This is a rather common thing we see, a couple could talk a bit loudly since they buy the movie theatre tickets and concessions. Then, once they find their seats, they start to laugh more often and eat their snacks noisily. When we go to the theatre, others expect us to cry and laugh with them, we eat our snacks quietly, pick up our trash and go home. Unfortunately, we don’t always see this kind of behaviours. In reality, movie theatres could bring out some of the worst behaviours among us. The cloak of darkness could grant them immunity and anonymity. They could talk too loudly and block our view. Some could even prop their smell feet not far from our nose.
People who go to movie theatres often could see the ultimate rudeness. Film lovers everywhere want to experience the performance better and by having good manner, we could actually encourage others to do the same. This could also apply in outdoor events and film festivals. There are many aspects of movie theatre etiquette that we need to consider. We should arrive early to the theatre, about 20 minutes before the movie starts, so we don’t need to buy ticket in a hurry and we don’t interrupt others when the movie is already played. When someone enters our row, we should swing our knees, sit straight or stand up to let them walk more easily.
If we expect that we will leave temporarily during the playing of the movie, such as calming a crying child, visiting the bathroom or going out for a smoke, we should choose a seat that’s close to the exit. It is also better to leave our child home, if possible. If we arrive late, it is better to stand for a couple of minutes when we enter, so we can move much more easily and we don’t stumble at others’ feet. Also, be prepared to say “excuse me” a lot, because many people have already taken their seats. When the movie is played, we should take off our hat and we should make sure that we don’t block the view of the person behind us. Cell phones should be silenced and vibration feature should be disabled.
If possible, we shouldn’t talk the moment the film starts and until it ends completely. If we really need to say something, we should whisper quietly. If our children are noisy, we should really consider whether it is appropriate to take them to movie theatre. Another thing to consider is to eat quietly and avoid choosing snacks with very noisy wrapping. Regardless of how excited we are with the movie, we shouldn’t kick the front seats and we could use them as leverage to stand up, if there’s no one sitting on them. People could experience an onset of unstoppable sneezes, non-stop running nose and coughing bouts. It is important for us to determine when we will cause constant bodily noises.