Posted on 06/11/2008 9:36:41 PM PDT by Kellis91789
This is definitely a vanity post. My first, but it has been bothering me for several days and I have toget it off my chest. It does have serious social implications, however, and I hope not uninteresting to Freepers.
Last Saturday night, my brother (46) and I (43) decided to go to a movie, King Fu Panda. Being an animated feature, we were wary of screaming kids so we specifically chose a showtime after 10PM.
Four guys came in at the last minute and sat four seats away, with empty seats between us. Five minutes into the movie, the guy closest to me opened his cell-phone and made a call. I whispered to him that the movie had started and could he put it away ? He ignored me and finished his call a few minutes later. Then 15 minutes later he made another call. I got up from my seat this time and walked over to him and told him to leave the theater if he was going to use his phone, otherwise put it away and keep it off. He waved me off with an "Or what ?"
I was steamed but could do nothing. In the past I've gone out and asked theater management to eject a person, and it's always been a waste of time; they've never done anything. I went back to my seat and was forced to shield my eye from the light of his cell phone for the rest of the movie. Once he knew it bothered me, he opened and closed the phone throughout the film just to annoy me.
Finally, the movie was over and my brother and I waited until the credits had completely rolled past. This group of guys had waited also, even though they had little interest in the movie and therefor why the interest in the credits ? No. They stayed so they could block us from reaching the aisle and leaving, thereby forcing a confrontation. The "Or what ?" from earlier.
We got up and as I approached them I said, "Coming through, let us out."
The annoying cell-phone user replied, "I didn't hear you say 'Please.'"
I said, "And you won't. You used up all my politeness and patience screwing around with your cell-phone. Move ! Now !"
He said, "Not until you say 'Please.'"
Well, I'm sure some of you have guessed what happened next. I grabbed him by the upper arms and frog marched him back into his three friends until the path to the aisle was clear.
This is apparently illegal.
He screamed, "That's assault ! I'm calling the police ! And I'm a minor !" (Which last part stunned me since there were no parents present, and curfew in most Orange County, CA cities is 10PM for minors. They looked 18 - 20 to me.)
And then he actually called the police. I couldn't believe it. He'd baited me into pushing him and was now calling the police on that annoying cell-phone of his.
My brother and I ignored him and his friends and walked out to the parking lot. Only to be intercepted by Security guards and forced to wait for the police. The police came, I explained what had happened. The punks had some other story, which I didn't hear, but the cops said it was "their word against yours". The police said they'd have to write me up for misdemeanor assault and a judge would have to sort it out. Then somebody talked the guy into "dropping the charges" if I apologized.
WTF ??
Apparently, detaining somebody and demanding they say "please" before you stop detaining them is not a crime, but pushing the person out of your way IS a crime. The police never told me I could press charges in return, at any rate.
So, rather than go to court, and feeling completely emasculated, I said I was "sorry I touched you." And then we all went our separate ways. After they'd left, I asked the cops what was I supposed to do, just let them detain us forever ? The cops said, "You should have called us, and not tried to handle the confrontation yourself."
So ... tell me Freepers: Am I a rage-filled psychopath ? Or does society have a serious problem ? Are free people no longer allowed to stand up for themselves ?
Get the judge to demand the jerk’s cellphone log from his provider.
The activity will be there to coincide with the movie screening.
The jerk has pulled the same stunt in the past..
The same attitude they have when it comes to defending yourself with a gun in your own home.
Job security, even if it is filling out morgue sheet paperwork.
How the HELL are you supposed to CALL a police officer INSIDE a theater "yes, I am currently in screen number 6 at the cinemark 12" and tell them that some patrons won't let you leave.
You'll get another 911 operator who says "offline" 'I really don't care WHAT happens to you'.
Sounds like the police don't give a rat's behind about the matter. The call was made. They had to appear. Eventually (theater staff were there to detain you, but how were you to summon them to the THEATER?).
Congratulations, you have just met the Obama voters.
To late now but Kung Fu Panda - you should have rented it, hardly a movie theater movie.
should have said that he tried to pinch your rear when you walked by ;0
Sounds like a bunch of typical Obama supporters there...
In June, 1976 when I saw the original Star Wars at a Fox theater in Montana, some kid was talking through most of the movie. I got even with him by saying after the death star blew up, wait until you see them put it back together. He believe me.
And it reminds me of another situation last year. Some people had some classic cars parked out on the street for an event and someone hit and ran while driving the street.
