Theater owners want cell phones blocked

[Voltaic Borusse]

Theater owners want cell phones blocked
Dec 18, 2005, 16:57 GMT

SANTA MONICA, CA, United States (UPI) -- The National Association of Theater Owners wants the Federal Communications Commission to allow the blocking of cell phone signals in theaters.

John Fithian, the president of the trade organization, told the Los Angeles Times theater owners 'have to block rude behavior' as the industry tries to come up with ways to bring people back to the cinemas.

Fithian said his group would petition the FCC for permission to block cell phone signals within movie theaters.

Some theaters already have no cell phone policies and ask moviegoers to check their phones at the door, Fithian said.

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association -- a Washington-based cell phone lobby that is also known as CTIA-the Wireless Association -- said it would fight any move to block cell phone signals.

'We`re opposed to the use of any blocking technology, because it interferes with people`s ability to use a wireless device in an emergency situation,' CTIA spokesman Joseph Farren told the Times.

http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1069884.php?compage=10&comcount=12&comlimit=10

Yay or Nay? I say go for it, for obvious reasons.

 

[::shinji::]

yeah they should...unfortunatly the general public is too retarded to have enough sense to shut their phones off in a theatre.

 

[Virgo]

I say go for it. Sick of not only hearing them ring but people actually picking up the call. Bastards

 

[::shinji::]

I say go for it. Sick of not only hearing them ring but people actually picking up the call. Bastards

no kidding, nothing more annoying than giggling teenage girls talking on the phone 1 or 2 rows behind you..

 

[IceBlu]

F*ck that. Emergencies can occur whenever.

Its entertainment after all not something serious enough that warrants the undivided attention of the viewer. The problem isn't even that serious. I can tolerate one call every 2-3 movies i go to. Doesn't happen too often at all. I keep my phone on the vibrate mode and if i get a call that seems important enough, i walk out attend to it and get back.

 

[Help?]

Yeah, put the phone on the vibrator. Like Yash said, what if you get an emergency call, while beginning to watch LOTR or King Kong? I know that there are stupid enough people not to put their phones on vibrators, but still.

 

[rony31]

vibrator

 

[Internazionale]

Go for it !

I have had movie disturbances last time in Indonesia & here as well. People can't turn off their cell phones. Oh, God !

I pay some money to enjoy a movie in a theatre, not to listen people's taking their cell phone calls.

 

[IceBlu]

You guys need to think it through.

I would rather be disturbed during every single movie than be unavailable for that one potential emergency.

 

[Joe Star]

If you ask me they should ban cellphones all together. I'm working at a cinema & a couple of days ago some guy got caught recording the show with his cellphone. I never knew they had so much memory but he'd almost recorded an hours worth of footage

 

[Will]

Honestly can't believe how many people have said yes. Of course you'll get the occasional wanker who'll spend half the film having a loud conversation but take away their mobile phone and they're the same person that will feel the need to make exceptionally amusing comments all the way through to their mates and rustle sweet wrappers. Generally people will only use them for emergencies. Cinema volume is always so high that if a phone goes off it barely disrupts the sound anyway.
Maybe they should be banned from live performances - I know from personal experience how distracting a phone ringing can be- but I just don't see the point of banning them from cinemas.

 

[Callan]

F*ck that. Emergencies can occur whenever.

Its entertainment after all not something serious enough that warrants the undivided attention of the viewer. The problem isn't even that serious. I can tolerate one call every 2-3 movies i go to. Doesn't happen too often at all. I keep my phone on the vibrate mode and if i get a call that seems important enough, i walk out attend to it and get back.

10 years ago... sorry 15, remember those days? When no one had cell phones. Emergencies could have occured then.

Despite that, I don't really have a big problem with people having their phones on... if they are everyone yells at the person anyway "TURN IT OFF".

But most people have them on silent anyway. I think soon enough most people will just get into tha habit of putting it on silent.

And hey - why not chuck up one of those annoying adverts everytime the film starts - RING RING RING TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. I've seen a lot of people reach for their phones when that ad comes on - they either turning it off - or putting it on silent. Either way they realise they are paying money to see a film.

 

[Fernandez]

If the ignorant people in my country were like Ice, I would've voted for no in the poll. Too bad they can't be bothered about vibration in their phones.

 

[Tom]

ive said yes, but realistically it should be if your phone goes off; you are punished.

If its on silent and you're just reading a message then thats fine, but if it rings or you make a phonecall there needs to be stricter punishment than there is at the minute.