Boss defends Reel Cinema’s record in catering for disabled (From York Press)

it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

addynuff wrote:
it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Exactly - there are two other cinemas in York which have access so there is choice. We spend so much time catering for non mainstream groups in society at great cost without actually considering the financial viability and environmental cost. If you are a non parent, able bodied person a supermarket parking space is so far from the store entrance that you have to maneouvre a heavy trolley in and out of traffic that doesn't give way trying to avoid damaging parked cars as it careers across the often sloping tarmac.

addynuff wrote:
it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Mr Pythian rang the cinema & was told the film he wanted to see was on a screen with wheelchair access.

He & his wife got there and found out this was not the case. He has every right to be p*ssed off and to let others know about it.

Soothsayer17 wrote:

addynuff wrote:
it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Mr Pythian rang the cinema & was told the film he wanted to see was on a screen with wheelchair access.

He & his wife got there and found out this was not the case. He has every right to be p*ssed off and to let others know about it.

Reel is seriously behind its competition as a cinema.

We went to see HP at the start of the school holidays at City Screen. They have allocated seats in their screens for wheelchair users (I think I've only seen one person use this facility though), and a far better set up overall.

Hope they (the Phythians) found themselves some better entertainment, elsewhere, and Reel need to have a careful rethink on the way they do things.

This makes me wonder though if access for wheelchair users would be considered if the building didn't have so many listed building constraints? Surely they would have made sure the big screen had access for wheelchair users if they could- lets face it they couldn't even make lifts, spaces or platforms in the big screen like the city screen as they couldn't replace the chairs as they were listed- so removing some to make way for disabled users would also not be allowed?! I acknowledge that they would have been annoyed had they been told the wrong information but do think that Reel have done well with the refurbishment of the cinema considering the problems a listed building brings.

Of course, if it hadn't been converted into a plywood triple all those decades ago, it would be a single screener it was built as... with disabled access. DDA compliance in old buildings is a nightmare.

The couple seem to have chosen to go to see the movie at The Odeon/Reel despite the fact that they already knew of the problems with the cinema's design, and despite the fact that there are 2 other more modern, disabled-friendly, cinemas in the city both showing the same film.

Yes, they were given the wrong information about which screen the film was in but, as was probably explained to them at the time, the information was right at the time it was given - the management obviously chose to switch the screens around afterwards. No doubt they complained at the time and were given an explaination/apology
.

It seems like people have been moaning for years that they wanted the cinema re-opened and yet in the few weeks since it has been there have been at least 2 Press articles moaning about it. Would they prefer it closed or open with 'teething' problems?

I've worked in a cinema and I know from experience that you get almost daily complaints about this or that, some major and some stupidly small....and yet in all the time I worked there (over 10 years) I never saw any of them in the Press!

C'mon people, give Reel a chance, or would you prefer the site to be closed again and turned into flats?

oldgoat wrote:

Soothsayer17 wrote:

addynuff wrote: it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Mr Pythian rang the cinema & was told the film he wanted to see was on a screen with wheelchair access. He & his wife got there and found out this was not the case. He has every right to be p*ssed off and to let others know about it.

Reel is seriously behind its competition as a cinema. We went to see HP at the start of the school holidays at City Screen. They have allocated seats in their screens for wheelchair users (I think I've only seen one person use this facility though), and a far better set up overall. Hope they (the Phythians) found themselves some better entertainment, elsewhere, and Reel need to have a careful rethink on the way they do things.

Reel are a long way behind because unlike Vue (20yrs old, no stadium seating so no problem with stairs!) and City Screen (10yrs old) they are trying to run a modern business in a historic (over 70 year old!), listed building which wasn't built with modern p-c disabled access rules and regulations.

As I said above.....give them a chance!

If the authors of some of the comments bothered to read the article properly before posting, they might realise nothing more is being asked than saying which screen has which film to save wasted journeys!

