quote:

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Cineplex Odious
Florida duo nabbed after "Catwoman" phone spat
JULY 28--Meet Warronnica Harris and Terrell Tolson. The Florida couple got popped this week at a St. Petersburg theater after Harris, 23, allegedly refused to end a cell phone call as the opening credits for "Catwoman" rolled. When an off-duty police officer working at the theater tried to curtail her chat, Harris announced that "she could talk as much as she wanted on her phone," according to this police report. In short order, Tolson, 25, joined in, allegedly telling Officer John Douglas that he would kick the cop's ass. The report quotes Harris as saying she would "hit the cracker in his head." In a bid to subdue the duo (pictured below in mug shots snapped by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office), Douglas blasted them with pepper spray. Harris and Tolson were eventually charged with disorderly conduct--and spared having to sit through another Halle Berry bomb. (3 pages)

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The other two pages are copies of the arrest reports.
 

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Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 07-29-2004, 08:26 AM:
 
I've wondered if you could "jam" cell phones in an auditorium with a very low power transmitter. I love the people who walk to the back hallway to use their cell phone, not the lobby, then YELL into the phone so everyone can hear
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 07-29-2004, 08:38 AM:
 
Dont take this the wrong way....I do think it is harder for some demographics to listen than others. I'm sure that they gave an attitude.

Also, Ryan Luby posted this exact same story here without the arrest report though.

It really pisses me off when people don't get out of the theatre to accept a call. Even if I get a call, I walk out of the theatre to talk.
 

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Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 07-29-2004, 09:06 AM:
 

quote: Richard Greco

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It really pisses me off when people don't get out of the theatre to accept a call. Even if I get a call, I walk out of the theatre to talk.

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And it really pisses me off when people who should know better leave their phones on in the theatre in the first place
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 07-29-2004, 09:13 AM:
 
O Contraire Mr Vaughan. When I am in the theatre, my phone is on vibrate.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-29-2004, 09:29 AM:
 
I know that some companies sell wall panels that are supposed to block radio signals, thus rendering most cellular phones inoperative, but I've often wondered if it can be done with everyday materials at a lower cost.

Why couldn't somebody just frame an entire room with chicken wire, floor to ceiling, then make sure that the mesh is connected to earth ground or in contact with the steel skeleton of the building? The result, if done properly, would be a Faraday Cage that almost no radio signal could penetrate.

Sure, it would be expensive but nowhere near as expensive as buying specially made panelling for an already built room.
 

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Posted by Mike Williams (Member # 1140) on 07-29-2004, 09:42 AM:
 
Blocking the signal can bring up another problem.

If you are going to block it, be sure you COMPLETELY block it from the ENTIRE auditorium.
If the rude customer can get a partial signal on their phone (like >=1 bar) I can already see them yelling even louder and slower to talk to the other party because of the bad connection.

Hopefully at some point, they would go outside into the lobby to get a better signal... but it could be worse until then.
 

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Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 07-29-2004, 09:45 AM:
 
No Mr Greco just turn it off.

It is ,despite what some people may think,possible to live without a cellphone for a couple of hours.

And even though it is on vibrate you can still disturb other patrons when going out to answer a call
 

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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 07-29-2004, 09:52 AM:
 
Or at least go and buy something from the concession while you are already up. Help support the theater. Why not, you already missed some of the movie, and you apparently dont have a problem with missing the movie, if youre phone was on.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-29-2004, 12:24 PM:
 
I just don't see why some people can't live without their stupid cell phone while watching a movie or whatever. Whenever my wife and I go anywhere, the phone stays in the car virtually all the time.

I get a kick out of watching people come out of the show, they are frantically checking or dialing their cellphones as they walk up the aisle bumping into people. (Mostly teenagers doing this.)
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-29-2004, 12:29 PM:
 
I'm sort of on-call 24/7, so I always leave my cell phone on. When I go to a movie, I set it on vibrate. On the very rare occasion that it rings during a movie, I will generally ignore it unless I know there's something extra-important going on at work. If I do suspect it's something important, I will get up and go to the lobby to see who called and return the call if appropriate. I would *never* mess with the phone in any way during a movie because I hate it when other people do that.
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 07-29-2004, 12:45 PM:
 

quote: Edward Jurich

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I've wondered if you could "jam" cell phones in an auditorium with a very low power transmitter.

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You can not legally purchase a jamming transmitter from several locations on the internet and operate it in the US. (of course, you know where a subject like this is likely to go).

You CAN legally use passive devices, such as wall panels that block cell phone frequencies.

