Theatergoer praised as hero for smashing woman's cellphone

[DDStriker]

once again people deciding that a criminal act is justified, because they say so, this was theft, criminal damage and assault and he would not have the grapes to do this to a man my size, I would have punched his face in, nice to know this coward can attack women though.

while people like these women **** me off and I would love to do this, he has no right to violate and bully them and be proud about it...other people showing him support are just as pathetic.

What does your size have to do with anything? I would expect the same action just because you're bigger doesn't make you any less of a **** and he didn't attack her he put a stop to her being a complete ******* and ruining the experience that they paid good money for she is stealing his experience

I LIKE THIS. cause i like gadgets... tell me where i can get one! (and more cheap gadgets)

Oh so it's not ok when he combats some ignorant child with a "criminal act" (which was justified btw) yet you are keen on the concept of phone jammers which is so much more illegaly than what this guy did

If anything what she did should have been illegal like attacking someone in the street this man came to the victims rescue (the other theater goers and himself) and put a stop to it

[Raa]

Personal Cell phone jammers. I take one with me everywhere I go...~15-20 ft radius and it kills everything...

Great idea! But technically illegal depending on your country...

And rightly pointed out by another user - what about an emergency?

[Richteralan]

you guys are looking at this all wrong. The solution? Personal Cell phone jammers. I take one with me everywhere I go...~15-20 ft radius and it kills everything...now about my sperm count....

Well that doesn't really stop people using their phones.

I just like people still defend the girl when the girl clearly didn't follow the theater rules. I wonder what are those people's motive in defending her. Maybe if we switch gender that a girl threw a guy's cellphone across the theater, those people would've given the girl a medal?

[123456789A]

if the ladies insist to be connected to her phone, she shouldnt 've entered the theater in first place.

what kind of phone she have? Windows Phone?

Probably not. If someone threw my Nokia across a theater, I wouldn't be worried about it breaking.

[bryonhowley]

He should be sued and get jail time! Hope the woman sues the crap out of him for destroying her property it only serves him right. He is no hero of any kind any way shape or form.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

It may have been a common good, but he still destroyed private property. Property that was quite probably worth several hundred dollars. Whatever her actions, his were unacceptable and deserves arresting for it.

Criminal damage is criminal damage; provocation is irrelevant. This would also come under theft as well, so if she makes a complaint, this guy is screwed.

Agreed. What she did was wrong but destroying someone's property is wrong too. If enough people complained, she may have been removed from the theatre. And depending on what kind phone she had, the damages could be as high as $600+ (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5).

If I was there, I wouldn't feel sorry for the woman and I wouldn't report the guy but still... it takes a certain kind of person to grab someone's phone and throw it across the room.

EDIT: I checked out the ticket prices and it's as low as $125 (regular) and as high as $237.50 (premium). Who the hell pays that much for a ticket to tolerate someone like the woman mentioned in the article? And I'm not saying that to justify the man's action. It seems like he's the only one that did something about it. I've seen movies where people walked out to get a refund because someone kept coughing.

[mudslag]

throwing anything in a crowded location is pretty wreckless

To be fair you dont know the situation of the theater they were in, he could have been in an open area for all you know. Just saying you don't really know if where he threw if it was in a crowded section or completely void of anyone.

[DocM]

I LIKE THIS. cause i like gadgets... tell me where i can get one! (and more cheap gadgets)

Jammers are illegal in the US per the FCC

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0306/DA-12-347A1.pdf

[mudslag]

Jammers are illegal in the US per the FCC

http://transition.fc...DA-12-347A1.pdf

Like that stops people from buying them anyway. I used to take mine to the bar, between alcohol, that and a universal tv changer, trolling the bars became a lot more fun.

[Tha Bloo Monkee]

Like that stops people from buying them anyway. I used to take mine to the bar, between alcohol, that and a universal tv changer, trolling the bars became a lot more fun.

Aren't you supposed to go to bars to socialize, not to ruin other people's fun (because you have nothing better to do)?

[FlintyV]

Jammers are illegal in the US per the FCC

http://transition.fc...DA-12-347A1.pdf

Seems they're illegal in lots of countries - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_jammer#Legalities

[Torolol]

iirc there was case when American president visits some asia countries, they use high powered jammer that shutdown cellphone signals for a few kilometers radius.

[DocM]

Putting on public sector trauma center hat -

Govts. can do it, civilians can't. In the case of visiting dignitaries both visitor and host are in on it. Don't like it? You get told to basically p*ss up a rope by the State Police, US Marshals, Secret Service - whoever. They can get authorization, period.

Been there when our center, a designated secure emergency treatment site, was told certain comms would be "limited" due to an incoming high security patient. A big fat PITA.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Agreed. What she did was wrong but destroying someone's property is wrong too. If enough people complained, she may have been removed from the theatre. And depending on what kind phone she had, the damages could be as high as $600+ (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5).

