Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NYC bans cell phones at movies

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-13-2003, 03:37 AM:

Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.com/news/872092.asp?0cv=CB20

This should be interesting. I wonder how they plan to enforce this... [Smile]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-13-2003, 07:33 AM:

At the very least, a law like this will better allow theatres to take action against patrons that thoughtlessly annoy others talking on their cell phones during a movie, or by not turning off the ringer. New York state has been pretty agressive in ticketing drivers holding cell phones while driving, and I suspect NYC will support theatres in enforcing this law against the more obnoxious cellu-louts. [Smile]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-13-2003, 08:21 AM:

I agree with the sentiment, but do we really need a law for this? Unlike the issue of using a phone while driving an automobile, I can't think of any obvious public health or safety issue that would justify this. Sure, it annoys other people, but so does talking and crunching popcorn too loudly.

If we are going to pass laws to punish people who have bad manners, then why stop with cell phones? Let's start fining women who wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day! [Smile]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-13-2003, 08:27 AM:

I don't really think the police will waste valuable time patrolling theatres looking for violators. But if a theatre has to deal with an unruly patron who refuses to comply with not using their cell phone, it does give them a means of prosecution.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 02-13-2003, 03:11 PM:

I wonder if a law like this would then allow the theaters to use cell phone jamming technology? If it is illegal for people to have cell phones in the theaters with them, than a theater can't get in trouble for jamming phones that are not supose to be there in the first place. It makes for an interesting legal argument anyway.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 02-13-2003, 07:01 PM:

The law takes effect next month, and while it includes a penalty of a $50 fine, proponents expect it to be self-policing, in that
having the law sanctions the public's desire to be free from annoyance. There's no expectation of any significant expense for enforcement.
In my neighborhood almost every dog owner picks up after his pet,
and I never heard of anyone here being cited for failure to observe that law since it was passed. So may it be with the new
cell-phone usage law!
The law applies to stage presentations and movies, but exempts athletic stadiums.

Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 02-13-2003, 11:34 PM:

I think that this whole thing is a squander of lawmaker's time. I don't see any proper ways to enforce it & can't envision wasting the "the system's" time to give someone a ticket for it.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-13-2003, 11:59 PM:

quote:
I wonder if a law like this would then allow the theaters to use cell phone jamming technology? If it is illegal for people to have cell phones in the theaters with them, than a theater can't get in trouble for jamming phones that are not supose to be there in the first place.

...An interesting thought. What I wonder is how this got past the cell phone lobby. They've been pretty aggressive in the 'states, and have been a big part of why we're one of the few (only?) countries where you can only use passive methods of cell phone "jamming".

On the other hand though, New York's mayor did veto it, and the city council had to override it... so maybe the Cell phone industry was putting the pressure on him.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2003, 02:44 AM:

Cell phone jamming would contravene federal regulations, which a municipal government can't overrule. So nope, no jamming for you! [Smile]

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-14-2003, 05:18 AM:

NYC has become the so-called "quality of life" issue city. Trouble is, the government picks and chooses what is and what is not a "quality of life" issue. Evidently not repairing roads that have become pothole-laden obstacle courses ISN'T a quality of life issue (more like a quality of your axel) but arresting guys who want to clean your windshield IS. Having garbage flying all over the streets ISN'T a quality of life issue, but making cab drivers say "Have a Nice Day" IS. But I digress.

There is no question that police aren't going to patrol theatres (although this might not be a bad idea) looking for cell phone violators, but as Gerard mentions, it is more of a self-policing thing. People are more apt to be conscious of an action that is "illegal." Scott asks if we need a law for this. Well, while I was sitting in front of a woman who was describing in detail all the action of the entire film THE MATRIX to a friend on her cell phone, I sure would have liked to have a such a law to back up my...."Hey lady, will you get off the freakin phone and watch the damn movie?!"

