Cell phones and movie theaters... I've had enough

The BBQ Pit
#1

So I went to see “The Rookie” last night. Even though the theater was mostly empty, there was at least one person who recieved a call and proceeded to carry on a conversation. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FILM.

It seems incredible that more than 50% of the movies I see are interrupted by these idiots. Last week, one bitch behind me actually made multiple calls!

What the hell is wrong with these people? I leave my cell in the car… Setting aside the rudeness factor, which I would think would be enough to prompt one to turn the damn thing off, I don’t want to be disturbed in the middle of a movie.

I’ve had enough. Next time it happens, I’m not going to sit quietly. Either I’ll tell the idiot to turn the thing off, or I’ll make a point to complain to the staff and have them at least humiliated (although I think the concept of shame would be lost on these idiots), or hopefully ejected.

#2

This is why I like M&M’s at the movies. Because you can’t see them flying in the dark.

Seriously, though last week I went to see Ice Age with my wife and BIL, and there were two people sitting next to me, each of whom had cell phones. They proceeded to talk into them throughout the previews, which was cool, because I had seen most of the previews already.

Not only does the chick next to me keep jiggling her leg (and by extension, my seat), but in the middle of the movie, both cell phones ring simultaneously. I’d had enough. I stood up, flicked on my super-bright compact police flashlight, and said. “Excuse me. I paid eight dollars to see the animated adventures of Pleistoscene mammals, not listen to your conversation. Please take it outside or I’ll get the usher.”

You’ve never seen a more dejected slink out of the theatre. I even got applause.

#3

Yeah, those people make me so mad I feel like whipping out my phone and calling the manager to complain… uh, wait a minute…

Truly, how hard is it to turn the damn thing off for a couple hours? I’ve had a couple cell phones, and by george, there’s been a power switch on both of them. THEY TURN OFF.

#4

Or, if you are soooooooooooooooooo fucking important you must leave your cellphone on to take those oh so important calls –

Turn the fucker to “vibrate”, sit on the aisle seat, and get your high-falautin’ ass out to the lobby when you get buzzed!

#5

Last night, I was at a violin concert in a very small auditorium. Two fuckin’ cell phones went off during the performance.

At least when a cell phone goes off during the movie, it’s only going to distract the audience! If I were that violinist I would have shoved those cell phones up those people’s respective asses!

Oh well, that’s suburban LA for you, where babies are born with cell phones already permanently attached to their bodies. :mad:

#6

I was in London last Dec and went to see The Vagina Monologues. During the “moaning” monologue, right at the, um, climax of the scene, someone’s cell started going off. The actress, without missing a beat or stepping out of character, yelled “Shut off your fucking mobile phone!” at the top of her lungs.

There was sustained applause.

#7

I have a similar story to telemark. A while back, I had gone to see a movie with a bunch of friends, one of whom was a no-bullshit kinda guy. Near the beginning of the movie, less than fifteen minutes in, someone’s cell went off. It was answered, and the person who had it quickly said “I can’t talk right now, I’m at a movie.”

“Well,” I think, “that person just forgot, and now he’s turned it off.”

Wrong-O. A few minutes later, cell goes off again (same one… I could tell by the ring) and the same thing happens. A couple sentences of chatter, then “I’ll call you back, I’m at a movie.”

“Get a clue, pal,” thinks I. “Turn off the cell phone.”

Things are going good… another half-hour passes, we’re enjoying the movie… then, during a tense moment in the action… Ri-i-i-i-ing!! (Actually, it was playing one of those obnoxiously obnoxious "Theme to something or other that sounds like it’s being played on the 8-bit Nintendo). But before it could be answered, the no-bullshit guy with us jumps up, turns around (he was a big, imposing guy) and screams, “Turn off the fucking cell phone!”

He got applause, too.

#8

God, I wanted to shout this today. I was performing a wedding this afternoon when someone’s phone went off while I was reciting the vows for the bride and groom. “Fine, it happens, no big deal,” I thought, but then this motherfucker not only answers the phone, he then proceeds to have a goddamn conversation! I swear, even if it gets me fired, I’m going to stop the wedding the next time this happens!

#9

I’m not a violent person but man after reading these post I just want to kill something!:mad:

#10

In the cinema I frequent they have an auto-block on cellphones - they just don’t work inside the cinema (no reception).

I think this is a great idea. At first I though it was a bit unfair on people that really have to have (vibrating) pagers on, such as doctors. But then there is probably an arrangment whereby they could leave the pager on reception and have a cinema staffmember come inside to alert them to an emergency call.

