Bengies Drive-In Theatre

Doesn't Recommend

Brad M.

Joined 10 months ago

Visited this theater twice, the first time we had no problems, the second time... Well, that was our last time. We followed all the rules, we went to our spot and were settling in for a fun evening. A car pulls in next to us and all of the passengers unload and set up out in front of the vehicle and begin lighting up cigarettes. So now we were trapped in a cloud of smoke. I had my 2 yr old daughter with me and my wife who gets severe headaches from certain smells. So this was not going to work, especially not for a double feature. Funny how this place has TONS of rules, but smoking is allowed.

Well we're in an SUV in the back row and I decide that the people smoking are not being rude, they're simply trying to enjoy the movie themselves. I didn't want to start trouble with them, so I decided to move back a row. There were two empty rows behind us and no more cars lined up to come in the theater. So I slowly and carefully backed up a row with my wife's guidance, without turning on our lights, & well you would have thought I burnt the place down. As I am backing up, I see several flashlights flashing at me, so I roll my window down to hear a person angrily yelling at me to get back in my spot. I begin to explain the situation and am abruptly cut-off and told to get back in my spot or leave. There was no explanation as to why I couldn't move back a row or no offer to help remedy the situation. So like I said, that was the last time. I really hope that someone is able to take this property off the current owners hands and give it a new lease on life. This is an awesome property and it is a shame to see it handled this way. The employees that abuse customers just because the owner thinks its ok should be ashamed of themselves. I couldn't treat people the way I was treated, unless they had been a constant problem.

Doesn't Recommend

Milkcartin

Joined 3 years ago

Treated like a criminal. Horrible Experience! I have been a loyal customer of Bengies for years! I always try to promote their business because there are not many drive ins left and I would like to see them stick around. Well tonight, I was treated like a common criminal because my toddler whom I was carrying, didnt have shoes on. It started because she said she was hungry and wanted something to eat. I didnt think about the fact she didnt have her shoes on. I just picked her up and carried her to the snack bar where I was quickly stopped by security and got an attitude. She was quite short about it. "You need to have shoes on your kid". Ok, I thought, I understand. People dont go into food establishments with no shoes. So I waited outside the bathroom to wait for my teen to come out so she could take my toddler from me. ANOTHER security person asked me if she had shoes. I said "Yes, she has shoes, I am just looking for my kid". So my teen comes out of the bathroom and i ask her to wait outside with her sister until l can get her a snack. Well the security lady comes back out and flips out of me! "TO YOUR CAR" she says. "I TOLD YOU ONCE ALREADY SHE NEEDS TO HAVE SHOES ON" By now, I get it. She needs shoes ANYWHERE. I shout back "I thought you meant IN the snack bar". She didnt want to hear it. She escorted me and my girls back to my car, took my license plate and I had to leave. So much for a nice family night out with my children. They can take their frickin rule book they give you and stick it! Nazis!

Recommends

greenplastic

Joined 4 years ago

Great place unless to get away from jerks. I go almost every week. Great food. We have small children who love spending summer nights there.

There are a lot of rules, but necessary. I don't want to have to worry about hitting children in the dark when I'm driving out, or have to deal with people shining their lights on the screen because they ignore the requests not to. This is better than putting up with the rudeness that seems to be increasingly prevalent in indoor theaters, with people talking throughout movies. Bengies has a great staff, and I highly recommend it for all ages.

Recommends

ladyslew

Joined 7 years ago

Best entertainment in town. From the giant outdoor screen (largest movie theater screen in the USA) to the excellent concession stand this place is top notch. And what a value! All the prices are so much lower than at an indoor movie theater, and the food's much better. Plus, you get three movies for less than the admission price of one movie anywhere else. As well as cartoons and classic intermission shorts. The staff is top notch, helpful, and just plain nice people.

Unless you insist on making them tell you to turn out your lights 3 or 4 times. But at that point you were the rude one. Don't even try justifying. You do not have a right to ruin the show for everyone around you. If you went to an indoor theater and shown a flashlight on the screen you'd be immediately ejected.

Sure, you'll hear bad things about the rules. Keep in mind that the people writing those things think they are above all rules and get mad when told they aren't. They want to let their kids run around a partly graveled lot in bare feet, figuring only other people ever step on sharp stones or broken glass. They think they have the right to shine their headlights on the screen or in your eyes all night long. They think state and federal laws against cameras in movie theaters can't apply to them, and refuse to believe that the law requires management to enforce no cameras.

Does the owner have a temper? Sure. I long ago lost count of how many lectures I've gotten. It's a LOT since I pretty much live at row 4 left most pole with an electrical box to the driver's side door. Did I deserve those lectures? Sometimes. Thing is, you make D mad and he yells and then it's over - steam blown off, life goes on. The man works 7 days a week, very long hours, and has quite a bit of stress. But he puts on a great show for you - so cut him some slack! If you had his job you'd have a temper too.

And cover your bleepin' daytime running lights already - it won't hurt you. And it will do wonders for improving tempers.

Doesn't Recommend

4movienuts

Joined 5 years ago

Horrible experience. Manager too full of himself. Rude to newcomers who didn't know the rules. Made fun of customers. HORRIBLE experience. Didn't care that we paid, we still left before the movie even started. If this is the last of a dying breed of theater? It's already dead. Bury it now, and the manager's bad manners with it.

Doesn't Recommend

torgman

Joined 5 years ago

Bengie's owner is the Drive-In Nasi. The Bengie's owner, D. Edward Vogel is a control freak, and it just doesn?t show in his stupid, butt-retentive rules, either.

I had a run-in with the Drive-In Nasi years ago when he had Bengie's on the market. I sent him a letter complaining about service. He writes back a nasty rant about how I made it up, how I shouldn't complain and how he was looking forward to laughing at guys like me when he sold Bengie's. Obvious, he cares more about his ego than making patrons happy. He never sold Bengie's either--I'll guess he didn't want to budge from his asking price and he seems like the kind of person that would get pizzy if offered a penny less.

He still operates that little empire with his asinine, childish rules intact. I can't link to the, but trust me, they are funny to read. I love how he repeats FOUR TIMES the rules about photography and ends his list with "Common Sense prevails"--apparently, common sense was absent when he wrote his little version of "Mein Kampf." For more craziness, you should look at his site for his his lame Blitzkrieg against the Baltimore Sun:

I love drives-in, still go to them when I'm near one and I wish more drive-ins were around. I live two hours from Benjie's, but I would sooner eat bodily waste before going back to give Fuhrer Vogel any more of my money. If he wants to preserve his theater , he should sell it to someone who actually cares about their patrons.

I can understand that he has to preserve his bottom line, but if someone has to go to the lengths he does and tell customer how every movement they make is subject to lifetime banishment, then he shouldn?t be in any business where he has to deal with people. If there were more drive-in owners years ago like running drive-ins the way he does now, it would be easier to see why drive-ins went out of business. I look forward seeing the consumer division of the MD Atty. Gen. and/or the FTC hand him his butt.