Mouse Traps Save Movie Night
MOUSE TRAPS — Cole Pauley, a 42-year-old movie enthusiast from Waco, Texas, loves taking his 15-year-old daughter to watch films at their local Cinemark theater, a family tradition they enjoy together.
For weeks, they had been repeatedly watching the sequel to Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco. However, their favorite cinema had developed a serious rat problem, attracting complaints from moviegoers and visits from health inspectors. The infestations had become so severe that some patrons reported rats sneaking into their food and drinks, causing panic and disgust.
Cole, who works as a vice president at a construction firm, suspected that the rats were displaced due to nearby construction projects, which drove them into the theater despite the strong scent of popcorn. Concerned for his daughter’s safety and the overall movie experience, Cole decided to take matters into his own hands.
Following a coworker’s suggestion, he brought mouse traps with him on their next visit. He placed one trap under his chair and another under his daughter’s, each baited with cheese sticks. While his daughter was understandably uneasy about sitting above a trap, Cole was determined to protect them from potential encounters with the rodents while enjoying their snacks.
The effort paid off: one of the rats was successfully caught, allowing Cole and his daughter to watch the movie without interruptions. He shared the experience on Facebook, posting a photo of the trapped rat with a humorous caption noting that the loudest jump scare that day came not from the film but from his intervention.
Following this incident, Cinemark issued a statement promising to address the rat problem quickly, partnering with pest control specialists to maintain cleanliness and ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for patrons. Cole expressed pride that his quick thinking may have helped prevent a potential health inspection shutdown, emphasizing his desire to protect the theater for the community. He also jokingly noted that he might be the first moviegoer to bring mouse traps to a rat-infested cinema, combining ingenuity with a father’s dedication to ensuring a safe, uninterrupted movie night for his daughter.