What part of "Please turn off your cell phone" did you not understand?

While I am nearing age 60, I'm not a technophobe. I love technology and feel that it adds a lot to my life; but I also believe that there are times and places where it is inappropriate. One of these is the movie theatre. You want to check your email while you're waiting for the movie to start? Have at it. You want to text until the lights go down? Knock yourself out. But once the previews start, turn the damn thing off and put it away as requested by the notice on screen.

I used to go to the movies weekly and had my own movie review website. I wrote essays there (an early version of blogging) about the rudeness of people talking in the movie theatre. These days, I still love movies, but I don't go as often. I now find that people talking in the movie theatre isn't as much of a problem as it used to be. But of course, a new problem has replaced it.

With the holidays here and lots of great movies being released, I've been in a movie theatre 3 times in the past month--to see Blind Side, Avatar and It's Complicated. All 3 of these recent movie experiences had one thing in common--cell phones.

At Blind Side, a man across the aisle from me kept turning his cell on and off throughout the movie (checking messages, I guess). The light going on and off was really distracting. Finally, I said "Sir, please turn off your cell phone." and he did.

At Avatar, a kid (junior high age) had his cell phone on and in his hands throughout the movie. Not sure if he was texting or only reading, but he never put it down. He was far enough away from me and in a direction away from the screen that it wasn't AS obnoxious as the last time, so I just took a deep breath and let it go.

At It's Complicated, a couple who appeared to be in their 70s was sitting in front of me. The last person I expected to whip out a Blackberry was a grandma, but moments after I sat down, she did exactly that. This was before the movie started, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. But, just in case, I started a conversation with the friend I came with about people who use cell phones during movies and how I find it offensive. Was I rude? Maybe. But you know what? She put it away when the movie started.

While I have had my cell phone out while waiting for a movie to start, it is always turned off and in my purse before the previews start, much less the movie itself. I really don't see the point of having the thing on and using it when you're at the movies. I mean, if you really can't be away from your freaking messages for 2 hours, perhaps you shouldn't be at the movies? Or if something so urgent is happening in your life that you have to continue checking it, perhaps you shouldn't be at the movies?

I should just give up on expecting people to think of and be considerate to others. Thirty-seven years living in the Washington DC area should have cured me of that. But it bugs me when people make it so painfully obvious that they don't give a shit about me...or anyone else around them. They feel they have a right to do what they want--at the expense of everyone else around them. I moved away from the DC area to get away from that attitude...but I guess it's everywhere...or at least in my little beach town where the DC folk come to vacation.