[cappyjon431]

Originally Posted by redwitch

I think one thing we forget is that many seniors are in the beginning stages of Alzheimers and/or dementia, plus bad hearing which means no clue how rude or loud they are being.

I have a dear friend who takes her husband to a movie once a week. It is a very special treat for him, a very trying time for her as she tries to keep him from not talking in full voice. He's not trying to be rude and inconsiderate, he is reverting to a young child who is excited about what is being shown on the screen. Inconsiderate to those around him? Yes. But there is no way I would want to deprive him of this enjoyment even at the expense of those around him.

That being said, I once spilled a Coke on a woman's phone when she refused to go outside or end her conversation (it really was accidental -- I had leaned forward to again ask her to stop, had drink in hand and it spilled). Rude is rude and if you know you are disturbing others and know it is wrong, shame on you!!!

Certainly a good point and an ethical conundrum, probably no "black or white, right or wrong" answer.

I will further cloud the waters by adding this:

We are a comunity of seniors, and many are in early (or late) stages of losing some of our hearing (my wife is going through this now). It is sometimes difficult enough to fully hear the dialogue on the screen, even without conversations going on around us. Should we make it more difficult for those who are hearing impaired to enjoy the movies that they have paid for?

An interesting aside: My grandmother is 96 and hadn't been to a movie in years because she is now almost totally deaf. My parents heard that "The Artist" was a silent film and thought she might enjoy going out to a movie for a change. She loved it! Now my parents came up with another great idea--take grandma to foreign films (they usually have subtitles--something she is accustomed to with the closed captioning she has on her television). Now my 96 year old grandmother will be able to once again go to the theatre and enjoy an activity she always loved.