For the many people who answer their cellular phones in movie theaters, that phone they hold so dear may soon become their worst enemy. The New York City Council approved legislation on Wednesday that bans cell phone use at all public performances.
According to the Buffalo News, this ban is believed to be the first of its kind. Cell phones will be prohibited at movies, concerts, plays, lectures, dance performances, museums, libraries and galleries, in addition to locations such as restaurants and buses. Phones can still be set on vibrate mode and be used in designated areas such as lobbies.
Violations include talking on a phone, dialing, listening to a received call and having a single audible ring on both cell phones and pagers. A $50 fine will be issued if a violation occurs.
This law may be a godsend for some, while it's a nuisance for others. It will cease, or at least reduce, the amount of times a phone will ring or play annoying jingles in places where quiet is expected. There is nothing more irritating than the shrill, piercing ring of a cell phone in a movie theater or a library, followed by the incessant chatter of the one receiving the call.
Many people are in favor of the cell phone ban, but as logical as it sounds, this may be asking too much. While it is understandable to halt cell phone use in non-social situations, it isn't fair to apply the ban to buses or restaurants, where noise and chatter is normal and expected. The ringing may be disturbing, but a total prohibition of use in these areas should not be allowed.
And for those who argue that cell phones are needed for emergencies - there is logic in that argument. If you are sitting in a theater and the person sitting next to you has a stroke, you have all the right to make a ruckus and use your cell to call an ambulance. However, you can't expect to be forgiven for calling a friend during a performance when you suddenly decide you want to hang out in a different bar after the show.
On that note, emergencies can happen when someone's assistance is urgently needed, such as when a husband is called while he's out because his wife is going into labor. In such an instance, it would be ridiculous to waste this man's time (and impose a fine on him) by issuing a summons.
The biggest problem with the ban, however, is the enforcement. There does not appear to be a tangible way to issue fines to people who decide to use their phones. The last cell phone ban, where it was made illegal to use phones while driving, has not had a tremendous impact. People continue to talk while driving because they know there is a very small chance that a passing officer will actually catch them and ticket them.
The same principle holds true with this new cell phone ban, especially in movie theaters and concerts. It will be hard for officers to pick out the perpetrator if the person is only on the phone for a brief time. Also, actually ticketing the individual during the event may cause a bigger annoyance to others than the person using the phone, since officers will have to either pull the individual out or weave their way into the aisles to issue the ticket.
Unless a more effective method of policing cell phone usage is put into effect, interruptions caused by ticketing may become the greater of two evils.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