As for jamming cell phone signals, that's still an FCC no-no, but the FCC can easily change its regulatory mind, especially if more states make it illegal. Then there is passive blocking, which isn't illegal -- material that, as I understand it, can be added to building materials and even to paint (wasn't that discussed on this forum some time back?) that can prevent cell signals from getting into the auditorium.

The theatre would probably have to post that information, that cell phones will not work in the theatre proper, to avoid liability from, say, doctors or other emergency personnel who rely on cell phones and would be sitting there in a "treated" theatre, not realizing that they couldn't be reached by the outside world.

Whatever did we do before cell phones? You would think we came out of the womb with these things attached to the side of our heads.

Frank

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 02-14-2003, 05:23 AM:

Scott -tsk tsk tsk!

The 'no white shoes after Labor Day & before Easter' fashion rule is now not only out-moded, but also non-existant!

...

On another note about bad manners / rule-breaking…
One thing that really gets my goat is driving down the highway at night, ahead of someone who leaves less than two car lengths between my back bumber and their front bumper, and decides that leaving their "brights" on is the thing to do! [Mad]

And they never seem to take notice of me indicating my annoyance with the ever-useful hand gesture-> [fu]

Maybe I'd be less aggravated over such boneheaded things if my [eyes]

weren't so amazingly sensitive to light, but it can't be helped. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 02-14-2003, 09:50 AM:

About a month ago my wife and I saw "Catch Me If You Can" at a local Loews Cineplex theatre. Prior to the feature they ran the customary coming attractions and policy trailers, among which the hi-lite was a cell phone policy trailer that we think was put out by Cingular Wireless. It was funny but also gets the point across.

The trailer starts with a shot of a movie auditorium, from the perspective of looking from back to front toward the screen. The movie is in progress and you suddenly hear the annoying sound of a cell phone ringing. A guy in the front row answers his cell phone loudly, then launches into a chatty conversation. Suddenly he is catapulted out of his seat and slams into the screen before sliding down onto the floor below seat level. The on-screen audience then cheers as text copy appears saying something to the effect of, "Cell Phone Ejector Seats. Coming Soon To Theatres Everywhere!" The live audience in our auditorium also laughed and cheered!

Has anybody else seen this trailer? It does a good job of pointing out how annoying cell phones are in movie theatres, while still maintaining a sense of humor about the issue.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-14-2003, 10:23 AM:

There was an incident in Edinburgh just after Christmas in the 'no mobile 'phones' area of a restaurant. A yobbish executive type was screaming away into his, finished his conversation and got up to go to the loo. When he returned, he noticed that his mobile 'phone had disappeared from the table. A few minutes later the chef appeared and presented him with the 'phone - deep fried in batter with a salad garnish! [Big Grin]

I would love to do something similar with people who ignore the 'no mobile 'phones' carriage on trains, namely chuck the offending 'phones out of the window while travelling at 120mph. Even better; chuck out their owners, too.

This rule is so widely ignored that the only way you could enforce it is either to employ policemen whose only job is to arrest offenders (and frankly, I'd prefer them to be catching murderers and drug dealers), or a technical solution, i.e. legalise the use of signal blockers. I wish they would do the latter and that blockers would be widely installed in mobile-free areas of restaurants, trains and cinemas.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 02-14-2003, 11:19 AM:

Your missing the point. It may be a FCC violation to jam cell phones, but the point of my legal argument is that if it is illegal to have a cell phone in a theater (or at least have it on), then a theater's management could not get into trouble for having a jammer because legally there should be no signals to jam. In essance all a theater would be doing is enforcing the law. This is what we call a legal loophole. It is an unintended benefit for theaters when such a law is passed.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-14-2003, 11:59 AM:

Gracia,

Just slow down. Don't decrease your speed quickly and don't hit the brake, just ease off the gas a touch. I always find it amusing how long people will actually ride your bumper before they realize just how slow they are going. I've gotten down to 35MPH before on a 60MPH single lane highway with no car anywhere in sight before they woke up from their driving coma and passed.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2003, 12:03 PM:

The only legal way, even with a law banning cell phones, would be to build your auditoriums in a way that prevents cell phone signals from penetrating the structure. Using a couple feet of steel reinforced concrete would be a good way.

