Cell Phones Banned in NYC Performances

[phantom39]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 7:58pm

Bye bye Ken's Tweet Seats

"The new law bans the use of mobile phones in "any indoor theater, library, museum, gallery, motion picture theater, concert hall or building in which theatrical, musical, dance, motion picture, lecture or other similar performances are exhibited."

Passed by the City Council, which overrode a veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said the ban was unenforceable, the law carries a fine of $50 for offenders who are caught and cited.

The legislation was first proposed by theater owners whose patrons complained of cell phones ringing during performances."

Looks like the Reuters article is from 2003, but the law went into effect February 19th.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Cell-Phones-Banned-in-NYC-Performances-20120221

https://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/04/13/broadway.cellphone.ban.reut/

Updated On: 2/21/12 at 07:58 PM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:03pm

That article is from April 2003.

[phantom39]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:03pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Cell-Phones-Banned-in-NYC-Performances-20120221

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:06pm

Ah ok, that makes more sense now.

So I don't agree with cell phones being used during the performances but does this also include before the show and at intermission? Cause I think it's fine to use them at those times.

My bigger question is where is this fine money going?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:07pm

The Reuters article doesn't mention anything about the law going into effect in 2012, though.

Updated On: 2/21/12 at 08:07 PM

[choitoy]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:08pm

I concur. Before a show and during intermission is fine, but during a show is just classless.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:08pm

The BWW article is also quoting the Reuters article from 2003. A Google search didn't turn up any other more current news sources.

[phantom39]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:09pm

Looks like the Reuters article is from 2003, but the law went into effect February 19th.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:11pm

The law has been in effect since April of 2003 but it is unenforceable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/nyregion/13phones.html

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/77873-Cell-Phones-Banned-in-New-York-City-Theatres

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:12pm

Looks like the Reuters article is from 2003, but the law went into effect February 19th.

Did it, though?

http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=438473&GUID=0F292F60-68E7-4F14-A3B5-749D431930A4&Options=&Search=

Updated On: 2/21/12 at 08:12 PM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:13pm

Also, how do you really enforce this at a show? For example, if someones cell phone goes off and the usher has to remove that person from the middle of a row just to give them a ticket would cause more of a distraction then someone just shutting their phone off.

Also, how do ushers have any right to write up tickets?

This whole thing just seems more trouble then it's actually worth.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:15pm

That's what the Times article from 2004 was saying. You have to find a police officer to write the ticket, and by the time the theater rounds up an officer the offending patron is long gone. It is a totally unenforceable law which is why we didn't realize it has been in existence for nine years.

Updated On: 2/21/12 at 08:15 PM

[phantom39]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:15pm

Thanks LizzieCurry for that link. Guess BWW got it wrong?

[Moderator]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:29pm

Sorry folks, this article was inadvertently posted while it was being written and turned into a reader poll....which is now up for discussion!

[wexy]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:44pm

I did go to a screening at BAM where we had to check our phones because the director didn't want anyone filming anything.
People were bugging out.. They did it efficiently but this was for a 200 seat theater.
The strangest thing was that when the credits rolled, the theater was dark and not lit up with people checking their phones as the movie ended.
Got my phone back without a problem but they aren't have 2000 people check their phones and wait on line when the play ends.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 8:54pm

Got my phone back without a problem but they aren't have 2000 people check their phones and wait on line when the play ends.

I disagree. If you HAVE to bring you phone with you, they can find a system to check them in, like you do with your coat and with some sort of setting to identify emergencies - that is not the problem. The thing is that nowadays people think that phones have the value of oxygen, and would have a heart attack without them.

Funny, people attended decades of theater without bringing in any phones and I am sure they were fine by the time the performance ended. It seems that we lost the attention span to sit through a performance without having to check how the rest of world is holding up.

I personally can't think of anything more annoying and trashy than someone checking their phone during a performance.

[wexy]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:15pm

blaxx, no one has attention spans, nobody can watch what they went to see. I went to see a concert Saturday night at Webster Hall and people aren't listening to who is singing, they are screaming at each other. Can't you talk after a 60 minute set.?

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:15pm

But you can't even enforce everyone checking their phones. They won't check them if they don't want to.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:23pm

Sorry, I'm confused. If I check my iPhone, does that mean I need to go back to using a minidisc recorder?

Updated On: 2/21/12 at 09:23 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:50pm

But you can't even enforce everyone checking their phones. They won't check them if they don't want to.

Perhaps, but it would make the law a lot easier to enforce. If you were warned that not checking it in will cost you a fine and the embarrassment, maybe you'd think twice about using it.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:52pm

Will there be a body search to find the phone, lol?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 9:58pm

The theatre owners would have to employ a house law enforcement officer to attend each performance, just as they do security, box office, custodians and house management.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 10:02pm

Will there be a body search to find the phone, lol?

No, but I guarantee that an article of a show stopped and an arrest resulting in a fine would have an impact. If LuPone, Jackman, etc. can stop their own shows to spot those who are getting away with it, there has to be a consequence.

I guarantee that a couple of arrests would make audience members think twice, but that is not the problem - a house manager can kick someone out if he/she wanted to. The problem is that producers would never go there because they fear it would keep these zombies away from the theaters.

The sad thing is that there are still some of us who will sadly have to stand a lady, with her bare feet on the front seat, talking and texting through a show while eating nachos and getting drunk. And it will only get worse from there.

The big issue is that shows have become so expensive to produce that no one can risk enforcing a law that could result in losing funds. It is about the profit, who cares who can see and hear and enjoy what is onstage as long as everyone has already paid?

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 10:09pm

the entire issue is so complicated. Never mind confiscating a phone, we can't even delete a picture when a patron is caught taking one. The patron has to do it themselves while house staff watches.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 2/21/12 at 10:35pm

But hey can now put up big warnings telling everyone that they are criminals. That should get the point across.