Disabled boy laughs too hard, ejected fr om movie

“Disabled Boy Ejected from Movie Theatre for Laughing Too Loudly

The family of a disabled seven-year-old boy wants an apology from an upstate New York movie theatre after the manager threw him out for laughing too loudly.
The parents of Anthony Pratti say it happened Sunday in Wallkill, NY, when they took their son to see "March of the Penquins."

The boy has cerebral palsy and autism. The family says he was enjoying the movie from his wheelchair when a theatre worker said he was laughing too loudly and would have to leave.

Gina Pratti said they would try to have their son laugh more quietly, but the manager wanted him to leave.

She says she was dumbfounded when the manager told them the entire family didn't have to go -- just the boy in the wheelchair.

The entire family did go, and the manager refunded everyone's money.

A representative of Loews Cineplex told a Middletown, NY newspaper they are looking into the matter.”

“Next your going to tell me that I cannot use my cell phone in here! JJJJEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZ”

“Theatres are dead.”

“Let this be a lesson to all those who are wheel-chair bound with cerebral palsy and autism. That'll teach 'em.”

“Are you saying the disabled should be treated differently than the non-disabled Geo?”

“Yes Nigal, a little human understanding would have been in order in this situation.”

“http://www.drudgereport.com/

LOL
No wonder Geo was too ashamed to list his source. ;-)
violin will be so disappointed in him.”

“LOL yourself SS

Got it here: http://www.kywam.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=48697”

“They should have let him stay and refunded everybody else's money.”

“Sure, Geo...Sure.....
We all believe you....
LOL”

“Well NetNanny, you could click the link and find out, if that's not too much trouble and if it's not too overly taxing for you to figure out why that might be the source.”

“Don't get your panties in a wad, Geo.
We all believe you....... ;-)”

“So if seperate or different treatment is ok then it would have been ok to refuse the child entry to the movie too? Would special, seperate bathrooms be in order as well?”

“LOL! Nobody gets Geo's goat quite as well as SS.”

“Hmmmm. Something is a little fishy here. I've never seen a theater worker in the actual theater unless someone complains about something. Maybe the criticism should be directed at whoever complained?”

“Disabled people have to live by the same rules as the rest of us. If the movie theater would have told anyone to leave for being noisy then it is OK to tell this kid to leave. It doesn’t sound like the theater did a very slick job of this, but they didn’t do anything wrong. They would have to make sure he had access to the theater, paid the same fee, could use the bathroom, etc but there are no special privileges he has to be given once he is using the services the theater provides. As long as he isn’t being discriminated against based on his disability then the theater did nothing wrong. But I ain't a lawyer and I am sure some suit will find a way to sue the theater for a million bucks so we can all pay .50 more for our tickets next year.
last edited: 8/18/05 4:52:15 PM”

“Maybe the kid should have had to of left for being disruptive, as was the case.

Why should everyone else have to suffer because he has a disability?

In all seriousness, the kid probably laughs at cars passing by. There was no reason he had to be there laughing while everyone else had to suffer who paid a lot of money I'm sure to see that movie. The parents should be sensitive to the people in the theatre.

I can't believe you guys are standing up for these parents who obviously have no consideration for others - and are most likely trying to make a quick buck off of their child's disability.
last edited: 8/18/05 4:54:52 PM”

“having worked with children and adults with "special needs", or whatever the hell pc thing we're calling them nowadays, my opinion is that, in general, we do them a dis-service by treating them any differently than fully-abled individuals, outside of minor physical accomodations like wheelchair ramps and such. i worked with a young kid who was a freshman in college, whose mother bought him lots and lots of nice stuff, presumably to make up for his disability, and the guy was a royal pain. i also happen to be from ryan whites hometown, and ive heard more than one first-hand account how bratty the kid was, spitting on people and such. but i agree a balance has to be struck with compassion. but you shouldnt laugh at the penguins. its not easy squeezing into those little tuxes.”

“Nigal, would you feel differently if the kid were a seven year old Israeli?

It's a kid for crying out loud, and one who has cerebral palsy and autism.”

“Pitts gets it 100%! :)”

““Nigal, would you feel differently if the kid were a seven year old Israeli?"

If you are unable to stick to the point at hand just bow out Geo. No need for cheap semantics.”

“This is why theatres are dead. You have to put up with the other people who go to them, and they get to act any way they please. It was different when people used to know how to act at a theatre, but now you have to contend with the people talking on their cellphones, the geeks chanting the lines to the movie because they've seen it 100 times already, the girls screaming out loud at the top of their lungs at the scary parts they've seen already, and the people who simply won't shut up and stop their conversation during the movie. And then there's this, which if you complain about not being able to enjoy the movie because of it, you look like a cad.

Screw it. It's much nicer to just rent a movie and take it home, not to mention cheaper.
last edited: 8/18/05 5:04:12 PM”

“No need for cheap semantics.”
Nigal

how about cheap semitics?