'Jamming' the signal, which would require you to broadcast your own signal on the same frequencies that the cell phones use, would be illegal since you would be broadcasting without a license.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-14-2003, 12:45 PM:

Again, some enterprising company should build a device that detects the "handshake" (locating) signal of any cell phone operating in close proximity to it, sounding an alarm. Such a device next to the ticket-taker would allow theatre personnel to politely ask for the customer to turn the cell phone OFF before entering the theatre.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2003, 12:48 PM:

Now that's a darned good idea.

Goes to tear apart cell phone to assemble detector parts...

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 02-14-2003, 02:05 PM:

Brad - actually, what I tend to do in that situation is slow down. Now I'm no speed freak either, particularly driving at night on the highway, knowing that deer & moose will wander out onto the road.

What I really need is a bumper sticker that states something to the effect of: "If you can read this, you're too close!"
...And of course, the font would have to be kind of small...

Posted by John Moriarty (Member # 1153) on 02-14-2003, 02:29 PM:

quote:
Again, some enterprising company should build a device that detects the "handshake" (locating) signal of any cell phone operating in close proximity to it, sounding an alarm. Such a device next to the ticket-taker would allow theatre personnel to politely ask for the customer to turn the cell phone OFF before entering the theatre.

A fine idea, but the difficulty would be persuading the phone to handshake at the right moment (they don't normally check in too often, so you would be very lucky if it checked in as they passed the ticket taker).

The only ideas I have had for getting round this problem would be either:

Install a micro mobile phone base station next to your detector and as it comes into range it should (if I understand how they work) check in. This is probably a non-starter as it would be very expensive and almost certainly require a transmitter.
Make them walk through an area that has no signal, so there phone checks in when they come out. Quite how big this would have to be to work I'm not sure, but there shouldn't be any problem.

As regards detecting phones, my PC speakers occasionally pick the handshake up when I'm sat at my desk, so it can't be too difficult to detect.
More plausible (I think) would be a system in the auditorium which detects and localises a phone (whilst handskaing or making/recieving a call). I guess you would you use direction finding recievers or look at phase diff's between recievers. Then you could identify the offender for suitable punishment at an appropriate point. I quite like the idea of a localised sprinkler system. [Wink]

It also occured to me whilst writing this that if the handshake contains the telephone number of the handset you could phone them and ask them to turn their phone off.

John

P.S. Sorry that this message was originally truncated. Not sure what went wrong (though I suspect the spell checker lost the last paragraphs) but I should have checked before leaving it.

[ 02-14-2003, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: John Moriarty ]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2003, 06:48 PM:

ESN's are transmitted not phone numbers.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-14-2003, 08:25 PM:

There is a company that has designed interior wall panelling which won't allow cell phone frequencies to pass. Passive methods such as this one are currently legal in the US, though the last article I saw on the subject indicated the panels were still pretty expensive.

As for an alarm, there is such a device currently in manufacture, and could legally be used in the US. It has a sign that lights up when in close enough proximity to a cell phone.

The Israelis have an active device that you can't use... however, there appears to be a rather active underground for them here.

Posted by Sean M. Grimes (Member # 445) on 02-15-2003, 02:28 AM:

since leaving the theater business I have entered the cell phone business... to set proximity dectors it would all depend on which type of signal they were using... ie cdma, tdma, gsm, or iden. All of them have different polling of towers. But it would be harder to program a christie three cue automation then to tell the reciever what to look for. [Wink]

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-15-2003, 05:29 PM:

quote:
from Michael G.:
... the point of my legal argument is that if it is illegal to have a cell phone in a theater... then a theater's management could not get into trouble for having a jammer because legally there should be no signals to jam... This is what we call a legal loophole.

