Mistakes Everyone Makes When Going To The Movies

We all love going to the movies, but there seem to be endless ways to mar that trip to the theater. Perhaps the ticket and concession prices are too expensive, or there aren't enough seats for your friends and family to sit together. Or, more likely, there's a disruptive person in the audience that ruins the experience for everyone else. Movie theater etiquette goes unspoken, but there are things people mistakenly do without knowing what they're doing is disruptive. Furthermore, there are ways to save money (and time) by doing things slightly differently. Here are a few mistakes people make when going to the movies.

We've all done it, at airports, on public transportation, and in movie theaters. If no one's sitting there, and no one will sit there, then what's the harm in putting your stuff on an adjacent seat, right? Well, whoever walks by will automatically assume it's taken. It's the norm to believe that when someone places something on a seat, they're holding it—but that's not always the case, is it? So for the benefit of all moviegoers, please don't keep your stuff on the seat next to you...or at least wait until the movie starts to make sure no else is coming.

Perhaps the most annoying thing someone can do during a movie is use their phone. Calling someone or answering a call isn't too common, but texting certainly is. People do it all the time, and it's disruptive for everyone. No matter how many times audiences are told not to use their phone, some people still do. In fact, it's gotten so bad that Apple is even considering putting a "Theater Mode" on iPhones—which is something many theater owners, including Alamo Drafthouse's Tim League, are vehemently against. Even AMC flirted with the idea of allowing texting during movies in order to appeal to millennial audiences. That didn't work out so well for them. If you need to answer a phone call or send a text message, go outside.

Long before people started using their phones during movies, they were merely talking. Talking is a normal part of life, but it's not something that should be done during a movie (at least in a movie theater). If you're at home, by all means, talk away. That's your prerogative. But movie theaters are a public space, and general audiences prefer to watch movies in silence so they won't miss anything. Talking is disruptive to everyone, especially those nearest the person talking. A movie theater isn't a space for analysis, discussion, or clarification—save all that stuff for the lobby, parking lot, and ride home.

In addition to talking and texting on the phone, one of the most annoying things a person can do in a movie theater is make loud noises. It's not your fault if the movie theater's popcorn containers (or bags) are noisy, but opening candy boxes during quiet scenes in a movie or chewing loudly can be awfully upsetting to audiences, especially those potentially suffering from misophonia. Do your part—be thoughtful.

Customer service is a tough gig, and when something goes wrong with the projector or there's a rise in concession prices, it isn't necessarily the fault of the employee you happen to be speaking with. Most of them aren't making much above minimum wage, and they spend every holiday working, at least in the United States. (After all, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the busiest moviegoing days of the year.) If something goes wrong, remember the workers you're dealing with are just doing their jobs. Be kind and courteous to theater employees—and in fact, keep that in mind for any customer service representative you happen to encounter.

No one likes to clean up someone else's trash. And movie theater employees already have a lot to deal with on a day-to-day basis, especially during opening weekends for major movies. It's helpful to them if patrons throw away their trash on their way out of the theater. Usually, when someone's done with their popcorn or food, they put the box underneath their seat, so that it doesn't get in their way. But often, they'll forget to pick up the box on their way; sometimes, they'll even forget to take their drinks, their empty candy boxes, and anything else they brought. When movies are playing back-to-back all day long, and with several aisles and hundreds of seats to clean through, throwing away your trash can go a long way toward supporting your local theater's employees.

Nowadays, there really is an app for everything—and that some notion applies to the movie industry. Major chains like Regal and AMC have their own apps, but there are also up-and-coming services like Movie Pass and Atom Tickets that can benefit frequent filmgoers.

Movie Pass allows users who pay a monthly fee of approximately $50 to see one 2D movie every 24 hours. If you see more than three movies per month, that price is well worth it. The catch is, you can see each movie only once. For most movies, that's enough, but when it comes to blockbusters like Star Wars and superhero movies, fans want to see them multiple times. In that case, you'll have to purchase extra tickets separately.

Then there's Atom Tickets, which allows people who are watching movies in groups to purchase concession items in advance and pick them up at the side of the concession stand. Furthermore, the app enables people to organize a night out at the movies using their various services, including ticket-buying. The moviegoing experience is evolving, and apps are playing a major part in that evolution.