Theater features great news for teens

Thanks, Galaxy, for letting the teens back in.

The Carson City theater set a policy Feb. 15 that barred minors from weekend movies after 6 p.m. unless accompanied by an adult. That quickly became one of the hottest issues the city has seen in months, with many adults giving their approval to the move after experiencing rude behavior by children, and many teens and their parents protesting that the policy eliminates one of their few options for entertainment on weekends.

But who could blame the theater ... the problem was real and they'd had to give refunds to customers because of fights or bad behavior. It was a classic example of a few people spoiling it for the majority. The age-old teen institutions of seeing a movie with friends or taking a date there on the weekends was in jeopardy.

It's likely that many of those teens would have instead driven to Reno, a trip that's not always safe for inexperienced drivers, especially when inclement weather can set in quickly.

Now the theater has come up with an idea that just might make everyone happy. It's called a privilege pass and, once signed by a parent or guardian, it allows teens in unaccompanied who agree to follow rules of common courtesy. Teens who violate the rules will lose their privileges.

We're still troubled to think there's a segment of teenagers - albeit a small one - who are so deficient in common courtesy that this policy was necessary in the first place, and we urge parents to do what they can to make sure their children are not among them.

As for the Galaxy, the business has proven it's a part of the community, and Carson City is a better place because of it.

• This editorial represents the view of the Nevada Appeal Editorial Board