Arrested For Asking For Quiet In A Cinema

[Max]

AN Australian tourist has been charged with assault after telling a Texas woman to stop talking on her mobile phone at the movies.

Pauline Clayton was enjoying a matinee screening of Brokeback Mountain in a Texas cinema when her day suddenly turned ugly.

The former Sunshine Coast councillor said about halfway through the movie, a mobile phone started ringing nearby, a woman answered it and started talking.

"I put one finger up to my mouth to shoosh her," Ms Clayton said.

"She ignored me - I then leaned across and touched her with three or four fingers on the top of her arm."




When the "very large" woman failed to end her call, Ms Clayton again touched her on the shoulder and that was when the woman exploded.

Ms Clayton said the woman stood up over her, started shouting expletives at her and then stormed out of the cinema, in the town of Webster, just outside Houston.

A short time later two Texas police officers walked into the cinema and escorted Ms Clayton out.

She said the police took her to the food bar and explained that the woman had accused Ms Clayton of "invading her private space". The woman had made a complaint of assault because Ms Clayton had touched her.

"They were very apologetic," Ms Clayton said.

"They were very uncomfortable."

Ms Clayton said the officers had tried to dissuade the woman from making a complaint and had even told the woman that if she did make the complaint, police would charge the woman with disorderly conduct and using a profanity for her outburst in the cinema.

The woman refused to back down and not only was Ms Clayton charged, but the woman is now also due in court after being charged over her behaviour.

Ms Clayton was issued a citation and will appear in a Texas court next week to answer the charge.

With the help of an off-duty police officer who saw the fracas, she is hoping to escape with only a fine.

In the meantime Ms Clayton said she was hoping to get back to see the second half of Brokeback Mountain.

If convicted, Ms Clayton who grew up in Victoria and once worked as a journalist for The Sun newspaper in Brisbane, faces a fine of up to $675.

She said she had been told a conviction would not affect her chances of re-entering the US. Police said it was a "little matter" and they would not be notifying US immigration authorities about any conviction.

http://www.shoutwire.com/viewstory/4873/Arrested_for_Asking_for_Quiet_in_Cinema

 

[jdb67]

Re: -·=»‡«=·-Arrested For Asking For Quiet In A Cinema-·=»‡«=·-

Had the "large woman" attempted to use her phone here in Australia, there would have been more then one person "touching her on the shoulder".... She would be "assualted" with boxes of Popcorn and Super size cups of coke!!!she then would have been Boo'd out of the Cinema and advised not come back by the Management!!!....

If she was to attempt to lay a complaint with the Police, Im almost certain that she would be told that she got what she deserved for being inconsiderate and ignorant!!

I dont know how it is in the state of Texas, but when you enter a Cinema here, there are signs all over the place prohibiting the use of Mobile Phones while a movie is being shown.... there is also a message flashed up on the screen prior to the commencement of the main feature, advising people to turn off the phones!!...

what is the world coming too???:dunno:

 

[jumbo_jim]

We are told not to use a mobile here in the UK during the cinema and the lady who used hers would have been asked to leave.

However Technically she was assaulted so why shouldn't she press charges. Apart from the obvious reasons she is getting charged herself over her behaviour.

 

[pussy+dickdenice]

I don't know what would have happened in my country. But it shows the nastiest side of the human behaviour and 'I-can-not-do-any-wrong' attitude.

 

[Chrism86354]

its common sense to not answer your phone in a cinema. if it's important, step out of the theatre.

 

[Imagine]

Ah, American law. A constant source of amusement, provided of course that it doesn't have anything to do with you personally.

 

[Feelie]

I'd like to say in England we'd sort them out but I've been to a couple of films now where people have had phone calls and no one has done anything. One was yapping for a while as well.

 

[southtxmordecai]

Well me being from the state of texas, I have come across a few jackoffs like her. But south of texas if you are going to charge us for assult, we will give you more than touching on the shoulder, to comply with that charge :thumbsup: :violent:

 

[b13agc]

don' t america give us all an example of "the american way" all the time?...

 

[Ax3C]

Amazingly enough I found no traces of this story / article in either The Houston Chronicle or The Citizen, yet the referenced article can be found only on Sites like Shoutwire.com. Here's a Google Search link I used to try and verify its authenticity: (RE: "Arrested For Asking For Quiet In A Cinema.

Odd. You'd think that something like this would have at least made Webster's newspaper considering they're a suburb of Houston. I figured it would've been reported in The Chronicle's unusual news section. No dice, though ... I've searched using the headline, the woman's name, and various twists using the headline words.

Though it doesn't surprise me, I find it extremely hard to believe that our police department would charge someone for assault based upon what the article relays as alleged fact.

