<p>I nearly missed seeing my son walking up on stage at his Graduation as audience members whose son/daughter had already been up decided to leave before the end. They all stood up and slowly made their way out blocking the view. Other people then decided to follow! Unbelievable disrespect for other families as well as the students waiting for their “big moment”.</p>
<p>I
[quote]
A number of times, right in the middle of my speech, an attendee will get a cell phone call, and talk to the person on the phone right in the middle of my speech. [/quopte]</p>
<p>Oh! Last year, I did focus groups in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the moderator asks the respondents to please turn off their cell phones. They don’t - and they take phone calls in the middle of the groups. The moderator says repeatedly, “Hey, guys, I really would appreciate it - we are having a discussion here that we are paying you for” and they ignore him.</p>
<p>My business partner just returned from a workshop in China. She would be presenting findings of a study to maybe 20 of our clients (mixture of US-based and China-based). For the Chinese ones, if their cell phones rang, they would literally duck their heads under the conference room table but still continue the phone call conversation in a normal tone of voice - then hang up and come back up from under the table. It sounds hysterically funny to me, and it was to her too - watching several people just duck under a table and keep talking in normal voices during a business meeting.</p>
<p>We went to the movies last weekend. We saw “Warrior” (it was great). I never thought it would be a movie that teenagers would come to see. Wrong…about six middle school aged boys sat on our row (one seat between them and me). They talked a lot, ate a lot and texted a lot. I did give them the “shush” once which worked for awhile but not long enough. I guess they came because they heard it was a fight movie and were disappointed that there was a story line that preceded the fighting. They were lost in that part so just kept talking. The little one next to me kept saying “which one is Tommy?” </p>
<p>There was also a young woman sitting directly in front of me who texted constantly throughout the movie. She wouldn’t even try to be discreet. She would hold her phone up to eye level for every one of her 99 texts. So it was like a laser light in my eye every time she did it. I think that drove me more nuts than the m.s boys. She was with a gentleman who looked older. I thought it was her Dad but maybe not. I kept waiting for him to tell her to put the phone away but it never happened. </p>
<p>Note to self…don’t go to movies at popular teen hangout shopping area on Fri. night.</p>
<p>To the OP, I would have just gotten up and left between numbers. I can’t handle confrontations either, but I also would not have wanted to sit there fuming.</p>
<p>We went to a concert in Atlantic City a few months ago, to see Michelle Branch–the opening act. She was in the middle of a beautiful song she’d written for her daughter. She dedicated the song to Amy Whitehouse who had died the day before–special moment for the audience. A couple (early 40’s) came to sit down in the middle of her song, very loudly and repeatedly excusing themselves, and my husband “shushed” the woman.</p>
<p>During the intermission, the man turned to my husband (I was in the middle, between them) and said, “You were very rude before. My girlfriend was brought up to be polite and say “excuse me,” and you SHUSHED her.” He started glaring at my husband. He had a drink in his hand, and it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t his first.</p>
<p>Well, we were brought up not to speak during a performance, and to WAIT UNTIL A SONG ENDS BEFORE INTERRUPTING THE ENTIRE ROW (gee, don’t they do that at sporting events?!)—but I didn’t say anything and I urged my husband not to respond, either. This guy was completely out of line and made our experience so uncomfortable that both my daughter and I encouraged my husband to leave. We didn’t really care about the “main” act, anyway, but I still can’t get over how multiple “excuse me”'s, in the middle of a performance, is considered polite.</p>
<p>^^^
Yes, they were idiots, but IMO the casino dropped the ball on this one too. They never should have been allowed to enter the venue in the middle of a song.</p>
<p>H is a junior HS band director. His students were performing with one of the military bands at our local symphony hall, so the hall was filled with parents and siblings. In my seating area, there were plenty of parents and younger siblings. The kids were just fine. It was the parents who were loud, constantly talking to each other and their children.</p>
<p>I was raised in a Lutheran church. In the bulletin the ushers handed to each person as they entered the sanctuary, there were parts of the liturgy with an asterisk next to them. The top of the program explained that these were sections of the service where “Latecomers may be seated.” They were pretty much all during the singing of hymns. </p>