Maybe... but one of the cell phone lobby's points is that an active jammer would have to be properly installed and operated in order to prevent jamming outside of the specific intended area (such as an auditorium or theatre perimeter). In the case of theatres, one has only to consider how well much of the booth equipment in this country is maintained to get a good picture how diligently a cell jammer would be monitored.

Posted by Chad Calpito (Member # 1562) on 02-17-2003, 01:05 PM:

I think this Cell Phone Ban in theaters is a fantastic idea. I've been to a few movies where people are chatting on cell phones or those phones ringing. I also get complaints of those problems and I sometimes have to come out of the projection booth to help deal with the problem. It's annoying to me to have to deal with that. I just wish that the Cell Phone Ban would come here to California.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 02-17-2003, 02:42 PM:

quote:
There is a company that has designed interior wall panelling which won't allow cell phone frequencies to pass. Passive methods such as this one are currently legal in the US, though the last article I saw on the subject indicated the panels were still pretty expensive.

At the Architectural / Engineering firm I work at during the day, whenever we design a medical facility with X-Ray equipment, the interior of the X-Ray room is lined with lead lined drywall (Lead Lined Gypsum Board)

It is "heavy as lead" to install, but does an extremely effective job of preventive radiation from penetrating other areas of the medical facility. If a theatre owner wanted to go the expense, this would probably stop the "microwave" signals used for cell phones.

I have a Nokia 5165i cell phone for my personal use, and if I have it anywhere near my computer monitors, they (the monitors)absolutely go nuts whenever my phone rings. Almost looks like a DEGAUS function of the monitor.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 02-17-2003, 02:45 PM:

One issue that will come up with cell phone detectors is use of the "silent" feature. My cell phone has ring, vibrate, and silent settings. If I turn the cell phone off, it will not keep track of missed calls. If I set it to "silent", it will not ring, but will keep track of people who called me, so after I leave the theatre, I'll know if anyone tried to call. A cell phone detector would detect my cell phone, even though it would be set to make no audible noises. Like someone else said, some computer speakers make a buzzing noise if a cell phone is nearby. Mine at work do that occasionally when my cell phone is on the desk, regardless of the computer speakers' volume setting).

Still, I would not mind of the theatre buildings were constructed in a way to not let the cell phone signals penetrate. I was in a restaurant last week in which cell phones would not work. It was a metal building.

Posted by Dino Panagiotopoulos (Member # 1579) on 02-17-2003, 10:56 PM:

This might sound like a stupid question question yet Im still curious.........if speakers such as computer speakers can detect a "handshake" signal when a call comes in on a cellphone, why wouldnt larger speakers such as those in a theater be able to detect that and why you cant hear it?

Posted by John Moriarty (Member # 1153) on 02-18-2003, 08:32 AM:

quote:
if speakers such as computer speakers can detect a "handshake" signal when a call comes in on a cellphone, why wouldnt larger speakers such as those in a theater be able to detect that and why you cant hear it?

As far as I can tell (and it think it makes sense), the intereference is picked up at or before the amplifier. (If there is enough power to make that much noise without amplification, I would have expected some pretty serious health risks and other problems.) It is unlikely to be a problem therefore in cinemas as the phones in the auditorium are nowhere near as close to the amps as it would be at a computer (and there is normally a wall in the way in the way). I have seen phones picked up by guitar amps (when sat on top), so I guess if you put a mobile in the soundrack it might become a problem (depending on shielding of wires and amps). Of course, build quality is normally much better in cinema equipment than stuff for the domestic market.

