Theater owners want cell phones blocked

UPI ^ | Dec. 17, 2005 | UPI

[Kjobs]

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The National Association of Theater Owners wants the Federal Communications Commission to allow the blocking of cell phone signals in theaters.

John Fithian, the president of the trade organization, told the Los Angeles Times theater owners "have to block rude behavior" as the industry tries to come up with ways to bring people back to the cinemas.

Fithian said his group would petition the FCC for permission to block cell phone signals within movie theaters.

Some theaters already have no cell phone policies and ask moviegoers to check their phones at the door, Fithian said.

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association -- a Washington-based cell phone lobby that is also known as CTIA-the Wireless Association -- said it would fight any move to block cell phone signals.

[CindyDawg]

I guess some could see it that way. I don't. We have a good law right now. The theater wants the government to give them an exception though, so they can make more money. Isn't that special? As I posted, instead of crying to Uncle Sam, they could easily fix this by just enforcing their own rules.

[xrp]

You've never been on-call have you?

Are these people on call 24x7x365?

I've been on call 24x7 before, but only for short windows, say 2 days out of the week. My sister used to be a nurse @ a hospital and it was the same for her, maybe on call 2 or 3 days of the week. The other days of the week she was not on call and didn't have to be prepared for "the call" or "the page".

[HIDEK6]

Many people are on call 24 hours and must have a beeper or cell phone .

I think the people that are really that important probably have no interest in going to the movies, anyway.

Not that I really believe that anyone is that important anyway.

The only Person I can think of who is on call 24/7 is the President of the US.

[Shalom Israel]

Another useful gizmo is the super small universal remote that hangs on a keychain. It has only one function.....off.....in 45 different TV codes.

You rock! I never heard of it before. I found one for $20 at , and I think I'll order one right away.

[xrp]

If the customers are warned of this prior to purchasing a ticket, fine.

Agreed. I'll just stick to my formula:

Download and watch, if good, buy the DVD and skip the theater. If not good, I "return the product" by not purchasing the DVD.

Exception: date nights ;-)

[John Robertson]

"You are a very negative person. I've never complained about my job or my employer. I'm paid well and I enjoy the challenge. I would like to be permitted to enjoy a movie in a theater while using the tools I need for my job responsibly."

Glenn, you are a profound asshat. And a sissy-lib, I just realized: If someone calls you on some bit of pretentiousness and self-importance that YOU introduce, then you default to, "You're negative!" Do you have one of those "I Hate Negative People!" bumper stickers on your Scion?

And hey, Glenn: If you’re so freaking busy and important, how can you spend so much damned time on FR? Four or five people responded to your statement that you can't be out of touch with the world for 2.5 hours in the exact same way I did, and here you are responding to all of us. Come on, man, you could miss a really important Blackberry message!

I see you have also defaulted to the I'm-untouchably-cutting-edge-technologically-and-you-people-are-all-so-vacuum-tube postiion that presumes we are knuckle-dragging apes who would freak out if exposed to the bright lights and wondrous wonders of a CompUSA, but actually we're really cool about all of it. We understand that we don't want to define ourselves by our gizmos.

You even bet someone they didn't have a cell phone. Glenn, we all have cell phones, we just regard them as what they are: Tools.

And of course you had to revert to calling people Luddites if they don't have a P5 implanted in their rectums, but perhaps you are unaware of a phenomenom identified by anthropologists (actually, I'm not kidding on this): A combination of rote-action feedback meshes with a psychological need to create an addictive state between user and his device.

Or as we call addicted Blackberry users on the street: Crackberries.

(Just one of the things I love about FR: This week's ally was last week's pissing contest opponent. Yo, DogGone: Merry Christmas!)

[Seamoth]

This kind of situation is why the Founding Fathers regulated interstate commerce to the government.

It does not solve the problem at hand: the problem of rude patrons. Rowdy brats, loud commentary, and so forth will still be problems. Last time I went to the movies, my experience was ruined by someone who aimed a laser pointer at the screens for 30 minutes. No one did a thing about it. You want someone to blame--blame the eunuch management.

