Anti-Social Behavior At The Cinema


On Saturday evening, I brought my parents to watch G.I Joe: Retaliation at the cinema but I was left fuming mad because I was unable to concentrate on the movie as the woman sitting behind me was munching on melon seeds.

MELON SEEDS?

Yes, melon seeds. You can even call them Quachee or 瓜子if you like.

So while we were watching the trailers, this woman with her husband and two young girls came in and sat in the row behind us.

That is when the rustling of plastic bags and them talking to one another started. Well, I thought that they were just settling down and everything would be fine once the movie starts but unfortunately, that is just the prelude of what's to come.

When the movie finally started, so did my nightmare.

I started hearing these cracking sounds behind me and I realised that she was eating melon seeds!

It is not just the cracking of the shells that is a distraction but she is also rustling the plastic bag whenever her hand reaches in for the seeds.

Before you ask me to watch this on DVD at home, be informed that she has been eating the melon seeds right from the beginning of the show till the end!

She may have her freedom to bring and eat whatever she likes at the cinema (even though it's not allowed by management) but what I'm annoyed with is that she is not even trying to minimize the noise at all!

I actually turned behind to look at her a few times and if you think she would have gotten the idea, NO, she did not!

I do not know if she could not see me looking at her in the dark or she simply does not care!

I had wanted to tell her off but was stopped by Mum in case things turned ugly.

But, do you know what's ironic?

Sitting in the front row were a couple with their son who seem like a fan of G.I Joe.

Whenever a character came up, he would point out exitedly to his parents who is the villian and who is the good guy.

You can hear his Mum ssh-ing him at the 2:09 mark and at one point, his Dad was even threatening to throw him out of the cinema if he keep raising his voice.

I really appreciate this couple's consideration towards other movie-goers yet this woman behind me is the one making all the stupid noises rather than her two young daughters who remained relatively quiet throughout the show (although they were still guilty of kicking the back of Mum's and my seat on a few occassions).

Why do I, or anyone who paid to enjoy the movie experience have to go through this? It's horrible! I am sick of movie-goers not giving a crap about anyone else and being completely insensitive to everyone else there who just wanted to enjoy the movie.

Do you think I am over-reacting here or am I being intolerant?

What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

Confront her or to suffer in silence?

*Please do not flame me for making a sound recording at the movies. It was only for three minutes.

I just need to rant and get this off my chest.