I’m not defending the coughing guy-FWIW, I think he was a jerk too-especially if he went out when he was sick and spread it to everyone else.
I’m saying that don’t pull that, “Oh, everyone hates me,” bit.
Yeesh.
Oh. mobile phones are great. I was sitting in on a computer meeting once and one guy (the flashy exec type, with all the toys) had his phone go off, he takes it out, says “sorry, im in a meeting, yeah…i ll call you back…etc” before being asked to turn off his phone, which he does.
15 mins later, his OTHER phone goes off.
People using them in bookshops really get me too. Thats why i really like our local bookshops (Blackwells and Borders) because they are in huge concrete buildings and no phones work inside them.
I don’t answer my call waiting either, unless I am in fact expecting a very, very important call. Otherwise, I just check the caller ID when I’m finished with my call and call back the other party. I think it’s be terribly rude to be talking to someone then say, “oh, someone else wants to talk to me, goodbye”. By the way, Guinastasia, I had told my two sons to knock off the laughing. Not because I thought is was bad to laugh at the gag-ster, but because I thought they were adding to the annoyance of the others in the audience.
I admit I once forgot to turn off my cell phone in a movie theater and it rang. I grabbed my coat and basically sat on it to muffle the ringing (because I knew if I went hunting for it it would be worse) and did not attempt to answer it - that’s what voicemail is for. (As my mother always says, “If it’s important, they’ll call back.”) I’m so ashamed! 
And if every live theater company would simply make the announcement at the beginning of performances, they’d get a lot more applause (as every time they have, everyone does, indeed, applaud). It amazes me that places don’t always do this nowadays.
Esprix
Esprix , I haven’t heard such an announcement at out theaters yet. but I like the idea and I just may write to them andask them to start doing it.