Children angry over being asked to pay adult price to see movie

Two children, Kieon O’Connor, 11, and his sister Daniella, 13,  are planning to sue both the management of Strand and Globe Cinemas through their attorneys Samantha Lawson and Joseph Otley for false advertisements and breach of their rights as children under the Children’s Act.

The children’s contention is that they are too young to see movies advertised for adults — 14 years and over. But too old when they go to pay the “Children’s” price for movies advertised for all ages. Their father,  Elvis O’Connor, also an attorney, explained the children’s dilemma. He said, recently he and his two children went to the Globe Cinema in Port-of-Spain to see a movie, but on reaching there he was informed it was for “Adults —14 years and over”.

Some days later,  he took his children to the Strand to see another movie which had advertised for all ages. The pricing of tickets said: Children $9. Adults -$12.  He then went to purchase two children tickets, one for his 13-year-old daughter and the other for his 11-year-old son. But before selling the tickets, the cashier inquired the children’s ages and then told,  informed the O’Connors that they would have to pay “adult” prices for the two children. The O’Connors objected and were  sent to see the manager.  The manager, they said, explained that under the cinema laws any individual over ten years of age was considered an adult. However, he was willing to compromise for the 11-year-old boy and sell him a ticket at the “Children’s” price. The children’s parents protested and left.

They decided to take the children back to Globe, which was now showing a movie advertised for “all ages”. The children’s father said, there too, they were faced with the same situation, except the ticket vendor was a bit arrogant in that when they informed him of the Children’s Act, he called to another employee saying: “Hear de stupidness this man talking bout — Laws of Trinidad and Tobago — we operating by the cinema law.” The family left and the children did not see the show. The children are claiming that under the Children’s Act, a child is 14 years and under, and not ten as the cinemas would want to suggest. Therefore why they should be required to pay  “Adult” prices instead of “Children’s” prices  for movies advertised for “All ages”.

It was also noted by the children’s father that the Cinema Act is silent about who is a child and who is an adult. The only authority is the Children’s Act. His argument is that children 14 and under must be allowed to pay the “Children’s” price for entry into cinemas. Capil Singh, an employee at Strand, recalled the  O’Connor’s visit. He told Newsday that the pricing structure at cinemas, not only Strand,  but throughout the country have been the same way from ever since.