[Ellen Brent Peacemaker]

Here's one version of the story:

http://p2pnet.net/story/5965

Here's a follow up:

http://p2pnet.net/story/5969

I used to take a mentally retarded boy to the movies when I was a teenager. He would sometimes get out of hand with his noise levels and I would remove the boy myself before an usher ever had to come over.

I have mixed feelings about this scenario. I know that if I had been in that theatre as a patron and the boy was laughing uncontrollably, I would have complained to the parent first, and then eventually to the manager of the theatre. It's just not fair to the other patrons who spent good money for their tickets. But then again, just what CAN a theatre do to accomodate a mentally disabled person incapable of controling him or herself?

Your thoughts?

EDIT



Here are a few other stories I found:

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/...19/laugh19.htm


http://1010wins.com/topstories/local...230113123.html


Evidently, the parents offered to TRY to make the boy quiet down, but the manager wasn't willing to give the family a second chance.

[Thyrsos]

It's a tough call. Absolutely depends on the individual. Some slack is called for, but other theater goers shouldn't have their movie ruined if the kid is creating a serious problem. The movie is a comedy for kids, isn't it?

[Ellen Brent Peacemaker]

Originally Posted by Thyrsos

It's a tough call. Absolutely depends on the individual. Some slack is called for, but other theater goers shouldn't have their movie ruined if the kid is creating a serious problem. The movie is a comedy for kids, isn't it?

It's a National Geographic documentary about the mating cycle of emperor penguins in the Antarctic. I saw it in a theatre full of children three or four weeks ago and a few kids were loud on ocassion, but there are moments of hush and awe that can be so ruined by a loud person. A lot of the film depends upon your ability to hear Morgan Freeman's narration.

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Unfortunately, after a first warning if the behavior doesn't cease, I think the appropriate solution is to refund their tickets and ask them to leave.

(Strangely enough, I saw March of the Penguins, and several parents had to leave due to bringing young children who weren't able to keep quiet.)

[Thyrsos]

Originally Posted by Ellen Brent Peacemaker

It's a National Geographic documentary about the mating cycle of emperor penguins in the Antarctic. I saw it in a theatre full of children three or four weeks ago and a few kids were loud on ocassion, but there are moments of hush and awe that can be so ruined by a loud person. A lot of the film depends upon your ability to hear Morgan Freeman's narration.

Hmm. Sounds like something that small kids would not have a lot of patience with. I've worked with autistic kids, and when some of them laughed it was really disturbing, like someone skinning a mule, not a sound of amusement. If he sounded like one of them, I can see how that would get old real quick.

[I Can't Poop!]

In the future, please refer all posts of this nature to Angelo Mike. For now, I will be bundling all of these thoughts together and forwarding them to our resident theater etiqutte authority.

[Ellen Brent Peacemaker]

Originally Posted by Esoteric_Allusion

Unfortunately, after a first warning if the behavior doesn't cease, I think the appropriate solution is to refund their tickets and ask them to leave.

(Strangely enough, I saw March of the Penguins, and several parents had to leave due to bringing young children who weren't able to keep quiet.)

According to one of the artciles I posted above (I only posted the new article a minute ago, BTW, so you didn;t see it) the theatre did NOT give them a warning, just asked them to leave, no second chances.

And Loews has responded:

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/...laughter2.html

[ZiggyStardust]

Yeah, I know, I feel sorry for the kid, but the other people did pay to see the film in peace and quiet.

[Tiggs]

tough call.

A warning should have been given first, and the manager should have dealt with it in a professional manner. By no means should anyone but the manager handled this.

[_ThePurpleMuffin_]

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Yeah, I know, I feel sorry for the kid, but the other people did pay to see the film in peace and quiet.

Agreed.

[Thyrsos]

Why bring small children to a documentry about the mating cycle of penguins in the first place, as punishment?

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Originally Posted by Thyrsos

Why bring small children to a documentry about the mating cycle of penguins in the first place, as punishment?

It's advertized as a heartwarming, cute, family movie.

[Direwolf]

I don't know what they should have done in this instance.. it isn't exactly fair to kick the child out, but wouldn't be fair to anyone else to let him stay... and since the world really isn't fair kick him out.

We have some theaters around here with places in the back with glass off sections. Which is a good idea. Not just for this but for people who bring babies to the movies. Kid can cry all it wants and not bother the rest of everyone.

[Tiggs]

Originally Posted by Esoteric_Allusion

It's advertized as a heartwarming, cute, family movie.

No excuse to not look up information on a movie before bringing your kids.

