Patch Blog: We Need Movie Theater Police

Do I have to be the Movie Theater Police?

Do you think I like paying an ungodly amount of money to hear people on their cellphones or get simply distracted by the glow of their phones while texting? I’m going to rant, so if you don’t want to read this, just click to Heather Shaw’s blog. She is kind. Or click onto Tom Adam’s blog about how we almost had an Arboretum in Monrovia, which by the way was a very interesting blog.

I am a movie buff. Going to the movies is one of my ultimate favorite guilty pleasures. I love going so much, I go alone because quite frankly I don’t want to have to coordinate times with people’s schedules just to get together for a movie.  Don’t get me wrong, I go with friends all the time if I can’t wait to see a movie. But I’m also more than willing to go alone.

My pet peeve is people on their cellphones. How did we ever survive going to the movies or anywhere for that matter, without a cellphone about 10 to 20 years ago? 

I have a phone and my rule of thumb is, TURN THE DARN THING OFF, once seated. Even if the movie hasn’t started yet, be mindful and turn it off. What is so important in the 2 hours of a pleasant movie experience that you need to talk or text? 

I’ve been noticing over the past several years that people just don’t get it. We just went to see Horrible Bosses (very funny and well done) and there was a girl sitting next to her mother directly in front of me. While the movie was playing the girl took out her cellphone and immediately began texting. 

Here is the dialogue in my head: Ok, Nic, hold it together and don’t say anything--it may be a one-time text. Ahh, back to the movie. Oops, no there she goes again. Mind you her mom is sitting right next to her. I am one of those ADD adults that anything distracts me (Squirrel!). Sit on your hands Nic. Pay attention to the movie. I can’t. Ok back to the film. OMG, again and again. 

Finally I have to take my pointy finger and ask her politely (ok I have to be polite because she is being rude and not to mention breaking the Movie Theater Rules), please turn off your cellphone. What!?!, did her mom not care that she was disturbing others? Then the mom goes into action and motions to her daughter to turn off the phone. Why does it take someone else to say something? 

Same thing happened on Saturday night. We were with a group and there was a group of kids behind us and they were having a loud conversation during the movie. My friends wanted to say something, but apparently it was their day off of being the Movie Theater Police and I had to ask them to take their conversation down a notch, or maybe just go outside. Why do you go to a movie to talk?  My friends who were with me said they noticed it too, but since I’m the Movie Theater Police, I had to be the Bad Cop.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE turn of your phones when you go into a theater. Don’t ruin the movie experience for others. There are people that really enjoy going to the movies, not just for the film, but the whole experience of being inside a theater. 

Just because you aren’t talking on your phone doesn’t mean you aren’t being distracting. The glare of your phone is like a flashlight. Please don’t be rude and TURN OFF YOUR PHONES. Don’t make me cite you!