Movie Theater Owners Hope To Jam Up Phone Users

from the this-won't-make-the-films-any-better dept

Actively blocking radio signals is illegal in the US, but a group of movie theater owners plans to petition the FCC for permission to jam cell phone signals in their theaters to try to cut down on rude behavior. While we get annoyed by morons answering their phones during movies as much as anyone, letting theater owners block the signals seems a little bit extreme, as well as tempting a lawsuit from an angry parent when their kid's babysitter can't get through to tell them he swallowed some antifreeze. There's little question that movie theaters need to improve the movie-going experience, but assuming that everybody that comes in with a phone is going to be rude and talk on it during the film isn't the way to do it. In any case, jamming radio signals is illegal, with good reason, and "to stop rudeness" really isn't valid justification for making an exception.