<p>More often than not, I am graced with the presence of a foot on the back of my chair in a movie theater. It bugs the crap out of me. I feel everything thing. I can feel when they first place their foot on it. I can feel when they shift. I can feel where they have their foot. And needless to say, I definitely notice when my previously reclined seat is pressed to a nice, comforting acute angle. </p>
<p>I go the least confrontational route. (You never know how people react, and the last thing I would want to do is make a scene in a room where we’d be spending the next two hours together…). I would shift how I am sitting and then press sharply back. Or, if I’m going for a more subtle approach, I would gradually apply more pressure against them. But I mean, I feel like telling them would be more direct, but it makes me uncomfortable especially when they’re a guy or significantly older than I am. </p>
<p>This is one reason why we don’t go to movie theaters any more. When we did, we’d go early enough to get seats with no one behind us (the theaters we used to go to divide seats into sections with a wide aisle behind each section.) If we couldn’t sit in the back row of one of the close sections, we’d go to the very rear of the theater. The rare times that wasn’t possible, there were a couple of times when I did ask politely for the person behind me to try not to push my seat. Smile, ask in a pleasant tone, say please, etc. - it’s not rude to ask anyone - even someone old enough to be your grandparent - to stop doing something that hurts you.</p>
<p>If this is a recurring problem, you could call your theater ahead of time to ask if they have ushers who keep an eye on things or if there’s a manager who would speak to the other patron if he continues to push your seat with his foot. At least then you’d know if it’s worth interrupting your viewing to go ask for assistance.</p>
<p>I agree with EK. I would be very nice about it but just turn around and say “Hi, could I ask you to move your foot? I’m really sensitive to distractions. Thanks!”</p>
<p>I don’t really go out to the movies much, but many of all but the oldest theaters here have steep floors and high backs to the seats, which is probably why I haven’t really noticed.</p>
<p>Sure, move if you can. If I can’t get another convenient seat, or if the guy or gal (often a teenager) is a repeat offender, then I resort to non-confrontational demonstrative behavior designed to get their attention. For example, I sit up erect in my seat, so if the pest behind me is shorter than I, then HE’LL MOVE. LOL.</p>
<p>Haven’t gone to the theater too much as the price and irritation of obnoxious movie-goers has made it less appealing. </p>
<p>Have found the irritation’s much less if one goes on a weekday during working/school hours or early weekend mornings before the families with young children and rowdy adolescents/young adults start showing up in large numbers. </p>
<p>This happens to my wife all the time, but rarely to me for some reason. It is almost always a kid. They just can’t sit still. Y’all are nicer than my wife though. She turns around and looks them in the eye and says, “You really need to stop kicking my chair.” </p>
<p>“Excuse me, would you mind moving your foot? I can feel it through the chair. Thanks.” Don’t get in the habit of being passive aggressive. You rarely get what you want (people can’t read your mind) and you’ll just end up fuming. Most people respond well to direct, polite requests. </p>
<p>It happens to me all the time too - and never to my husband. Which makes me think I am sensitive to it and he’s oblivious to it. Either that or there is a conspiracy among movie goers to only kick my chair! We went the other evening and I could count “1, 2, 3, 4, kick” non-stop the entire movie (It was a man about 40). I tried blocking it, but it was very annoying. I tend to be more smell and sound sensitive than him as well, so I am guessing that it happens to everyone, just some of us it bothers. I don’t find it to be mostly teens - I find it to be mostly adults similar in age. </p>
<p>I’ve never had that happen. (Idiots talking and/or laughing inappropriately, on the other hand…) Based on what I’ve done when it happened on as airplane, I’d try to ignore it at first. If it persisted, I’d turn around and pleasantly ask them to stop kicking my seat.</p>
<p>i think if I were that sensitive to it I would make sure I sat in the back row. With the new style theaters there are sometimes multiple tiers, thus several back rows to choose from. </p>
<p>I thought this was going to be a thread about building a home theater, which is the solution I use. I haven’t gone to a commercial theater in years. However, if the person behind you is bothering you, I’d suggest saying something to the person behind you instead of subtly trying to move their foot through the seat. If you want to be non-confrontational, then alternatively you could move to a different seat (when it is not a full house).</p>
<p>I just turn around and tell them to please stop kicking my seat. It’s usually toddlers on airplanes for me. Hubby was afraid I was going to get into a fight one time. It was a late R rated movie and this little toddler wouldn’t stop kicking my seat and yelling out. I asked pleasantly more than once. Finally the mom got furious and huffy with me and I just said - perhaps this is why toddlers shouldn’t be in R rated movies this late at night. Poor hubby. He was like, oh crap, I’m going to get my butt kicked. But the dad of the toddler didn’t look itching for a fight.</p>
<p>We make the extra 30 minute drive to go to a new AMC theatre that has fully reclining seats. There is enough room between the rows so that someone can walk by even when fully reclined. Tickets are the same price as the other theaters and assigned seats can be reserved in advance. Definitely worth the drive!</p>
We went the other evening and I could count “1, 2, 3, 4, kick” non-stop the entire movie (It was a man about 40). I tried blocking it, but it was very annoying. I tend to be more smell and sound sensitive than him as well, so I am guessing that it happens to everyone, just some of us it bothers. I don’t find it to be mostly teens - I find it to be mostly adults similar in age. </p>