|
|
This topic comprises 9 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Idiots who text at the movies
|
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 02-24-2009 02:03 PM
The problem with zero-tolerance policies is that they only deter regular customers. If someone shows up at a theater for the first time and his cell phone rings in the auditorium, he's already disturbed the audience before he can be tossed out.
The "cell phone check" policy could be made to work like a "coat check" at a restaurant. Customer gives phone to attendant and attendant gives him a claim ticket. No claim ticket, no phone. Yes, it would be a pain in the ass. No, it would not stop people from smuggling in their cell phones. It would be better than what 99% or existing theatres are doing at the moment, however. It would also send a message that the theatre in question is concerned about maintaining a distraction-free environment for its patrons.
The real solution to this problem is to redesign the way in which cell phones work, such that theatres, restaurants, and other establishments where cell phone use is not permitted could install a device to broadcast a "cell phone use not permitted" signal. The phones would "listen" for this signal and, if present, would not ring, light up, or allow outgoing or incoming calls (except, perhaps, for 911). Unfortunately, this sort of solution is not really in the interest of the phone manufacturers or service providers. It would also only be effective if every phone supported it and, even then, would take a number of years before existing phones were replaced with newer models.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 02-25-2009 10:44 AM
quote: Rick Raskin
I'd be curious to learn just how many complaints you folks on the ground level actually receive.
I'd be curious if anyone here has taken the opportunity to monitor the situation for themselves in their theaters for a week to see what, if any, problems are happening in their theaters.
I think a concerted effort by a theater to assess the situation, take whatever measures they feel necessary to inform and enforce, and then re-assess the situation, would be successful and would be welcomed by a majority of patrons.
I don't think the disruption of a theater manager throwing someone out for using a cell phone would be objectionable to a majority of people because they know that the theater is trying to do something about the problem. The hope would be that such disruptions will decrease over time as everyone gets the hint that such behavior will not be tolerated.
One personal experience that I would like to convey about having to use a cell phone in a theater happened in the past two weeks. My mother-in-law was very sick with the ending stages of terminal cancer and the family had gathered at her home to be there with her. I had taken my two young girls up to my brother's house so that they wouldn't have to be there, but due to some scheduling conflicts, I needed to pick them up. On the way back to my in-laws' house, my wife called and said that I shouldn't bring the kids back to the house because of the activity that was going on there.
The area that we were in had very little as far as options for occupying two kids for a couple of hours, so I chose to take them to see a movie. Near the end of the movie, I did get a call from my wife, but I had the phone on vibrate and I went to the hallway exit area to speak with her (while needing to keep an eye on my girls). The call was short, and we were on the end of the aisle, so the disruption was no more than what there would be for someone going to the bathroom or getting concessions. This was a kids movie, so I don't think that my actions were any less distracting than the 3 year old from behind us who was walking up and down the stairs through the whole movie.
Perhaps I could have chosen a different activity, but my options were limited. I felt that going to see a kids' movie would provide them with a distraction (the oldest knew what was going on), and the audience at such a movie would be more forgiving than if we were seeing an adult-oriented movie.
As a result, the theater received $25 worth of ticket and concession revenue (one adult and two children, for a matinee -- ouch!). If a manager had approached me about using my cell phone in the exit hallway, I would have explained my situation and told him that I would be willing to leave if they felt it was too disruptive to other patrons. I took great care to avoid that, but I would have respected their position as well.
I don't think what I did was wrong, but I'm sure that some here do. I bring this up to throw some water on the discussion about zero-tolerance and blocking cell phone signals and such.
I think a theater manager needs to exercise good judgement with his/her customers so that overall, everyone has a positive experience at his/her theater. That good judgement requires a personal level of interaction that I think is missing in far too many theaters these days, and some of the results of which are the problems that are being discussed in this thread.
Good judgement will immediately recognize the difference between an adult getting an important phone call once during a movie, and a teenager with his feet up, texting, talking, and otherwise disturbing other patrons. You will know which people will give you trouble as they file into the theater, and just by making eye contact with them as they enter, you'll reduce the issues proactively.
I encourage all theater managers to try the assess - inform/enforce - re-assess process and report back here your experiences.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
Master Film Handler
Posts: 405
From: Canton, MI, USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 02-25-2009 11:16 AM
Scott, in that (pretty unique) situation, if I thought your phone use may pose a disruption, I would probably have offered to supervise the children for a moment while you went out. I think omnipresent cell phones and their use are a plague on mankind, but not all cell phone use is made equal. If such extenuating circumstances exist, it is the responsibility of the patron to act in such a way as falls in line with the rules and norms of the theater, or make every effort, or else face the same punishment. But also, theaters and employees must understand that a human touch is a necessary part of their business, and judging situations on their own merits is part of the game.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Chad Souder
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 962
From: Waterloo, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000
|
posted 02-25-2009 01:10 PM
quote: John Hawkinson
I mean, even in our theatre, I often have trouble finding the person with the cell phone because the light goes out before I can make it to the right row. And that's when I was watching in the room the whole time.
Yes, exactly, thank you for supporting the point I was trying to make earlier about how reactive measures just do not work. Even with someone watching the whole time, in every auditorium, it happens so quickly you just may not get there in time.
I experienced the same thing several times during the weekend opening Friday the 13th. No tolerance, kicking people out after the fact, whatever you want to call it, it does not work. It has nothing to do with "the balls of the staff". If you can't catch people, the balls never get called into question.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
Master Film Handler
Posts: 405
From: Canton, MI, USA
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 02-25-2009 11:54 PM
Chad, no one is saying the current situation is ideal. What I, at least, am saying is that I haven't seen a viable proactive measure. Unless I've missed some suggestion in here, I have detailed why none of these ideas will work. The phone check idea is voluntary and thus won't work, the searches are insanely intrusive and labor intensive and won't work, and interfering with the device is illegal, at least in the United States, where most members here live and work.
Although, I suppose you could flood the theater with blinding light so they can't see the screens of their phones.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 9 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic