Jude 2

It's official: I am the grouchy, crotchety old geezer that complains.

Amy and I went to see Four Christmases tonight. Arrived early to get our favorite seats, back row, dead center, in an almost empty theater. Sat through all the ads, movie trivia and previews... and, right as the lights completely dimmed and the movie started, in walked a crowd of 14-16 year-olds. 9 of them sat in the row immediately in front of us, while others flanked us on both seats, leaving a few empty seats between us. Actually, I misspoke: the 9 in front didn't immediately sit... they STOOD in front of us, laughed, passed food around, made loud jokes...

The movie started and 5 or 6 of them flipped their phones open. Several made/received calls. Two girls sitting 4 seats apart were talking to EACH OTHER.

They kept the phones open, texting, with the lights shining back into our eyes. As a (ahem) grouchy codger hint, I got out my iPhone, launched a flashlight app, and pointed the bright light at the two right in front of me. It elicited dirty looks, but they didn't take the hint.

To prevent me from going off on the whole bunch of them and dousing them with popcorn and Diet Coke, my wife went and got the manager on duty, who came in and asked them to knock it off or leave. As soon as she left the room, they flipped the phones back open and slightly diverted the lights while they continued to text, very likely rude remarks about the stupid old people behind them.

$18 bucks for movie tickets -- I want to hear and see the entire film without being bothered by punk kids with no manners. They could have moved down closer to the front, where there were 10 empty rows, and it wouldn't have been such an issue for me.

Okay. I have ranted, and feel much better. If they put me on the jury of this guy, he would walk.

If it makes you feel any better, you didn't miss anything great in the movie. I thought it was moderately, yet quite predictably, funny through most of it. But, the last 20 minutes were boring and unfunny. On the flip side, enjoying the wonderful and incredibly attractive Jennifer Anniston for 75 minutes is never a bad thing. That Brad Pitt is a crazy man.

When something like that happens, at our local theater they are happy to give free movie passes for next time... don't worry, I don't think you are a grump!

This incident reminds me of a church we visited a few times! Great church, they just need an usher ministry. The pastor even spoke for several minutes asking people not to talk during his sermon. And, he wasn't boring or anything, they just had a running jerry springer commentary going about what he was saying! Apparently they were not the only ones. It is a big problem. People do not understand or exercise common courtesy in our society. No wonder the rest of the planet thinks Americans are obnoxious.

PG....you need a lesson in theater combat....

Next time just get up and sit in the midst of them and start coughing, and making loud noises that sound like .....well you know .....

Then loudly proclaim that you ate too many buritos for dinner on your way in......

Whey they open their phones, take them from them and text the person back that they never want to hear from them again and that they are some kind of idiot....

Talk over the phone conversation....."God what awfull hair.....you didn't pay for that haircut did you????? "

Just give it right back to them....then ask the manager for a rain check...he has to give you one if you explain how terribly rude you had been treated.

OR.......you could move down a few rows........

Pastor Gary wrote:If they put me on the jury of this guy, he would walk.

Me, too, Gary. I've pretty much given up on movie theaters for this reason. I don't blame you a bit. Those kids would have gotten an earful from me.

I was in a theater a few months ago and experienced something similar.

Two girls, about 20 or so, were a few seats down in the same row as us and were yacking away with each other. Then one answered the phone and proceeded to have a conversation. A woman about my age was sitting directly behind me. She very calmly, but in a normal voice said, "Hang up the phone." The girl looked over her shoulder at her and then continued to talk. The older woman got up, went to the end of the aisle and stood over the younger girl. Again, very calmly, she said, "I said to hang up the phone. If you wish to continue the call, step outside."

The girl cussed under her breath, but she hung up the phone. I was hoping for a smack-down....movie tickets are so expensive nowadays that a little something extra is always a bonus.

Pastor Gary wrote:It's official: I am the grouchy, crotchety old geezer that complains.

this is news?:wink:

Aw Gary, kids are kids, and haven't reach their full mental capacity yet.

In short, they are morons and need too be treated as such, amen, glory to God!

