BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids At the movies - were we out of line?

I have to confess -- I'm one of those people who "has" to have an empty seat beside me (not at real theaters, just the movies). Last time I was polite and either moved down or moved my stuff, the girl who sat next to me literally sat ON TOP of me. Either her purse was shoved under the arm rest into my leg, or she was hogging the arm rest, or using it as a back support, or she was curled up with her feet under her except her shoes were poking into my leg, etc. I tried to squish as far away from her as possible, but it was a disaster. I paid just as much to see whatever movie it was as she did, and I assure you my experience in no way enjoyable. So unless it's sold-out and the ushers are insistant that every seat be filled, I make sure there is an empty seat next to me so that **I** can enjoy the show!

We went to see HP last Friday night. There were lots of kids there, some that I thought were a bit young for a PG13 movie with such intense scenes, but what do I know? At least the kids were well-behaved and there were no problems. We also went to see "Ratatouille" on opening weekend (I know, but I really wanted to see it) and went prepared to face the Romper-Room atmosphere. It was a bit Romper Roomish before the movie started, but once it started the kids were fairly quiet. It did seem to hold their interest through most of the movie.

The problems I've seen mostly involve parents bringing kids to completely inappropriate movies. Like the family that brought an under-two year old to a 10:00pm showing of "Wild Hogs" in his pajamas. I guess the hope was that he would fall asleep, which fortunately he did, but he could have just as easily fussed through the whole thing. When I saw his parents bring him in I started dreading the noise. I mean, who in their right mind brings a toddler to an adult movie that late at night? It really is true that people just don't want to get babysitters anymore, they just drag their kids everywhere. Some of the theaters have now banned children under a certain age from R rated movies after 6pm, which is a step in the right direction, but how about the PG13 ones too? (And what is with people bringing kids to R movies anyway? I didn't see an R movie until I was 16! My parents wouldn't LET me!)

We do the early morning movies too sometimes, that does seem to work well. Less crowds, most of the time, even on weekends. I try to avoid the movie theaters in malls anymore, they seem to have the biggest crowds and noisiest and rudest clientele. The stand-alone theaters are usually better, it seems. I avoid the dollar theater, as we can only go on evenings and weekends, and people seem to drop their kids off unattended as a cheap way to get them out of the house for a few hours.

Cindy

"I have to confess -- I'm one of those people who "has" to have an empty seat beside me (not at real theaters, just the movies)."

Ditto, Tbunny. I hate feeling crowded and I don't trust other people to not treat me as you were treated by that girl. We don't go to movies on opening weekend. We usually wait a couple of weeks for the crowds to die down and even then don't go on the weekend if we can help it. So we usually see movies in only half filled theatres. It's more peaceful that way. And I always have an empty seat to one side of me... preferably two!

Thank you all for your thoughts and sharing your stories. Reading through some of them just reconfirms why we don't go to the movies anymore - not to mention the cost!! It still amazes me how thoughtless and self-absorbed people are. Even though I run into it on a daily basis, in some form, I guess I'm still hopeful that common courtesy and respect of others will be qualities we all possess. It just seems so logical, not to mention, it sure makes life easier and friendlier. Should I just call myself Alice - am I living in Wonderland?!?!?

In regards to the guy calling me an idiot - I kept thinking that he had to mean her - but when I replay it in my head and the way he said it, I really felt like it was directed towards my husband and I. But, I very well could be wrong.

Thanks again and hope everyone is having a good day

I have to confess -- I'm one of those people who "has" to have an empty seat beside me

Oh, it so bugs me when people will pick the seat next to me, out of a row of empties!

Also my pet peeve about restroom etiquette...if there are 4 stalls and I'm in an end one, don't take the one next to me if all the rest are empty!! What's wrong with people!!!??? And more in line with this board....don't let your kids peek underneath the stall either!

OMG this is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves! Same thing with dressing rooms!!!

Ug! Me too on those!

I was recently in the flea market bathroom, which is pretty gross. A toddler boy was crawling around on the floor and of course looked up into my stall. His mom was chatting with someone and putting on makeup and didn't see it. Although I didn't appreciate it, I was more shocked that someone would let their baby crawl around on such a disgusting bathroom floor.

I also read a story on a blog awhile ago where this mother wrote about visiting someone in the hospital and letting her baby crawl around on the floor. A nurse came in and told her she shouldn't do that because there are so many germs on the floor, and the mom ignored her because she was sick of holding her baby right then.

I'm not a germaphobe (I don't think) but both situations repulse me.

When we went to see HP there were a lot of kids. I noticed that parents had to keep leaving to take their kids to the bathroom. They were in and out the entire time.

Most of the kids there were not 13 or older and clearly didn't get what was going on, hence all the potty breaks. I know none of my 1st graders would have gotten it.

I think this is a symptom of what was mentioned in the Good Morning America story where parents can't be bothered getting a sitter when they want to do something for themselves, so they just drag the kids along and everyone else has to suffer...to bad for us because they have their little messiahs. I can't tell you how many of my students have told me that they have seen movies that they have no business seeing. One told me that his dad told him to cover his eyes because of the "sex" scene when he went to see a movie! A six year old telling me this!

It's another product of our instant gratification based society where a parent can't do the right thing for their child before themselves. It's more than likely how they ended up with the kid to begin with.

Kudos to you for what you did! I'm starting to get more vocal about things as time goes by. I guess I'm becoming a crotchety
old woman.

i HATE the movies. Unless I go after 10 p.m. there are always kids in there--regardless of what movie!!! The last movie I went to was probably a 9:00 show, and there was a group of about 15 kids maybe age 13 or so (no, I wasn't allowed at the movies with my friends at NIGHT when I was 13...) and they were causing a commotion, running around, yelling...all during the feature. They were certainly old enough to know better, because the on-duty cop came in (someone must have complained) and the second those little monsters heard the door creak open they were sitting in their seats, looking like angels. Needless to say, at the end of the movie, a large group of adults complained to the staff and got a free voucher. I didn't bother because I knew I wouldn't be going to the movies anytime soon.

It really sucks that kids act this way. An immediate reflection on LAZY parents who'd prefer to dump their kids off, alone, at a theater, than do something with them.

My tutoring center shares a parking lot with a 20-screen movie theater. Kids are running all over the place all the time, even at times when you'd expect them to be in school. They skateboard all over the place too, which doesn't go over well with me because they go right past the GLASS front of my office so they can jump down the stairs. I call the cops every time. The police substation is about three minutes away, so I sit back and enjoy the show when they arrive (there are "no skateboarding" signs posted everywhere by the landlord). The kids are often back the next day, like nothing happened. What do the parents think they are doing, I wonder?