Turn it down,
I’m on the phone!Earlier this week, I had a small revelation about modern manners and my future movie-going plans.
Having a few hours to kill, I decided to see a matinee over at the Ward 16 Theaters. I don't normally go to matinees because of the guilty feelings I have while wasting a perfectly good Hawaii day in a dark theater with a bunch of strangers, but on that day, I thought I would make an exception. Big mistake.
Within the first five minutes, a baby several rows down began screaming his brains out, to the amusement of his parents. Minutes later, not one but two cell phones began ringing within a few feet of me. The owners of the phones answered them and proceeded to carry on conversations -- not in whispers, but at normal speaking-voice levels. I could clearly hear both conversations over the movie. At that point, I got up and walked out.
I asked for and received a refund from a young woman who didn't seem to understand why I was leaving. As I walked to my car, I realized that this type of thing has gotten so bad during the past few years that you can't see a movie without having to listen to oblivious, inconsiderate morons blabbing away on their cell phones.
Then it dawned on me: This must be why DVD players are selling so well nowadays. Maybe it's time to head over to Circuit City.
--David Swann