France to allow cell phone jamming in cinemas

fragile

Go on the French, now this is a damn good, long overdue idea http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/12/0322256

Hopefully this will get passed at EU level before long

Prozium

Hopefully bring it in here soon. I was watching Resident Evil at the weekend in UGC and this young nob-jockey beside me took out his little gahey flipphone and started talking on it. I nearly lost it with him.

I go to the cinema quite often (cinema pass) and I noticed this is getting to epidemic proportions here.

Retr0gamer

Please make it happen here. Although i have to admit that the amount of rude interruptions in cinemas i've been to recently due to mobiles have reduced significantly.

Creamy Goodness

sooner it happens here the better.

i'm seriously getting pissed off when i sit up in the back row and see all the colour screeens can some people be without their phone for 2-3 hours?

Cactus Col

Savoy used to do this but were told it was illegal.

bbc report on it

and I for one am against blocking signals getting in.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i don't think signals should be blocked, but anyone who answers their phone during a film (say, after the announcement on screen) should be fined a lot of money.

teach the ****ers not to do it again.

damnyanks

Yeah. Someone might be waiting on some important news... although they shouldnt be in the cinema then idiots!

Yeah

Optikus

Mordeth wrote:

i don't think signals should be blocked, but anyone who answers their phone during a film (say, after the announcement on screen) should be fined a lot of money.

teach the ****ers not to do it again.

I agree you should not block them.. when im in the cinema, which isnt very often due to having broiadband I like to still be able to recieve texts and voicemail.. which is ok if you have the sounds off. So yeah fine the big mouths.

monkeyfudge

But the little light up screens and vibrating sounds are really annoying as well.

Turn the things off... you shouldn't want to be interupted by text messages if you're trying to watch a film.

And the signals really need to be blocked in theatres as well...letting a phone ring during a play has got to be one of the rudest things imaginable.

ShiverinEskimo

you still get voicemail if your phone is off.
As for texts, if its not the vibrating other people hear its the bright light from someone's phone distracting people. You'll get all your texts the minute you switch your phone on when you leave the cinema.

We all pays our money, if your waiting on an important text or call, don't go a place where receiving it will cause disruption to another person's enjoyment. There's nothing as selfish.

I say make it happen. Currently it is illegal to block a mobile phone signal because to do so you have to broadcast a countersignal. But you require a licence from commreg to do this. (actually studied this in networking class this week).
It is not illegal to prevent a signal from getting through by other means and hence most cinema's now are placing a few layers of foil in the ceilings of the cinemas to reduce signal quality to unusable levels (still under development). As this does not involve broadcasting, you do not need a licence, and hence is not illegal.

As for a turn around on the law to enable cinemas to broadcast-block, i cant see it happening. Shame really, would reduce the effects of idiots in movie theaters.

Kain

I say block them, cause it's usually some little scumbag that spends ages giggling down the ****ing phone.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

but there are people out there who *need* to be contactable at all times, and just because some ****ers answer their phones and chat away during the fiml doesn't mean that people who need to be contactable (and who leave the cinema to answer, naturally ) should be punished too.

say no to prohibition!

impr0v

Mordeth wrote:

but there are people out there who *need* to be contactable at all times, and just because some ****ers answer their phones and chat away during the fiml doesn't mean that people who need to be contactable (and who leave the cinema to answer, naturally ) should be punished too.

say no to prohibition!

Once the facility is there to make and receive calls and or sms in a cinema it will be abused by the ignorant masses, there are no two ways about it. The only real solution is to rule it out completely, either by blocking the signal, or enforcement within the cinemas themselves, which rarely happens at the moment.

And what did these people who *need* to be contacted do before mobile phones? Presumably they didn't go to the cinema in the first place.

Even if they are discreet about answering the phone there is the vibration noise, the bright screen, the squeezing past 15 people to get out of the row.

To me it's simple: If they need to be contactable they shouldn't be in a cinema until there is a time when they can turn their phone off for those three hours, it's unfair on everyone else in there.

ShiverinEskimo

No one NEEDS to be contactable at all times.

What the hell did you do before mobiles?

So you get a call, other people hear it vibrate, you take it out and its flashing like a JCB working in the night, you need to get out of the aisle and you get 6 people to move so you can get out to take your extremely important call only to return two minutes later, then you take a drink and need a piss...need i go on.

