Far be it for me to preach about something but if you noticed a few odd characters in the title of this blahg then you will realize right away that I’m passionate about this topic. 
If you’re reading this on your cell phone, smart phone, Ipad, Ipod or any other device that requires your hands, then I at least hope you’re not in a movie theater or behind the wheels of an automobile. If any of that applies to you then this whole blahg is for your benefit.
Let me start by saying that I am not against cell phones. I happen to own one of these devices. Granted, I won mine from a pop-machine. That’s right, a pop-machine. It’s not a long story. I bought a bottle of diet pepsi at work from a pop-machine and the label said to look for a code under the cap and enter it online to be eligible for prizes. Pepsi was giving away random daily prizes of cell phones and other things and I entered my code and was told my name would go into the draw for the daily prize. Two days later I was notified by email that I had won the cell phone and I just needed to provide my shipping address. A few more days passed and the phone arrived. Pepsi was as good as their word or as good as their drink (which I have since given up but that’s another story).
Want to see my phone? Look at the picture. 
It’s a Sony Ericsson W300i. It’s certainly not state of the art when compared to all of the phones on the market. It’s key features are the ability to play mp3 files and receive radio signals when the ear buds are plugged in. Oh yes, it can be used as a phone and can send and receive texts. That’s a useful function because I usually send an average of 4 or 5 texts a year. I also only make 4 or 5 phone calls a month. I use it as an emergency phone and have since stopped using it to listen to the radio or the several odd Sinatra songs I’ve stored on it. It’s still 100% functional and I pay $10 a month for the privilege of carrying around this basic paperweight.
The point of this blahg is not about the devices but the users. Many people don’t have a cell phone so I’m not preaching to them. I’m also not speaking out against the masses who show common courtesy when using their phones. I’m talking about the select users that don’t seem to realize that there’s a code of ethics when it comes to your phone. Simply put, don’t use it while driving unless you have a hands-free device and don’t ever use it at the movie theater. These are non-negotiable. I have spoken.
I don’t know what is so hard to understand about these two rules of thumb. Unfortunately, it’s become such a big issue that many places have put a ban on talking/texting while driving. Here in Ontario, we instituted a law about two years ago but that still doesn’t stop some people from doing what the law says they cannot. There have also been some serious traffic accidents caused by people who still think they can handle texting or talking on their phones while trying to handle a big hunk of steel on wheels that requires your full attention. I won’t say more about the use of the cell phone in the car. JUST DON’T DO IT!
I want to relay an ongoing experience I’ve had with going to the movies and having someone in front of me texting while I’m trying to enjoy the film. I wouldn’t say anything if it only happened once but it continues to happen and recently I decided to escalate the issue.
The first time I had to speak to someone about their texting was during a viewing of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. Don’t get me started on the film. Who doesn’t love Indiana Jones? It’s not anyone’s fault that Harrison Ford couldn’t stop aging. Anyway, this young woman in front of me continued to text throughout the first twenty minutes of the film. When it’s a dark theater and this rectangle of light keeps shining at you, that takes away from the movie going experience. After the twenty minutes, I politely asked her to stop texting as I found it distracting. She obliged. I’m not sure why she was texting all that time. Maybe she was giving a critical review to a sick friend? Maybe she was giving a sick review to a critical friend. It doesn’t matter, it’s done.
But wait, it happened again! During a viewing of Avatar, a boy, about twelve continued to text throughout the first hour of the film. I tried to hold back because my children didn’t like the fact I had to speak to someone about texting the last time even though I had been polite about it. So, I held off for an hour. Finally, I leaned over and told him his screen was really annoying and that I wanted him to put his phone away. He gave me a nasty look but he too obliged. Oh, he didn’t stop texting but he hid it in his coat so I couldn’t see what he was doing but I could see but was not annoyed by the glowing little screen. Later my daughter told me that a female friend of the boy was speaking to another female friend in line for the women’s washroom about this incident. She asked her friend who the “asshole” was that had asked her male friend to turn off his cell phone. I’m a asshole for asking someone to do the right thing.
I need to say at this point, that both of these incidents occurred at the Galaxy Cinema, a theater in the Cineplex Oden chain, in Belleville. That will become important later on. Now on to the third time.
