<\/p>\n
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\u2019m passionate about this topic.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong> Let me start by saying that I am not against cell phones.\u00a0 I happen to own one of these devices.\u00a0 Granted, I won mine from a pop-machine.\u00a0 That\u2019s right, a pop-machine.\u00a0 It\u2019s not a long story.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Two days later I was notified by email that I had won the cell phone and I just needed to provide my shipping address.\u00a0 A few more days passed and the phone arrived.\u00a0 Pepsi was as good as their word or as good as their drink (which I have since given up but that\u2019s another story).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Want to see my phone?\u00a0 Look at the picture.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong> The point of this blahg is not about the devices but the users.\u00a0 Many people don\u2019t have a cell phone so I\u2019m not preaching to them.\u00a0 I\u2019m also not speaking out against the masses who show common courtesy when using their phones.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking about the select users that don\u2019t seem to realize that there\u2019s a code of ethics when it comes to your phone.\u00a0 Simply put, don\u2019t use it while driving unless you have a hands-free device and don\u2019t ever use it at the movie theater.\u00a0 These are non-negotiable.\u00a0 I have spoken.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what is so hard to understand about these two rules of thumb.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it\u2019s become such a big issue that many places have put a ban on talking\/texting while driving.\u00a0 Here in Ontario, we instituted a law about two years ago but that still doesn\u2019t stop some people from doing what the law says they cannot.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I won\u2019t say more about the use of the cell phone in the car.\u00a0 JUST DON\u2019T DO IT!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I want to relay an ongoing experience I\u2019ve had with going to the movies and having someone in front of me texting while I\u2019m trying to enjoy the film.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t say anything if it only happened once but it continues to happen and recently I decided to escalate the issue.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me started on the film.\u00a0 Who doesn\u2019t love Indiana Jones?\u00a0 It\u2019s not anyone\u2019s fault that Harrison Ford couldn\u2019t stop aging.\u00a0 Anyway, this young woman in front of me continued to text throughout the first twenty minutes of the film.\u00a0 When it\u2019s a dark theater and this rectangle of light keeps shining at you, that takes away from the movie going experience.\u00a0 After the twenty minutes, I politely asked her to stop texting as I found it distracting.\u00a0 She obliged.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure why she was texting all that time.\u00a0 Maybe she was giving a critical review to a sick friend?\u00a0 Maybe she was giving a sick review to a critical friend.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter, it\u2019s done.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n But wait, it happened again!\u00a0 During a viewing of Avatar, a boy, about twelve continued to text throughout the first hour of the film.\u00a0 I tried to hold back because my children didn\u2019t like the fact I had to speak to someone about texting the last time even though I had been polite about it.\u00a0 So, I held off for an hour.\u00a0 Finally, I leaned over and told him his screen was really annoying and that I wanted him to put his phone away.\u00a0 He gave me a nasty look but he too obliged.\u00a0 Oh, he didn\u2019t stop texting but he hid it in his coat so I couldn\u2019t see what he was doing but I could see but was not annoyed by the glowing little screen.\u00a0 Later my daughter told me that a female friend of the boy was speaking to another female friend in line for the women\u2019s washroom about this incident.\u00a0 She asked her friend who the \u201casshole\u201d was that had asked her male friend to turn off his cell phone.\u00a0 I\u2019m a asshole for asking someone to do the right thing.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 That will become important later on.\u00a0 Now on to the third time.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n My experiences with people who text during movies has become legendary in my house.\u00a0 The main reason is that I recount the incidents to whoever will listen and complain loudly after the incidents occur.\u00a0 It\u2019s like I\u2019m a target for these things.\u00a0 Is it any wonder my children even want to go to the movies with me?\u00a0 Well, they did this summer and it happened again during a viewing of Captain America.\u00a0 Seated in front of us were 4 young men who were texting back and forth prior to the movie beginning.\u00a0 My oldest daughter Emily must have recognized the bullseye on me because she said \u201cthis is going to be a problem for you, isn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0 I told her it wouldn\u2019t be if the young men remembered to shut off their phones when the movie started.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Thirty minutes go by and I\u2019m fuming.\u00a0 Why me?\u00a0 I lean over and tell them that their phones are really distracting and I would like them to put them away.\u00a0 Not one bad word.\u00a0 Not one nasty comment.\u00a0 They put them away and I enjoyed Captain America.\u00a0 But that didn\u2019t stop me from being angry.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 In my mind, Galaxy Cinema and Cineplex Odeon were just as guilty as those young men.\u00a0 There was no form of message being given to these people that texting during the movie is not okay.\u00a0 So, I decided to take Cineplex Odeon to task.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On the Cineplex Odeon website there is a spot to contact Guest Services regarding any complaints.\u00a0 On July 30th<\/sup>, this is what I posted:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/em> <\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n On August 2nd<\/sup>, I received the following response from Guest Services:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n By August 9th<\/sup>, I had not received any response.\u00a0 However, on August 9th<\/sup> I was roused again to contact Guest Services for their lack of response and because another incident of texting occurred again that evening.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n August 9th<\/sup>, being a Tuesday evening, was a discount night at the Galaxy Cinema.\u00a0 Movies were offered for half-fare and it was always a busy night.\u00a0 Sitting at home, Emily and my wife tried to convince me to go with them to the Galaxy Cinema to see \u201cRise of The Planet of the Apes.\u201d\u00a0 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.\u00a0 My only reservation was that it would be busy and that in all likelihood someone would text in front of me during the movie.\u00a0 Jeanette and Emily tried to convince me that the possibility was remote and so I acquiesced.\u00a0 I should have gone with my gut instinct.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Galaxy Cinema was packed and when we arrived, we had the choice to sit in either the second row or the first row.\u00a0 I felt that if I sat in the second row, I wouldn\u2019t have to lean back so far to see the movie.