If you feel you need to be contactable at all times - get a dvd player and wait six months.
I mean what do you do if you go to the hospital - "**** the people on machines, i need to be contactable."

I'm sure air pilots love you and all....

Gileadi

totally agree with banning mobiles.

just as your enjoying a movie you seem to be brought back down to earth by some 13 year old upfront who decides to txt or ring his burd

ixoy

I loathe people using their mobiles, in any sense, in the cinema. Unless you're a frickin' heart surgeon on call then I can't see any damned reason you can't await your message or phone call until the movie ends.

You shouldn't even be looking at texts because, as others say, the bright display is highly distracting, never mind the rapid tapping of keys. If a hundred other people, or even only twenty, have paid into a movie then you should respect their wishes to watch the movie peacefully and shut the phone off and not be an ignorant little f*ckwit.

*calms* Having said that I'm probably preaching to the converted here. I just really see red on this subject and still think my idea of a night-vision goggled sniper, at the top of the cinema, waitng to take out any mobile phone users is a great idea...

Mr E

Worse than the texters are the people who ANSWER the f**king phone in the cinema. Worse than those are the people who have entire conversations after answering the phone.... WITHOUT leaving the cinema.

2 good mobile phone stories....

A few months ago, guy answers mobile phone call in packed cinema. Proceeds to have a conversation. Guy in front of him (BIG dude) turns around and loudly tells him to hang up the phone or he'll be made eat it. Needless to say he hung up (to a large round of applause from the surrounding audience).

Tommy Tiernan gig in Limerick last year. Girls mobile phone rings during Tommy's performance. Tommy asks the girl for the phone so he can talk to the person at the other end. Girl gives him the phone. He throws the mobile over his head and it smashes into pieces against the stage wall..... (cue lots of people reaching for their phones to turn them off!)

Just turn the bloody things off, kids....

Kain

It appears the needs of the many out-way the needs of the few. The vibrating noise i can handle cause most of the time you don't even hear it. But it's just not possable to get eveyone to do the same thing, espesally the younger kids. If you need to be in contact all the time then you shouldn't be in the cinema in the first place.
Since theres no way to actually get only a few people to turn off their mobiles then the only way is to get everybody to do it. Hell, i'm happy to turn off my phone during a film cause 1. I don't like to desturbe other people 2. i don't like to be disturbed during the movie and 3. it's just a general pain in the ass.

matrim

When you read the article it says

on the condition that emergency calls can still get through.

If that is the case, how do cinema's decide what is an emergency call. As far as I know there is no way to block all but one phone.


What they really need to do is to install spotlights in the cinema. As soon as someone answers the phone. The film will pause, and the spotlight will shine down on the person who answers. With an announcer who then procides to slag them.
It would probably be more annoying than the phone call but might be funny.

fragile

Mordeth wrote:

but there are people out there who *need* to be contactable at all times, and just because some ****ers answer their phones and chat away during the fiml doesn't mean that people who need to be contactable (and who leave the cinema to answer, naturally ) should be punished too.

say no to prohibition!

If you *need* to be contactable at all times (e.g. you are concerned about leaving your kids at home with a babysitter) then get a vibrating beeper, they are cheap, silent, inexpensive and they would not be blocked by the phone jamming.

Third_Echelon

this definitely should be brought it in without a doubt.... wouldn't bother me in the slightest...

fragile

matrim wrote:

If that is the case, how do cinema's decide what is an emergency call. As far as I know there is no way to block all but one phone.

This is discussed on slashdot, to quote a post..

faraday cage in the theatre, and a GSM picocell that only routes emergency (i.e. 911 or 112 in Europe) calls going OUT to the emergency services - everything else blocked. This is pretty easy: the same thing is effectively happening (albeit without the trivial faraday cage - an earthed liner of chickenwire behind the wall coverings will do this) everytime your GSM phone says "SOS calls only" on the display - it's telling you there's a GSM network nearby, but (usually because your phone provider doesn't have a roaming agreement with that network provider) you can't use it, bar emergencies.

Prozium

This was on the BBC website today :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3738652.stm

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

fragile wrote:

If you *need* to be contactable at all times (e.g. you are concerned about leaving your kids at home with a babysitter) then get a vibrating beeper, they are cheap, silent, inexpensive and they would not be blocked by the phone jamming.