My experiences with people who text during movies has become legendary in my house. The main reason is that I recount the incidents to whoever will listen and complain loudly after the incidents occur. It’s like I’m a target for these things. Is it any wonder my children even want to go to the movies with me? Well, they did this summer and it happened again during a viewing of Captain America. Seated in front of us were 4 young men who were texting back and forth prior to the movie beginning. My oldest daughter Emily must have recognized the bullseye on me because she said “this is going to be a problem for you, isn’t it?” I told her it wouldn’t be if the young men remembered to shut off their phones when the movie started. They didn’t. Thirty minutes go by and I’m fuming. Why me? I lean over and tell them that their phones are really distracting and I would like them to put them away. Not one bad word. Not one nasty comment. They put them away and I enjoyed Captain America. But that didn’t stop me from being angry.
This was now the third time this had happened to me at the Galaxy Cinema and not once did I see an employee walk through and check for people using their cell phones. There were no signs posted asking people to refrain nor were there any advertisements before the movie asking people to shut off their cell phones. In my mind, Galaxy Cinema and Cineplex Odeon were just as guilty as those young men. There was no form of message being given to these people that texting during the movie is not okay. So, I decided to take Cineplex Odeon to task.
On the Cineplex Odeon website there is a spot to contact Guest Services regarding any complaints. On July 30th, this is what I posted:
Last evening I watched Captain America at the Galaxy Cinema in Belleville, Ontario. It doesn’t really matter what the movie was but my complaint is that this is the third time at this theater that I have been inconvenienced by someone texting during the movie. On all 3 occasions this continued non-stop for at least 30 minutes before I had to say something to the individual. On one of these occasions, I was called an “asshole” in front of my children for politely asking someone to put away their cell phone. At that time, the individual had kept up the texting non-stop for an hour before I said anything. The glare of these little bright screens are very annoying when you’ve paid to watch a movie on the big screen.
I know this behaviour is the fault of the individual not showing common courtesy but I believe Cineplex must do more to address this problem. No where are there signs reminding patrons to shut off their cell phones nor was there any advertisement in the pre-show or the numerous commercials and trailers before the movie. What would it cost to film a PSA to remind patrons about texting during the movie? Also, why can’t you have an employee do a walk through during the first 30 minutes to check on this?
The situation is becoming more and more irritating and I think Cineplex has to come up with some concrete solutions to address this problem. Three times is three times too many. As a paying patron, I think my right to enjoy myself in the theater is no longer being protected.
On August 2nd, I received the following response from Guest Services:
Thank you for contacting Cineplex Entertainment regarding your visit to the Galaxy Belleville. We apologise for the experience you had during your visit. We would like to investigate the issue and forward your concern to the appropriate personnel for their review and to be addressed. Please forward us the following information at your earliest convenience.
By August 9th, I had not received any response. However, on August 9th I was roused again to contact Guest Services for their lack of response and because another incident of texting occurred again that evening.
August 9th, being a Tuesday evening, was a discount night at the Galaxy Cinema. Movies were offered for half-fare and it was always a busy night. Sitting at home, Emily and my wife tried to convince me to go with them to the Galaxy Cinema to see “Rise of The Planet of the Apes.” I desperately wanted to see this film because I have always been a fan of The Planet of the Apes films and this looked to be better than the 2001 remake. My only reservation was that it would be busy and that in all likelihood someone would text in front of me during the movie. Jeanette and Emily tried to convince me that the possibility was remote and so I acquiesced. I should have gone with my gut instinct.
The Galaxy Cinema was packed and when we arrived, we had the choice to sit in either the second row or the first row. I felt that if I sat in the second row, I wouldn’t have to lean back so far to see the movie. Emily also assured me that because we were in the second row it was a good chance no one would sit in front of us and start texting because they’d have to lean back even further to see the movie and wouldn’t be able to see their cell phone screen. She was wrong. Two young men sat right in front of me and when the movie started, they held their cell phones up high so they could see them while they continued texting. I lost it. I didn’t even give the customary lean over. I just barked “SHUT OFF YOUR CELL PHONES, NOW!” I don’t know who was more surprised, my wife or the two young men. It got their attention and they moved quickly to put away their phones. My wife thought I could have been more polite but I was beyond being polite.
After the movie, I went to try and find a staff member so I could complain about the experience. I found a young woman who didn’t seem overly concerned about the issue. She told me it happened all the time and they couldn’t really do anything about it because the violators would just put their cell phones away if a staff member did a walk through. She missed the point. That’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted a staff member to do a walk through so the violators would put away their cell phones! When pressed for the name of her Manager, she couldn’t give me his name. She thought his first name was Derek but she wasn’t sure.
