Priya
Google
I had a really upsetting experience at Genesis Cinema in Mile End and wanted to share it so others are aware. I went in to get pick and mix after confirming with several staff members that it was fine. I paid for mine, had the receipt and the bag in my pocket, and was waiting for my friend who was running late. While she was on FaceTime, I started preparing hers to save time.
A security guard then approached me and accused me of putting sweets in my pocket without paying. I immediately showed him my receipt, and after checking, he confirmed that I had paid.
Shortly after he left, another staff member named Fod came over and began accusing me again, even though the matter had already been resolved. He insisted I was ‘adding on’ after paying, which was completely untrue. My pick and mix was already in my coat pocket, and my friend was preparing her own. I even offered to have the bag weighed, and my friend suggested checking the CCTV, but he dismissed both. When I suggested weighing it, he said that if it turned out to be correct, he would ‘look stupid’, yet he still continued to push a narrative that simply wasn’t true, instead of resolving the issue properly.
What made the situation worse was when he told my friend that I ‘looked fishy.’ When I said I felt unfairly targeted due to my appearance, he brushed it off and called that explanation ‘a cop out.’ It was rude, unnecessary, and extremely unprofessional. At no point did he apologise, even after it was clear I’d done nothing wrong. When I asked for his name as I was leaving, he responded aggressively.
I think it’s important for the local community to know that although certain establishments appear, on paper, to support local communities, including publicly supporting causes like Palestine, the way they treat actual members of the local Muslim community can tell a very different story.
This experience made me feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, and judged based on my appearance rather than my actions. It’s incredibly disappointing from a local cinema that claims to value community and inclusivity.