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 ?
The police expected you to have a cell phone? I don’t think that would hold up in court. Should have smashed his cell phone so he couldn’t call anyone.
I thought you were very nice about the whole thing. I would have asked if I could borrow his cell phone and dropped it in the urinal. That would give him something to piss about to the cops. Of course, the cops would have been laughing so hard you could have walked away.
knife hand strike to the carotid artery should buy you enough time to give him a knee lift to the chin on the way down as you feign concern over what has happened to make this poor young future of the United States collapse. Step on the phone for good measure as you bend down and rip his clothes so that you can find a pulse and check your abc’s...
Ha, ha—I like the way you think!
Being a female, I think I would have tried to change my seat if at all possible (you didn't say how crowded the theater was) and if that didn't work would have gone to management to complain and/or asked for the return of my money.
A previous FReeper had an excellent suggestion about going to management and telling them that they were in there recording the movie. Of course it's hard to think of those things when you are in the thick of it, but that would be an excellent suggestion to remember for next time.
I'm not a movie goer much these days, but when I have gone, I usually like to be at the end of an aisle because I don't like having to be at the mercy of someone to get out of the theater or change my seat if I need to do so. I've never had your situation happen, but I don't like having to crawl over people. And I always carry my cellphone with me just in case of an emergency, but in this situation, at least in my town, I think the police would have blown off any attempt to report this.
Good luck with all this. Too many smartass jerks out there that enjoy f-ing with the public. My only hope is that this little smartass messes with the wrong guy next time. Too bad you won't be there to see it.
If I were you I would never go back to that theater again. The management there must really suck to let patrons be bothered by cell phone users during a movie. At the theater I usually go to the security guards would have done something about the punk on his cell phone.
Very good question- my daughter brought that up to the principal, but seems the school had no concern about that. The second grade boy is a bully in the making- has found cologne on food is a good way to harrass the younger students and with all the “anti-bullying” policies at schools now- hah- they don’t work if a kid knows how to play the system.
When I was in school there was no anti-bullying policy I am sure- yet if a kid would have been accused of spraying cologne on food- some adult would have checked him, found the cologne and took care of the situtation ASAP. Now it seems they can’t or won’t do anything about this type of thing; except of course give lip service to their wonderful policy.
I sympathize. That punk needs a reality beating; just, it’s better done by rougher sorts than us.
Couple of things I’d have done differently, JMO:
1. Just immediately report cell phone use to the management. Most places I go are very good about immediate ejection of cell users.
2. When someone is deliberately blocking your path like that, act like you are trying to get by politely but stomp on their feet / slam their knees, hard — and then yell, “Sorr— HEY! YOU TRIPPED ME ON PURPOSE!” if it looks like they are going to try to make an issue of it. Point being, never do anything that openly shows you meant to do the jerk even minor physical harm. (Is it duplicitous? Sure, but in this rarest of situations, it’s merited: You deliberately block my path physically and you’re going to get stomped.)
If they are properly licensed security guards, the first course they must have taken was the "power to arrest" course...so technically a properly licensed security officer does have that authority.
Of course,the last time I worked security was 15 years ago, so who knows how many changes that have been made, especially since 9/11. I am sure, though, that the changes that have been made, have not erased the requirement of the Power to Arrest course.
Next time tell the person you’re feeling really dizzy. If they don’t move, fall into them with an elbow to the ribs.
I can’t believe your grandson’s situation. Another boy was poisoning his food with cologne but the school wouldn’t do anything about it because the monitor didn’t see it? Your daughter should have demanded that the cops be notified and the food tested, since the monitor didn’t see it...
Tampering with food is serious business.
If management really wouldn't have said anything and wouldn't have refunded your money, then they clearly don't want your business and you had no reason to remain for the rest of the show. And you could follow up by letting everyone you know, every media entertainment outlet, and every Internet review site like Yelp.com have a detailed description of exactly what took place and how the management failed to handle it.
The John Wayne modality doesn't work any more - feminist lawyers and judges have reshaped the legal system in favor of the "outsider". There isn't much one can do to "stand up" to uncivil behavior. Instead just smile, ask them if they are saved, and start talking to them about the love of Jesus Christ - that will drive them away faster than any threat. ;)
Counterfile: unlawful restraint or false imprisonment
Wise up, you are living in a the 21st century and in a nanny state run by a girlie man. Any public display of testosterone will subject you to having the police sicced on you. All displays of testosterone will be restricted to the movie screens where they are reenactments not real.
You’d be wrong. In Texas anyway, anyone, civilian or otherwise has the right to hold anyone attempting to leave the scene after the police have been summoned. I imagine that most states have similar laws.
Better for you that you stayed. In most localities it’s a crime to flee the scene if the police have been called.
Wrong. Anyone, civilian, security, et al, have the authority to keep you at the scene(extension of citizen’s arrest) if the police have been called on you. I’ve done it many times (usually after bar fights)and gotten kudos from the police.
In California, forcing some body to move to another location OR preventing them from moving to another location are, (or at least were)Both Kidnappings, sounds like the brats were guilty of the second form. if tyhe security guards didn’t place you under citizens arrest they were as well.
I am not a lawyer but was a kidnapping victim, way back when.
Keep to yourself, avoid crowds, and public places as much as possible. Avoid confrontations if possible, stay low profile, low key, but be totally prepared. Same when your driving. Many people are wound way tight nowadays, lots of angry violent attitudes, and others just hunting for trouble. Minor confrontations nowadays often explode causing sudden senseless death. Next time it might not end so well.
How are you going to detain them? Physically? You'd be in for a hell of a lawsuit.
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