THOSE ANNOYING MOBILES USED IN CINEMAS (1 Viewer)

Why don't cinemas install jamming devices in their auditoriums? This will stop those ignorant morons from annoying other patrons by using their mobiles during the movies. With cinema - going audiences getting smaller each year, jamming devices will restore people's faith in returning to cinemas.

An ex-cop in Florida used his own "jamming device" last year to stop a cell phone user in a theater.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/justice/florida-movie-theater-shooting/


I agree that theaters need to be more aggressive about this, but unfortunately their main priority is selling overpriced popcorn and snacks.

This is the reason why I haven't stepped into a movie theater in more than 5 years.


Cell Phones


Despite the trailers at the front of the film asking patrons to turn off their phones, you can't help but notice the glows across the auditorium of people glancing and texting (and sometimes talking) on their devices.


I refuse to go to the movies anymore -- and I can get in free anytime I want due to the fact that one of my friends runs the local Cinemaplex. Shows how much I despise the theatrical experience, even though I realize the benefits of seeing a film with an audience.

I suspect there are multiple legal reasons why theaters don't pursue jamming technology, The first time a doctor misses an emergency call the lawsuits will be flowing.


I know this is still a big problem in some places, but honestly, things have really improved around here. I think I've heard only one phone actually ring during the movie in the past five years (I see 30-50 films a year in theaters). And I'm seeing those bright little screens less and less - more often than not the screenings I attend are mobile-annoyance-free. I still see a fair amount of texting during previews, but that doesn't bother me. If the phone's in the pocket when the feature starts I'm good.


I think a lot of my good fortune has to do with the fact that I almost exclusively attend early afternoon weekend matinees. That way I avoid the date-night mobile-addicted teen crowd. Folks who go to matinees are usually there to actually watch the movie.

Craig S said:

Folks who go to matinees are usually there to actually watch the movie.

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Excellent point. Very true.

Did anyone else think of this kind of mobile when they first read the topic?

Yes -- honestly telling the truth -- that was the first thing that came into my mind when I read the subject header.


That is what really piqued my interest in reading it further.

Craig S said:

I know this is still a big problem in some places, but honestly, things have really improved around here. I think I've heard only one phone actually ring during the movie in the past five years (I see 30-50 films a year in theaters). And I'm seeing those bright little screens less and less - more often than not the screenings I attend are mobile-annoyance-free. I still see a fair amount of texting during previews, but that doesn't bother me. If the phone's in the pocket when the feature starts I'm good.

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That's my experience as well (and I see about 50 or 60 movies a year). I think cell phone usage during a movie is something that everyone hates so much that people are embarrassed to get caught doing it and so they've stopped. Talking on a phone during a movie is virtually non-existent now. Even texting is pretty rare and when it happens more than once or twice, someone usually tells the person to it away and it's immediately put away & gone for the rest of the movie out of shame of being 'that guy'.


The real problem I have is old people talking. You can tell rowdy teens or grown men to shut their holes and they'll do it but old people will talk like they're in their living room and they don't care who they bother.

Most of the no cell phone messages on the screen before movies are "Please Silence Your Cell Phone" and has been mentioned earlier phones actually ringing during movies are pretty rare. The message needs to be "Please Turn Your Cell Phone Completely Off" and then maybe we could watch movies without being distracted by glaring screens that are sometimes brighter than the actual movies.

Maybe it's me, but I've never been distracted by glaring phone screens. I'm too focused on the film playing as my eyes are up looking at the movie screen.

cinerama10 said:

Why don't cinemas install jamming devices in their auditoriums? This will stop those ignorant morons from annoying other patrons by using their mobiles during the movies. With cinema - going audiences getting smaller each year, jamming devices will restore people's faith in returning to cinemas.

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In the United States it's illegal to use an active jamming device.

The last time I went to a movie theatre was the LA Cinerama dome in 2012 for the 60th anniversary Cinerama film festival. With my home theatre with 3D projector there is no reason to go. Cheaper to buy or rent Blu-ray's than going to a movie theatre.

Craig S said:

I suspect there are multiple legal reasons why theaters don't pursue jamming technology, The first time a doctor misses an emergency call the lawsuits will be flowing.

