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Vive La France: Mobiles blocked dans le cinema
Cue much shrugging from Gallic users...

By Will Sturgeon

Published: Wednesday 13 October 2004

French mobile users who refuse to switch off their phones while watching a movie, play or musical performance are to start seeing such stubbornness is futile as venues begin installing phone jamming equipment in line with new laws.

The right to block phone signals within such building has now come into effect across the channel and conscientious theatregoers will soon start noticing their performances aren't interrupted by the inconsiderate minority.

Installing the signal-jamming equipment is reportedly to cost €6,000 per time, but looks set to win priceless levels of customer satisfaction, with overwhelming support in France for the measures.

The issue has become a source of heated debate in recent years, which many arguing such rudeness from others can mar a performance.

Mobile phones users blocked under the new French measures will still be able to make outgoing calls to emergency services numbers in the event somebody is taken ill, for example, during a performance - a feature which was a requirement of any such implementation.

Similarly they will be able to step out into a corridor to make an urgent call or check messages as the block is strictly limited to the perimeter of the 'performance area'.

Hollywood actor and now artistic director at the Old Vic, Kevin Spacey recently criticised UK audiences for failing to switch off their phones during performances.

"You have to respect the fact there is some degree of behaviour that we expect in the theatre and we're going to demand it at the Old Vic," Spacey told BBC Radio 4 last month.

"It's a phone-free zone. We don't want them ringing and we certainly don't want them ringing and people ignoring them pretending that it's not theirs," he added.

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