Everyone has pet peeves.
Getting stuck behind a slow walker when you're in a rush. Someone sitting in the aisle seat on the bus when the window seat is available. Getting mismatched cutlery.
But what irks me most is when people don't have good manners in the cinema.
There are only three simple rules; be punctual, be silent and maintain your own personal space.
RULE ONE - Be punctual. That means, be in the theatre before the time printed on your movie stub. It's there for a reason. Trailers are not 'extra time' during which you can buy your popcorn; they are part of the movie experience.
It's acceptable to come in a few minutes into the trailers. Sometimes it's unavoidable. But if you're not sitting by the aisle, then you better be super apologetic as you squirm your way to your seat through the knees and feet of those who bothered to be on time.
Coming into the theatre when the movie has already started says that you have bad planning skills and bad manners.
RULE TWO - No talking. Movies are not social events. What happens before a movie and what happens after, are. But between the end of the trailers to when the credits roll, there is absolutely no reason for chatter.
If you're on a date, no matter how much you have to say to each other, stop talking, that's what restaurants and long walks by the beach are for.
If you have questions about the movie, save them for later. Or you could just wait five minutes for the information to reveal itself on screen. If you're watching a sequel and did not watch the previous movie, it's your own fault you don't know who's who. So don't take it out on the rest of us.
If you're below the age of five, I blame your parents.
RULE THREE - Personal space. The armrest is neutral territory, for most, the first-come first-served concept usually applies. If you're a couple, feel free to disregard your shared armrest altogether.
The seat you're sitting on and the backrest attached to it, is of course yours. The backrest in front of you, however, is not. Putting your feet on it, resting your knees against it, nudging or pushing it, all these can and are felt by the person sitting in that chair. You're disrupting another person's movie experience, stop it.
Just three simple rules. It's not that difficult right?