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I don't buy this. What did people do before cell phones proliferated? Cellphones have NO business in ANY venue, be it a movie theater, concert hall or stage performance where an audience can and will be distracted (sorry, Mr. Harris, but this is a BIG problem for me and many other folks who pay through the nose for tickets). People's obsession with personal gadgets is the main reason I rarely go to the movies anymore. There is ALWAYS some jerk twittering or playing some stupid game and theater managers need to do something about it before people stop going to the movies.

then there is the Alamo Draft House stance on it, with prices for tickets and concessions at what they are, when the goal is to see the film, they have taken the hard line against mobile device usage,


WARNING Bad Language: NSFW Don't Talk - Angry Voicemail (Uncensored)





this has become there PSA's and even got news attention, with directors and stars doing promos, apparently the young lady in question wasn't happy. Honestly I wish more theaters would take this stance, and no offence to the young lady, but maybe she would be happier at the food court at the mall.

cineMANIAC said:

I don't buy this. What did people do before cell phones proliferated? Cellphones have NO business in ANY venue, be it a movie theater, concert hall or stage performance where an audience can and will be distracted (sorry, Mr. Harris, but this is a BIG problem for me and many other folks who pay through the nose for tickets). People's obsession with personal gadgets is the main reason I rarely go to the movies anymore. There is ALWAYS some jerk twittering or playing some stupid game and theater managers need to do something about it before people stop going to the movies.

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Same thing applies for restaurants and many other public places. Pre-cell phone era -- a Doctor ( someone on call or needed for emergency) left their name at the front desk, told their answering service where they would be in case of emergency, gave the Usher a couple dollars and told them where they would be sitting just in case, and if a phone call came through the usher would retrieve him/her to go to the public phone outside.


Likely most just didn't go to a theater when they were on call or would have someone covering for them so they wouldn't interrupt their own evening or disturb the other patrons. Then pagers came along to call into an answering service, then pagers with an auditory phone number sort of like voicemail (talk about irritating and you could never understand the message anyway), then pagers with a visible screen readout, then portable/cell phones.


As mentioned, it is quite illegal in the US to use a private Jammer and much worse for a business to install a Jammer with potential massive fines and jailtime possible.

dana martin said:

then there is the Alamo Draft House stance on it, with prices for tickets and concessions at what they are, when the goal is to see the film, they have taken the hard line against mobile device usage,


WARNING Bad Language: NSFW Don't Talk - Angry Voicemail (Uncensored)





this has become there PSA's and even got news attention, with directors and stars doing promos, apparently the young lady in question wasn't happy. Honestly I wish more theaters would take this stance, and no offence to the young lady, but maybe she would be happier at the food court at the mall.

Click to expand...

Probably the most enjoyable two minutes I spent in front of my computer so far today watching that PSA.


Thanks for the share!

glad you liked it, it's damn funny

cineMANIAC said:

I don't buy this. What did people do before cell phones proliferated? Cellphones have NO business in ANY venue, be it a movie theater, concert hall or stage performance where an audience can and will be distracted (sorry, Mr. Harris, but this is a BIG problem for me and many other folks who pay through the nose for tickets). People's obsession with personal gadgets is the main reason I rarely go to the movies anymore. There is ALWAYS some jerk twittering or playing some stupid game and theater managers need to do something about it before people stop going to the movies.

Click to expand...

I buy it completely in todays world. Imagine a kid chokes on their popcorn and Mom/Dad can't use their cellphone to call emergency services because the theater is jamming the signal. While to you and I it may seem strange, in today's world a lawsuit would inevitably come along and the theater would be held liable.

atfree said:

I buy it completely in todays world. Imagine a kid chokes on their popcorn and Mom/Dad can't use their cellphone to call emergency services because the theater is jamming the signal. While to you and I it may seem strange, in today's world a lawsuit would inevitably come along and the theater would be held liable.

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Yep. I just saw a local news story where a man's adult children are suing because it was determined that their father murdered their mother and then killed himself. If you can file a lawsuit over something as moronic as not liking the outcome of an investigation, imagine a jury looking at a parent of dead kid sobbing about how they couldn't make a 911 call because of a cell phone jammer. No theater in the world is going to risk that kind of lawsuit.

While some theatre chains are aggressive about cell use in their auditoriums, they are usually the smaller family owned circuits, while the large national chains ignore the problem.

There is a FCC rule, law, or policy that prevents the actual purposely jamming of the signal. We have looked into this and how we can get around the policy. Lawyers say there is no way.

I hate the use of cell phones in a movie theatre and the are very irritating.