<p>Well I married a Catholic and became Catholic. And apparently it is considered just fine to enter the sanctuary and find a seat at any old time - during a prayer, during a reading… I’ve arrived at the back of the church and had ushers heading down the aisle motioning me to follow them in the middle of a PRAYER, and I’m in the back shaking my head at them, and they look at me like I’m the one who is nuts!</p>
<p>I will say that even in our huge parish, it is rare for a cell phone to go off during Mass. When it does, it is usually promptly shut off. Last week though, one went off and just kept ringing. 10 minutes later the same ring tone went off again. I’d have thought the person would have managed to find the phone and shut it off after the first incident…</p>
<p>We were at a high school play one time when a hs boy brought in a sugar glider (similar to a flying squirrel) with him. Naturally, the critter got loose and next thing I know it is sitting on a woman’s shoulder two rows ahead of us. Luckily, she didn’t notice or I am sure she would have screamed. The glider then ran down the row underneath everyone’s feet. People were jumping up all over the place. My dd and I were rolling in our seats. It was so funny to us but not to the director. Last seen by us, the sugar glider was scampering up the stage curtains.</p>
<p>This whole issue used to drive me nuts at D’s dance recitals. Those were the capstone of the dance year, and after hundreds of hours in the studio, and thousands of dollars spent, I really thought I was entitled to an enjoyable afternoon basking in D’s accomplishments. But nooooo – there were always a few who thought it was perfectly fine to bring their babies and toddlers to a 3-hour dance show. Now, I understand that a few toddlers can sit quietly for that length of time, and some babies will sleep through the whole thing. But honestly, when there’s a theater full of parents eagerly watching their dancer’s moment of glory, and your kid starts talking, fussing, crying, running around – doesn’t common sense dictate that you leave? I simply don’t understand the thought process. Do these people think we can’t hear the commotion? Are they just oblivious? Do they simply not care that they’re ruining the show for hundreds of other people? Or do they actually think they’re the only ones there?</p>
<p>We are heading into the Jewish holiday (happy new year, everyone) which brings up 2 issues. Not only do some people talk through the service, but kids play with their phones and text/play games throughout the service. If your kid can’t sit thorugh the service, maybe they should attend the childrens service or go to the daycare area.</p>
<p>In Yom Kippur we are supposed to fast from sundown to sundown. I really do not like to watch people in the services chewing gum and smacking their lips like a cow chewing cud, when (a) its disrespectful to begin with and (b) what about the “dont have food products in your mouth, especially in the synagogue” is not understood??</p>
<p>With respect to cell phones, my observation is that the majority of those going off at inappropriate times belong to senior citizens. I cut them some slack because it’s probably harder for them to remember to turn it off, harder for them to hear it, and harder for them to grab it quickly and turn it off (especially since it’s usually in a purse). So remind Grandma to turn off her phone–that’s what we do. (Kids usually have theirs set on vibrate all the time, anyway.)</p>
<p>Oh man, don’t get me started on the High Holiday services! We belonged to a local Reform congregation for several years then returned to our older Conservative congregation. At the Reform services, everyone arrived on time, sat quietly, listed respectfully to the Rabbi, and left their kids in the kid services. At the Conservative service, everyone arrives whenever they like, stop to schmooze on the way to their seats, chat with everyone around them, and bring their kids in when the kid service ends and let them run wild. </p>
<p>Last year there was one small boy who was running up and down the rows screeching “Da da da” to everyone. I stopped him at my knee and sent him back to his mother, who hadn’t cared. After the service ended, one person thanked me, and another told the mother how nice it was to see children at the service.</p>
<p>Marilyn, you’re right about the Reform and Conservative, and the Orthodox services are the least organized, with kids running around. And jym626, the gum chewing by adults and kids is ridiculous at any service but especially Yom Kippur. My sister and I recently decided we will only chew gum in front of each other. It’s actually an ugly habit, even with your mouth closed. But Yom Kippur, how disrespectful. And I also don’t like that parents of young children give them snacks at the service during Yom Kippur. There’s a children’s service, with snacks. But gum chewing has become my new pet peeve!</p>