... good point

CathyMoran

Some people actually do need to be contactable at all times - for instance, those with a critically ill relative. They have a right to get away from the hospital at some time.

Kêrmêttê

I personally don't agree with blocking cell phone signals.
You can send and receive sms text messages silently without annoying anyone. You can also have your phone set to vibrate alert, and, if you wish to take a call there is an Exit door to the public area!
I hope people will not start objecting to someone walking out of a cinema mid-movie. :eek:

I REALLY hate when some spanner forgets to turn their phone off and actually answers a call when it rings.
What is a million times worse though is these eejits that just make calls during a movie. What is wrong with leaving the cinema for a few minutes if the call is THAT important? Consider other people PLEASE!!!

fragile

CathyMoran wrote:

Some people actually do need to be contactable at all times - for instance, those with a critically ill relative. They have a right to get away from the hospital at some time.

If they carried a beeper and a mobile, the beeper would vibrate and tell them what number tried to contact them, and they could then leave the cinema and call the person back if they so wished.

I can see no practical reason why mobiles should not be blocked in cinemas or theatres.

avatar

I think it's a good idea.

beer enigma

fragile wrote:

If you *need* to be contactable at all times (e.g. you are concerned about leaving your kids at home with a babysitter) then get a vibrating beeper, they are cheap, silent, inexpensive and they would not be blocked by the phone jamming.

Banning mobiles is in effect the same as banning responsible parents from cinema facilities. We go to the cinema quite a bit & I always leave my mobile on silent in case the babysitter needs to contact us (happened once in the last year when my 1 yr old developed a high temperature), but locate it somewhere that i can see the screen light up without disturbing other people. It's quite easy to do.

I don't see why I should have to buy a vibrating beeper (which from my understanding could well be blocked by the same jamming technology) just because some oiks are too ignorant to use their phones in a responsible manner.

Dont get me wrong - I nearly brained a guy sitting next to me last week when he starting constantly texting in the middle of a film, but common sense guys - how many of you advocating the banning of mobiles are against the smoking ban ??. Don't see why everyone should suffer for the few. :mad:

CathyMoran

fragile wrote:

If they carried a beeper and a mobile, the beeper would vibrate and tell them what number tried to contact them, and they could then leave the cinema and call the person back if they so wished.

I can see no practical reason why mobiles should not be blocked in cinemas or theatres.

I disagree - why should someone who is dealing with a loved one who is critically ill have to go to the additional bother of getting a beeper, let alone having to give the hospital an additional number to contact you on.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

because they might need it again if they're ever in the cinema again? or anywhere else where mobile phones aren't appreciated?

gandalf

Yes this would be an excellent idea and should be impliemented in Irish Cinema's immediately. In the last two years I have only been at two films where some moron did not answer their mobile phone or start texting in the middle of it (therefore you see their little white light). Considering the cost of going to the flixs they should eliminate all distractions.

I would be in favour of an armed guard, armed with a .357 magnum ("probably the most powerful handgun in the world") and the second one of these tits reaches for the phone he wastes them !!!!! (ok so it mighted catch on but hey I can dream!)

CathyMoran

Oh, come on - my mother is in hospital and is critically ill - try being in that situation. It is tough enough dealing with the fact that your mother could die at any time and actually getting me into the cinema with the current situation.

gandalf

Oh you know this is nothing against you personally but tbh how many people in the cinema are actually recieving calls of this type. Very very few I would warrant. Its normally some gormless, thick browed, knuckle dragging twit talking to his/her mates about how wasted they were last night!!!

Also it might also be a good thing to not be on edge with the knowledge that you could be contacted as well?

Cabaal

This really needs to be done in Ireland, either that or beat anyone that doesn't turn of there phone in a theatre or a cinema

Kêrmêtt&#234 wrote:

I personally don't agree with blocking cell phone signals.
You can send and receive sms text messages silently without annoying anyone. You can also have your phone set to vibrate alert, and, if you wish to take a call there is an Exit door to the public area!

