Disabled Boy, 7, Thrown Out Of Penguin Movie For Laughing Too Loud

WNBC Television ^ | 8/18/2005 | Puppage

[Puppage]

WALLKILL, N.Y. -- The family of a disabled 7-year-old boy want an apology from a Middletown movie theater, because the manager of the theater threw out their boy for laughing too loudly while watching "March of the Penguins."

The parents of Anthony Pratti said the incident happened at the Loew's cineplex at the Galleria Mall at Crystal Run on Sunday afternoon. Their son has cerebral palsy and autism and was enjoying the movie from his wheelchair when a theater worker said he was laughing too loudly and would have to leave.

Gina Pratti said they would try to have their son laugh more quietly, but the manager wanted him to leave.

The manager said the entire family didn't have to go; just the boy in the wheelchair.

Gina Pratti said they were dumbfounded to think the manager suggested leaving their son outside while they all went back into the movie.

The manager refunded everyone's money.

Gina Pratti and her husband have spent the past three days making phone calls and sending e-mails, trying to get someone from Loews to give them an explanation. She said no one has called back.

A representative of the company told the Times Herald-Record in Middletown on Wednesday that they were looking into the situation.

[DarkSavant]

LOL! With posts like that I'm going to get escorted out of work for laughing too hard!

[mombonn]

What Bible does that preacher use?

I doubt if he's ever read it.

[gridlock]

I told the manager what a jerk he was, called the owners of the theater later, no satisfaction, and haven't been back to a theater since.

One customer in your place of business is worth a thousand people walking by on the street. How business people can be so stupid is beyond my understanding. Most business is repeat business. A company that POs the customer will not last long.

[judgeandjury]

But given the existence of the onerous and inflexible Americans with Disabilities Act, the request was extremely $toopid, and will cost Loews lots of $$$$$.

The ADA doesn't require that people need to put up with a loud annoying handicapped person in a public venue. If this ends up in court by way of a lawsuit, the judge will rightly toss it out.

[Mfkmmof4]

I had a like situation this summer at our local pool. First I was told my son had to have adult supervision when at the pool which he does not need. He is 14, autistic but high functioning. Because the guard manager would not give me a reason as to why I kept asking questions. In the end I was banned but my son can continue to attend the pool - go figure!

[after dark]

They should go to the movie theaters I go to. People shout at the screen , and talk on the phone during movies.I find it hard to believe this autistic boy could have been as offensive as some of the people I have had to sit through movies with.

[Moosilauke]

One wonders if this was really about laughing too loud or if it was a case of laughing at inappropriate moments. When everybody is laughing at a punch line, it's pretty hard to say who's laughing loudest--you hear mostly yourself and, in any case, you don't hear the ensuing dialogue until you get over your hysteria. Nobody is going to get upset because someone else is able to laugh louder than they can. If they're laughing with abandon during the quiet, non-funny scenes, that is going to annoy the rest of the patrons. The laughing in that case is equivalent to talking throughout the movie, and it's the manager's job to put an end to that kind of behavior.

[TXBubba]

You know, we had kids too. And our cardinal rule was if they were disturbing other people we left. Be it movie, reataurant, musuem or whatever. I guess the idea of common courtesy to others is a dead issue in America.

We have the RIGHT to be obnoxious./sarcasm

I was responding to a poster who noted the good behavior of a child. BTW, I do agree with what you said though.

[after dark]

How do these people know your son is Autistic if he is high functioning?

I'm sorry your son was treated badly.

Most people think of that stupid movie Rain Man when they think of autistic people.

[Moosilauke]

To follow up on my previous posting, here is a reference to understanding autism. First in the long list of behaviors characteristic of autism is "inappropriate laughing or crying." More reason to suspect this case is not about laughing too loudly but about laughing at all the wrong times.

[Louis Foxwell]

Sunday matinees at a movie for children vibrate with screaming, howling, laughing, hollering and running around. Less obtrusive behavior is inappropriate.
Bad management practice putting a grinch in charge of the fun house.

[Undertow]

I laughed my ass of at this one.

[Undertow]

"off"

[Redcloak]

Was he laughing hysterically at the opening credits? That might be a reason to ask him to leave. (Assuming that this movie doesn't have "Pythonesque" opening credits and that a møøsë never bit the theater manager's sister.)

[after dark]

I have been at movie theaters where stoned teenagers were laughing loudly and inappropriatly. I don't recall a single time when I saw anyone being thrown out of a movie theater ever.

[trubluolyguy]

I almost got thrown out of "Exorcist:The beginning" for the same reason.

[Puppage]

I almost got thrown out of "Exorcist:The beginning" for the same reason.

That was you?

[Lester Moore]

I'm sure I would have found the braying of this kid extremely irritating but life is full of irritations and annoyances. Dealing with them with tolerance and grace is character building.

Kicking the disabled kid and his family out of a movie that was brightening his life, is a far greater tragedy than being annoyed.

If this happens to me I'll come to you for complete reimbursment of my ticket price and you get the built up character. OK?

[SouthernFreebird]

Well I gotta say if I'd paid good money to see a movie I should be able to hear it also. The rest of the theatre shouldn't have to sit thru a movie they can't hear because someone is disabled.

[alnick]

Hmmmm. It's entirely possible that the kid was highly annoying to the other patrons,

Well, if those patrons are so selfish as to begrudge a little 7 year old autistic boy with cerebral palsy a little enjoyment, they should be ashamed of themselves.