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Originally Posted by PrincessTiggs

No excuse to not look up information on a movie before bringing your kids.

Uhh, read the reviews. It is described as a heartwarming family movie with a compelling plot about parental devotion to children. It's still a National Geographic documentary. Young children can only be transfixed by good photography of cute penguins for so long, so they're likely to be bored, but it's not like parents are being irresponsible for taking their children. It's rated G. Most of the kids at the theater I saw it were fine. You must have some real in-depth research in mind for parents.

Have you seen the movie?

[Ivan the Terrible]

Kick 'em out.

I know it sounds harsh, but really, if anyone had a trait that would ruin the theater-going experience for everyone else I would suggest the same treatment. I wouldn't take a kid who periodically projectile vomits blood to a theater, either.

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Originally Posted by LIVING DEAD_GIRL

Well autistic kids are different sure they can't exactly pronounce some words or letters but even I (if you laugh I WILL ****ING KILL YOU.......OKAY NOT REALLY BUT DON'T YOU DARE ****ING LAUGH CAUSE THIS IS RATHER EMBARASSING) can't pronounce the letter R it doesn't make me a ****ing retard now if I talk like this fklhadsjhfjdbfjkasd then I'd be a retard but I aint so shut your ****ing mouth judge me not for who I am judge me for who I am inside though I do have teensy weensy meensy bit of brain damage(nothing permanent and really nothing to worry about cause I still get A's at school and I'm still every bit as smart as I've ever been I just have slow reaction timing but I guess technically that doesn't count as brain damage or does it please correct me if I'm wrong). Autism shouldn't suggest that you're a ****ing retard it's just a condition that makes you a little bit different if you're gonna judge some one because of their condition than get your hateful @ss out of my sight(this is not directed at you in any way so don't take offense) autism doesn't mean you laugh like a hyena that was just that kid but in fact autistic kids should be considered very unique now when the rest of my generation realizes that, well it'll probably happen the same day hell freezes over.

Ummmmmmm.......okay.

Having worked with adults with autism, I can say I have seen the pattern of annoying and socially inappropriate (no shock there) laughter autistics sometimes display. It is a possible consequence of autism, like repetitively flapping hands. Thyrsos isn't really off here.

[SpaceLord]

Usually when parents of mentally disabled kids take said kids to the movie theater, they usually understand that they may not finish the movie. The last time I went to the theater and there was a disabled child, he began to throw tantraums, cry and scream ''I wanna go home!'' and then get hysterical when his mother tried to calm him and instead ran up and down the aisles, then the rows, until he was climbing over the seat and hitting people in the back of the head. Though of all the people in the family, his 6 year old sister seemed to be the most aware of how this was bothering everybody else and in a very quiet and mature manner insisted that they leave.

[HAMMEROGOD]

"The theater management cautioned me to hold down the noise my candy wrapper was making, all the while ignoring the gang initiation golden shower going on across the aisle"

~Dennis Miller~

[rossiya]

Porn doesn't have these lame issues

[Amulius]

Originally Posted by Ellen Brent Peacemaker

Here's one version of the story:

http://p2pnet.net/story/5965

Here's a follow up:

http://p2pnet.net/story/5969

I used to take a mentally retarded boy to the movies when I was a teenager. He would sometimes get out of hand with his noise levels and I would remove the boy myself before an usher ever had to come over.

I have mixed feelings about this scenario. I know that if I had been in that theatre as a patron and the boy was laughing uncontrollably, I would have complained to the parent first, and then eventually to the manager of the theatre. It's just not fair to the other patrons who spent good money for their tickets. But then again, just what CAN a theatre do to accomodate a mentally disabled person incapable of controling him or herself?

Your thoughts?

EDIT



Here are a few other stories I found:

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/...19/laugh19.htm


http://1010wins.com/topstories/local...230113123.html


Evidently, the parents offered to TRY to make the boy quiet down, but the manager wasn't willing to give the family a second chance.

It sucks, but it simply had to be done. The audience's enjoyment of the movie should be the theatre's number one concern. Someone who laughs at innappropriate times--whether mentally disabled or not--is an annoying distraction that has to be dealt with. In my eyes, this scenario is just like a crying baby. It can not control its crying, but its a huge distraction from my movie, which I paid $6 to see.

People, for the love of God, stop bringing infants to theatres.

[David J Hilton]

Over here in the UK, that incident would be a contravention of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

[Infinitus Corsair]

Originally Posted by David J Hilton

Over here in the UK, that incident would be a contravention of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The UK sucks then.

