With my love for actual movie theaters, I returned with caution as soon as I could.

We are fortunate where I live to have one of those movie theaters with recliners seats and short rows

of 1, 2, 3 or 4 seats in the back, depending on the theater.

I always reserve those, and I always go the first matinee show of the day.

Most theaters only take it down to two seats in a row in back so when I go solo I would just buy one

seat, safe in the knowledge that no cretin would buy the other seat.

You know where this is going.

I plopped in my seat, put all my food goodies and coat in the adjoining seat, and the movie was starting.

He came lumbering up the aisle and loomed over the seat.

“You got to be shitting me!” I said.

He was disheveled and spoke no known language in response.

I gathered up my stuff said “Jesus Christ, No one buys that seat with covid!”, and moved down a few rows to a seat with no one nearby.

Sure enough, in no more than about 15 minutes, he came lumbering down the aisle to leave and never return.

With that thrilling experience, I’ve taken to buying both seats. The matinee price is as low as $5.50 sometime, and I figure for another $5 what the hell.

I’m headed out to see Scream today, but Mary is going along so I won’t have to stare at the empty seat

and have a flashback to my “you got to be shitting me” day.