Ah have you not noticed most phone screens are like min-flash lamps now adays and that they can be seen from very far away, that in itself is annoying
So unless you can txt with no background light on your phone then you should do what the Vodafone adverts says "TURN OFF YOUR PHONE"

aidan_walsh

Some people make good points, like parents or doctors needing to remain contactable. So what I propose is the mandatory registration of every mobile telephone and its owner, and the automatic jamming of signals of anyone under the age of 19 in cinemas, theatres, etc. Stop the little sh*ts who won't turn their phones off for the movie.

That said, it would put my leetle friend, Mr. Moral Decency, out of business. Dilemma...

Cabaal

doodle_sketch wrote:

Some people make good points, like parents or doctors needing to remain contactable. So what I propose is the mandatory registration of every mobile telephone and its owner, and the automatic jamming of signals of anyone under the age of 19 in cinemas, theatres, etc. Stop the little sh*ts who won't turn their phones off for the movie.

I don't know about you but its not always underagers who piss everyone off at cinemas by using there phones for txt'ing or otherwise.

People lived for most of this century without mobiles and they went to the cinema without worrying that much, I don't believe its that much to ask to turn off a phone for 2hrs while watching a film.

beer enigma

doodle_sketch wrote:

Some people make good points, like parents or doctors needing to remain contactable. So what I propose is the mandatory registration of every mobile telephone and its owner, and the automatic jamming of signals of anyone under the age of 19 in cinemas, theatres, etc. Stop the little sh*ts who won't turn their phones off for the movie.

Common sense approach - you pay the cinema good money to watch a film & therefore they have a duty to ensure that you can watch it in comfort (which bugs me when the place is freezing etc...) but anyway, why can't the attendants chuck out people who are clearly using their phones to the annoyance of others. Stick up a notice saying that you are liable to be chucked for mobile phone use.

I have no problem in telling the usher that I have a phone on silent for babysitter purposes & if they see me checking it discreetly ONCE, they'll know. We can all see who's likely to be decent & who's an oik !.

Cabaal - I get your point, but my 1 yr old was rushed into hospital with suspected meningitis earlier this year & we happened to be in the cinema. It's one of those illnesses that come on so quickly, you need to be contactable - If I hadn't have had the phone on me (on silent) - we may not have been in time..................

While we're at it, how about crisp bags, noisy sweet bags, talkers, people who slurp the end of their coke & farters

chump

people who masterbate during slightly durty movies and lassies in the back row who see to their male friends should be banned too...

projectmayhem

the only plausable argument to NOT have jamming seems to be the ill relatives argument. lets say the guy in front of you has an ill relative. he/she gets a call. they answer. you don't care what the call is about. all you care about is the fact that some ignorant moron in front of you didn't have the common decency to turn off his/her damn phone in the cinema.

fragile

Another problem that phone jamming would solve is people switching their mobiles to silent before going into the cinema and then forgetting to switch back to general after the movie. With phone jamming in operation you could just leave your phone on all the time.

Cabaal

projectmayhem wrote:

the only plausable argument to NOT have jamming seems to be the ill relatives argument. lets say the guy in front of you has an ill relative. he/she gets a call. they answer. you don't care what the call is about. all you care about is the fact that some ignorant moron in front of you didn't have the common decency to turn off his/her damn phone in the cinema.

Or the ignorent moron could be txting his/her ill relative

echomadman

phones in cinemas....
I've almost come to blows with people for answering their phones in the cinema, as for the sick relative excuse, it takes less than a minute to change your answering machine message to "I cant take your call right now, if its an emergency I'm at Cinema X watching film Y" and whoever is calling can ring the cinema and have someone get you.
What did all your sick relatives do in the 90's before everyone had mobile phones?

CathyMoran

echomadman wrote:

What did all your sick relatives do in the 90's before everyone had mobile phones?

They didn't go to the cinema...OK, in theory all of us people with sick relatives could have changed our messages, but when you have a sick relative you have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the hospital even though you need the break (unfortunatly it is one of those situations where you have to be in it before you fully understand it). And what about those people with kids?

beer enigma

projectmayhem wrote:

the only plausable argument to NOT have jamming seems to be the ill relatives argument. lets say the guy in front of you has an ill relative. he/she gets a call. they answer. you don't care what the call is about. all you care about is the fact that some ignorant moron in front of you didn't have the common decency to turn off his/her damn phone in the cinema.

