A New York City councilman has introduced a bill that would require theaters to certify, on an annual basis, that their seats have been inspected and are deemed to be free of bed bugs.
Moviegoers, throughout the five boroughs in New York City, have had to deal with this persistent issue for the past eight years or so. The councilman believes that movies can leave you with all sorts of feelings, but itchy shouldn’t be one of them.
Under this new bill, if a theater does not certify that they are free of bed bugs, they will have to pay a $1,000 fine.
Many moviegoers support the new bill. However, some others do not believe that the bill goes far enough. They are concerned that a theater, or theater chain, could choose to forego the inspection because the fine may actually cost less than paying for an inspection.
The councilman wrote in a statement, “Anyone who has ever had to suffer through a bed bug infestation in their homes knows the tremendous financial and emotional toll it can
take. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to worry about what might be lurking in the seats of a movie theater. This bill is a simple accountability measure that will ensure our city’s movie theaters are pest free.”
