Well at my school, I hear at least 1 phone a day and its not an average, where some days have 2 and others have none. It IS at least once a day. The prof has full right to bring attention to it because as I said, I’m in that position and I know how very disruptive and disrespectful it is.
And Seraph, when you have an auditorium designed to carry sound and everyone is quiet cuz they’re busy trying to figure out what the guy in front is saying, you notice the smallest little beep.
I envy your schools. Most of my classmates don’t really give a fuck about classes until they are just about to flunk, so everyone is yapping incessantly while my psychology teacher explains Freud, Gestalt and all that stuff… I can make out what she’s saying but it’s annoying as hell. The fact that most of the teachers are afraid of students doesn’t help either.
In most movie theaters I’ve been to people always turn them off or whatever. What bothers me is when people clap at the end of movies. I think they should only clap when someone is there to take credit for it. So watching it at the local cinema and clapping, bad. Watching it when the guy who made it is presenting it to an audience to see the reaction and he is present at the time, fine by me.
I like the idea.
I see your reasoning. However, US lawmakers generally don’t follow the same sort of logic. And I still disagree with your execution example, heh. Saying that “people get executed wrongly” is the result of an overly harsh, imperfect justice system. The fact that people get executed wrongly is one of the reasons why we should abolish capitol punishment, because if our justice system cannot be made perfect, then we should not expect our punishments to be final. Making laws restricting cell phone usage is akin to creating a cell-phone justice system more like the one you mention: it would create a system where judgements are final (the complete blocking of cell phone usage) despite the fact that there are still legitimate cell phone uses in such situations.
But I digress. Personally, I wouldn’t be all that upset over a law allowing universities to restrict cell phone usage. Educational insitutions generally fall under their own categories of laws and such anyway. But getting back to what I was really upset at in the first place, is allowing private institutions the right to decide when and where I can use my cell phone. Consider the following scenario: A poll is conducted with the following two questions: “Would you support a bill banning the usage of cell phones in theatres?” or even “Would you support a bill banning the usage of cell phones in educational institutions?” and then another question that said “Would you support the right for private institutions to decide when and where you can use your cell phone?” My guess is, the first question would garner a majority yes, while I’d be surprised if the second one garnered more than a handful of yes responses.
I realize these aren’t necessarily the same issues, and just because a law is passed similar to the first question does not necessarily imply the second situation would occur. But I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to see the possibility of a connection there. I think that might help to make clear what I’m trying to say. Laws that create beneficial situations in one instance can potentially pave the way for a much broader, less beneficial, even harmful situation. As far as I’m concerned, unless the need for the first situation is absolutely necessary (such as in a hospital, where cell phones might potentially interfere with equipment; but not in movie theatres, where it is a mere annoyance), I’m not willing to give up that right.
Too bad it’s limited to cellphones and doesn’t block out snack eating and movie-commenting people.
I’ll go to my local theatre and protest this if they being to use these. And i’ll protest these where-ever else they go.
We have stun-guns for that.
I’ve always found whiny little kids in theaters to be more annoying than cell phones (mostly because if they ring, it’s once or twice then off). Why not ban kids from the movies?
I second this motion.