Movie Theater Etiquette

I went to see the 2:00 p.m. show of Salt with my sister today at Ward Theatre and had one of the most annoying experiences. A man sat next to me and proceeded to stake claim on the armrest between us. Let me just say that my sister and I got to the theater about 30 minutes early and were happily sitting there the entire time. This guy shows up 10 minutes before it starts, plops down the armrest on his far side and then monopolizes both. The bastard! I felt like elbowing him in the head on "accident" just to get him to move. That is such bad movie theater etiquette!

This leads me to my top five list of most hated movie theater behaviors. Let me know if you agree or disagree.

1. The wailing baby and the stubborn parent who refuses to take the brat out of the room - I mean seriously, if I wanted to hear a crying kid I'd have one of my own. Yes, I understand that you paid to see this movie just like I did, but no one told you to bring the baby.

2. The pre-teen/teenaged crowd who constantly text throughout the film, especially if they're seated in front of me - The phones these days with their fancy touch screens are as bright as the North Star. They should be banned from the theaters because they simply ruin the atmosphere. The only light allowed in the room should be the three-story high movie screen.

3. The egomaniacs who think they're too important to turn their phones off - Unless you're waiting to hear the test results for the cure to cancer, are the phone-a-friend on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or a suicide bomber, you do not need to have your phone on.

4. The obnoxious chair kickers - You know who you are! Don't even tell me you have restless leg syndrome.

5. The loud mouths without a clue - Stop asking questions throughout the film. It's annoying to those around you, including the people you came with. No, that isn't the same person. Yes, the main character just changed his clothes. It's a bomb. She's undercover. They're the crooks.