John

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 02-18-2003, 08:43 AM:

Dino:
The speakers themselves don't pick up the signal, the amplifier built in to the speaker system does. This is usually a low-cost unit with the minimum shielding required and the equally inexpensive signal and speaker cables from your sound card to it makes great antennas. I've found that making my own cables using good cable (8451 does well) with the shield connected at the amp end only solves the noise pickup problem. I have a 900MHz cordless phone that really interfered, now it is quiet.
Theatre amps are (probably) better shielded, and the speaker wires are so long that they make poor antennas at cell phone frequencies. Signal wiring is - hopefully - much better shielded and installed than computer speaker practice. In Toronto we have the CN tower right downtown with a few megawatts of TV, FM, and AM transmitters and we occasionally run into problems with radio stations playing unexpectedly in cinemas. Or in teeth. Proper wiring and grounding practice avoids this in the cinemas at least.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 02-18-2003, 11:20 AM:

I still like the personal cell phone jammers that look like cell phones. Wear it on your belt when you go to a show or a movie, or... wherever you go, and miraculously, no one's cell phone will work within 50 feet of you! Even though these are illegal, I think they'll only get better and more realistic looking, and hence become more popular and harder to trace. Hell who knows, maybe "JAM" will become a feature on some phones in the near future.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-18-2003, 12:23 PM:

A quick web search found:

http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/story1a092200.html

http://www.cell-block-r.com/

http://starportuk.com/21.htm

http://www.kenneke.com/plans.html

Caveat emptor! Use at your own risk. [Eek!]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-18-2003, 04:27 PM:

quote:
Chad Calpito: I think this Cell Phone Ban in theaters is a fantastic idea. ... I just wish that the Cell Phone Ban would come here to California.

I have to disagree. I don't think there should be a law. It makes as much sense as having a "No Cussing Zone". Yes, I have seen these... complete with the little graphic of a cartoon guy with a baloon over his head that contains, "@#$%!!!". It's a $50 fine to get caught cussing.

It's sensless and stupid! 30 years ago, folks would think nothing of saying, "Watch your mouth!" if somebody cussed in range of "sensitive ears". The same thing goes for smoking. If some guy was smoking near somebody who didn't like it (or who got sick from smoke) it was common to hear, "Hey buddy, Do you mind putting that out?" It would be unthinkable to smoke in proximity to somebody else eating dinner or around kids unless you were outdoors (or whatever) unless the smoker asked first.

Now, here's the incredible part... The typical response would be, "Excuse me.", and the offender would put the cigarette out (or stop the behavior). It's called "Social Responsibility"! I don't think social responsibiltiy can be legislated. It's something that has to be "grown".

Now, does this mean that I think people should be able to interrupt another's enjoyment of a movie without consequense? Absolutely not! On the other hand, I wouldn't be opposed to a person getting cited for "Disturbing the Peace" if he was ASKED to quit talking on the phone and refused. Even going so far as to making it a summary offense to refuse when asked. (When within the confines of a clearly defined area such as a movie theatre or a restaurant.)

The next time, you're in a theatre and some phone rings, of course, give the person a chance to shut it off or go outside. It's perfectly understandable that a well-meaning person could have forgot to turn the phone off (or to silent mode) BUT... If that person continues to talk, feel free to say, "Hey! Turn that phone off!" (Or whatever gesture or phrase is appropriate)
It would be even more gratifying to hear two or three people chime in:
"Turn the phone off, Please!"
"Here! Here!"
"Yeah! Cut it out!"

Once people start doing things like they used to I hope we won't NEED such silly laws. Otherwise, I'm afraid to think of what will happen next... "Laws against BREATHING LOUDLY?!"

Posted by Chad Calpito (Member # 1562) on 02-18-2003, 09:31 PM:

Well, Randy, I just need to say, in a kind way of course, that cell phones should still be banned in theaters. It is getting way out of hand these days. People should know that it is dumb to even leave the cell phone on while in the movie theater in the first place. It's like the Ban on Cigarettes in public places here in California. Cell Phones should be banned in movie theaters. I personally don't mind if it is on silent mode and the person does not answer it until after the movie. I have not problem with that, but, I do have a problem with it on and people chat on the phone, even after I tell them to shut-up. So, I would have to kindly disagree with you Randy with a smile. [Smile]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-18-2003, 11:05 PM:

I would be a liar if I said that I never uttered the phrase, "There oughtta' be a law!" Things like this peeve me off to no end.

