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Theater owners want cell phones blocked
UPI ^ | Dec. 17, 2005 | UPI

Posted on 12/18/2005 7:27:25 AM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: annoyingpeople; cellphones; emilypost; etiquette; grace; gracious; hollywood; manners; missmanners; pests; theater; theaters
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To: Churchillspirit
I do hope you are prepared for a natural (or man-made) disaster, where you could be cut off from the world for three days not three hours!

Why live your life like you will be under siege any moment? The fact of the matter is that many people have responsibilities that make it important to be reachable. These moments may not occur very often, but when they do, a 3 hour delay can be end of a career.

For people that are retired, not much of a social life, or a job where responsibilities end at the sound of whistle, this type of life may seem totally alien.

Here's an example: when I was young, if my mother was expecting a call from a doctor about the results of a test, she would have to stay home for days at a time and stay off of the phone since these were the days before call waiting. Now in a similar situation, my parents can go about their normal lives and be notified by cell phone.

Technology is not your enemy - it is your friend.

261 posted on 12/18/2005 12:56:20 PM PST by JeffAtlanta
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To: JeffAtlanta

Maybe it's different in Atlanta than here. I don't know. Weekday matinees are running about 50% full here, at least for popular movies. Maybe the Minnesota geezers like movies better than they do in Atlanta.


262 posted on 12/18/2005 12:58:27 PM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: samtheman
But this forum question is all about cell-phone jamming in theaters. I'm for

Unbelievable. So you want to jam all phone signals (even if the cell phone is set to vibrate- not ring) -- which means, you want to jam a doctor's cell phone and preventing him from receiving an emergency call?

I was at the theater last week and a father had to excuse himself with his little girl 3 times because she needed a potty break. -- Would you also ban kids as well?

Where does it say that you have an absolute right not to be inconvenienced?

263 posted on 12/18/2005 12:58:51 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: MrsEmmaPeel

"I was at the theater last week and a father had to excuse himself with his little girl 3 times because she needed a potty break. -- Would you also ban kids as well?"

An aisle seat would have solved that problem very nicely, doncha think?


264 posted on 12/18/2005 1:00:03 PM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: MineralMan
Old fogies, indeed. It's amusing to hear the 30-somethings referring to folks in their 50s and 60s as fogies.

Suffering from "old fogey" syndrome has nothing to do with age. Even people in their early 20s can be old fogies.

"Old Fogey Syndrome" is characterized by a person believing that culture was at it's golden age during his formative years (usually ages 15 - 25).

You will often here old fogies say things like "when I was young musicians had talent. Music today is all crap". The word "musicians" can be replaced by "actors", "athletes", etc.

265 posted on 12/18/2005 1:01:20 PM PST by JeffAtlanta
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To: samtheman

"this forum question is all about cell-phone jamming in theaters. I'm for it."

I should have read further before I responded to you. I thought you were in the minority, but on this thread you most decidedly aren't the minority.

But, in this case the majority is just wrong. Wrong on law, wrong on principle, wrong on what is a reasonable response to life's annoyances, wrong on what's in the best interest of the public.....I could go on, but I'm sure my arguments won't convince you, or most other folks who would love to have the power to interrupt people's cellphone conversations with a jammer - not because they should, but because they think they can - with no regard for anyone else - only their own self-important "right" to not be annoyed.

It's a slam dunk. The theaters will lose this one, and the whiners will still get to whine about how awful and antisocial everyone ELSE is.....


266 posted on 12/18/2005 1:01:20 PM PST by RFEngineer
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To: RFEngineer
You got that right!....I thought there were just a couple screwballs on this thread, but it's total anarchy here. If folks really believed the stuff they are spewing here, society would completely collapse.

I like to do a little backyard astronomy.

I LOVE amateur astronomy Mr. Peel and I some times (weather and light pollution permitting) like to gaze out. Sometimes we simply can't. Never occurred to us to complain -- Lobby for an edict that all city lights are out by 8pm.

I'm with you. The utter selfishness of people on this thread who feel that they have a right not to be inconvenienced is pretty scary.

267 posted on 12/18/2005 1:03:44 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: MrsEmmaPeel

Where does it say that you have an absolute right not to be inconvenienced?



Where does it say that you have an absolute right TO inconvience others?


268 posted on 12/18/2005 1:05:32 PM PST by John D
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To: MineralMan
An aisle seat would have solved that problem very nicely, doncha think?

