AIBU to think that it’s annoying and sad state of affairs that people can’t stay off their phone at the theatre?

[Ridingaroundonbuses]

And not understand how it can impact on other people’s enjoyment of whatever they have gone to see?

Should there be repercussions for such behaviour like theatres having the power to ask people to leave and that they not get a refund?

@PractisingMyTelekenipsisyeah you’re right. I kind of thought it’s a split second it’s fine but it’s not ok and I won’t do that again. A thoughtless moment I think

There's me turning my insulin pump and phone OFF so that it doesn't light up or worse alarm! I'd rather suffer for 2 hours (not suffer but just not knowing like I had to before all this technology) than put anyone out).
.they need to do something to cut the signal in theatres.. would soon sort it.

Loads of people in my congregation follow the bible passage on their phones.
I'm not sure why you find that shocking.

I think the company needs to police it and remove anyone who doesn't comply. Absolutely rude and selfish

It's absolutely baffling, especially with the theatre. It costs so much money to go, do people not want to try and be absorbed in to it or allow others to.
I'm a constant doom scroller and it's one of the few times I really focus on a play or a film and having someone else's light is so distracting.
One of the last plays I saw there was a man next to me who clearly didn't want to be there and on his phone the whole time.

A few years ago during a performance of Cabaret, someone’s phone rang and was answered….at the next scene change EmCee came out in front of the curtain and delivered the most wonderful scathing rebuke, totally in character. Huge applause from the audience!

tbh I’ve not noticed too many intrusions during performances since then - they have boards or announcements at the start and intervals and people generally comply with turning devices off, or put in theatre mode.

I totally agree with this.

I wish they could block reception in the auditorium

It's the incessant RUSTLING I can't stand at the cinema and theatre. People shoving food in the gob and opening packets at really key climactic moments really fucks me off. Can't you survive 2-3 hours without food and if not, get a quieter snack!!

People are so addicted to their phones now. Its tragic that even in a place of entertainment it STILL isn't entertaining enough not to check their phones.

Well, I assume that those people are also on here. There have been lots of posts down the years about what people do at home in the evening, which include references, as if it's the norm, to 'scrolling on my phone with the TV on'. I assume that if you're used to being semi-plugged into whatever is on TV, and semi- scrolling on your phone, that's how you approach all forms of entertainment, because your concentration is shot, and accustomed to being split two ways. So Alex Jennings launching into a soliloquy in itself isn't absorbing enough, you need the other eye on your phone screen.

That’s a pretty unfair statement. I do need to be contactable at all times for my
chold who is disabled. If I’m in the theatre he’s in respite care, which means they need to
be able to grt hold of me. So that means I can’t go and see a show once every couple of years?

I was at a musical recently and a woman from the group next to me got her phone out during the big closing number. An usher came over to tell her it wasn't allowed and she screamed at them that she had to check her train times for going home 🙄.

A girl a few rows in front and below me in the cinema spent most of the film sending snap chat selfies.

The light was incredibly distracting so I eventually quietly and politely asked her to switch her phone off.

Bless her, she seemed completely shocked that anyone had called her on it, but did switch it off for at least 20 minutes at which point she turned it back on with a dimmed screen.

I do wonder how she manages to concentrate in class.

I find it really strange especially as they will have paid a lot for their tickets

Got so fed up with people looking at phones and rustling bags of food etc at key moments that I no longer go to the theatre or cinema.

Am in London next week and in previous visits would have gone to the theatre or a classical concert. However decided against paying well over £100 if it is going to be ruined. Better off listening to the music at home!

So your phone would ring, and then you’d have to make a scene by exiting in order to answer it? Yeah, that’s not acceptable. I’m truly sorry but it’s not. A relaxed performance would work better perhaps?

When this happened to me, I asked the person not to do it. They took no notice so I complained to staff in the interval. They said they would watch her and if they saw her do it they would speak to her. This is what happened.
That was the National Theatre, London

Its normally maximum of an hour and a half between the start of the play and the interval.
I f it's so urgent that it can't be left that long, then , very sadly, perhaps you should not go to the theatre.
There must be times when you have no signal. What happens then?

Why assume her phone would ring? I’d imagine she has it on silent. People sometimes do need to leave for their own medical reasons, that’s not ‘making a scene’ . Or more likely she’d use text - they’re more reliable if signal may be dodgy. Obviously that would cause a bit of light but in this sort of circumstance where there’s a good reason I don’t think it’s way out of order.

Honestly I'd welcome those phone pouches or signal blockers everywhere. Phones in public get on my nerves. Im sick to shitting god of seeing people living their lives through their phone instead of actually experiencing the thing they're there to enjoy.

But loads of people could have a ‘good reason’ by their own judgement. What that ends up with is a theatre full of people who have decided the rules don’t apply to them.

And if it didn’t make a sound, the poster would have to have it out and keep checking it. So constantly disturbing people with its light. And how would she relax and enjoy the show?

My dad died while I was in the theatre. I switched my phone back on as we came out and saw there was a voicemail.

Don’t you all speak up when some inconsiderate tosser gets their phone out? I always do and they stop…

I went to a glam rock concert and there were 2 blokes in front of me one of whom had his phone out filming. They were both in their late 50’s ( definitely old enough to know better) but what made it creepy was that one of the singers was dressed as Suzi Quattro all leather catsuits and he had his phoned zoomed in on her , enlarging the image. Filming is one thing although weird in my opinion as who wants to watch a 3 inch concert when you can immerse yourself in the real thing, but just to zoom in on her was a bit creepy.