Why is theater chain searching purses?

To the editor:

Regal Cinemas theater chain has recently instituted a policy of searching patrons' purses for weapons before allowing admittance to the theater. The chain's officials claim that this is in response to last month's shooting incident in Aurora, Colo.

I fail to see the logic here. The Colorado shooter did not bring his weapons in through the entrance, but later through an emergency exit door. Also, in such mass shootings, the perpetrators are overwhelmingly male.

Besides personal rights issues, what would the ticket-takers do if they actually found a weapon? Are they trained to properly diffuse such a situation? I could envision this practice actually precipitating an incident in the theater lobby.

I think Regal Entertainment Group has another motive here. They may be using the Colorado tragedy as an excuse to search for "outside" food and beverages which may impact sales of their overpriced concessions - and thus their bottom line. If this is actually the case, the new corporate policy is actually corporate greed. Shame on them.

Regal has already alienated some patrons by ceasing to list show times in the Review-Journal. Now this? People, if you don't want to put up with being searched, head over to any Century Theater. They run the same movies.

Jerry Greczek

Las Vegas