He was detained and I think I heard that he gave information (but he wasn’t going to initially, he was going to run).
Immediately following he called 911 and said a crowd had threatened him and pulled a gun on him.
Cops swarmed down on the street.
They eventually realized that there was no gun and that it was a fraudulent call. They still made the drivers move their cars (or threatened to have them towed).
Now in Lawrence v. Texas, the famous sodomy case, the “mysterious” caller was an abused male lover of one of the men. And he was sentenced to several weeks in jail for making a false report.
The police don’t like to play that card much it seems.
Whatever they don’t have to do to get away from their normal routine.
It became illegal the day we let lawyers define the social norm
Say “he kept holding up his cellphone, I don’t KNOW if he was trying to illegally take pictures of the screen or WHAT”.
because you DON’T know why he was repeatedly opening his cellphone but it was not permitted in the theater.
And yes, more businesses are going to JAMMING cellphone signals.
There’s a reason why i have an MP3 (no, not that wussy Ipod) that records. It’s 4 gb and it’s as small as a BIc lighter. My brother also got into a situation almost the same as yours, and now has it for legal reasons...aside from a CCW.
They are correct, you got baited. I live in Hollywood and have seen what the law can do for you. I;ve witnessed the paparazzi here actually threaten the cops. yes, legally threaten the LAPD and being a blue city, we know the result.
I would’ve fought this in court just for the principle.
Reminds me too of the young thugs who walk straight out into oncoming traffic midblock (they now even do it casually like they are “directing traffic”). And then they laugh at their wussy buddies when they are stuck at the curb while the friend continues to walk on.
And Pfleger had the audacity to bitch about Hillary feeling “entitled”.
If I have some idiot annoying me like that, I just go and stand in front of him... during the movie. It usually works with talkers, phoners, etc. If they ask me what I think I am doing, I just say “streching my legs” or “leg cramp” or something like that.
Since when do security guards have authority to hold you?
I believe that's a federal offense! LOL
Oh, and next time you need to get buy someone who's deliberately blocking your way, yell, "I'm going to be sick!" as you steam roll your way over them heading towards the exit. Your sudden sickness and recovery could be blamed on the popcorn. :D
Had it gone to court, I would have done just that, and that probably contributed to his offering to drop the charges if I apologized for pushing him.
However ... according to the cops, that didn’t matter. It explains why I wasn’t patient and polite, but is still no “excuse” for pushing him when he refused to move.
Nope. Call the Nanny from the nanny state, that’s what they’re there for !
“You should have called us, and not tried to handle the confrontation yourself.”
Me
“Officer, I’m not rude enough to carry my cellphone into the theater, and since they were blocking the way, “calling you” to report the serious crime of blocking the aisle, was not possible.”
Actually, I’d have never let “theater security” stop me.
buy=by
That was my conclusion, too.
Apparently these guys really were minors, and I am flabbergasted that they would have the nerve to block the way of myself and my brother. We are both well over 6 feet and almost outweighed the four of them put together.
These guys are either gangbangers or headed for long rap sheets in any case. ‘Badly reared’ doesn’t begin to cover it.
Well, I could have wished the 911 operator had blown off the kid’s call !
They are apparently never there when you need them, but really on the ball for BS calls.
I can’t offer a movie review — I was a liiitttlle distracted ;-(
Was there any proof that the guy was a minor ???
Why werent his parents called to pick him up if he was ???
This starts in Kindergarten now- my grandson had trouble with a bully and the school could not seem to solve the problem. The bully was a second grader and one day he sprayed cologne on the lunches of grandson’s friends. Grandson told him that was not nice and not to do it again. The next day bully sprayed grandson’s food, grandson told the adult cafeteria monitor and she said she couldn’t do anything to the bully since she didn’t see it happen. My daughter was angry and called the principal who told her basically if the monitor didn’t see it then it didn’t happen- daughter was angry about son being bullied and having to buy grandson extra trays of food (he’s not on a lunch program) anyway daughter showed her anger over the situation to the principal in the conversation and was told she needed to take an anger management course.
