Solution to Cell Phones on Bway- Page 2

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:23pm

Didn't I read (don't care enough to look for a source link) that a cell phone's surface is home to more bacteria than the handle on one's toilet?

Yeah, right, I'm going to throw my phone into a bag where dozens, er, hundreds of other cell phones have been...

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:26pm

dearalanaaaa said: "Plus, you can just hide the phone anyway."

Exactly, lol. Not everyone is going to willingly give up their cell phone to be locked in one of these pouches. As a respectful theatergoer who always turns off their cell phone during a performance, I shouldn't have to be inconvenienced at intermission to have my pouch unlocked just to check my phone. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:41pm

@haterobics what is the sound quality going to be like through that bag? and is the bag fabric not designed to muffle the sound? Seems like a no brainer. 

@ the rest of you. I don't think this is going to happen but it's kinda silly to say you won't do it. What are you gonna do? Stop going to the theatre because of your mobile phone? Seriously? If I don't want you to have access to a phone in my theatre, you won't have a phone in my theatre. You decide. 

Typical BWW absurdity.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:57pm

HogansHero said: "@haterobics what is the sound quality going to be like through that bag? and is the bag fabric not designed to muffle the sound? Seems like a no brainer."

I think they are more concerned about the faraday cage aspect than audio quality, which is a point people here seem to miss. They aren't putting phones that will vibrate and ring in bags, why would that be a solution to anything? The bag blocks the cell signals to/from the phone, so there is no ringing or vibrating.

As for recording quality from inside the bag, it is slightly more muffled than if it were not in the bag, but for comedians, it is certainly listenable. I only did it once as an experiment, since I was curious.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 12:20am

interesting. As I said before, I think this has more application to a comedian, as an example, than to a play, because typically plays have scripts whereas Chappelle (and I can testify to this based on first hand knowledge ) does not and often says things he would not want anyone to have a clip of (and sometimes both in and out of context).

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 1:25am

haterobics said: "They aren't putting phones that will vibrate and ring in bags, why would that be a solution to anything? The bag blocks the cell signals to/from the phone, so there is no ringing or vibrating."

The Yondr cases do not block cell reception. Phones can still ring inside the bag if the phone is not first turned off or silenced. The article linked by the OP even says blocking or interfering with cell phone reception in Broadway theatres is not a legal option.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 1:48am

I went to a comedy presentation at City Center where they used the zip lock bag system and it was not handled by the staff. It was a separate company all together. We as patrons were aware that it was going to be done and the show started on time. The one downfall was that you could not use the phone to take pictures of the lobby , program or the pre stage set up for social media.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 4:23am

SmoothLover said: "I went to a comedy presentation at City Center where they used the zip lock bag system and it was not handled by the staff. It was a separate company all together. We as patrons were aware that it was going to be done and the show started on time. The one downfall was that you could not use the phone to take pictures of the lobby , program or the pre stage set up for social media."

The thing is that City Center has a different audience population than Broadway. So, that said, there are going to be more complaints if this happens on Broadway. You wanna take a guess at the number of people who would flat out refuse or claim they didn’t see the sign? It would end up being more trouble than it’s worth.

Also, the size and layout of many of the theatres would also make it impossible. There can be plenty of room to set up stands like this at say, the Minskoff or Gershwin. But, not so much for theatres like the Jacobs or Booth.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 4:32am

sometimes i feel like i must be the only person who doesn’t need to look at their phone every five minutes if i’m watching a movie or seeing a show, is it really that hard to simply silence your phone and leave it in your damn pocket?? why must people
look at them every other minute of the day especially when you’re paying a lot of money to be entertained by something right in front of your face

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 9:02am

CATSNYrevival said: "The Yondr cases do not block cell reception. Phones can still ring inside the bag if the phone is not first turned off or silenced. The article linked by the OP even saysblockingor interferingwith cell phone reception in Broadway theatresis not a legal option."

Making you put the phone in a bag that blocks the signal is not covered by the communications act, which prohibits using an electronic signal to jam/block/interfere with a radio signal including but not limited to your phone. You can legally block a signal by constructing premises that signals cannot penetrate. E.g., the Roundabout's off-B venue, CITS, an elevator.If I ever build a theatre, I would use concrete blocks filled with some agent that signals can't penetrate.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 9:37am

I would be interested in knowing how long a delay would typically be caused by the need to unlock the bags when exiting the theater. If, as would be my guess, it's on the order of three to five minutes, for me this would mean maybe an extra hour each year standing in line just to leave the theater. Given that, I'd rather just live with the two or three times a year I may be bothered by someone else's phone.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 10:02am

Blocking a signal on the phone doesn't stop alarms and notifications from other apps / games if I have my volume turned on. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 11:01am

dearalanaaaa said: "I also went to the Jesus Christ Superstar rehearsal last year, and for me, the bags were a bit much for a theatre setting. At intermission, I often need to message people to check up on them, or I'd like a simple photo of my playbill at the seat. This wouldn't work for the everyday theatergoer. Plus, you can just hide the phone anyway."

