How do you deal with movie theater rudeness?

[TXlib]

http://women.msn.com/a454520.armx

There are two incidents mentioned in the story; imagine yourself in the position of the offended party. What would you do?

1) The woman in front of you has already received two cell phone calls; she answered the phone, and had a conversation both times. You lean forward and ask her if she wouldn't mind taking the next call outside, or turn her phone off. She responds with "Fuck you!"

2) The man behind you is kicking your seat. You turn around and tell him that you understand he may not be aware he's doing it, but his kicking is disturbing you. He responds by kicking harder and more frequently.

How would you respond in both of these situations?

My response? I'd mace the offender in the face, and leave the theater immediately. The wasted $8.00 ticket would be well worth teaching the fucker a lesson in manners, and consequences to rude behavior.

[SOteric]

1. Small tactical nukes.

[TXlib]

2. That's a bit of overkill, don'tchya think?

OK, maybe you're mocking my mace statement. That is what the evil me in the bizarro world would do, and it is what I would certainly consider doing if I were in that position.

Honestly, i prolly wouldn't do that, if for no reason other than that i don't want to have to worry about whether I'd end up facing a battery charge.

[Cannikin]

5. lol....my kind of humor.

[mac56]

3. Find the manager.

Tell him/her that you're leaving and why. Demand your money back. Let him/her know you won't be coming back. Follow up with a letter to the company that owns the theater.

This sort of thing pisses me off. Accidental thoughtlessness is often excusable; intentional rudeness never is.

[MuseRider]

4. Only once

have I ever done anything that worked. The folks behind us were having a running conversation and they were not whispering. Everyone was upset around us but they would not shut up. I got on my feet in the seat so that they could not see over me and THEY COMPLAINED! I told them that when I could hear, they could see. To my amazement it worked and they didn't smack me.

[LynzM]

7. That is awesome :)

Usually I'm pretty non-confrontational, but sometimes... Aargh. I think in those scenarios I would move if that were a possibility, if not... ask the woman in front of me why she felt it was appropriate to swear at me for asking her to respect the people around her, etc. As for the kicking guy, I'd probably just ignore him.

[Cannikin]

6. Every time the lights go down.....

I do Regina Hall's lines from the first 'Scary Movie', about keeping the noise down...It always gets a laugh...at least from the younger crowd...mostly stares from everyone else.

[TXlib]

9. What was the line?

[eyesroll]

8. I go get an usher

(Or, failing an effective usher, the manager.)

I was once at a dollar theater. About 20 kids snuck in and were running around the theater and yelling. (You would think if they snuck in they'd sit and watch the damn movie instead of bringing attention to themselves.)

I got the usher and one of the girls from the group actually told him (and me) -- "So? It's a public theater! We can do what we want!" (Hello! Substitute "public library" or "public cemetary" and see how stupid that sounds.)

[slackmaster]

10. "Accidentally" spilling a 24-ounce soda on their heads usually works

Be sure to pretend to apologize.

[TXlib]

11. That's really likely to result in a fistfight.

I'd have my thumb on the mace as a backup, just in case...

[slackmaster]

12. Maybe in Texas

Most people out here are willing to give the benefit of the doubt, especially if you are a lot bigger than they are.

:D

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. After asking once, and being treated poorly,

then it's time to get the manager (or usher type).

Or for the woman ahead, start kicking the hell out of her chair.

For the guy behind, randomly toss popcorn etc. over your head into him.

But there's a part of me that is sick and tired of rude assholes at theaters that think maybe it's time for the meek of us to rise up in violence and stop the bullshit once and for all. The mace idea is brilliant.

There are some theaters in NYC I no longer go to because they seem to serve demographics that are really big on talking through movies. Some cultures think that's fine, I guess. I do not, so I've found theaters that cater to my kind of movie watching people: quiet, no smelly perfume, and generally friendly.

Now if we cuold just teach people to eat with their mouths closed, and/or to at least close their mouth before they chew the first time on popcorn.

Not much drives me as crazy as having some asshole behind me who insists on putting the popcorn in his/her mouth, taking a good hard LOUD chew on it, and then closing (or sometimes, not closing) their mouth. What the hell is up with that? Putthe food in your mouth, close your lips, then chew. Sheesh. That's worth a shot of mace, too, for both rudeness and also just for being an etiquette lacking ass moran.

[mac1000a]

14. I worked in a movie theater for 3 years while

I went to college. Go and tell the manager, and the manager should tell them to either be quiet or leave. Ask for a free movie pass for being disturbed. They'll usually give you one. If that fails, use the mace.

[radwriter0555]

15. the first one, alert the manager, the second, move seats, or if the

theatre is full, alert the manager and get refunded my tickets and get free tickets to go again some other time.

I don't need no mo' drama.

[tsakshaug]

16. Wait for the DVD

I have not been to a movie in over 8 years

[Shrek]

17. I wish I had my brother's nerve

True story.

The woman in front of him was conversing on her cell phone; he let it go for a minute or two but eventually got annoyed. He politely asked her to end the call but was pointedly ignored.

So what does he do? He reaches over the seat, grabs the phone, says "She'll have to call you back" and turns it off!

Then he pockets the phone, tells the woman "Be quiet, watch the movie, and you'll get your phone back when it's over."

She complied. I love my brother!

[supernova]

18. I go to movies at off beat times

when the theatre is less full and I have my choice of seating.

Re: seat kicking. I have never failed to get the offender's attention and respect. One dirty look is enough. ;-) Or perhaps, people are just more polite around here. :shrug:

Re: talking. Ask the offender something way too personal about their conversation. }( . Most people around here either go outside the theatre or turn their cells off during the movie. I don't mind them talking before the movie with all the ads and all. But I have told a couple of people to wind it up.