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Movie theaters may ask to jam cell phones
- Thread starter Stella
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My two cents on this:
If you're an emergency worker and you MUST be reachable by cellphone or pager, stay the hell out of movie theatres. And as far as having someone in the theatre to escort out anyone who fires up a phone, that's no good, either. It removes the cause of the problem, but it does not eliminate the EFFECT of the problem, to whit: I've now missed part of the movie.
A movie is a continuous experience... it doesn't stop when/if you go to the bathroom, and it's not possible to rewind it if some jerk's cellphone rings and distracts everyone momentarily. Ergo, any disruption causes irreparable harm to the experience. I don't want ANY cellphones ringing in the theatre, period. For that matter, I want all cellphones OFF or pocketed, since their lighted up displays are just as annoying as a phone ringing.
As long as a movie theatre posts a sign at the auditorium door that says "Cellphones will NOT work in this auditorium during the performance. You have been warned.", I don't think ANYONE would have a leg to stand on with respect to suing the theatre. A theatre is a private establishment and they have the right to control/determine how things operate inside.
I, for one, am all for cellphone jammers in movie theatres. It sure would encourage me to go to the movies more often if I could be assured of zero cellphone disruptions.
If you're an emergency worker and you MUST be reachable by cellphone or pager, stay the hell out of movie theatres. And as far as having someone in the theatre to escort out anyone who fires up a phone, that's no good, either. It removes the cause of the problem, but it does not eliminate the EFFECT of the problem, to whit: I've now missed part of the movie.
A movie is a continuous experience... it doesn't stop when/if you go to the bathroom, and it's not possible to rewind it if some jerk's cellphone rings and distracts everyone momentarily. Ergo, any disruption causes irreparable harm to the experience. I don't want ANY cellphones ringing in the theatre, period. For that matter, I want all cellphones OFF or pocketed, since their lighted up displays are just as annoying as a phone ringing.
As long as a movie theatre posts a sign at the auditorium door that says "Cellphones will NOT work in this auditorium during the performance. You have been warned.", I don't think ANYONE would have a leg to stand on with respect to suing the theatre. A theatre is a private establishment and they have the right to control/determine how things operate inside.
I, for one, am all for cellphone jammers in movie theatres. It sure would encourage me to go to the movies more often if I could be assured of zero cellphone disruptions.
I wonder if cell-phone jamming will drop the price enough for me to feel inclined to go to a theater to watch anything other than EPIC releases at a typical public theater. My guess is...no...there's no relation.
How many times have I been interupted by a cell phone ringing during my continuous experience at a theater? I can't seem to recall, because any memory of cell-phone or pager interruptions has been erased completely by the memories of crying-infants, giggliing teenagers and people with golf-ball-sized bladders (like me) that have to get up 3 times during the movie.
If they jam cell phones for my comfort in movie theaters I hope they also provide a separate theater for viewing by teenagers and families with new babies, then add a fluid disposal system (theater trunks?) for people like me. Wait...and maybe a special seating area for people that don't bathe regularly. We can have them share space with people that wear too much fragrance (always important to impress one's fellow viewers). Then there are the hat wearers, the tall-people-that-sit-up-too-straight-in-their-seats, the foot-proppers, the kickers, the drink spillers, and the open-mouthed-popcorn-eaters. We need to decide what to do with them too.
Cell phones on vibrate are the least of my concerns when trying to enjoy a film out, but then I'm too distracted by all of the other inconsiderate ****'s to notice a medical professional discretely leaving the theater.
No..I don't own/carry a cell phone or pager. No, I'm not a medical professional, nor am I married to one.
How many times have I been interupted by a cell phone ringing during my continuous experience at a theater? I can't seem to recall, because any memory of cell-phone or pager interruptions has been erased completely by the memories of crying-infants, giggliing teenagers and people with golf-ball-sized bladders (like me) that have to get up 3 times during the movie.
If they jam cell phones for my comfort in movie theaters I hope they also provide a separate theater for viewing by teenagers and families with new babies, then add a fluid disposal system (theater trunks?) for people like me. Wait...and maybe a special seating area for people that don't bathe regularly. We can have them share space with people that wear too much fragrance (always important to impress one's fellow viewers). Then there are the hat wearers, the tall-people-that-sit-up-too-straight-in-their-seats, the foot-proppers, the kickers, the drink spillers, and the open-mouthed-popcorn-eaters. We need to decide what to do with them too.
Cell phones on vibrate are the least of my concerns when trying to enjoy a film out, but then I'm too distracted by all of the other inconsiderate ****'s to notice a medical professional discretely leaving the theater.
No..I don't own/carry a cell phone or pager. No, I'm not a medical professional, nor am I married to one.
I hope this leads to a renaissance where these celebrities bloated paychecks cease to exist and then film turns into a true art form; indie scene flourishes. I loved Jon Stewart's jab at this when he hosted the oscars.
I see your point, but I'd point out that all of those other hazards you mentioned (crying babies, seat-kickers, etc.) have ALWAYS been a problem, because they're all people.cyberddot said:
Cellphones, on the other hand, are a technological annoyance in movie theatres... so a technological solution should be used to eliminate said annoyance.
As far as people go... well, babies shouldn't be in movie theatres, except in designated "infant-friendly" shows where no one really cares if someone's crying. And stadium seating is rapidly eliminating the problem of sitting behind a very tall person (unless you are VERY short and there's an NBA player sitting right in front of you).
clayj said:
The cell phones aren't the evil either, the people using them are the problem, right? Guns don't kill people, it's the irate and armed movie goers that do the killing! Mob rules. Give us all pause buttons so the appropriate action can be taken with/on/to the given offender before the movie resumes.