\u00a0 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\u2019d have to lean back even further to see the movie and wouldn\u2019t be able to see their cell phone screen.\u00a0 She was wrong.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I lost it.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t even give the customary lean over.\u00a0 I just barked \u201cSHUT OFF YOUR CELL PHONES, NOW!\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t know who was more surprised, my wife or the two young men.\u00a0 It got their attention and they moved quickly to put away their phones.\u00a0 My wife thought I could have been more polite but I was beyond being polite.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n After the movie, I went to try and find a staff member so I could complain about the experience.\u00a0 I found a young woman who didn\u2019t seem overly concerned about the issue.\u00a0 She told me it happened all the time and they couldn\u2019t really do anything about it because the violators would just put their cell phones away if a staff member did a walk through.\u00a0 She missed the point.\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what I wanted.\u00a0 I wanted a staff member to do a walk through so the violators would put away their cell phones!\u00a0 When pressed for the name of her Manager, she couldn\u2019t give me his name.\u00a0 She thought his first name was Derek but she wasn\u2019t sure.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Here is the second email I sent to Cineplex Odeon Guest Services that night:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n I want to let you know that to date, I have had no other response to this issue other than your initial email.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 She said she did not know his full name and only knew him as Derek.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 She did sympathize with me but it’s clear that no one cares enough to do anything about it.<\/span><\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong> <\/em><\/font>This is ridiculous and this is the 4th time this has occurred at this particular theater.\u00a0\u00a0 I request that you address this issue immediately and that someone respond to my complaints.\u00a0 There are other smaller theaters around us and this has never happened at these theaters.\u00a0 I’m at the point where Cineplex will lose my business.<\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have never received an email response from Guest Services regarding the incident during “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.\u00a0 A week later, however, I received a letter in the mail from the Assistant Manager of the Galaxy Cinema in Belleville.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what she had to say:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you for your e-mail on August 4th<\/sup>, regarding your visit to Galaxy Cinemas Belleville for the screening of Captain America on July 30th<\/sup>, 2011.\u00a0 <\/span>We are very sorry to hear of your experience.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 <\/span>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.\u00a0 <\/span>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.\u00a0 <\/span>It is always helpful when a Guest is able to assist our staff by directing them towards those Guests who are creating a disturbance.\u00a0 <\/span>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.\u00a0 <\/span>Should a Guest issue a concern about another Guest\u2019s behaviour, it is standard procedure to post a staff member in the auditorium to monitor the situation.\u00a0 <\/span>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.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 <\/span>Please be advised that we have reviewed this situation with the theatre team to ensure that theatre checks are being consistently done.\u00a0 <\/span>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.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n We would like to apologize for the loss of service and inconvenience that you have experienced.\u00a0 <\/span>Please find enclosed within a Special Event Pass, entitling the holder to admission to any of our theatres for a film of choice.\u00a0 <\/span>We truly hope your next experience with Cineplex is a more enjoyable one.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have been back to the Galaxy Cinema since the last incident but have yet to use my pass.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid that the pass will identify me right away as the person who complained to Corporate.\u00a0 I can tell you that I take offence to many of the things mentioned in the letter from the Assistant Manager.\u00a0 I have looked for these pre-show ads and have had others watch for them and we haven\u2019t seen them.\u00a0 We have also not seen staff members step up their vigilance in that time by walking through the theatre during the movie.\u00a0 The Assistant Manager can apologize all she wants and supply passes but \u00a0if the punishment for violators is to \u201cask that the Guest leave the Theatre, providing a full refund\u201d then what is the consequence?\u00a0 Do what you want and you still get your money back?!\u00a0 Where\u2019s my refund from the times I was inconvenienced?\u00a0 I think I\u2019m still owed three more passes.\u00a0 And by the way, in case you didn\u2019t notice, I did not hear from The Manager and don\u2019t know his name.\u00a0 Derek, if you\u2019re reading this, come out of hiding and do your own damn inspections.\u00a0 At least then someone would be doing something.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n So what is the answer?\u00a0 Banning cell phones in the theatres is not working.\u00a0 How about putting in jamming technology so they can\u2019t get a signal?\u00a0 No, they\u2019d 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.\u00a0 How about not issuing refunds?\u00a0 How about banning the culprit from the theatre once they\u2019re caught and using facial recognition technology to keep them from returning.\u00a0 Don\u2019t they do that in Casinos?\u00a0 Here\u2019s a thought\u2026dedicate the back row as texting only seats.\u00a0 That way you can\u2019t text in front of someone\u2026namely me.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Scott](\"http:\/\/www.falseducks.com\/mrcool.jpg\")
If you\u2019re reading this on your cell phone, smart phone, Ipad, Ipod or any other device that requires your hands, then I at least hope you\u2019re not in a movie theater or behind the wheels of an automobile.\u00a0 If any of that applies to you then this whole blahg is for your benefit.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"My](\"http:\/\/www.falseducks.com\/theblahg\/images\/mycell.jpg\")
It\u2019s a Sony Ericsson W300i.\u00a0 It\u2019s certainly not state of the art when compared to all of the phones on the market.\u00a0 It\u2019s key features are the ability to play mp3 files and receive radio signals when the ear buds are plugged in.\u00a0 Oh yes, it can be used as a phone and can send and receive texts.\u00a0 That\u2019s a useful function because I usually send an average of 4 or 5 texts a year.\u00a0 I also only make 4 or 5 phone calls a month.\u00a0 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\u2019ve stored on it.\u00a0 It\u2019s still 100% functional and I pay $10 a month for the privilege of carrying around this basic paperweight.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\n <\/span><\/em>
\n 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?<\/span><\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe 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.<\/font><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n