Well, my Tribeca experience started off on an exciting foot after being the fourth person of the last group of desperate line-waiters hoping to see Akeelah and the Bee. But surprisingly, my experience was even more rewarding when I learned this past Monday how nice and trusting New Yorkers can be. Before the alarms are sounded, I must explain that I pre-purchased several tickets in anticipation of the event. My purchasing habits have been known to be impulsive and overly zealous, and Tribeca screening bookings proved to be no exception.

Scrolling through the movie selections, I managed to tap 6 with serious restraint, doubling up movies on opening weekend and leaving room in between each listing to catch panel discussions. All this the weekend of finals! Needless to say, I didn’t manage to catch a single weekend film.

No matter. I took my credit card confirmation email in my bag with me to work on Monday and decided after class I would go straight to the theatre at ten. Only on the way to the Union Square cinema did I realize my confirmation asked me to pick up all my tickets uptown. There was no way I could get uptown and back downtown in time for Hammer and Tickle: The Communist Joke Book. I bit my lip and headed to the entrance hoping for the best. The Tribeca volunteers at the cinema one-upped that.

First, I learned that my envelope full of tickets traveled to each location as I failed to pick them up. Whatever movie I had scheduled in the city; the tickets would be there beforehand waiting. How lovely. I pitied the organizers behind such an endeavor, as I’m sure some impulsive shoppers such as myself had even triple or quadruple booked around town in one day. But then again, they probably picked up their tickets before their first screening, and not their fifth. To add icing to the cake, however, my ticket envelope appeared to be missing. The volunteer took me by the hand, lead me right up to the room’s door, and let me in anyways.

I could have forced a confirmation easily, and there’s something suspicious about someone who has missed all their movies thus far and who appears to not actually have a ticket envelope. Still, the experience was pleasant, hassle free, and my tickets were accidentally routed to my following day’s screening downtown where they were still waiting for me before viewing Black Sun.

Film first impressions to come!