#11

Unfortunately, jammers are illegal in a lot of areas - think it has something to do with "fair airwaves"usage. Seen them advertised on a web site - wish they had directionals so you jam anyone driving with a cell phone (illegal in NYS, but not enforced enough)

#12

I’m surprised at how many people so far have taken your side. Last week I came in here bitching about a guy who VERY LOUDLY caughed, hacked, and damn near puked through 2 & a 1/2 hours of “We were soldiers”, and a couple of folks got on my ass because I dared to suggest I get mild revenge on the turd by calling him up and coughing in the phone.:rolleyes: A revenge technique I actually made in jest.

This world is full of fucking assholes. Assholes who won’t be quiet in a movie theater, or even a fucking library!:mad:. Nothing is sacred to these fuckers! What needs to happen is, these fuckers need to be beaten until they beg for death. A couple of publicized cases of that, and theaters & libraries would return to SHHHHHHHHHHUSSSSSSHED areas.

#13

This is one of my greatest pet peeves. It’s the kind of rudeness that makes me want to physically assault the user of the phone. A good punch in the nose, a punch to the stomach, and while they’re on the ground writhing in pain, I snatch the cell phone and dash it to pieces!

However, any asshole who would use a phone in a theater is no doubt not worth the incarceration that would follow soonthereafter. So, I think I’ll try what others have already done: scream at them in the theater and embarass them. Man…now I want it to happen so I can do it.

I have more respect for Fred Phelps than I do people who use cell phones in theaters. And that’s really saying something.

#14

Oh blow me, pkbites. People were flaming you because you said things like how you and your kids laughed at the thought that the fucker might have lung cancer and was going to die soon.

Get a fucking life, you moron.

#15

First of all, I never said I laughed at him. I didn’t laugh at all. Iwas pissed. Second of all, my kids started laughing because every time they tried to start enjoying the movie this fuck started gaging again. He was gagging and coughing louder than most people cam yell. Their movie experience was ruined. They were not laughing at the thought of this guy having cancer, they were laughing because every moment they thought he was done making a God foresaken racket, he’d start up again. You were not there, and have no idea how beligerant this guy became when other patrons & the manager asked him to stop it or leave. He was extremely hostile. Perhaps they were laughing out of embarassment for him. I know my yougest didn’t start laughing until my older son made a face at him. Brothers will be brothers.

But talking about getting a life. You need to stop defending assholes like this. What’s your story now? Maybe the person in the theater with the cell phone was getting a life or death call? Maybe they’re a doctor on call and MUST have their phone on at all times? Somehow you’ll manage to defend this person with the cell phone. You see, without people like you sticking up for them, assholes who bring cell phones to movie theaters would cease.
Are you a criminal lawyer or something? You need to stop defending the bad guys!

#16

OG SMASH CELLPHONE!

#17

Guin: I remember that thread. After the issue of pk “hunting down” the coughing asshole was resolved (he wasn’t really going to do that) then the main issue was discussed.

This guy was an asshole who wouldn’t leave the theatre after everyone - including management - asked him to do so. Few defended that, except for one Doper (can’t remember his name at the moment) who was having a “drama queen” moment. It didn’t wash, though.

In a movie theatre, the viewing pleasure of the many usually outweigh the viewing pleasure of the few. The coughing/cellphone assholes can just go somewhere else to cough or chat on the phone, it is not mandatory for them to cough or talk on the phone while in a movie theatre. They need to take it outside. There is no reason why the rest of us have to tolerate that. The world does not revolve around people with cell phones, or people who need to hack up a loogy.

#18

I think both those situations just come down to basic rudeness and assholeism. I carry both a pager and a cell phone, but they get left in the car while I’m in a movie or at the library. It only takes one jerk who has no class to ruin the experience for everyone else.

#19

I’m surprised we haven’t yet heard from the “BUT WHAT IF THAT MAN IS A HEART SURGEON OR SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL AN AMBULANCE” crowd.
Someday common courtesy will be fashionable again.

#20

I hope so. Not brining a cell phone or page into the movies is such a simple thing to do. Not talking real loud in a library is another thing that’s east to do. (I’m in the lbrary about once a week or so, and am shocked at how loud and obnoxious adults are talking amd carrying on. A library for God’s sake. is nothing sacred?)

On rare occassion I like to have a cigar (I don’t smoke otherwise). I am completely conscious of the fact that the smell of these things offends people, even people who smoke cigaretters, so when I have one, I act proper and make sure I’m not gagging people with it. This is common sense coutesy.

But I don’t know who’s worse, people who are extremely rude for no reason, or people like Guinastasia who defend rude people, and then attack us proper folks who get pissed off at the rudeness.