Dr Ron had some great suggestions. There are a couple more I could add; there is the old trick of carrying a can of vegetable soup in with you against the advent of such a situation, opening it with a small portable can opener, making moaning and gagging noises, then dumping the soup all over a couple of them while saying something along the lines of "GAAKKK!" or "UHHHLLLP!", then apologizing profusely about having the flu or some stomach ailment while wiping your mouth with a napkin you previously stained with soup by dabbing it in the can.

But, if cleaning bills frighten you, bring a small spray bottle filled with luke-warm water, and do similar set-up involving sneezing without covering your mouth or nose.. Everytime you make a sneezing sound, send a big spray of water forward onto the annoying movie patron(s), loudly apologizing about "this blasted cold, had it for a week and it just won't seem to go away."

They'll move.

Pastor Gary wrote:Okay. I have ranted, and feel much better. If they put me on the jury of this guy, he would walk.

[i][/quote]

The guy shooting someone over interupting his movie viewing is disturbing, but so is the rudeness of the people he was dealing with. The fact that they were all in a movie theatre may be telling; where else would someone become so jaded by watching violence and rudeness that such behavior and response among people would be even sort of acceptable, unless it was TV?

Shellie wrote:The girl cussed under her breath, but she hung up the phone. I was hoping for a smack-down....movie tickets are so expensive nowadays that a little something extra is always a bonus.

I've only had a few frustrating times with talking in the movies, most recently a guy having a loud and long conversation all through I Am Legend. One plan of defense is to find out the theater's back phone line (the one they answer - not the recorded message) and call from your cell phone to tell them where the disturbance is. It would be even better if they could receive your text messages in real time. I just hate to get up and go complain, mostly because if it's a group of punks, I don't want them to follow me to my car.

BitTorrent!

I actually just thought of how ironic my suggestions were - calling or texting the manager to have him come and tell the other to quit texting and using their cell phones.

Shellie wrote:I was in a theater a few months ago and experienced something similar.

Two girls, about 20 or so, were a few seats down in the same row as us and were yacking away with each other. Then one answered the phone and proceeded to have a conversation. A woman about my age was sitting directly behind me. She very calmly, but in a normal voice said, "Hang up the phone." The girl looked over her shoulder at her and then continued to talk. The older woman got up, went to the end of the aisle and stood over the younger girl. Again, very calmly, she said, "I said to hang up the phone. If you wish to continue the call, step outside."

The girl cussed under her breath, but she hung up the phone. I was hoping for a smack-down....movie tickets are so expensive nowadays that a little something extra is always a bonus.

I think I love this woman.

Another, more covert and high-tech solution:

Now you know why the COGOP once taught against going to movies. I just couldn't resist,

Faith rider wrote:Now you know why the COGOP once taught against going to movies. I just couldn't resist,

The second and last time I was at Wrigley Field, I was with Phil Hoover. Four drunk guys about ten seats down started to harrass Phil. They also were throwing things at people. I finally stared them down and told them to knock it off. They gestured and commented back, but I was angry and kept glaring at them. I can't remember what I said, but I remember the anger I felt, and I've been told that when I'm angry I can wilt people. The guys got up and left after about three minutes. Later, on the train home, a stranger recognized me as the guy who had gotten rid of those guys. He complimented me like I was a hero. (I liked that!) I told myself that day that I'd never attend a professional ball game again. I hate that atmosphere: all the drinking; it's like the whole crowd is buzzed and dangerous. I realized right then why M.A. had put a taboo against going to professional ball games into the Advice to Members. Good advice, as far as my preferences go.

It happens. People just have no idea how to behave, or they just don't care to do it, or even worse, they don't know that they ought to even be aware of how what they do affects other people. Or some mix of all of the above, I guess. Sometimes you have to be kinda brutish back to back people down. Sometimes you have to be diplomatic and let it roll. Sometimes you have to get up and leave and sometimes you stand your ground. Dumb people make for hard decisions for us all sometimes.

Jennifer Smith wrote:exercise common courtesy in our society

PG,
Sorry to hear about it. Jennifer nails it with the common courtesy comment.

Common courtesy is the main reason for SOOO many issues that could be averted. From Smoking Bans to loud music laws. (insert deeper issues here)

Next time just go to the manager and get a refund and SERIOUSLY complain to him and even his parent company.. as it is his companies responsibility to secure a pleasant experience and not for you to home train at the last minute.