Sunday, January 15, 2012

Cellphones at the Movie Theatre

I need to rant for a mo', bear with me....

If you cannot leave your cellphone alone for UNDER THREE HOURS, then DO NOT go the movie theatre!

My biggest pet peeve is when someone opens their cell in the theatre.  Sure, we aren't hearing rings or message alerts because people are remembering to have their phone on silent... but nothing annoys me more than when there is suddenly light from a cellphone screen.

Why are you texting during the movie?
Why are you checking Facebook during the movie?
Why, for the LOVE OF GAWD, do you HAVE to look at your cell screen during. the. movie?

My glasses have insta-glare the moment a cell is opened.  I experience an immediate flash of light and a huge burst of annoyance.

If someone cannot control themselves to that level, THEN STAY HOME.  RENT a movie instead, you can text all you want.  Stop disrupting the movie I've just paid to watch!  It is extremely distracting and incredibly annoying.

Every time I go to the theatre now, I'm experiencing this, and I'm reaching a boiling point.  Last night, one girl had her phone open during nearly the entire film.  She was many rows in front of me and many seats over, but the second that cell was lit-up, I was distracted by the glare.  Then, another guy opened his to my right.  Then someone else to the left.  Grrrrrr!

Public Service Announcement:
Keep your cellphones OFF, completely CLOSED, stop checking them during a film in a dark movie theatre!

Please!!!

18 comments:

  1. I completely agree, although I think that people do it because they are looking at the time. At least that's what my husband claims, lol.

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  2. I totally hear what you are saying and couldn't agree more, for the most part. However, when I have a babysitter at home with the kids and my cell vibrates, I must quickly check it to make sure there hasn't been a problem ;) Regardless of who my amazing and most trustworthy my sitter is!

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  3. P.S. You're sporting a new look eh?!

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  4. Whether or not they are checking the time, it is enough to annoy me because of the glare. The moment is it open, even for a second, my eyes dart that direction... so distracting.

    I'm sorry, MTM.... I'd want you to step out to check it. :-( Sorry to say that, it just drives me That Nuts. I am trying a new look, not done yet... working on photoshop to do a new banner and such. It's a work in progress.

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  5. Oh god I agree! Drives me loco! Your Angry Birds game will still be there once the movie is finished...

    The only thing I ever do is check the time, however I turn on the phone INSIDE my purse so no one can see the light coming out (hopefully!) and then click it right off again.

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    1. Now Mel has raised a good point - IF my cell goes off (vibrate mode) I do try to do it discreetly (e.g. in my purse or under my coat) that is for sure. I totally find it annoying too, but I believe there is a diff b/w checking the time, updating facebook and making sure it's not babysitter calling. Because I also find people getting up and down during the movies very distracting ;) Difference of opinion and that's ok (at least with me)

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    2. Haha, yes, a difference of opinion is very okay! And as I mentioned below, I am more understanding of parents... and if it's attempted to be done discretely. I've mostly been annoyed lately by the Facebookers and Texters and they are typically younger than I'd imagine parents to be... so I'm pretty sure it's not the Moms that are driving me nuts. ;-)

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  6. My guess is that MOST violators should heed this; anyone checking to see if that cute boy texted them, or if there's anything new on Facebook, really does need to cut that out. But if I were at the movies and my kids were with the sitter, I'd need to check an incoming call to see if it was from my home number (if the sitter was at our house) or the sitter's (if the kids were at hers). And if it really were a quick check (open, check, close), and I were holding the phone low or in my purse on the floor to avoid blinding other people as much as possible, I'd assume that that was less of a disruption to other viewers than me excuse-me-ing my way through the row past everyone, then up the center aisle, out the door (with light shining in), and then repeat in reverse. I WOULD be sorry to hear that I'd flashed it in your eyes, but I'd still disagree with you and think my way was a better idea overall.

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    1. Oh! BUT, I meant to re-emphasize what I emphasized at the beginning of the comment: that even though I will go right ahead and check my phone as described (not that I've been to a movie, since, like, 2004, but in THEORY), I think it's very unlikely that all those flashes are concerned parents briefly making sure it's not the sitter. Probably the VAST majority are people who (1) don't need to check, (2) are checking something stupid, like Facebook, rather than an incoming call at all, and (3) aren't even THINKING about holding the phone low to avoid bothering other people. And shouldn't, shouldn't, and should, respectively.

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  7. Well, that's the thing about pet peeves, sometimes they irrationally annoy you so much. Funnily enough, I'm not personally annoyed when someone gets up to leave the theatre (to use the washroom or whatever) and yet I'm so annoyed by the cellphone thing... I can see how others would feel differently or even the opposite!

    I'll ammend... mom's get the pass for a quick-glance to make sure things are okay, and I agree it should at least be attempted to be hidden low in the purse or jacket.

    I am mostly talking about what I see from teens and people around my own age / not quite parents yet. I have to admit I haven't noticed as many parent-types do it as I have younger folks who drive me nuts (and who I can see have Facebook open on their iPhone when it's all lit up).

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  8. Oh gees, I'm guilty of this. :S But, only if it's a text. I do have to check just in case. But, if it helps, I'm always seated at the very back row.

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  9. I agree 100%! I don't even own a cell phone, but when I did I turned it off when I went to the movies.

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  10. I'm a 'checker'..but not often and generally looking at it inside my purse or close to me as low down as i can, because i know how annoyingly bright they are...and i also go to the movies *maybe* once every 3 months if not less..sigh.

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  11. Since I don't own a cell phone you should sit by me. lol! And, I don't go to the movies enough to have this issue.

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  12. I agree too! It hits home for me.... my hubby looks at his phone until after the previews are done, as much as I glare at him, hit him, and tell him to put it away, he doesn't. I CAN'T STAND IT!!

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  13. I have my phone with me but I keep the alerts off even vibrate so I am not distracted. It helps and I also think unplugging for a while is very healthy.

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    1. Pampered Patty has a point too - unplugging is healthy for sure.

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  14. I usually fix dinner & sometimes my husband fixes dinner for me, we don't go out, we just spend time with each other.

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