To Find this Woman in the Cinema Rude

[LessMissAbs]

Me and my friend were watching a film in the cinema tonight. She doesn't wear a watch and must have been checking her phone for the time - its a habit of hers to do this, or to ask people the time. I was sitting next to her and I didn't notice it.

There was an empty seat to her other side between her and a woman. The woman suddenly boomed out in the middle of the film, "If you want to play your phone, you can go outside and do it instead of in here".

It was mortifying, and she interrupted the film for me. I was really embarrassed for my friend, but we didn't say anything.

At the end of the film, as we were standing up to leave, I said to the woman "I don't really care if you were disturbed by a light during the film or not, I don't want to have to the film interrupted by your booming voice". She then started arguing back (she said something like "Oh you'd like to be a cheeky one, wouldn't you, and some other stuff) but we turned our backs towards her and her husband so that she was talking to ourselves, put on our coats and left.

Kind of ruined the film for both of us. Normally I find going to the cinema relaxing!

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I agree with the other posters. Your friend was rude, there was no need for to get her phone out. The light from a smartphone screen is bright.

[MorrisZapp]

Oh god me too. I get all tense, waiting for them to do it again. Then DP gets tense because he knows I'm tense :)

I ask people to please stop talking or switch their phones off all the time, I'm too old to accept such rude behaviour ruining my precious leisure time.

[NutcrackerFairy]

Really, would you all notice a light from a mobile phone?

It wouldn't even feature on my radar and certainly wouldn't spoil my enjoyment of a phone.

Someone's booming voice might do though I suspect.

OP, I think you and your friend were not unreasonable.

I am quite surprised that so many people are disturbed by a light from a mobile phone really.

[RandyRudolf]

My phone isn't that bright. I clearly have a crap phone

[hmc]

Those of you distracted by the dim light of a phone during a movie must be bored crapless by the film. I genuinely don't get this - cinema irritations for me include rustling sweet papers, talking to companions as if you're in your own sitting room and ringing phones, but I just wouldn't notice someone checking the time on their phone

[RandyRudolf]

Really, would you all notice a light from a mobile phone?

No.

[RestingActress]

YWBU.

If you had gone to the cinema to watch a film then presumably your friend planned to stay there for the duration, so had no need to "check the time" or facebook

Lights from phones in a dark cinema are distracting

[hmc]

And well done OP for challenging the deranged woman on her disproportionate reaction

[BillyBanter]

the woman would have disturbed my viewing more than the phone screen though that maybe would have irked me too, for a millisecond.

Your friend should switch her phone off when at the cinema to stop her habit annoying people.

[MrsBungle]

I would be irritated by the light of a phone especially if it was ongoing. It's rude.

[MooMa1d]

If I'm honest I think everyone could have gone about this in a much more considerate way.

[BunnyLebowski]

Of course it's noticeable in a room with no lights on.

It's the height of rudeness and makes you look like the kind of mouth-breathing moron who can't be separated from their phone for an hour.

Turn the phone on silent, put it in your bag and watch the fucking movie. It's really not that challenging.

[hackneybird]

I think it's incredibly sad that people think its acceptable to use a phone, in any way, shape or form inside a cinema when the main feature is playing. It's rude and disrespectful to the people around them who have paid for expensive tickets, and you were childish and rude in your response to her.

I will say however, that it sounds like the woman was over the top - it's more constructive to ask people to desist from using phones/talking quietly and politely. I do it all the time.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

So you've got a massive cinema screen in front of you and suddenly your whole attention and concentration is utterly absorbed because of a tiny little phone screen in someone's lap? Really? What about if someone coughs or sneezes? Is the entire film ruined for you?

If I'm out for the evening and my children are being looked after elsewhere I will Not be turning my phone off for anyone. It will be on silent in my pocket, I will have the screen dimmed and I Will periodically check it.

This is another one of those things that I never hear in RL yet read about on here all the bloody time. And I am a fairly laid back poster so you know this sort of thing really narks me if I've actually bothered to comment on it.

Ffs.

[wintertimeisfun]

i would have hated sitting next to your friend. i fucks me off big time the way people constantly fiddly with their phones. i don't blame the women for losing it tbh

[500internalerror]

It wouldn't bother me at all. But talking REALLY does.

But surely your friend cupped her hand round the phone to shield the light anyway? I always do, as I'm paranoid about being accused of filming the film

[RandyRudolf]

Just how often did she check her phone? Once or twice throughout the film or was it constantly out and in her hand?

[Thetallesttower]

I guess I go mainly to children's showings, so am used to all kinds of distractions and a phone light on once wouldn't bother me although if it was on a lot, then it would. It's always noisy at the cinema when I go, lots of popcorn crunching, slurping drinks, every single child needing the toilet 2/3rds of the way through, comments shouted out by toddlers.

I don't go to grown-up films though so I'm not sure if this is normal!

[yarn33]

Those of you distracted by the dim light of a phone during a movie must be bored crapless by the film. I genuinely don't get this - cinema irritations for me include rustling sweet papers

Do you not see the irony of your post?

[Salmotrutta]

hmc - I have quite sensitive peripheral vision and even a fairly dim light would register in my field of view.

Anything registering in my field of view is a distraction - as evolutionary advantage dictates.

Therefore, anything distracting me during my enjoyment of paid entertainment would PISS ME OFF.

HTH.

[JodieGarberJacob]

She must have been doing it for a while or at least a few times for the woman to get so exasperated. The reason you didn't notice was maybe because the phone was directed away from you and directed into the face of the other woman. Bloody annoying. Did you ask your friend why she was so attached to her phone? Also why did you let that one incident spoil the film?