I can attest that a great majority of our area theaters and cinemas have signs posted throughout the movie theater lobby as well as the cinemas themselves advising folks to turn off their cellular / mobile phones. In addition, they always run those 'advertisements' prior to the screening, asking people to "Be Considerate", et. al. Not to mention that typically the staff / ushers tend to remain in the theaters and watch over medium to large crowds.

It doesn't stop people, though, from doing what the one woman did. Lord knows I've had to ask people to either turn off their phones, shut up, or take their kids out of the screening room. There's a definite lack of common courtesy in today's movie-watching crowd. Hell, they treat the theaters as if it were their home.

Who knows? I say more power to the woman from Australia. At least she had the balls to speak up ... it's a shame she didn't bitch-slap the ol' gal that was on the phone.

 

[Ax3C]

Well me being from the state of texas, I have come across a few jackoffs like her. But south of texas if you are going to charge us for assult, we will give you more than touching on the shoulder, to comply with that charge :thumbsup: :violent:

Sho' nuff! We'll make the charge worthwhile. Had she been in the neighborhood theater we frequent, she ["She" being the ol' gal on the phone] probably would have had the cell phone jammed rather tightly in a body orifice that seldom sees sunlight.

 

[D-rock]

You got to love the U.S. We have so many laws now that you would barley be able to walk down the street without breaking 5 or 6 of them and you wouldn’t even know it. Add to that the fact that too many times the police and the judicial system seem to forget about common sense and it adds up to weird situations.

 

[om3ga]

I'd like to say in England we'd sort them out but I've been to a couple of films now where people have had phone calls and no one has done anything. One was yapping for a while as well.

That's why I don't go to the cinema much these days (unless it's a movie that I'm really interested in seeing).....

 

[Feelie]

That's why I don't go to the cinema much these days (unless it's a movie that I'm really interested in seeing).....

Recently I went to a local Cinema on a day off with a pal and there was a group of about 5-6 teenagers mucking about at the back of the cinema.

Even the staff don't really wanna get involved.

 

[Member2019]

Welcome to the United States of the Offended!
Even if it isn't a crime, we've got the over-population of lawyers to make it one.

 

[jdb67]

Amazingly enough I found no traces of this story / article in either The Houston Chronicle or The Citizen, yet the referenced article can be found only on Sites like Shoutwire.com. Here's a Google Search link I used to try and verify its authenticity: (RE: "Arrested For Asking For Quiet In A Cinema.

Odd. You'd think that something like this would have at least made Webster's newspaper considering they're a suburb of Houston. I figured it would've been reported in The Chronicle's unusual news section. No dice, though ... I've searched using the headline, the woman's name, and various twists using the headline words.

Though it doesn't surprise me, I find it extremely hard to believe that our police department would charge someone for assault based upon what the article relays as alleged fact.

I can attest that a great majority of our area theaters and cinemas have signs posted throughout the movie theater lobby as well as the cinemas themselves advising folks to turn off their cellular / mobile phones. In addition, they always run those 'advertisements' prior to the screening, asking people to "Be Considerate", et. al. Not to mention that typically the staff / ushers tend to remain in the theaters and watch over medium to large crowds.

It doesn't stop people, though, from doing what the one woman did. Lord knows I've had to ask people to either turn off their phones, shut up, or take their kids out of the screening room. There's a definite lack of common courtesy in today's movie-watching crowd. Hell, they treat the theaters as if it were their home.

Who knows? I say more power to the woman from Australia. At least she had the balls to speak up ... it's a shame she didn't bitch-slap the ol' gal that was on the phone.

Might not have made the local Paper over there but it made the National News here....

 

[Tgunz262]

'Personal Space' :wtf: kind of freak hippie shit is that?

Western civilization becoming more pussified and 'PC' all the time. When exactally did we adopt this have to be happy, love your neighbor, don't offend anyone bullshit? I think perhaps our ancestors made a big mistake coming down from the trees in the first place. I like trees. They've never offended anyone I know (or care about!)

 

[Imagine]

Those damn trees. Standing there with their branches and leaves, so smug, looking down on me. Arrogant bastards the lot of them.

 

[4G63]

Odd. You'd think that something like this would have at least made Webster's newspaper considering they're a suburb of Houston. I figured it would've been reported in The Chronicle's unusual news section.

Good point. Sounds like a made up story to me.

If a Texan and an Australian got into a fight during a movie about gay cowboys, you figure that would be a national headline.

Good story, but false IMO.

 

[dallasv8]

she probably would have had to try and find her fone after it was thrown across the cinema in aus,and we also have a huge thing on the screen saying "turn your mobile fone off" before the movie starts.