I don't think there's any question you kick them out, and quick. There are potentially a couple of hundred people, certainly several dozen, who have spent money, time, and effort to watch this movie. You can't let one inconsiderate jerk ruin all of that by not realizing just one more limitation of their child's disability. Waiting for DVD seems to be among the least of such a child's struggles.

This happened to me once. Thank god it was only The Last Samurai.

[David J Hilton]

Originally Posted by Infinitus Corsair

The UK sucks then.

I don't think there's any question you kick them out, and quick. There are potentially a couple of hundred people, certainly several dozen, who have spent money, time, and effort to watch this movie. You can't let one inconsiderate jerk ruin all of that by not realizing just one more limitation of their child's disability. Waiting for DVD seems to be among the least of such a child's struggles.

This happened to me once. Thank god it was only The Last Samurai.

I'm sorry but you just don't get the point here - it's not like that kid chose to be disabled in the first place.

I can see that their reactions cause unease among other people but he is like what he is because he was made that way & not by his own free will.

I feel qualified to talk here as I also happen to have a nephew with a disability - he suffers from dyspraxia & has speech and language problems

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Originally Posted by David J Hilton

I'm sorry but you just don't get the point here - it's not like that kid chose to be disabled in the first place.

I can see that their reactions cause unease among other people but he is like what he is because he was made that way & not by his own free will.

I feel qualified to talk here as I also happen to have a nephew with a disability - he suffers from dyspraxia & has speech and language problems

Regardless of whether someone has a disablity or not, whether their behavior is freely chosen with appreciation for the consequences or not, that does not give them liscense to act inappropriately in the community and ruin other people's movie viewing experience that they paid to have. They aren't entitled to attend movie theaters no matter how they act.

I work with developmentally disabled adults and the mentally ill for a living, so if you're experience with your nephew gives you unique weight to your opinion, my opinion should have even more kick ass qualifications.

[Infinitus Corsair]

Originally Posted by David J Hilton

I'm sorry but you just don't get the point here - it's not like that kid chose to be disabled in the first place.

That's actually not the point. That would be more along the lines of the inability of a theater to reasonably accomodate his disability. You can't just admit someone who cannot control their outbursts - it destroys the experience for everyone else. They would rightly demand that the disruption be removed or their money refunded because. I doubt a sound-proof booth is cost-feasible, and a special theater for loudly disruptive individuals certainly isn't either. Since it is not reasonable to ask this business to hemorrage money to accomodate a few individuals who are insisting on forcing their disability on others, the alternative is to enforce the theater's policy against disruptive behavior, regardless of whether or not the individual is capable of controlling themselves. Tough break, but as I said earlier, having to wait for the DVD is hardly a drastic alternative.

[Infinitus Corsair]

PS - I feel qualified to talk about this because of that Last Samurai experience. That tard was loud.

[David J Hilton]

Originally Posted by Infinitus Corsair

That's actually not the point. That would be more along the lines of the inability of a theater to reasonably accomodate his disability. You can't just admit someone who cannot control their outbursts - it destroys the experience for everyone else. They would rightly demand that the disruption be removed or their money refunded because. I doubt a sound-proof booth is cost-feasible, and a special theater for loudly disruptive individuals certainly isn't either. Since it is not reasonable to ask this business to hemorrage money to accomodate a few individuals who are insisting on forcing their disability on others, the alternative is to enforce the theater's policy against disruptive behavior, regardless of whether or not the individual is capable of controlling themselves. Tough break, but as I said earlier, having to wait for the DVD is hardly a drastic alternative.

Disabled people have rights too

[Esoteric_Allusion]

Originally Posted by David J Hilton

Disabled people have rights too

Yeah, and those rights do not and should not extend to entering private establishments and damaging everyone else's movie experience and harming business profitablity. Either the behavior needs to be worked on to the point where it is managable (and that is not an unreasonable expectation), or this is a enjoyment in life this individual is unfortunately not capable of having. Infants have rights too, but they don't get to scream unchecked in a movie theater.

[Ivan the Terrible]

Originally Posted by David J Hilton

I'm sorry but you just don't get the point here - it's not like that kid chose to be disabled in the first place.

'Choice' is immaterial. To take a much more extreme example, if a man can't control his sexual impulses and therefore commits numerous rapes, we still lock him away from the rest of society. The fact that he was unable to control his actions is immaterial next to the harm he's causing others.

In this case, of course, there's nothing that bad going on. But everyone else paid for a seat, just like this kid and his parents did; his rights do not trump theirs, regardless of whatever misfortunes the world has heaped on him.