If you have told the person to shut up then it is clearly time to take the matter to the next highest authority... whomever that ma be. I can imagine that there IS some kind of law on the books right now that could be used to cover this situation. Disturbing the peace? Disorderly conduct? (I don't know, I'm just guessing here.) How about the fact that a movie ticket, legally speaking, is simply a license to occupy a seat. A license which is revocable if the licensee does not obey the rules of the establishment. I would think that we already have laws on the books to these effects.

Still, I believe that, no matter what kind of laws we write, there's no substitute for some kind of social responsibility. It's YOUR responsibiltiy to behave in a civilized, responsible way when you're out in public. Those who disobey should feel the wrath of disapproval from others around them.

Turn this around a bit... It's the responsibility of each person in a society to (politely) warn another person that their actions are not appreciated.

How many times do you sit still in a theater when people continue to talk during the movie? No, I think that most of us would "Shush!" them to the approval of the other patrons in the theater. Then if they didn't stop talking we'd go get an usher/manager and have them deal with it. I know I would.

All I'm saying is that we should do the same thing with cellular phone abusers instead of passing silly laws that are just going to get ignored anyway.

Did you know that, to this day, there is STILL a law on the books making it illegal to graze your livestock on the Boston Common? This is where the "Cell Phone Act of 2003" is going to end up... In that legal graveyard called "The Blue Laws". We've had Blue Laws for hundreds of years. They didn't work then and they don't work now.

Did you know that, in Connecticut, it is (was?) illegal to cross a river on Sunday without the consent of a clergyman? [Big Grin]

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 02-19-2003, 12:51 AM:

Hell forget a cell phone jammer what I want is a portable electromagnetic pulse generator that I can point at some idiot using his cell phone in a theater and fry the damn thing.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.03/mustread.html?pg=6

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-20-2003, 12:24 AM:

Well, it still is an interesting point.
The FCC, by their ruling that active jammers are not allowed, have inferred a "right" on the part of your customers to be able to receive cell phone signals/calls within your building, even though you are legally free to use passive devices to prevent the very same thing.

That alone seems to me a pretty strange conflict.

My own opinions aside, as a private property owner, if I choose to exclude the invasion of cellular signals from within the confines of my domain (to which you've requested access by virtue of your payment of admission), isn't it interesting that a governmental authority can tell me that I can accomplish my goal one way but not another... assuming I could actually keep whatever methods were employed from "leaking" outside my perimeter? (Wow... that was one hell of a long sentence!) [Razz]

... a pretty interesting debate, if nothing else.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 05-01-2003, 11:25 AM:

From the BBC News:

quote:

Cinema banned from blocking mobiles

Cinema owners in Dublin have come under fire for stopping customers from receiving calls on their mobiles in the middle of a movie.

Ireland's communications regulator told bosses at Mark Anderson, the company that owns the Savoy cinema, they were breaking the law after they installed a signal blocker.

Mark Anderson would have been penalised with a hefty fine - or seen employees facing a jail sentence - if they had not removed the blocking device immediately.

Ward Anderson, which owns 200 of Ireland's cinemas, installed the signal blocker after the disruption caused by people talking or receiving text messages became a "problem".

"(It was) an increasing, persistent problem," said Mark Anderson, the chain's operations manager.

Mr Anderson said the Savoy got a visit from two inspectors from Ireland's communications regulator, or ComReg, after a local paper published a story about the blocker.

"They told us to cease and desist," he said. "The possibility of a fine and jail time got us to decide to remove the unit."

'Injustice'

Mr Anderson was told it was illegal to have a blocker, let alone put one into operation.

The offence carries a fine of up to 25,000 euros (£17,400) or a maximum prison sentence of a year.

"It has been disposed of, essentially thrown in the bin," Mr Anderson said.

"I am disappointed. I think it is an injustice not only to the Savoy but to patrons of cinemas all around the country."

No one had lodged a complaint to ComReg.