Daughter decides her son is on his own with this bully so she tells him if the boy sprays his food again to stand up for himself but to be sure the monitor is not watching. Bully again sprayed grandson’s food and grandson grabbed bully’s head and forced his face down into the tray of ruined food. Bully ran crying to monitor- grandson in trouble- principal called my daughter; said grandson was guilty of bullying behavior- (a Kindergartner bully a second grader?) Daughter asked principal if monitor saw this happen? NO so daughter told principal- well two days ago you told me if the monitor didn’t see it as far as you were concerned nothing happened so I guess it didn’t happen. Daughter hung up on principal and thankfully school was out a few days later.
It seems now it is OK to harass others but if they stand up for themselves- that is not OK. I just don’t get it!!
The mistake you made was grabbing him by the upper arms.
You should have kicked him in the nuts, and he would not have been able to call the police, let alone talk.
Then ask his friends “Who’s next?”
or:
You should have replied “PLEASE stop being such a jerkoff!”
Thus, you complied with his request to say “please”, and any further blockage of your exit would have been considered hostile.
or:
You should have told the cops: “I’m so glad you got here. That kid threatened me and was hostile to me. He and his friends created a very menacing environment. I thought he may have had a weapon. I was in fear of my life! It was self defense.”
I would have reacted the same way as you, and be facing a lawsuit, no doubt. We would never have tried such a stunt when we were that kid’s age. He sounds like he’s a pro at this. I hope he gets his comeuppance soon.
For centuries people have been saying that "kids these days" have no respect. However, the "kids these days" are completely in your face with their contempt and disrespect. The flaunt it at every opportunity. And not just the "troubled" kids, either.
It's the culture. It's the parenting (or lack thereof).
For the first time in human history, we have an entire generation raised by single mothers with no father figure. This type of behavior is the result.
I would have stepped over the seats into the row just above him and “accidently” dropped my leftover drink onto his head as I “tripped” trying to get over the seats since he had the row blocked and I couldn’t get by the normal way. Then I would have said “Oops, sorry, if you hadn’t blocked the way I might not have tripped.”
When the police asked you what happened, you should have said “nothing. It was a great movie.” When the guard told you that you could not leave, you should have warned him that you would sue if he tried to detain you. And then you should have left.
The mistake you made was being too nice. A guard tells you to stay and you stay?
I was seeing red. Cleverness was beyond me.
Exactly.
Oh, yes. The parents were there outside the theater to pick up the ‘kids’. At 12:30AM, mind you, when curfew is 10PM.
Which the cops couldn’t have cared less about. They could have, and should have, ticketed the parents — curfew violations carry fines to the parents of a couple hundred bucks.
Seeing red! What is that but total weakness. What do you do when you see a car coming at you when you are crossing the road, freeze?
Those kids had you pegged. Maybe you deserve a tongue-lashing by a judge. That's what he is going to tell you.
A saying you will do well to consider, "Don't get mad, get even." In other words, you need to correct your behavior.
Next time, punch him in the face & run like hell.
You’ll probably get into even more trouble, but it’ll be waaaaaaay more satisfying.
Most theaters usually have fire exits. Those could be useful.
“I just don’t get it!!”
Me, neither. As I said, this has been bothering me for days, that punk kids know how to play the system this way. A misdemeanor can carry up to a year in jail. Who wants to gamble on getting a reasonable judge in southern CA ?
I’d be willing to bet that they snuck into the theater.
And where did you get a FR name like Kellis91789? What, Kellis91788 was taken already? Or maybe you are thinking you can be famous by makig a FR name that is a combination of your name and your zip code like the song, 867-5309/jenny. Kellis91789. But it does not rhyme and it does not work as a song. So sit down, shut up and watch the movie, I’ve got a phone call to make.
What the heck is a second grader doing with cologne?
fight it in court. then sue them civilly.
If you punched him hard enough to knock him out, then he couldn’t call the police.
We ignored the security guards until there were 6 of them and they’d caught up to us in their golf carts. They had our cars blocked in, and the police car showed up two minutes later. Not a lot of time for options.
And give them the satisfaction of seeing you turn around and run away ?
Now that’s a problem. Blocking you in with golf carts?
If you can help it, never go to that theater again.
It’s the easiest and quickest way.
Now if they want to block both ways... that’s a fight.
I wasn't there so obviously I don't know. I do know it sounds like a crappy situation and despite my attempt at levity, I can see how the situation would have easily developed. It is hard to just walk away from that kind of behavior. Hope it works out for you.
I wouldn’t be angry at a car coming down the road at me.
But I note your vote for pacifism.
The fact that the law apparently requires you to sacrifice your dignity is what bothers me most, I think.
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