This topic has been well-covered in here... including some stuff on the devices available. Do a search.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-29-2004, 01:00 PM:
 
Many cell phones offer Caller ID -- for those who MUST be on call during a movie, vibrate and checking caller ID is probably not too intrusive. But for most, "loosen up" and lose the phone when you are relaxing.
 

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Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 07-29-2004, 01:14 PM:
 
What has happened to common sense?

Here in New york City it has become hard to read the newspaper on the bus, because three or four people are talking on their cell phones and each one trying to out do each others volume.

I keep my cell on vibrate constantly and I refuse to speak with anyone until I am in the quiet of my home or office.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-29-2004, 01:44 PM:
 
My preferred method of stopping mobile 'phone abuse in cinemas would be to devise a system which, when it detects someone making or receiving a call, mutes the cinema sound system, switches on a ceiling mounted 20kW followspot and points it at the source of the signal (i.e. the caller). When the offender finds him or herself holding a conversation in total silence, in the company of several hundred other people and in the glare of a spotlight, they'll soon stop it!

The way I deal with the problem at work is to stick up posters all over the place stating that mobile 'phone transmissions can cause static electricity which could ignite the nitrate film being worked on. It generally isn't too difficult to persuade colleagues and visitors to switch them off under those circumstances. That's probably complete bullshit, but it works. Funny - if you ask someone to do something out of consideration for others, they'll probably ignore you. But make the same request on the grounds of their safety, and they're far more likely to comply.
 

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Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 07-29-2004, 03:01 PM:
 
Check out <http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/Personal.htm> Ah, I've dreamed of using something like this so many times. Not legal in most places of course, but what people don't know can't hurt you.
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 07-29-2004, 03:14 PM:
 
Vibrate is a decent option, but something that should be used only as a last resort because even the vibrate mode on some phones is not so quiet. And it will be helpful if people with cell phones on vibrate attend a theater during the less crowded periods so one won't be right next to another patron.

I have started throwing popcorn kernels at the heads of those who answer their cell phones in the theater. I have a good aim, and so far, I have not been caught in two attempts.
 

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Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 07-30-2004, 02:52 AM:
 
Leo I like the idea about the follow spot but I would replace it with a 20 Mega Watt Laser

I must stop watching reruns of Bond movies and remember to take my medication

 

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Posted by Robert L. Fischer (Member # 2424) on 07-30-2004, 03:19 AM:
 
While viewing Napoleon Dynamite last night, one of a large group of teenaged girls behind me had their cell phone go off during the movie. While this is typical, amazingly, one of her friends had hers go off about a half an hour later. Don't you think that after the first time, her friends would've checked to make sure their ringers were off?
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 07-30-2004, 08:32 AM:
 
I tend to disagree with bullshit excuses. First, it makes the perpetrator of the bullshit look like a weasel. Second, it desensitizes people the next time an excuse is given.

When was the last time you were on an airliner and the announcer said something like, "Federal regulations require that all passengers..."? What they casually forget to mention that the AIRLINE COMPANIES lobbied the FAA to pass that regulation.

I'd much rather just have the flight attendant announce, "Everybody sit their ass down and buckle up or else a Sky Marshall will come and haul your sorry carcass off this plane in handcuffs!"

In reference to a projection booth, I'd rather see a sign that says something like:

ENTERING PROJECTION ROOM:
Designated Quiet Zone

All cellular phones, pagers
and radios must be turned off.
(Or set ringers to "Silent".)

Any reasonably intelligent person should be albe to interpret this sign. A person who is "in the business" should do it out of professional courtessey. A visitor who knows little or nothing about theaters/projection rooms should see this as a valid policy of those who ARE "in the business".

Any way you slice it, the person who is in charge of the projection room has the right to say, "Please turn off your phone.", and expect others to comply. If the visitor doesn't, it's perfectly reasonable to say, "Turn off the phone or get out!"

I'm reminded of that TV show, "Myth Busters" where they strapped a cellular phone to a 5 gallon can full of gasoline then rang it.
Contrary to popular belief, nothing happened after several repeated attempts.
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 07-30-2004, 08:18 PM:
 

quote: Dick Vaughan

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Leo I like the idea about the follow spot but I would replace it with a 20 Mega Watt Laser

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Dick, excellent -- but let me add this: in addition to the followspot, a mic with a parabolic sound reflector would also be rigged to the followspot so that it could pickup the person's conversation and blast it with a time delay over the speaker system. The delay will make it impossible for the person to formulate sentences, plus the entire audience will be privy to the inane chatter that is going on and that the idiot thinks is so important that it simply cannot wait another two hours. Or perhaps we just need to get an interceptor device that can pickup cell audio and have it wired into the sound system.

