Opinion: People with cellphones should be more considerate of others, turn them off


I am very upset and dismayed at the callow behavior of adults at fine performances at Patriot Hall.

Before the performance, cellphones are everywhere, lighted screens all over.

For example, I was at the dance on Friday night at Patriot Hall. There were individual performances. As soon as one was over, many cellphones were turned on - some of the big ones were very bright. People checking messages and some texting. Even when the next performance started, some continued using the phone until they completed what they were doing.

This happens over and over. These people, both men and women, are so self-centered. They have no respect for other people. They are careless about courtesy or consideration of other people. They are so immature. They do not care about the effect or negative impression they have on all the people behind them. They do not care how frustrating it is on people behind them and across the aisle time after time.

Why can't a grown person live without a cellphone for one hour or maybe one-and-a-half hours? I do not ever bring my cellphone to a performance - local or professional.

I go to Patriot Hall many times each year. Sometimes it is free; sometimes I have to buy a ticket, maybe $10 or even $35. Friday night I had a very good seat, a short person sitting in front of me. Sometimes there is a problem. A very tall person sits in front, and I cannot see the stage. Or even worse, a tall woman with a very large hairdo blocks the whole stage. One time I had to move four times, but that is not as bad as the constant aggravation of lighted cellphones.

People finally learned to turn off the cellphone ringer; that's good. Now they have to learn to turn it off completely until after the entire performance.