Hey - they were sitting where they were sitting - Would you suggest that seating arrangements need to be allocated based on bladder capacity?

269 posted on 12/18/2005 1:05:57 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: RFEngineer
I like to do a little backyard astronomy......can't people just be polite enough to live without electric lights long enough (in a 50 mile radius) for me to look through my telescope?

LOL! Unrelated but true....I live in the sticks and when the next door neighbor (1/4 mile away) installed a security light (on at dark, off at dawn) I finally asked if he could put a switch on it....he did. If I want to look at stars, it just takes a phone call....perhaps if more people had good manners, this thread wouldn't be necessary....

270 posted on 12/18/2005 1:06:00 PM PST by ScreamingFist ( The RKBA doesn't apply if I have a bigger gun than your bodyguard. NRA)
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To: MrsEmmaPeel

"Never occurred to us to complain -- Lobby for an edict that all city lights are out by 8pm"

Well, when home EMP devices become available, you won't have to bother to talk to your neighbors and ask them to turn their lights off while you enjoy the astronomical wonders!


271 posted on 12/18/2005 1:07:11 PM PST by RFEngineer
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To: MrsEmmaPeel

"Hey - they were sitting where they were sitting - Would you suggest that seating arrangements need to be allocated based on bladder capacity?"

Nope, but fathers of 3-year-olds should know that their little precious daughter has a weak bladder. They should take an aisle seat because they know their precious little pumpkin will have to pee three times during the movie.

That's just common courtesy. Why disturb other patrons three times during a film for something that's predictable?


272 posted on 12/18/2005 1:08:42 PM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: John D

"Where does it say that you have an absolute right TO inconvience others?"

I think that one is in the constitution.....though not expressed in quite those terms.


273 posted on 12/18/2005 1:08:50 PM PST by RFEngineer
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To: JeffAtlanta
Why live your life like you will be under siege any moment?

I live in earthquake country. All prudent people are prepared to be self-sufficient for up to a week.

Surprisingly the world would survive without any of us for a week - even you!

274 posted on 12/18/2005 1:09:29 PM PST by Churchillspirit (Anaheim Angels - 2002 World Series Champions)
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To: John D
Where does it say that you have an absolute right TO inconvience others?

Hey I'm just sitting in the theater and the father next to me with his little girl needs to get by me 3 times so his little girl can have her potty break. Behind me, a cell phone goes off. Am I inconvenienced? No, I'm not that thinned skinned. Did I inconvenience anyone? Not that I'm aware of. I don't talk in the movie. I have a cell phone, and its set to vibrate.

If I really, really wanted privacy in watching the movie, I'd buy the DvD. Being in public, one has to make allowances.

Don't understand why others can't simply live and let live.

275 posted on 12/18/2005 1:11:48 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: MineralMan
That's just common courtesy. Why disturb other patrons three times during a film for something that's predictable?

I totally agree with you here. I submit that the major problems in theaters are hecklers and parents with infants.

In my experience (your mileage may vary), cell phone usage is a relatively minor when compared to the hecklers and the infants.

There are theaters that do not allow children - the cost of a ticket is about $5 to $10 a ticket higher, but many people see it as every bit worth the money.

That is the direction theaters should go.

276 posted on 12/18/2005 1:13:48 PM PST by JeffAtlanta
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To: MineralMan
That's just common courtesy.

I'm not going to judge that. It was a packed theater, he sat where he sat. I didn't see it as an inconvenience - just one of the things one endures in a public place.

277 posted on 12/18/2005 1:13:50 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: Kjobs
Theaters want to kill their already abysmal attendance numbers.

Fine by me. DVDs are really convenient.
278 posted on 12/18/2005 1:14:34 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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To: MrsEmmaPeel
Where does it say that you have an absolute right not to be inconvenienced?

In the $12 ticket price?

279 posted on 12/18/2005 1:15:14 PM PST by ScreamingFist ( The RKBA doesn't apply if I have a bigger gun than your bodyguard. NRA)
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To: Churchillspirit
I live in earthquake country. All prudent people are prepared to be self-sufficient for up to a week.

Totally irrelevant. So you feel that since you live in earthquake country, that no one, anywhere in the country should ever take a job that requires being on call 24/7?

280 posted on 12/18/2005 1:16:26 PM PST by JeffAtlanta
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