Imaging how fast someone would stop talking on the cell if all of a sudden the entire conversation could be heard blasting on the speaker system instead of the movie track!

It's just a simple a matter of egocentric behavior. These people think they are SOOO important that there are others who are simply waiting with baited breath to hear what they have to say. I see people in NYC at 4am talking on a cell phone....who could possibly want to get a phone call from someone at that time of night? And what could they possibly have to say that would warrant waking another person up to hear it?

As for jamming, yes it is theoretically illegal, but I am sure quite difficult to prove. But as Jack mentions, there are passive ways to block cell activity. I believe they even have paint that contains material which stops cell signals. Of course you would have to alert the audience that their cells will not function in the theatre just so later you cannot be sued by someone like a doctor or someone that had an emergency and thought they could get a call while in fact, they couldn't.

Personally, I like the ACTIVE jamming concept. The FCC is a wuss regulatory commission at best these days....they don't do anything unless a complaint is first filed and then they warn you, so you have plenty of time to disconnect your jammer and lay low for awhile, then start it up again. They won't go after you as long as you are not interfering with the broadcast signal of some big megacommunication giant that the commissioners are in bed with....then they hop-to to like puppets on a string. But for the small infractions, like Drive-Ins radiating movie soundtracks all over the FM spectrum, it is pretty much lazy-fair until there is a complaint. Bottom line, the commissioners are pretty much lazy, and you are fairly likely to not get hassled.

I say, not only jam the things, but overload them so much that the tuning trap burns right out if it is activated. What fun to watch the faces of the owner who pulls his cell out in the theatre and the second he presses the SEND button, it turns red hot and starts to smoke right in his fat little fingers.

It would almost be worth being carted off to federal prison....get to pal around with Martha Stewart.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-31-2004, 10:32 PM:
 
Hmm. So "Warronnica" was going to smack that cracker in the head, eh? I wonder if she did, if that would be considered a hate crime? Or if that's another one-sided law.

I've never had one and never will. (A cell phone, that is) They're a human lo-jack device. Suddenly, you become available at the convenience of everyone. And the fist question they ask, "Where are you?"

I always laugh when I see people panic when they hear their phone ring in a public place. Like it's an alarm or something alerting them of danger. They fumble for it like it's going to explode if they don't get it before the call goes to voice mail. And nine times out of ten, they have a moronic conversation with whoever called. "Hey. I'm at the store. Did you know bananas are on sale? No, I don't think TV's Blossom will ever see her career recover..."

How is this for a sign: WARNING! Cellular Phones cause severe interference with our Digital Sound System causing the soundtrack to become inaudible. To prevent being billed for these damages, please turn all phones OFF (vibrate mode is not off) or do not bring them into our facility. Thank you for your understanding.

Technically, it's the truth.
There's threads up the yang on this topic, though.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 08-01-2004, 09:19 AM:
 
I looked into geting a cell phone jammer... turns out, they are not legal in the US. However the salesman 'suggested' if I could have it paid for by, and shipped to, a Canadian address he would have no reason to refuse the sale.
 

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Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 08-01-2004, 12:59 PM:
 
Fuckin cell-phones!

Lord knows how many auto-accidents I have almost ben in...and managed to avoid because the idiot was on a cell phone and not paying attention to driving!

Funny situation. My friend and I are practical jokers. He has these little business cards that state "Do you fuck like you park? If so, do you have trouble getting it in?"

So it came to pass one Friday afternoon that I went to take care of business at my bank. Being late afternoon, the bank was quite busy. But of course their was one person who parked in such a way that she literall took up 3 spaces in a full and busy parking lot.

So, naturally I put one of these cards in her windshield, and waited around the corner. As predicted, the perp. was a blonde woman on a cell phone with her little kid, obivilous to her surroundings!

What is really annoying is in college...in the library or computer commons where people are trying to study. There are signs all over the place instructing people that no cell phones permitted. Of course, there are those that are over and above the rules, who have complete disrespect for their enviornment...and believe me when I say I have no problem doing something to embarrass these idiots...besides giving them dirty looks and directly telling them to turn the fuckin thing off!

Lord knows how many times these same disrespectful idiots actually interupt a class lecture with their cell phones....and its usually the same problem-children every time!
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 08-02-2004, 02:48 PM:
 
Not to throw water on this rant fire you guys have going on, but have you considered that some people need their cell phones to keep in contact in case of emergency?