Here is the second email I sent to Cineplex Odeon Guest Services that night:
I want to let you know that to date, I have had no other response to this issue other than your initial email. However, I went to the movies this evening at the Galaxy Cinema in Belleville to see Rise of The Planet of The Apes at 7 pm and two young men were texting in front of me and would not stop until I spoke to them sternly. After the movie, I spoke to the young woman outside the theater who had been checking tickets and informed her about this and asked for the name of the Manager. She said she did not know his full name and only knew him as Derek. I explained about the texting issue that just happened and she said there wasn’t really anything they could do about it because if they walked through the perpetrators would just “duck down” if they saw Cinema staff. I stated that I would be filing a complaint because there were no signs nor advertising asking people to put away their cell phones and this was affecting my movie going experience. She did sympathize with me but it’s clear that no one cares enough to do anything about it.
This is ridiculous and this is the 4th time this has occurred at this particular theater. I request that you address this issue immediately and that someone respond to my complaints. There are other smaller theaters around us and this has never happened at these theaters. I’m at the point where Cineplex will lose my business.
I have never received an email response from Guest Services regarding the incident during “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. A week later, however, I received a letter in the mail from the Assistant Manager of the Galaxy Cinema in Belleville. Here’s what she had to say:
Thank you for your e-mail on August 4th, regarding your visit to Galaxy Cinemas Belleville for the screening of Captain America on July 30th, 2011. We are very sorry to hear of your experience.
Please be assured that Cineplex Entertainment is committed to providing a viewing environment free of distraction for all of our Guests so they may fully enjoy the film. The Theatre does in fact have ads placed before the feature on both the pre-show and during the ads in advance of the film advising all Guests to turn cell phones and pagers to silent mode and to refrain from talking or texting during the performance. As well, theatre staff should be regularly inspecting the auditorium throughout each performance to ensure there are no problems with the film or Guest behaviour. It is always helpful when a Guest is able to assist our staff by directing them towards those Guests who are creating a disturbance. Cell phone activity has proven a very difficult problem as most of the Guests who choose to use cell phones despite the ads are aware that this is an undesirable behaviour and will hid the fact they are doing it when they see our ushers performing their checks. Should a Guest issue a concern about another Guest’s behaviour, it is standard procedure to post a staff member in the auditorium to monitor the situation. If the behaviour continues Theatre staff may request that the Guest desist and should the request be ignored they may ask that the Guest leave the Theatre, providing a full refund.
We regret to hear that the staff did not notice this occurrence during the film and that none of our Guests notified them of the disturbance during that evening. Please be advised that we have reviewed this situation with the theatre team to ensure that theatre checks are being consistently done. We would like to encourage you to contact any member of the staff if you ever have a concern about your theatre visit so that they may assist you in a prompt and courteous manner.
We would like to apologize for the loss of service and inconvenience that you have experienced. Please find enclosed within a Special Event Pass, entitling the holder to admission to any of our theatres for a film of choice. We truly hope your next experience with Cineplex is a more enjoyable one.
I have been back to the Galaxy Cinema since the last incident but have yet to use my pass. I’m afraid that the pass will identify me right away as the person who complained to Corporate. I can tell you that I take offence to many of the things mentioned in the letter from the Assistant Manager. I have looked for these pre-show ads and have had others watch for them and we haven’t seen them. We have also not seen staff members step up their vigilance in that time by walking through the theatre during the movie. The Assistant Manager can apologize all she wants and supply passes but if the punishment for violators is to “ask that the Guest leave the Theatre, providing a full refund” then what is the consequence? Do what you want and you still get your money back?! Where’s my refund from the times I was inconvenienced? I think I’m still owed three more passes. And by the way, in case you didn’t notice, I did not hear from The Manager and don’t know his name. Derek, if you’re reading this, come out of hiding and do your own damn inspections. At least then someone would be doing something.
So what is the answer? Banning cell phones in the theatres is not working. How about putting in jamming technology so they can’t get a signal? No, they’d just keep pulling out their cell phones more often to check to see if they had a signal and that would be just as annoying. How about not issuing refunds? How about banning the culprit from the theatre once they’re caught and using facial recognition technology to keep them from returning. Don’t they do that in Casinos? Here’s a thought…dedicate the back row as texting only seats. That way you can’t text in front of someone…namely me.
I’ll leave you with a Public Service Announcement that I came across. It stars the actor, who is now a dentist, who played the Father in “Troll 2” which has the distinction of being the worst movie ever. I like his message. It’s loud and clear. But not as loud as I will be the next time some %@@&^!* sits in front of me at the movies and tries to text.