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Comment by electromagnetic | Hacker News Reader

Cineplex here in Canada is getting much better. They've started opening VIP theatres, which because of the drinking age here in Ontario means absolutely no-one under 19. People paying the extra couple bucks don't use their cellphones and don't talk during the movies.

In their main theatres they now have stroller screenings where the volume is reduced and the lights stay on low. They've done the sing-alongs. They also let you rent out the theatre to have xbox gaming with Halo or whatever you want to play.

Sadly the general theatres aren't great at policing the cellphones or no talking. Although I've heard several times that they're interested in the cellphone jamming, but it's illegal to jam 911. I have heard, and noticed, that in a lot of the newer theatres you get really poor reception in the general theatres. It could just be coincidence from them being out of the way and all the steel, but I do appreciate it nonetheless.

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The Cineplex VIP theatres I've seen are very, very, small, show what looks like a weird digital transfer rather than the original print, and have poor seating arrangement which combined with the small screen makes only the middle two seats in each row any good.

And I paid extra for this?

Also, there are a handful of VIP theatres. And when I've utilized them, they've always been packed. I'd welcome the price increase if it didn't feel like I was just trading a problem for another.

Instead of jamming, couldn't they cover the theater with foil?

> Although I've heard several times that they're interested in the cellphone jamming

Doctors go to the movies, too.

Think about this: A doctor is on-call, meaning that at any moment they might be called in to come to the hospital to save your life.

They have a cell phone which is the only way they can be reached when they settle in to watch a film in the local multiplex. The same multiplex that jammed cell phones without telling anyone (because multiplexes hire idiots).

You come in to the hospital and need the doctor immediately. So they are called.

And the doctor's cell is dead.

And so are you.

(The ensuing lawsuit will totally bring you back to life.)

if instead of jamming they chose to build the theatre out of lead and posted a sign that said "cell phones don't work in here" then the result would be that people on call should not attend movies.

One would hope that a doctor on call would monitor their pager/cell phone to ensure they have service.

I know when I was on pager rotation, I was very aware of when I lost service, and governed my location accordingly.

Actually, I'm not on Internet Operations Pager Duty anymore, and I can _still_ tell you that the Old Spaghetti Factory in Redwood City results in my iPhone losing Data - I get very nervous while I'm there.

Net-Net - the doctor argument doesn't hold water, there are a ton of other reasons why you might lose service beyond a theater jamming - and you need to be aware of all of them and take appropriate measures.

your logic is flawed. there are plenty of activities that can make you unreachable. one example pops up ..if you are a hiker, professional or for leisure , you know you will hit spots that have no cell phone coverage.

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