Audio Video News

Most of us have had to return videos to the rental store, sometimes making a mad dash late at night while still in our loungewear or worse. But if you thought nobody was noticing, think again.

A recent survey of Blockbuster store managers reveals a frightening picture: frequent sightings of customers returning videos late at night in everything from pajamas, bathrobes, and curlers to bunny slippers and shower caps. Other reports offer more tantalizing visuals: customers wearing gorilla suits and glow-in-the-dark boxer shorts, some even "streaking" to the drop box from their cars.

While it's obviously entertaining for Blockbuster employees to see the wide range of attire worn by customers returning videos, the company hopes to reduce the need for customers to embarrass themselves with a new 12-hour extension for returning videos. Rentals are now due back to retail locations by noon the next day instead of by midnight the previous evening.

Blockbuster's Nigel Travis explains that "when we surveyed our customers, we found that 37% said they had forgone at least one rental occasion in the past three months as a result of inconvenience issues. In addition, over 50% of our members said they incurred extended viewing fees because they didn't want to go out late to return their tape. We really appreciate our customers' efforts to be on time, so we have eliminated the need for late-night trips to the video store in pajamas and who knows what else."

For the record, customers have been seen returning videos in: a gorilla suit (not on Halloween), flippers, shorts during a blizzard, a towel only, glow-in-the-dark boxer shorts, lots of pajamas, robes, curlers and slippers, just a coat, a Dr. Seuss hat (and nothing else), prom dresses, wedding dresses, bikinis, and a cowboy outfit complete with hat, chaps, and spurs.