Actually, with a few exceptions, I usually find the audiences in the movies that I attend to be considerate of their fellow viewers. $9 for a movie is enough to make most people here quiet for up to 3 hours.
I need to dig up those tin-foil had plans, then.emw said:But it's not just paint - it's nanotechnology.
stonyc said:
Exactly.
Stella said:
If you're on-call, you can still be in a cinema and be available. They just keep their phones on vibrate. I'm sure you haven't even noticed an emergency worker get a call in a cinema.
They're volunteer. Telling them that they can't go out would deter people from their volunteer position.
Enforcement of the rules would suffice, just like enforcement of any rule, and laws. If they kicked more people out, this wouldn't be a problem.
ChrisBrightwell said:
Exactly.
Like others have said, jamming cell phones treats the symptom, not the cause. Rude people are the problem, not cell phones. I've had significantly more movie experiences ruined y @sshats that can't ****, irritating teenagers, and/or babies crying (who brings a baby to a rated R horror film?) than I have by cell phones.
Lethal
Lethal
people are just idiot in the theater. Someone always has to be bothering the rest of the crowd. Personally I dont care if they block cell phones. If you are an emergancy worker and are on call, this is your own fault. And don't play the "they save your life" card. I am thankful they do that but they know their responsibilities. But like I said, if they dont jam cell phones oh well. You have to know that will be a problem going into a movie.
I'm against the cell jamming. Of course I silence my phone in a theatre, and I know there are some rude jerks who just can't.
And its not just about emergencies involving people who are "On the call"
If something was to happen to any of my loved ones, damn right I'd like to know what happened, whether I'm at a movie or not. And jamming cell phones deprive me of such knowledge if something were to happen.
If people start having conversations on their phones, then I'd like them to be escorted out of the theatre where they can talk on for as long as they want without annoying me, or anyone else, without jamming my phone.
If the theaters want to do something about it, then they can simply have workers enforce the rules during the movie. Watching the whole time and making sure everything is in order. Hell, I'm not paying $10 for nothing.
And its not just about emergencies involving people who are "On the call"
If something was to happen to any of my loved ones, damn right I'd like to know what happened, whether I'm at a movie or not. And jamming cell phones deprive me of such knowledge if something were to happen.
If people start having conversations on their phones, then I'd like them to be escorted out of the theatre where they can talk on for as long as they want without annoying me, or anyone else, without jamming my phone.
If the theaters want to do something about it, then they can simply have workers enforce the rules during the movie. Watching the whole time and making sure everything is in order. Hell, I'm not paying $10 for nothing.
Indeed. For example, I can imagine that in a packed cinema there would be quite a few people with children left at home with babysitters, and they'd certainly want to know if there was an emergency. But I hope they'd have the courtesy to have the phone on silent and take the call outside.blaskillet4 said:
cycocelica said:
Yeah, they do know their responsibilities, and not doing anything while on duty isn't one of them. It doesn't mean they can't go watch a movie at this time --- just don't turn on the ringer and keep your mobile on vibrate.
I like how people want to put the responsibility of.......erm....."being responsible" on emergency on-call workers when the people who keep their phones in "ring mode" are the ones being idiots.
Just enforce the rules. This is the way it should be. I mean, if your house was robbed, do you want the police to go try and find the person who did the crime, or would you rather the police come over and tell you to put bars on your windows next time, and then tell you that you're irresponsible?
Stella said:
Talk about putting a band-aid on a terminally ill patient.
I'd say their "falling attendance" is attributed to more than cell phone disturbance. Maybe, outrageous prices for ticket sales and concessions. How about the fact that most movies are available for rent and purchase within 3 months max of the theater release?
At home Pay-per-view, NetFlix, and of course the last straw will be the Apple iMovie Video Store [iMVS]...
Coming to a computer, vPod, and showing on a TV near you [by April 1st]!
Abstract said:
What is "Rather the police come over and tell me to put bars on my windows next time, and then tell me that I'm irresponsible" for $200, Abstract.
YES!!! DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!!
I agree that public safety is a higher priority than hearing a cell phone ring in a theater or elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't trust my life to theater employees to ring 911 for me if there's a genuine emergency, or to locate public safety staff when needed. Frankly, it has been my experience that public safety folks are the most thoughtful of everyone when it comes to paging and cell phone equipment. And really, cut 'em a brake - I wouldn't want to be having a problem and not able to reach the right person because their cell phone or pager was being jammed.
HOWEVER, more stringent enforcement of no cell phone policies for everyday folks would be nice. Given the 20 minutes of commercials and whatnot preceding every movie, and the multiple "turn off your cell phone" notices, I think it's perfectly acceptible to kick out folks with ringing cell phones. It's not like the theater won't still make money - add it as a clause to ticket purchase and print it on the back of every ticket.
I left my cell phone on once at a movie a couple years ago and was mortified when it rang during the show. My own sense of embarassment at that situation makes me double-check that it's off or on vibrate every time I'm in the theater now. However, I'm going to venture a guess that a great many folks simply don't care - BUT being kicked out of a movie would give them pause to reconsider leaving a cell phone on or unchecked.
HOWEVER, more stringent enforcement of no cell phone policies for everyday folks would be nice. Given the 20 minutes of commercials and whatnot preceding every movie, and the multiple "turn off your cell phone" notices, I think it's perfectly acceptible to kick out folks with ringing cell phones. It's not like the theater won't still make money - add it as a clause to ticket purchase and print it on the back of every ticket.
I left my cell phone on once at a movie a couple years ago and was mortified when it rang during the show. My own sense of embarassment at that situation makes me double-check that it's off or on vibrate every time I'm in the theater now. However, I'm going to venture a guess that a great many folks simply don't care - BUT being kicked out of a movie would give them pause to reconsider leaving a cell phone on or unchecked.