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Author Topic: Harkins to ban texting Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-22-2010 08:05 AM                        Jammers and Faraday cages won't solve the problem of people turning on their cell phones periodically (and lighting up the room) to check their messages, sadly. They _would_ solve the issue of ringing telephones, but that seems to be less of a problem now than it was, say, five years ago. The real problem here is that people are rude. Technology won't solve that. I will add that college campus screenings are terrible in this respect. Cell phones turn on all the time, as do laptops, Ipads, and other devices with backlit LCDs. I don't understand why students do not seem to be able to be out of touch with the world for two hours, but it is a real problem (and highly disrespectful of the professor, too).  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-22-2010 08:33 AM                     Back when I was in school the use of a portable electronics device, such as a calculator, in certain classes was strictly forbidden because the device could let you cheat. An Internet capable phone or portable tablet, netbook or notebook would let students cheat in a variety of classes.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-22-2010 11:18 AM                        Scott, you are right, people will "check" to see how important they are, but if signs are conspicuously posted that say something to the effect of: "There is no cellphone reception in this area -- if you must use your cellphone, signal strength is only available in the lobby area." Once they get it thru their texting fingers up to their brains that they just won't get any reception in the auditorium proper, that should deter them. And once it becomes well known that theatres block signals, it should solve the problem. This of course would have to be after the FCC makes it legitimate. Until then, jamming surreptitiously might not prevent texting (you don't need a signal while texting, just to send) but it will prevent conversations, which as hard as it is to believe, still happens more than you would imagine. How anyone doesn't understand how grossly inconsiderate it is to carry on a cellphone conversation while in a movie theatre while the movie is PLAYING is beyond me, but it happens, and often.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 09-22-2010 11:32 AM                     A "White Out" is what Harkins is calling putting a "NTDM" poster up in every poster case. Inside and out, the posters are white and show a sell phone with the letters NTDM on it and a frowny face. Sorry shoulda explained that in the first post.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-22-2010 11:58 AM                        Actually jammers would only work if you could put up a sign saying "Your cellphone WILL NOT WORK in this theatre!" If you had to use a jammer on the sly, then people will probably pull out their phone even more often, trying to see if it's "working yet."  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 09-23-2010 04:02 PM                     For those stuck in the middle of a row, I have thrown a single kernel of popcorn at a person's head. It is usually easier if they have an empty seat next to them. This way, if we miss, it won't hit others.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2010 04:42 PM                        It's tempting to revert to the Rocky Horror method: Blast them with a squirt gun.  |  IP: Logged Mike Rivest Expert Film Handler Posts: 185 From: Montréal QC Canada Registered: Nov 2009 posted 09-23-2010 04:48 PM                     Bobby, Here in Quebec, Cine Enterprise also has an zero tolence policy on phones. http://www.cinentreprise.com/cellulaire.asp (in French)  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-23-2010 09:57 PM                     Very Nice. More theaters need to adopt the same policy.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-23-2010 11:58 PM                        I thought we already had a xero tolerance for cell phones for a long time. To the extent it has worked or not, will be the same extent the zero tolerance works for texting on them. I don't see how it's much different.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-24-2010 08:46 AM                     It's one thing for individuals to have a zero tolerance attitude toward phone use in movie theaters. It's another thing entirely when a theater operation has the balls to specifically announce, publicize and enforce a zero tolerance cell phone policy. A few theaters are taking specific action while the rest of the exhibition industry just sits around wasting time talking about the issue.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 09-27-2010 11:07 AM                        Jamming cell phone signals only treats a symptom, but not the problem. It doesn't stop people from talking loudly and causing other forms of disruptive behavior. Treating the problem by monitoring the auditoriums and dealing with disruptive people seems like a much more effective way of resolving the problem. If you ran a restaurant, and you had a problem with someone talking too loudly on their cell phone, would you block all cell phone signals, or would you approach that one person and ask them to correct their behavior? This subject keeps getting discussed ad nauseum, and I just don't get why monitoring auditoriums isn't a valid solution. Not only does it resolve patron behavior issues, it also allows the theater to proactively find and fix myriad issues with presentation. After a little bit of time doing it, the staff should be very familiar with the auditoriums and when something is off (light bulbs too bright, picture out of focus, blown sound channel) and patrons will see that someone is watching and be less likely to cause disruptions.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 09-27-2010 12:19 PM                        quote: Scott Jentsch Treating the problem by monitoring the auditoriums and dealing with disruptive people seems like a much more effective way of resolving the problem. Am I the only one who gets annoyed by having theater drones walk around the auditorium while the movie is playing? It pisses me off and it is extremely distracting. This is another reason I hate watching movies at the theater. Also, theater drones can't be in there all of the time and they certainly can't hear audience members talking. They may sound loud when they are sitting right behind you or somewhere in your vicinity, but they will not be heard by the usher in the aisle/in front of the screen. It resolves nothing. I have heard people be every bit as obnoxious in auditoriums that were "monitored" as ones that were not. The ONLY thing the theater drones does for the audience, other than distract them from trying to watch the movie they paid to see, is... well actually that's all they do.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-27-2010 02:07 PM                     The reality is many theater chains are hell bent on cutting payroll to the bare minimum. Executives often only want theaters staffed barely enough to take care of the box office, snack counter and auditorium clean-up between shows. The manager or assistant manager may be running upstairs to take care of starting movies as well as subbing for one or more empty positions downstairs. Customer service quality can suffer since an under-staffed theater can have its box office and snack counters hit with long lines and wait times. In that cost cutting environment it's going to be difficult to find the staffing manpower necessary to actively monitor all the auditoriums in a multiplex. Unfortunately for any no tolerance policy on phone use to work ushers would have to periodically check on the auditoriums. Further the theater would probably need some security people handy to remove certain offenders in enforcing the policy. If no one is checking on the audience then certain members of the audience are going to do whatever they want.  |  IP: Logged David Despain Film Handler Posts: 10 From: San Tan Valley, AZ USA Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-27-2010 02:10 PM                     Joe, I would have to agree with you. I have even gone as far as having staff sit in certain movies to keep people in line. I can do theatre checks every 15 min, remove the offending parties, and the problem will continue as soon as I leave the auditorium.  |  IP: Logged

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