You could easily go to the lobby at intermission, unlock your phone and text. Also, I don't think taking a photo of the Playbill at one's seat improves the experience. People are just obsessed with documenting every little inane thing. People need to learn to turn off their brains and be present. It's a lost art. 

Also, as far a my tickets on my phone-everytime I have had one, the ticket taker hands me a printed receipt with my seat information after scanning my Apple Wallet on it which I thought defeated the point of trying to be green. So people many not need their phone for proof of seating. 

 

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 1:20pm

To those (very many) who will attempt to enter the theatre while concealing their phones I assume the male ushers will be frisking the male patrons and the female ushers will be frisking the female patrons.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 1:30pm

No, but i believe the concept is: if you ARE caught with one being USED, they can/will escort you out of the theater.   (Will that actually happen?  Who knows.)

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 1:39pm

They do that now. My two Aunts say they are planning to strap their phones to their upper leg. Heaven help any stranger that goes up there.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 3:57pm

Tom5 said: "They do that now. My two Aunts say they are planning to strap their phones to their upper leg. Heaven help any stranger that goes up there."

Where does this happen? I’ve been working front of house on Broadway for the past three years in various theatres. I have never heard this happen. I’d be beyond shocked (and a little unsure) if this was in fact on Broadway 
 

Updated On: 6/14/19 at 03:57 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 4:22pm

I think they’re joking around.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 4:57pm

At the advance movie screenings that I attend, the studios that 100% restrict any cellphones inside, the staff wand the customers.  If someone has their phone on them, (which of course they forgot) the wand detects it.  The customer is then told to put their phone in their car.  The argument of people hiding their phones is really pointless because a theater can use the same devices.  In fact all of the theatres I go to, to see tours, already have these security measures in place.  if they wanted to restrict cell phones inside, they already have the means in place to do so.  They just don't want to. They used to let you bring nonprofessional cameras and tablets inside to concerts.  The majority, now don't allow it.  I have been in lines, where the security system picks it up and the person is told to put it in their car.  

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 8:34pm

I did get invited to an early screening of the Hairspray movie before it was released and you’re right about the phone security.

Now, I know that it doesn’t happen on at all on Broadway. However, I can’t speak for touring houses

[kdogg36]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 9:35am

dramamama611 said: "No, but i believe the concept is: if you ARE caught with one being USED, they can/will escort you out of the theater. (Will that actually happen? Who knows.)"

If we're talking about a future hypothetical implementation on Broadway, I imagine they'd do this about as often as they currently escort patrons out of the theater for using their phones.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 10:17am

kdogg36 said: "Given that, I'd rather just live with the two or three times a year I may be bothered by someone else's phone."

As rehearsed above, this isn't about you (or me or any audience member). If it were to be implemented (and to me the big roadblock is space-very few Broadway theatres have lobby space to handle this in the way it can be easily accommodated at, say, MSG, for much larger crowds) it would be to protect the owners of intellectual property. .

[Olivia11]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 10:38am

dramamama611 said: "No, but i believe the concept is: if you ARE caught with one being USED, they can/will escort you out of the theater. (Will that actually happen? Who knows.)"

 But theatres don’t do this now. If they did escort those people out now, this whole conversation would be unnecessary. See, that’s what drives me crazy. Instead of inconveniencing everyone, driving  costs up, and creating a ridiculous process, just empower the people you have now to enforce your rules. 

To Hogan’s question about whether or not I would stop going to theatre....at a minimum, it would significantly curtail  my ticket buying if not stop. I don’t take an infringement like this lightly and have objected to being treated like a child by something I’m paying for in the past. If this were used, I would just end up sitting there pissed off the entire time - not enjoying the large sum of money I plunked down for an experience.   

These types of global policies are a ridiculous sign that you just can’t (or won’t) deal with the offenders.  Hire enough security and start tossing people out immediately.  People would get the message. I don’t take lightly the idea of punishing the masses for the sins of the few and that started in second grade.  Add the fact that I am paying top dollar for the experience, and I start talking with my credit card and skipping performances.  I like Dave Chapelle but no way would I buy a ticket.  

When I started at my current job, we had company wide meetings where phones were confiscated. Guess who led the rebellion and won. That no longer happens. 

 

So so while I don’t think this will happen anytime soon in Broadway theaters, I will skip Chapelle and any other events that implement this policy. The only time I could justify its use might be in special invite previews, where release of any information risks a serious problem. 

 

And lest anyone assume incorrectly, my phone is turned off in the theatre. At intermission (usually in line for the ladies room), I turn it back on and check for messages, and turn it back off. It’s not about having to look at my phone every five minutes. 

Updated On: 6/15/19 at 10:38 AM

[Tom5]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 10:53am

I think at this point there is no answer, or at least not one at would work in the real world. Talking about "offenders" many of them are just people - many of them the elderly - who just don't understand the difference between turning off your phone and POWERING OFF your phone. As for the truly bad folks today you can fit a camera lens inside your top shirt button. And tomorrow, who knows? No answer.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 11:17am