Hey cappy if you beach and moan then I would say you have a sunburn. Just joking not an insult.

none taken, it is good to start the day with a laugh!:)

Date night
 

My husband and I have "date night" every week. We've always called it that even though it ends up being "date nights." Now, my daughter always refers to Friday nights as "date night" with her fiance. It's nice to know she was paying attention and is now carrying on with our tradition.

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.

Jon, I loved the story of your grandmother. It actually brought tears to my eyes. What a great solution for her!

I truly loathe people who think they should discuss the movie while the movie is playing and have absolutely no problem asking them to shush. Not sure I'd kick the back of the seat, but it seems like a viable option to me. For someone who makes an occasional comment whether whispered quietly or much too loudly, I can live with it (don't like it, but can live with it). For the person who has regressed to an earlier lifetime, I would never say a word and have actually gotten more enjoyment in their joy than I ever would have from the movie I had paid to see. For the phone users, there is no excuse. None. whatsoever.

I thought the theaters here had "TV Ears", a headphone-like device that transmits the audio portion. Those who have reduced hearing capability can use those to hear the dialogue more clearly. I agree that sometimes the conversations that bother others are simply an attempt by one patron to "fill in the blanks" that the other person isn't hearing well.

Another alternative is the wireless headsets for hearing impaired people. My friend has a set for watching tv at home because she's totally deaf in one ear and can't hear too well in the other. She and her busband can now sit in the same room and watch the same shows without blasting the volume.

I agree, I'm just not sure that I would be able to spot the difference in a darkened theatre.

Aging
 

Mike, they probably do have those hearing devices in the movies but the problem is most people won't admit they can't hear. My mother who is 84 has the TV so loud It's hard for me to watch it with her, it hurts my ears. She would never believe me if I told her she was hard of hearing. It's a denial thing and a lot of seniors are in denial about, well, getting old in general never mind their eyesight or hearing.

Fight Rudeness With Technology
 

and have fun at the same time! Cellphone jammers (probably not legal, but all's fair in the fight against global ruditity!
Portable Full-function Cell Phone & GPS Jammer - Jammerall Co., Ltd

Now there's a thought.

But a super soaker would be much more fun!

Inappropriate term - Hearing Impaired
 

Please do not use the inappropriate term - hearing impaired (or impairment). If I tell people that I am hearing impaired, they think something is wrong with me. However, if I tell people I am deaf, they say nothing is wrong with me except that I can't hear!

Oh Dear, I think you are amazing!!! That you can tell what other people think!

I think you should take your show on the road!

But you probably already know that.