While I don't like the teenagers that feel the need chat incessently with their friends, I place my cell phone on vibrate when I go into the theater in case there is a true emergency for which I need to be contacted. If I'm in a 2-3 hour movie, and something happens to my daughter at home, I sure as hell don't want some theater thinking they know better and actively blocking cell phone signals!

Any theater that feels like cell phones should never be on for any reason whatsoever should then post a voice phone number which can be used in the case of emergency. Very few theaters have published voice phone numbers any more, and I've actually been taken to task for publishing those numbers I had available to me.

Sorry to delay the rant with reason, please resume...
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-02-2004, 04:12 PM:
 
I personally have no issue with the concept of jamming cellphones if that can be contained to the premises and is clearly post that occurs

Use of a cell phone is a privilege (and many consider privileges as rights which they are not) And if someone is on call or whatever then they should not be somewhere that there responsibilities hinder someones else use of a service (namely uninterupted entertainment) that they paid for

Also before the advent of cellphones and pagers family emergencies were delt with adequately and I don't accept that as a justification
 

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Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 08-02-2004, 07:16 PM:
 
But if the phones on vibrate, you are still going to answer it.

Turn it off!
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 08-02-2004, 07:44 PM:
 
I say "silent" is the best option. That way, the phone will not make any noise, but it will still keep track of any calls received. When leaving the theatre, simply look to see if anyone called during that time period.

In fact, it's somewhat safer on some phones to leave them on silent than turn them off. On mine, if off, all it takes if for one button to be pressed for one second to turn it on (like accidentally pressing it against the side of the seat or the corner of something). When it comes on, it makes a noise. If mine is on silent and the keyboard locked, it takes two specific buttons to be pressed in sequence to unlock it, then the right combination of keys would have to be pressed to unset the silent setting. It's just not going to happen by accident.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-02-2004, 11:03 PM:
 
Many phones have "Any key answer" features. (Mine does.)

Press any key while the phone is ringing and you pick up the call even if the keypad is locked.

Since most cellular phones are digital nowadays, caller ID is standard. If you don't recognize the caller's number or if you know that it's not an emergency, don't answer.

The latest GSM phones have a "Deny Call" feature. When the "Deny" button is pressed the phone stops ringing and dumps the caller over to your voice mail.

The funniest thing cell phone sight I ever saw was in the lunch room at Mercyhurst. There were SIX girls sitting around a table and every single one of them was talking to somebody else on their cell phones! What's the point of eating lunch with your friends if you aren't going to talk to them?!
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-02-2004, 11:58 PM:
 
Oh Randy, you just don't understand a thing!
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 08-03-2004, 05:45 AM:
 

quote: Randy Stankey

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Since most cellular phones are digital nowadays, caller ID is standard. If you don't recognize the caller's number or if you know that it's not an emergency, don't answer.

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quote: Scott Jentsch

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Not to throw water on this rant fire you guys have going on, but have you considered that some people need their cell phones to keep in contact in case of emergency?

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quote: Leo Enticknap was the last to post

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some people need their cell phones to keep in contact in case of emergency?

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quote:

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What did these "critical" people do before cell phones? .... In a REAL emergency, the hospital would call the theatre and we would send an usher down to the doctor's seat and get him.

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We still use that system here. One of our local doctors loves movies and he refuses to bring his cell phone to the theatre. The hospital knows about this and plans accordingly. I've had to fish him out of the audience several times over the years but he's told me that he's never lost a patient due to not having his cell phone with him 24/7.

The whole cellphone phenomenon is mostly due to people being self-centered and thinking they are "cool" if they are carrying a phone all the time. I would bet that real emergency calls make up less than 1% of the total traffic.
 

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Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 08-10-2004, 01:49 AM:
 
Here in New Zealand, we have a voluntary fire service. Thats right, the firefighters are all members of the community who answer the call when needed, and are not paid. They all have normal jobs and lives.

How do the firemen know that they are needed?



I should state here that this thing is on top of the building in which we show movies. Thats a benefit of being in the tallest building in the village, I guess...

Standing instructions are when this thing goes off, stop the movie and put on the house lights. (a) because the audience cant hear the film (hell, in the booth you cant hear yourself think), and (b) several members of the audience will be departing in a bit of a rush to the fire station, which is conveniently next door.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 08-10-2004, 12:59 PM:
 

quote: Mike Blakesley

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I would bet that real emergency calls make up less than 1% of the total traffic.

