I often enjoy watching movies on the big screen. That is my best pass time and form of entertainment now that I am retired. I could, of course, use the time for gardening, often touted as a healthy activity. But the armies of mosquitoes and the thought of dengue, chikungunya, malaria and in summer time the sun and heat just do not allow me to carry out my hobby.
Cinemas are great places to relax and enjoy ourselves. But at times, we get ‘entertained’ or irritated more than the price of the ticket we paid for. First on my list are the late comers, who walk in with pop corn in one hand and a cola in the other and take their own sweet time to reach their seat as they continue to block the view of the rest of the audience. If they have come in a group they will even continue discussing as to who sits where. They should have just stayed at home and watched television instead of making a nuisance of themselves in the hall.
Then, there is this category of people who like to treat the cinema house as if it were their own home. That’s when unsuspecting viewers get an added olfactory experience of a pair of smelly feet on the top of the unoccupied chair next to them. Another group of irritants behave as if they have been working on pneumatic drills the whole day long. Their legs can’t seem to stay still, and keep kicking the seats in front of them. By the way children are more prone to this malaise while their parents seem to be suffering from blissful unawareness.
Hand-phone addicts are another band who upset that feel-good atmosphere in the hall. If any employer needs people who are good at social media and multi-tasking, the cinema hall is the place to find them. Cause these people have no problem watching a movie and still communicating with their pals on Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype or Instagram. Some even go as far as playing games on their phones or sending messages. These people don’t give two hoots about the distraction of the dazzling light coming from their phones. To them what’s important is to tell their friends what they are up to or to update their status.
Companies wanting to hire communicative people need look no further. They are available in every cinema hall. If they feel the need to share pictures of popcorn and sodas, why can’t they do so during the movie trailers or at interval time?
And then there are guys who decide to play musical chairs by squeezing past rows of legs to get to a middle seat while there were many aisle seats waiting to be occupied. The worst lot is the ‘audio distractors’ who keep talking on the phone even when the movie is already playing. They will answer all calls repeatedly, one telling the driver that the movie is not yet over or their friends that they are not at home but attending a movie in Panjim and the title of the movie too, ending the call in Konkani “KIT MHUNT TEM AIKNA, MAGIR KALL KORTAM (can’t hear what you are saying, will call you later).
Is it too much to ask for some display of proper public etiquette when watching a movie in a cinema? And please don’t have the small screen compete against the big screen unless you are desperate to attract attention of angry cinema-goers.