Ward Anderson spent £499 to import the signal blocker from the US to the Savoy, its flagship cinema in Ireland.

The blocker works by emitting a low-power signal that occupies the broadcasting spectrum used by mobile phone operators.

It keeps out calls within a 30m (100 ft) range.

Posted by Ray Bernardi (Member # 1615) on 05-04-2003, 10:44 AM:

quote:
The trailer starts with a shot of a movie auditorium, from the perspective of looking from back to front toward the screen. The movie is in progress and you suddenly hear the annoying sound of a cell phone ringing. A guy in the front row answers his cell phone loudly, then launches into a chatty conversation. Suddenly he is catapulted out of his seat and slams into the screen before sliding down onto the floor below seat level. The on-screen audience then cheers as text copy appears saying something to the effect of, "Cell Phone Ejector Seats. Coming Soon To Theatres Everywhere!" The live audience in our auditorium also laughed and cheered!

I love it - I need a copy! Just last night I ejected someone from our theatre for cell phone abuse. We are showing Anger Management and we had a sold out house. About 10 minutes into the movie I see a blue glow in the audience. It's a girl using a cell phone. I went in and asked her to shut it off. It went away for only a few minutes. Within 15 minutes there was the glow again, she was on the phone talking! I went in again and told her to shut it off. Literally, not 5 minutes later she's on it again. She was escorted from the theatre and asked to leave. At that point she demanded her money back and I told her to stuff it basically. I told her if she wants her money back she'll need to hire a lawyer. It is clearly posted that no cell phones are allowed in the theatre. Some people......

On another note - the other thing I've had trouble with are laser pointers. During one show I had someone using one and basically they were ruining the movie for all. I could not pinpoint where it was coming from and I literally had to enter the auditorium and post myself in front of the crowd looking at them for the entire film to ensure it stopped. It did, but standing there for almost two hours was more than I wanted to do. I had other things to do as you can imagine but when you boil it down, the customers entertainment came first.

On a last note, does anyone here have trouble with booze during the flicks? We do not allow backpacks or containers into the theatre but people are sneaking in booze. In a recent show, I found over a 6 pack of beer cans in an area where there were underage kids seated. I have confronted them as they entered for a later show and I told them they were being watched. I told them I would not hesitate to call the police if I had any suspicion that they were in possesion of alchohol. I went so far as to search their jackets and purses. I was worried about the legality of that search but I did it anyway. The last thing I need is trouble like that in my little town.

Any tips or tricks you'd like to share with me?

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 05-04-2003, 10:07 PM:

quote:
What I really need is a bumper sticker that states something to the effect of: "If you can read this, you're too close!"
...And of course, the font would have to be kind of small...

A friend of mine had a sticker that said almost exactly that! (Thiers said "You're doo damn close") Of course, I didn't "get it" until I started driving! [Big Grin]

[ 05-04-2003, 11:25 PM: Message edited by: Daniel Fuentz ]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-04-2003, 11:41 PM:

I think cell phone blockers are being used in many places. At Sho-West this year, it sure was strange to find out cell phone reception was absolutely terrible just as you approached the casino floor at Balley's. [Confused]

John said on the previous page:

quote:
Again, some enterprising company should build a device that detects the "handshake" (locating) signal of any cell phone operating in close proximity to it, sounding an alarm. Such a device next to the ticket-taker would allow theatre personnel to politely ask for the customer to turn the cell phone OFF before entering the theatre.

I think I might have ran into that type of technology spin-off. Josh's dad and I were walking through K-Mart in Minot, ND last year. when we went through the shoplifting security check areas, my cell phone apparently triggered the system. Security Goons came from every direction. [Big Grin]

However, the goons didn't "Up Against the Wall, MF" us. As a matter of fact they were quite polite about it. They did mention that cell phones triggered their systems at times, and it was just a big a pain in the butt for them as it was for their customers. Apparently, some cell phones are on the same frequency as the the anti-theft devices are.