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I wonder what percentage makes up drug-related "traffic" on cell phones. Could cell phone companies be liable for helping expand and streamline the drug trade? Of course not.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-12-2004, 04:00 PM:
 
Related to which, one thing which occured to me recently is that 'pay as you go' mobile 'phones must be the most useful tool going for organised criminals. I don't know if this is also the case in other countries, but here in Britain you can buy a mobile 'phone and connect it to a network paying cash and without giving your name, address or any other contact details. In other words, it's possible to activate a 'phone number totally anonymously. You can buy additional calling credit for them by buying a card (which again, you can pay for using cash and without leaving any record of your identity) with a PIN number printed on it which, when entered into the 'phone, adds the credit to its account. This system was designed for teenagers who are too young to have credit or debit card accounts from which a monthly subscription can be taken. But given that it allows communication with complete anonymity, I'd be very surprised if organised criminals aren't the biggest users.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-12-2004, 04:12 PM:
 

quote: Leo Enticknap

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But given that it allows communication with complete anonymity, I'd be very surprised if organised criminals aren't the biggest users.

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Or terrorists.
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 08-12-2004, 05:41 PM:
 
Or phreakers.
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 08-12-2004, 06:06 PM:
 
or tourists.
 

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Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 08-13-2004, 02:45 AM:
 
It's really frustrating when tools of anonymity are cast as tools of terrorists. It's perfectly reasonable for private citizens to want the privacy that comes with not telling the government who is calling whom.

It's not as if terrorists and organized criminals don't have other tools at their disposal. Encrypted email, voice over the internet, even paper mail, etc.

--jhawk
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-13-2004, 05:35 AM:
 
Cell and satellite phones have certainly been used by terrorists and drug dealers:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=11732282&method=full&siteid=50143

quote:

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OSAMA bin Laden has phoned the UK at least 260 times, it was revealed yesterday.

Records from the terrorist leader's satellite phone show he and his top men were in constant touch with the British arm of the al-Qaeda network.

The calls were made from their base in Afghanistan to 27 separate numbers.

The calls only stopped after bin Laden became suspicious that American agents were using the satellite phone to track him.

The records show calls made between 1996 and 1998 to a range of addresses including suspected terrorists, al-Qaeda sympathisers, companies and public phone boxes.

More than 200 were made to the London home and mobile phone of Khalid al Fawwaz.

Al Fawwaz had the satellite phone number listed in his address book under the name Atef - bin Laden's military commander. He was the head of an alleged al-Qaeda front group in London called the Advice and Reformation Committee.

He is currently in jail awaiting extradition to the US for his alleged role in the bombings of American embassies in East Africa which killed 224 in 1998.

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quote:

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Jason Burke in Jalalabad
Sunday October 6, 2002
The Observer

Osama bin Laden is alive and regularly meeting Mullah Omar, the fugitive leader of the Taliban, according to a telephone call intercepted by American spy satellites.
In the conversation, recorded less than a month ago, Omar and a senior aide were discussing the American-led hunt to track them down. The two men, using a mobile Thuraya satellite phone, spoke about tactics for several minutes. Omar then turned to a third person who was within a few yards of him, voice analysis has revealed. After exchanging a few words, Omar said that 'the sheikh sends his salaams [greetings]'. Senior Taliban figures habitually refer to bin Laden as 'the sheikh'.

Voice analysis appears to corroborate the identification of bin Laden. 'It shows he was alive recently at least,' said a senior Afghan intelligence officer. 'Some people might like to think he is dead, but that's just wishful thinking.'

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quote:

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Satellite phones are also known more simply as "sat phones". They have gained some notoriety in recent years for being used extensively by people hiding in remote areas, such as Osama bin Laden.

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quote: John Pytlak was the last to post

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I'd be very surprised if organised criminals aren't the biggest users

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quote: Leo Enticknap wrote

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I'd be very surprised if organised criminals aren't the biggest users.

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quote: John Hawkinson

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It's really frustrating when tools of anonymity are cast as tools of terrorists. It's perfectly reasonable for private citizens to want the privacy that comes with not telling the government who is calling whom.

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quote:

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Cell and satellite phones have certainly been used by terrorists and drug dealers:

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quote: David Buckley

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The scary thing is all this stuff costs money and resources, and a simple SMS message was enough to bring out the dogs in this manner. eek.

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quote: John Pytlak

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The government has long maintained some control over the "public" airwaves. There is precedence in requiring licensing/registration to use them.

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