It's obvious people in York have little respect for people with disabilities by the amount of abuse of the few parking spaces.

Well said, altho its pretty revealing how many suddenly jumped in on the issue of "ramps."

And Bigjon, "modern pc disabled access rules" has nothing to do with "pc" nor is anyone not giving Reel a chance. However, a wasted journey to u is just that, a wasted journey involving a wheelchair is a serious pain in the @rse.

Soothsayer17 wrote:

addynuff wrote:
it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Mr Pythian rang the cinema & was told the film he wanted to see was on a screen with wheelchair access.

He & his wife got there and found out this was not the case. He has every right to be p*ssed off and to let others know about it.

Sorry, but you don't know the full facts so please stop slating the cinema. It MAY be possible that the film WAS being shown downstairs when he rang, but when he went to the cinema they moved it. Or he wasn't telling the truth. He may be right but why go to The Press? A simple note to the management would have cleared it up and I'm sure Reel would have given suitable compensation. Trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer springs to mind

Seems like a bit of a non-story to me.

Lankymick wrote:
If the authors of some of the comments bothered to read the article properly before posting, they might realise nothing more is being asked than saying which screen has which film to save wasted journeys! It's obvious people in York have little respect for people with disabilities by the amount of abuse of the few parking spaces.

Blue badge holders can park on double yellow lines and anywhere in the city centre so they have all the parking spaces in the world to use often with little respect for the pedestrian. Perspective?

Reel's website DOES state which screen the film is showing in, if people obviously bothered to look.

Give em a chance. Mistakes happen, They seem genuinely concerned when things go wrong and endeavor to put them right. It doesn't mention whether the Phythian's brought this to the attention of the management at the time or did they just see an opportunity to go straight to the press.

It seems for every person who is happy that the cinema has reopened there is another that can't wait to get their names in the paper knocking the place. Would people rather see it derelict again? Obviously some would.

Next weeks story will no doubt be from a disgruntled couple who found their fizzy drinks, weren't fizzy and their popcorn wasn't warm!! Boo Hoo.

Lankymick wrote:
If the authors of some of the comments bothered to read the article properly before posting, they might realise nothing more is being asked than saying which screen has which film to save wasted journeys! It's obvious people in York have little respect for people with disabilities by the amount of abuse of the few parking spaces.

Yes, I agree, REEL should advertise which screen is being used for each film outside, but as another comment, Management have the right to change this at short notice, IF a large crowd appears, so HOW do yo propose they keep the outside public informed? mobile advertisment boards? possibly, but still people would complain about wasted journeys, as ringing beforehand need not take into account passing trade, which can change the managements position.

H8r wrote:

Soothsayer17 wrote:

addynuff wrote: it s people like this who cause untold trouble for legitimate businesses.as a disabled person myself i often have to concede that not everybody is willing or able to accomodate my needs.mr phythian needs to take a good look at himself before running to the press with this nonsense story.it s film for god s sake

Mr Pythian rang the cinema & was told the film he wanted to see was on a screen with wheelchair access. He & his wife got there and found out this was not the case. He has every right to be p*ssed off and to let others know about it.

Sorry, but you don't know the full facts so please stop slating the cinema. It MAY be possible that the film WAS being shown downstairs when he rang, but when he went to the cinema they moved it. Or he wasn't telling the truth. He may be right but why go to The Press? A simple note to the management would have cleared it up and I'm sure Reel would have given suitable compensation. Trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer springs to mind Seems like a bit of a non-story to me.

Sorry? Who’s “slating the cinema” or purporting to know the "full facts?" Like everyone else on I’m responding to the story as written. Whereas most chose to say “tough sh*t but that’s listed buildings for you,” my inclination is to sympathise with the Pythians for contacting their local cinema and being told they could watch a film when in fact they couldn’t. Perhaps instead of you telling me to stop slating, I could implore you to put yourself in Mrs. Pythian’s position for a moment then this might seem like more than a “non-story” to you.