BADA BING!

thank you thank you, ill be here all week. please be sure to observe the 2 drink minimum and tip your waitress generously
last edited: 8/18/05 5:03:37 PM”

“Holy crap Crash! That’s like a double entendre with a pun twist! Ya got the Semitic part in there WITH the “cheap” racial reference too.


You truely are the Master! LOL!”

“A while ago while watching Madagascar with my nephews and nieces in a theater, I fell asleep. It was slow and boring. Then this little 4 year old girl sitting directly behind me woke me up with a blood-curdling scream. Apparently some lion scared the poop out of her. I just about pooped my own pants but then I started busting up. I had the giggles for the rest of the movie. I should've had her tossed for being disruptive. Anyway, I still smile thinking about her genuine scream during an animated flick. This really has nothing to do with the current topic, but that's never stopped me before.
last edited: 8/18/05 5:10:43 PM”

“i was a special ed major in college for 3 semesters. if i learned anything in that time, its that the primary goal is normalization, to the greatest degree possible. everything, EVERYTHING, is geared towards them having as normal a life as possible, to not be an outcast, to not stick out like a sore thumb, or to be pitied OR hated. part of that is to hold them to the same standards as everyone else, as well as making sure they get just as much enjoyment out of life as everyone else. as i stated before, its a fine line, so lets not jump the parents just yet.”

“Yes, let's at least wait until they file a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

They did offer to try and get him to quiet down, so I doubt they're in it for the bucks.”

“"Why should everyone else have to suffer because he has a disability?"


Sarge
4:54:23 PM
8/18/05

Trail Talk suffers due to your disablity, yet you still can post. Typical Republican hypocrite.”

“Oh boy ... here it comes.”

“i think BB was once a person, but has de-volved (or unintelligently designed) into a troll”

“Obviously the kid needed to be removed.

Political correctness is a crime.”

“I'm sorry to say this.....but the kid had to be removed, if someone complained.

I and most everyone wouldn't be too happy, if we paid good money to see a film....and someone is laughing or making alot of noise.

I'm sure the parents don't want to duct tape the kid's mouth shut.”

“I think you all overlooked one small part what the mom asked

...Gina Pratti said they would try to have their son laugh more quietly, but the manager wanted him to leave. ...

If any one of us did the same thing and the manager told us we had to leave we would be p.od. So we should treat this person the same. So I say let the mom sue, after all theater is dead, let this mom put the last nail into the coffen and let netflix and blockbuster supply all the movies we can handle.”

“There was a kid with autism sitting near us at my daughter's last dance recital. I really felt bad for the parents who had to try to keep him quiet. The father left the theater with him several times and may have missed his other kid's onstage performance. It was very disruptive and the parents struggled to be respectful of everyone else.

I'm all for accomadating everyone, but I can imagine that in this case, the kid was ruining the movie for everyone else.”

“twofoot - They wouldn't have been able to keep him quiet.”

“TIMMMMMYYYY”

“Here we go again.

http://www.local6.com/news/7542555/detail.html”

“i find this hard to believe. no one has laughed at a steve martin movie for years”

“Hell I must be getting old cause I think he's still funny!


What a shame about the boy though. I'm glad I wasn't trying to watch the movie.LOL”

“I would have told the manager that I would leave at the end of the movie and left him with the potentially embarrassing situation of forcibly removing a handicapped person from his theater for laughing at a comedy.”

“sad story”

““I would have told the manager that I would leave at the end of the movie and left him with the potentially embarrassing situation of forcibly removing a handicapped person from his theater for laughing at a comedy.” - Hyway

The managers usually don't sit and watch the movies. How do you think he found out? My guess is that people complained. My bet is the manager would have been applauded.”

“I saw that movie with my kids. It's really not possible that anyone was laughing at that movie. He's obviously some kind of trouble maker.”

“The disorder also affects mental development and can prompt excessive laughter and seizures.


So the audience doesn't have a right to complain because the disruptive person is handicapped?”

“complain if they want, I would have still stayed. They have special seats for fat people and remove seats for wheelchairs, they can certainly accommodate the boy. Heaven forbid that people who are perfectly healthy have to tolerate a special needs kid having a good time.”

“You have a point and I'm pretty sure the theater did not handle it properly.

Then again how well trained is your average Theatern Manager?

And people certainly have a right to complain if someone is disruptive.”

“Can you complain if a tall person is blocking your view? yes, but they won't be asked to leave.

Can you complain if a fat person is spreading over your armrest? yes, but it will do you no good.

Can you complain if it is taking too long for someone with muscular dystophy (sp?) to move through the seats when going to the bathroom (especially knowing they are going to be coming back)? yes, but it makes you a right bastard for doing it.”

“The responsibility doesn't lie with this particular handicapped person Hyway. It lies with their parents.”

“exactly, and they love their son who loves movies on the big screen apparently. And lets not forget she said that they go to the movies quite often and this was the first trouble they had. Are you telling me that you can't tolerate a few outbursts from a special needs child during something as meaningless to your life as a silly movie. These terrible parents live it 24/7 heaven forbid they have a moments peace and joy.”