If I was there, I wouldn't feel sorry for the woman and I wouldn't report the guy but still... it takes a certain kind of person to grab someone's phone and throw it across the room.

EDIT: I checked out the ticket prices and it's as low as $125 (regular) and as high as $237.50 (premium). Who the hell pays that much for a ticket to tolerate someone like the woman mentioned in the article? And I'm not saying that to justify the man's action. It seems like he's the only one that did something about it. I've seen movies where people walked out to get a refund because someone kept coughing.

Good job for having researched the ticket prices!

We can now see what really was at stake there.

$600 at the most on one side and $125,000 at the bare minimum on the other side, assuming 100 people attended paying regular fare.

Something tells me that the judge would side with the rule-abiding viewers and throw the case out if this woman ever sued the man for the damages.

[FloatingFatMan]

Good job for having researched the ticket prices!

We can now see what really was at stake there.

$600 at the most on one side and $125,000 at the bare minimum on the other side, assuming 100 people attended paying regular fare.

Something tells me that the judge would side with the rule-abiding viewers and throw the case out if this woman ever sued the man for the damages.

Not a chance. Using her phone during the performance is rude, but not illegal. Taking another's property and destroying it IS illegal. Judges are not interested in manners, they're interested in legality.

[Richteralan]

Not a chance. Using her phone during the performance is rude, but not illegal. Taking another's property and destroying it IS illegal. Judges are not interested in manners, they're interested in legality.

Right. Now we all degenerate to all about legality. Where's moral? Where's manners? Where's etiquette?

Guess we can all put our feet on restaurant tables, too.

[FloatingFatMan]

Right. Now we all degenerate to all about legality. Where's moral? Where's manners? Where's etiquette?

Guess we can all put our feet on restaurant tables, too.

All irrelevant. It doesn't matter WHAT she was doing, it wasn't illegal. What he did -was-. Was she wrong? Yes. Was she rude? Yes. Are either of those a criminal act? No. Stealing someone's phone and then destroying it, however, IS illegal.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Not a chance. Using her phone during the performance is rude, but not illegal. Taking another's property and destroying it IS illegal. Judges are not interested in manners, they're interested in legality.

Judges should weight all the variables.

He didn't simply came up to her and took her phone, he did it after numerous attempts to settle this in a civil manner, all of which were worthless.

Like I'd said before. I do too think he went overboard, a little. I'd just remove the battery and keep it till the end of the show. I don't need the phone, she could have it. And in case of a lawsuit, ok, it's a $10 battery. Sue me for theft and pay thousands in fees to lawyers :D

All irrelevant. It doesn't matter WHAT she was doing, it wasn't illegal. What he did -was-. Was she wrong? Yes. Was she rude? Yes. Are either of those a criminal act? No. Stealing someone's phone and then destroying it, however, IS illegal.

He stole nothing. Did he keep her phone? Did he leave the theatre with it? No. He deprived her of her ability to continue to ruin the viewing experience :p

[FloatingFatMan]

If I take your property from you without permission, and then do something so you don't get it back such a destroying it, I still stole your property.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

If someone has a complete disregard for the rules of the premises where they are in and for the people around them after having been politely warned several times - that someone has forfeited their rights.

Why should the society protect that boor's private property - the very device which is used to disturb them - when that lout has a total lack of respect for everyone else?

[compl3x]

Hero. So we're just throwing that word around now?

[FloatingFatMan]

If someone has a complete disregard for the rules of the premises where they are in and for the people around them after having been politely warned several times - that someone has forfeited their rights.

Why should the society protect that boor's private property - the very device which is used to disturb them - when that lout has a total lack of respect for everyone else?

Respect does not trump legal rights, Zhiv. Doesn't matter how much you cry about it. What this guy did was illegal, fact.

[Noir Angel]

The adult thing to do would be to bring it to someone's attention and have her thrown out. Destroying someone's property because you don't like what they're doing isn't heroic, it's juvenile and stupid. We don't let people take the law into their own hands for good reason.

[Raa]

What this guy did was illegal, fact.

I don't think anyone is disputing that fact.

I don't condone acts of violence or destruction, but he did appear to have limited options available to him.

Also hindsight is a wonderful thing - we now realise how much better he may have handled the situation.

Looking at it logically, taking the phone and handing it to a security guard may have been the better course of action (for example).

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Respect does not trump legal rights, Zhiv. Doesn't matter how much you cry about it. What this guy did was illegal, fact.

What about the legal right to have the presentation delivered to you in front of your eyes without anyone disturbing you?

Essentially, this is the contract the ticket-holders have with the theatre. And, unfortunately, the management failed to resolve the issue.