Drive-in Etiquette Tips

Over the weekend, we made our first trip to the drive-in movies this season. We saw a double feature with Kung Fu Panda 3 and Batman vs Superman. It was a bit chilly but we made sure we had extra blankets to snuggle up in so we stayed nice and cozy.

These pictures show the weather before we left the house and at the end of the first movie.

We also had a hybrid homemade/ takeout dinner. We made orange chicken at home and packed it up in a couple of bento style lunchboxes we have, then picked up appetizers on our way to the theatre. We also made what I consider an important purchase to upgrade the experience. For around $7 we got a car console organizer to use as a cup and snack holder in the back.

We had a great time, but also some problems with bad drive-in manners. So here are some tips for enjoying the drive-in without disturbing others.

Things to do before you go:

1. Make sure you know how your headlights work.

For example do they come on automatically when you start the car? How do you turn them back off? What about when you have your car in the accessory position? (Don't know what the accessory position is? Read this.) Check to be sure you know how to turn your lights out quickly and keep them off while driving at the theatre.

2. Check how to turn off your interior lights.

Most will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time. The front light in our truck takes a really long time to shut off so we usually bring along a piece of cardboard to tuck behind the visors and cover it up.

3. Know how to quickly turn off your alarm.

Just in case you accidentally bump the alarm somehow or set it off by opening the door to go get popcorn you should know how to quickly disable your car alarm so it doesn't disturb your neighbours.

At the Theatre:

1. Keep your lights out.

Driving at the theatre with your headlights on does two things. First, the extra light makes it difficult to see the screen. Second, it's super bright and will hurt everyone's eyes after they have adjusted to the dark. Turning on your interior lights creates the same problem although on a smaller scale. This extends to people not watching the movie. We had a situation where the car in front of us obviously ran down their battery and another car drove in to give them a jump. The problem is they drove in with their lights on, shined them directly at us while getting into position, and left them on for the duration of the charging.

2. Try not to leave during the movie.

I know there can be circumstances that would cause you to need to leave early but try to avoid it. Even if you turn your lights off immediately after starting your car it will still be a major distraction for those still enjoying the movie.

3. Obey the policy on pets.

Not all drive-in allow pets but some do. But, that doesn't mean you should bring every dog to the movies. We're looking forward to a time when we can take our dog but right now he gets bored easily and when he's bored he gets into stuff and whines, all of which would be disturbing to people around us. Likewise, if you have a dog that barks a lot or isn't great around strangers or other dogs it's probably not a great idea to bring them to the drive-in. However, if you have a quiet dog who's content to hang out at your feet for a few hours by all means enjoy a night out with your favorite canine companion.

We made sure we took Gil on an extra long walk before we left so he was tuckered out and ready to sleep. Then when we came home, even though it was nearly 1am, we let him out of the kennel to play for 45 minutes or so before going back to bed. I'm pretty sure he forgives us because before this he never wanted to get in the car but after that walk in the park he tried to get in the truck twice today.