Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: More Cell Phone Justice

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Topic: More Cell Phone Justice

Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-29-2004 08:00 AM

I wish things like this would make national news:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0728041cell1.html

quote:
Cineplex Odious
Florida duo nabbed after "Catwoman" phone spat
JULY 28--Meet Warronnica Harris and Terrell Tolson. The Florida couple got popped this week at a St. Petersburg theater after Harris, 23, allegedly refused to end a cell phone call as the opening credits for "Catwoman" rolled. When an off-duty police officer working at the theater tried to curtail her chat, Harris announced that "she could talk as much as she wanted on her phone," according to this police report. In short order, Tolson, 25, joined in, allegedly telling Officer John Douglas that he would kick the cop's ass. The report quotes Harris as saying she would "hit the cracker in his head." In a bid to subdue the duo (pictured below in mug shots snapped by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office), Douglas blasted them with pepper spray. Harris and Tolson were eventually charged with disorderly conduct--and spared having to sit through another Halle Berry bomb. (3 pages)

The other two pages are copies of the arrest reports.

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Edward Jurich
Master Film Handler

Posts: 305
From: Las Vegas USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 07-29-2004 08:26 AM

I've wondered if you could "jam" cell phones in an auditorium with a very low power transmitter. I love the people who walk to the back hallway to use their cell phone, not the lobby, then YELL into the phone so everyone can hear [Mad]

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Richard Greco
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1180
From: Plant City, FL
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 07-29-2004 08:38 AM

Dont take this the wrong way....I do think it is harder for some demographics to listen than others. I'm sure that they gave an attitude.

Also, Ryan Luby posted this exact same story here without the arrest report though.

It really pisses me off when people don't get out of the theatre to accept a call. Even if I get a call, I walk out of the theatre to talk.

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Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-29-2004 09:06 AM

quote: Richard Greco
It really pisses me off when people don't get out of the theatre to accept a call. Even if I get a call, I walk out of the theatre to talk.

And it really pisses me off when people who should know better leave their phones on in the theatre in the first place [Mad]

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Richard Greco
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1180
From: Plant City, FL
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 07-29-2004 09:13 AM

O Contraire Mr Vaughan. When I am in the theatre, my phone is on vibrate.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-29-2004 09:29 AM

I know that some companies sell wall panels that are supposed to block radio signals, thus rendering most cellular phones inoperative, but I've often wondered if it can be done with everyday materials at a lower cost.

Why couldn't somebody just frame an entire room with chicken wire, floor to ceiling, then make sure that the mesh is connected to earth ground or in contact with the steel skeleton of the building? The result, if done properly, would be a Faraday Cage that almost no radio signal could penetrate.

Sure, it would be expensive but nowhere near as expensive as buying specially made panelling for an already built room.

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Mike Williams
Master Film Handler

Posts: 255
From: Knoxville, TN
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-29-2004 09:42 AM

Blocking the signal can bring up another problem.

If you are going to block it, be sure you COMPLETELY block it from the ENTIRE auditorium.
If the rude customer can get a partial signal on their phone (like >=1 bar) I can already see them yelling even louder and slower to talk to the other party because of the bad connection.

Hopefully at some point, they would go outside into the lobby to get a better signal... but it could be worse until then.

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Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-29-2004 09:45 AM

No Mr Greco just turn it off.

It is ,despite what some people may think,possible to live without a cellphone for a couple of hours.

And even though it is on vibrate you can still disturb other patrons when going out to answer a call

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Jeremy Fuentes
Mmmm, Dr. Pepper!

Posts: 1168
From: Corpus Christi, TX United States
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 07-29-2004 09:52 AM

Or at least go and buy something from the concession while you are already up. Help support the theater. Why not, you already missed some of the movie, and you apparently dont have a problem with missing the movie, if youre phone was on.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-29-2004 12:24 PM

I just don't see why some people can't live without their stupid cell phone while watching a movie or whatever. Whenever my wife and I go anywhere, the phone stays in the car virtually all the time.

I get a kick out of watching people come out of the show, they are frantically checking or dialing their cellphones as they walk up the aisle bumping into people. (Mostly teenagers doing this.)

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 07-29-2004 12:29 PM

I'm sort of on-call 24/7, so I always leave my cell phone on. When I go to a movie, I set it on vibrate. On the very rare occasion that it rings during a movie, I will generally ignore it unless I know there's something extra-important going on at work. If I do suspect it's something important, I will get up and go to the lobby to see who called and return the call if appropriate. I would *never* mess with the phone in any way during a movie because I hate it when other people do that. [Razz]

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 07-29-2004 12:45 PM

quote: Edward Jurich
I've wondered if you could "jam" cell phones in an auditorium with a very low power transmitter.

You can not legally purchase a jamming transmitter from several locations on the internet and operate it in the US. [Roll Eyes]

(of course, you know where a subject like this is likely to go).

You CAN legally use passive devices, such as wall panels that block cell phone frequencies.

This topic has been well-covered in here... including some stuff on the devices available. Do a search.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-29-2004 01:00 PM

Many cell phones offer Caller ID -- for those who MUST be on call during a movie, vibrate and checking caller ID is probably not too intrusive. But for most, "loosen up" and lose the phone when you are relaxing. [thumbsup]

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 07-29-2004 01:14 PM

What has happened to common sense?

Here in New york City it has become hard to read the newspaper on the bus, because three or four people are talking on their cell phones and each one trying to out do each others volume.

I keep my cell on vibrate constantly and I refuse to speak with anyone until I am in the quiet of my home or office.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-29-2004 01:44 PM

My preferred method of stopping mobile 'phone abuse in cinemas would be to devise a system which, when it detects someone making or receiving a call, mutes the cinema sound system, switches on a ceiling mounted 20kW followspot and points it at the source of the signal (i.e. the caller). When the offender finds him or herself holding a conversation in total silence, in the company of several hundred other people and in the glare of a spotlight, they'll soon stop it! [Big Grin]

The way I deal with the problem at work is to stick up posters all over the place stating that mobile 'phone transmissions can cause static electricity which could ignite the nitrate film being worked on. It generally isn't too difficult to persuade colleagues and visitors to switch them off under those circumstances. That's probably complete bullshit, but it works. Funny - if you ask someone to do something out of consideration for others, they'll probably ignore you. But make the same request on the grounds of their safety, and they're far more likely to comply.

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