Mobile phones

What is it with people and their mobile phones and their inability to switch them off?

I was at the theatre on Saturday. It was the last night in the Canberra Playhouse’s run of Halpern & Johnson starring Garry McDonald and Henri Szeps. McDonald and Szeps may be better known for their parts in the long running TV series ‘Mother and Son’. Halfway through this magical performance someone’s phone went off. I didn’t hear it, perhaps because the phone was set to a quiet mode, but I was dismayed to hear some idiot in the audience answering it and begin a conversation on their phone, in competition to the actors on stage. I was stunned. I’ve seen people at the movies sending text messages and continually switching their phones on and off and on and off to check stuff. But I’ve never experienced it at a live performance.

Don’t people know how annoying this is? Surely you know how much light comes from the screen of your phone. You’ve seen people using their phones as a torch when they arrive late at the movies. If you have to do that, then fine, but switch the damn thing off when you get to your seat.

I’ve got an old Nokia and it has a very dim screen but I’ve seen others using the same model at the cinema and they are still very bright in a darkened theatre. Then there are newer model bigger and brighter iPod, iPhone, iPad. Leave your iNuisance at home or in your pocket. It’s annoying to see these things blazing out in a darkened theatre. I’ve actually seem people scrolling through internet web pages while at the movies. It’s selfish and dumb.

I’ve seen some people trying to subdue the light emitted by tilting their phone. All you are doing is aiming the light into someone else’s eyes. Some people cup their hand over the screen presumably as a courtesy to others. Nice idea, but it doesn’t work. It just means that they have to fiddle with it for longer because you can’t see what they are doing.

Why don’t you just switch it off? Are you waiting for a call from a hospital about your sick relative? What are you doing in the theatre; if you were so concerned you should be by their sick bed. Are you waiting for information on a business deal? If so you should be in your office and not somewhere annoying the hell out of others.

I have to wonder why people bought tickets for the show if they find it preferable to play with their phones. If you aren’t enjoying it then walk out and visit your friends. They might enjoy your company rather than you trying to text them from the theatre. Everyone sitting nearby will appreciate your departure.

I’ve often felt like grabbing their phones and sliding them toward the exit door. That could be a hint. I’ve often thought of snatching them from their hands and crushing them under the heel of my shoe. Someone might do it one day. It makes me feel good just thinking about it.

Anyway, on Saturday at the Playhouse, I initially thought a dispute or fight had erupted somewhere. Heads turned to see what was going on. I had a look around myself but couldn’t see anyone. Then of course it became clear that this was a one sided conversation as they nattered into their phone. Selfish twit. The two actors on stage looked distracted, but continued. And still this one sided conversation continued. It ended after about a minute with, “...I’ll call you back.” This distraction lasted only for a minute and despite the performance continuing, my attention left the actors. I lost the thread of the performance. I expect others in the audience were similarly distracted. The distraction plays on your mind long after the distraction ceases. I guess I settled into the play after about three, four or five minutes, but that’s a long time.

Come on folks. Switch them off and give the rest of the audience a fair go.