Theater Ettiquette

[fiestacub]

In my little world there is a thing called ettiquette. It involves social norms which dictate proper behavior in a group setting. I have a long list of those norms when seeing a movie in a theater. Among those there are

Comments

I can be bitchy:)

[mrdreamjeans]

I would have done exactly what you did .. The other solution was to go to the theatre manager and demand that the family be removed. The movie I attended last weekend was ruined by ringing cell phones, flashing lights from texting and tweeners running up and down the aisle. I spoke to the girls and told them if they disturbed me one more time, I was having them kicked out.

I probably would have escalated the situation by saying something like .. This wouldn't be a problem if you'd had your tubes tied ... Or, now, I understand why some folks shouldn't be allowed to breed ... Pick A or B:) There is nothing more annoying than bad parenting in that situation.

[bigbearok]

I was wondering about this just last week. We went to see "Dark Knight" and behind us was a child of about five or six years old. At the 10:20 showing. I could believe someone would take their child to such a movie so late at night. I think though it is a combination of selfish parents who do what they want without consideration of the child, and the lack of babysitters in our culture. People live distanced from family, and don't know their neighbors, and so the cultural artifact of having a neighbor, or neighbor child babysit doesn't exist.

It doesn't excuse bad behavior though.

[blt4success66]

Let's put it this way, my daughter is prone to ask questions during a movie so it is my duty to ensure the following happen BEFORE the movie starts

[bigfundrew]

Please know that no not ALL parents are that inconsiderate.
My children would never get away with being so disruptive....and we never took the kids to movies until they were 7 or 8...it wasn't fair to THEM for them to be expected to be still and quiet that long.

[tattooedbear]

Yes, you had every right to ask the parent/child to stop kicking the chair. You also should've gotten the manager of the theater and let them know what was going on. They could've watched the family or offered you compensation.

We had a similar situation a couple of year ago. A Dad and his son were talking throughout the movie and Z finally turned and just said, "shut up." The wife yelled at Z, said they could do whatever they wanted and he should mind his own business. Z went and got a manager, told them what happened. The theater then posted an employee at the end of that families aisle to stand there the rest of the movie, and we were offered free tickets.

Another local theater asks one person in each movie a little remote that contacts the manager. There are specific buttons on the remote to indicate talking, cell phone, movie problem, etc.