>> Sunday, January 15, 2012
Clippings From the Fridge is a regular series here, inspired by the Two Nuns, One Gun story. These are wacky true news stories straight from the insanity fringe of society.
For this week's Clippings From the Fridge, I planned on posting about Maestro Alan Gilbert, conductor of the NY Philharmonic who stopped mid performance to admonish a person in the front row with the persistent Marimba ring tone on his IPhone. Pffft. Cudos to Gilbert, but Tim League, CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Texas handled the problem of a texter in his theater brilliantly. Below is his blog post and a censored version of the PSA played before each movie one weekend in Texas, the "Magnitied States of America"!
Enjoy!
She texted. We kicked her out.
Posted on June 06, 2011 by Tim League in National
As many of you know, I really can't abide people who talk during a movie. A couple of years ago I was accosted in the Village parking lot
by a patron who was warned for talking in a movie. I've nearly come to
blows more than a few times over the years with rude customers over the
same issue.
When we adopted our strict no talking policy back in 1997 we knew we
were going to alienate some of our patrons. That was the plan. If you
can't change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a
movie, then we don't want you at our venue. Follow our rules, or get the
hell out and don't come back until you can.
Recently, we had a situation where a customer persisted in
texting in the theater despite two warnings to stop. Our policy at that
point is to eject the customer without a refund, which is exactly what
went down that night. Luckily, this former patron was so incensed at
being kicked out, she quickly called the office and left us the raw
ingredients for our latest "Don't Talk or Text" PSA. You can check it
out below, or come to the Alamo this weekend where the video will be
playing before all of our R-rated movies.
Ma'am, you may be free to text in all the other theaters in the Magnited
States of America, but here at our "little crappy ass theater," you are
not. Why you may ask? Well, we actually do give a f*$k.
Sincerely,
Tim League
founder/CEO
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Posts
14 comments:
That was so awesome! Kudos to the Alamo Draft Theater!
I can hardly wait until she goes to a restaurant where they will not admit her and her foul mouthed, misbehaving, and entitled texting offspring. Please do let me know when they go to McD that happens!
Claire
It's kind of sad that the population of this once great country gets so worked up over their little electronic devices and yet most couldn't name who their representatives are in Congress and probably won't be voting for anyone in any coming elections... makes you wonder when we lost it all, doesn't it Deb???
There's a special place in hell for those who talk in the theater....
A perfect example of why some dolts should not have a cell phone, smart phone in any way shape of form.
I am a program administrator of an assessment program to help people get back to work. Cell phones or ANY electronic devices are NOT allowed, period. If you bring these to a test session you turn it off and check in with us until you are totally done testing. If you do not turn it in and it goes off or we become aware that you have during the tests, you are kicked out and you test scores voided out and nullified. You are banned for 90 days from taking the assessments.
I have had a few people get very upset and one or two almost went postal on us over a frickin' cell phone. One guy, He THREW his phone at me(missed)and I physically threw him out.
How sad, truly sad that some people get so addicted to something that can be a horrid waste of time and money.
I suppose you'd actually see all your films at this theatre if you could... Wouldn't ya.
LL
Eva: Think we'll ever see a place like that here in Maine? Pfffft!
Claire: Seems like people like her are becoming the norm everywhere.
TJ: Ah, it doesn't matter "when we lost it". This is the Magnited States of America and we are blessed with people like The Texter, a future ruler of the Magnited citizens.
Josh: Yup. Right next to those who text in the theater, which is behind those who text while talking to you face-to-face.
PatriotUSA: You summed it up as soon as you typed the word "dolt".
LL: Yup, as long as you're not sitting in front of me blocking my view.
THERE MUST BE A FULL MOON OUT TONIGHT. I just came home from a peaceful picnic where I practically had a knock-down, drag out FIGHT with a man! Me = 62 and going tooth and toenail with a complete stranger.
I am so glad that the theater did that. I just went and complimented their blog. I HATE texters (and talkers for that matter) in theaters. It is ridiculous! Don't come to the movie if you're just going to text and e-mail the entire time. I've spoken my mind more than a few times.
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