[SamAdams76]

I disagree with this. Now that our kids are a little older, we occasionally leave them at home and go out places. However, it is important that they have the ability to phone us if anything goes wrong. I always set my cellphone on vibrate when in public areas and if it ever happened in a movie theatre (hasn't happened yet), I would be able to go into the lobby and take the call.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

"One of the reasons I haven't been to the "movies" in over 3 years."

---

If I may add to your list:

1) After paying to watch a 90-minute movie, the viewer gets to first sit through a 45-minute barrage of advertisements for overpriced "refreshments" and previews for upcoming films.

2) The previews that get shown can usually be so indiscriminately presented that R and even X rated trailers can show up when you originally go to see a G rated film.

3) Equipment at the best of the theatres is often poorly maintained and operated in such a haphazard fashion that the viewing quality and sound levels encountered are completely a matter of happenstance.

4) Cleanliness and general maintenance of the rest of the establishment.........well, let's not go into THAT before we try to eat.

IMHO, the current movie-going "experience" is not unlike viewing something with 30 percent objectionable content while wearing earplugs and seated in a dumpster that is illuminated only by the flicker of a few twenty-dollar bills.

If the theatre owners think that banning a few goofs with Blackberrys is going to bring back the public, let them do so on their own and leave the FCC out of it.

All they're doing with this kind of a move is adding MORE reasons not to go to the movies.

[Right Wing Assault]

Every time a phone rings, stop the movie, turn on the lights, point a spotlight at the guilty one. Wait until they have finished their conversation. Then restart the movie.

Give other patrons time to beat the crap out of him or her, too.

[Shalom Israel]

This kind of situation is why the Founding Fathers regulated interstate commerce to the government.

A movie theater is so totally not "interstate commerce", I can't imagine what connection you see.

[ScreamingFist]

I found one for $20 at , and I think I'll order one right away.

It's truly a great investment, you'll never have to watch CNN again.....anywhere.

[John Robertson]

Now don't go getting all self-important.

And it's incredibly condescending for you to point out how the world works to me: "Just take a look around. How many things do you depend on running 24/7? Your cable TV? Phone service? Ambulances? Medical services (surgeons, vets)? Plumbing? (Your broken shower may wait till Monday, but not the hospital's.) Towing? Or, how about just about every large website in existence? Databases? Ad nauseum."

Well, you got the nauseum part right.

How about this: Not one network you mentioned depends on ONE person to keep going. If you or the Supreme Glenn happen to drive off a bridge on your way to saving the rest of us, I am reasonably convinced that a backup will appear.

[Seamoth]

In this case, the movie theater would be blocking, not initiating, the interstate commerce.

[Dallas59]

LOL! Not to mention having your truck/car broken into in the parking lot.

[Squantos]

More incrementalism that will soon let goobermint tell the theaters they can't sell sugar drinks, candy & popcorn crap that causes obesity.......:o)

Government is easy to invite in to your life but hard to make leave when they overstay their welcome IMO.....

I figure that movie theaters are soon to be extinct themselves. Yet all that aside folks that don't turn off the ringer on their cellulars in a meeting, a movie, church, resturant etc and place it in vibrate mode are just rude dummy's.....

Just my opinions of course.....

[SoftballMominVA]

I was at a showing of the newest Harry Potter last week. The guy in front of us had his cell phone on and was recording the whole movie. I assume he was downloading streaming video.

[CindyDawg]

I'm not important. I'm a nobody. Unfortunately my boss (the somebody)is out of town a lot and I get stuck on call. I treasure my time off and the staff know this. My calls are necessary ones.

Now my DH, is a VIP. He lives and breathes his job. I noticed the other day, that he's wearing one of those ear pieces. Please.... lol.

[bmwcyle]

What we need is the country to return to common sense.

[BibChr]

I agree with the sentiment, but as a parent I know that sometimes you have your phone on silent so the babysitter (or equivalent) can call in case of emergency.

The problems are (A) people who do not silence their cells, (B) the proliferation of non-emergency calls, and (C) people willing to carry on extended conversations in the theater.

Unfortunately, you can't legislate good manners and considerate behavior.

Dan