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 ?
fight it in court. then sue them civilly.
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.
I would have had a hard time not twisting his cell phone in half and then rubbing it in his face. Something tells me you did the right thing, though. I don’t know what you are supposed to do with a worthless punk like that without causing yourself more trouble than it is worth.
So... how many times has this happened to you? At any rate, it sounds like passive-agressive behaviour.
I would have went to mgmt, demanded some action or asked for my money back. And if it was the same theatre where you've gotten no satisfactory response, why do you keep patronizing it?
LOL! Bump!
Cell-phones during a movie ? You’re kidding, right ? Almost half the time. Maybe one time in ten are they close enough to be a real distraction. Over the past ten years, I’ve asked theater management to do something maybe a dozen times. Theaters won’t refund your money after 30 minutes, which considering the time devoted to previews, means 15 minutes into the actual movie.
The theater is in the same center as my favorite restaurant, and happens to be halfway between my brother’s place and mine.
You’re suggesting my brother an I just stop having dinner together and seeing movies rather than face the off chance that a group of punks will cause a confrontation ?
That seems like an unreasonable solution to me. Unless you are saying society has deteriorated to the point where this behavior should be expected as the norm ?
You seem to be focusing on the cell-phone. The police could not have cared less about the cell-phone usage. Suppose there had been nothing except the confrontation with a group young men refusing to let you exit ? Do you push past them and risk an assault charge or let them detain you while you wait for ‘help’ ?
Did you watch any of the video on Greta about the girl on the school bus causing the incident with the bus driver? She kept antagonizing the bus driver until the driver reacted, at which point the girl yelled that she was a minor, that the adult can't touch her, she's going to call the police...
This seems to be SOP now for the youth of America. Our public school system has inculcated a belief in them that they are untouchable by adults and/or people of authority, and are emboldened to behave in any way they wish or they will call the police and claim assault on a minor.
-PJ
Private security has no right to detain you. You could simply walk away from them.
That’s certainly a thought. If a $50 jammer would establish a 30 foot radius of jamming, that would be a good investment for frequent moviegoers.
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.
You had to "shield your eye" from the light of his cell phone? The mgmt has "never done anything"? If the mgt. sucks, why would you continue to go there? And why wait until the end to do something about it?
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