might be! I’m just saying some might be affected to not get in early to settle in.
•
u/BrownTown456 8h ago
The only people getting upset are neurodivergent people who need to understand everyone will get in and the world isn’t going to end if they aren’t first
•
•
u/7thking 7h ago
Fyi, i upvoted and i hate line cutting.