Whilst I'm in the "No" camp here on banning signals, I certainly wouldn't allow people to actually take a call in the cinema, or to have their phones on anything other than silent. If you have to leave them switched on for babysitter or ill relative scenario etc, then fine, but be considerate to the people around you.

As I said, I have mine on silent just in case the babysitter needs to contact me, but wouldn't dream of answering in the theatre itself. Only takes a minute to go outside & if you've missed the call, so what - you just call them back. Whilst I'm on the subject, we always try to sit on aisle seats too - if you have to get up, there's no point in making the whole flippin row stand up.

fitz

What about people who work and have to be contactable on-call, you're essentially banning them from cinemas too. They're not going to use their phones irresponsibly.
If your phone is on silent and in you pocket, I refuse to accept that someone can hear the buzzing.

The problem is that there are no longer ushers in the cinema during the film who can threaten to/kick someone out if they're phone goes off or they start chatting.

It would be far more sensible to implement some monitoring of the audience by staff than block phone signals.

seamus

fitz wrote:

What about people who work and have to be contactable on-call, you're essentially banning them from cinemas too. They're not going to use their phones irresponsibly.

That's a bit lame fitz. They're on call. Just being on call prevents them from doing a lot of things. So they can't go to the cinema, boo hoo. They can wait till they've come off call, or get a DVD instead.

In theory, I'm in favour of this. I haven't seem anyone come up with a plausible excuse that can't be rectified by changing your voicemail to "I'm in seat X, cinema Y, watching __________ that started at _________" if there's the chance that you may need to take a serious emergency call. What's 2-3 minutes? Unless your attendance means the difference between life and death, then a couple of minutes is nothing.

I say "in theory" because ideally I'd prefer that this wasn't necessary, that people could be depended on to do the right thing, but we know they can't. Most people will abide, some won't. A cinema could hire more ushers, or train the ones they have better, or pay them more, so that they get people who give a **** instead of young people who don't care about anything but getting out of work. But all these things cost money, at least more over time than the cost of installing this gauss mesh and microcell.

Which would you prefer - pay twice as much for your already overpriced ticket, on the off chance that you might need to take a call in the cinema, or the same price and do without your phone for an hour or two?

I know which one I'd go for.

fitz

You missed the point Seamus.
If the phone is on silent, and it's going to go unanswered, I can't see the problem.
I'm suprised these people who are able to hear the buzzing can actually survive the entire length of the film, cause with ears that sensitive, the cinemas sound system must leave their ears bleeding.

Point is, phones are only one of the problems with the cinema these days.
Phones, seat kickers, chatters, smokers etc...
All of which wouldn't be an issue if there were still ushers.

It shouldn't be the punters responsibility to ensure the environment they are paying to be in meets certain acceptable standards for their enjoyment of the film.

You don't expect to walk in and have to sweep the floor or hoover the seats, or mop up drinks, nor should you. The cinema provide a service, and I don't think it should stop with the place being reasonably clean.

The cinemas should be responsible for ensuring the service they provide includes enforcing the standards that they set out at the start.
You shouldn't have to get up and leave the screen to go make a complaint about someone, nor should you have to confront someone.

Jamming phones is addressing one of the end results of the problem, not the problem itself.

FX Meister

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

No one NEEDS to be contactable at all times.

Doctor on call, IT manager on call?

I mean what do you do if you go to the hospital - "**** the people on machines, i need to be contactable."

Only in certain parts of hospitals are phones not allowed

I'm sure air pilots love you and all....

Haven't they just announced that you will soon be able to use your phone on the plane as it doesn't interfere with the planes equipment

seamus

fitz wrote:

You missed the point Seamus.
If the phone is on silent, and it's going to go unanswered, I can't see the problem.

I can't either. The problem exists because others don't bother putting theirs on silent, and answer them without regard.

Jamming phones is addressing one of the end results of the problem, not the problem itself.

Agreed completely. In my experience, it's one of the biggest problems, along with teenage chatters who pay into a movie to chat to their mates :rolleyes:

Personally, I can't see any other solution to the mobile phone problem at least, that wouldn't involve a hike in ticket prices.

fitz

Do you honestly think installation of jamming equipment won't cause a price hike?
People should be in a position where they know there's a bloke who'll kick them out if they answer their phone, or if they don't turn it to silent.

There's no point in addressing one problem when they could address them all.