I think a better analogy, Divea, would be consuming food from Sogo in a restaurant in Mitsukoshi. And a movie theater isn’t a food business? Did you ask a theater owner? Who gets to decide what exactly their business is? Shouldn’t it be them alone?
For what reason exactly did the government intervene here? Is it reasonable? I don’t think so. Government should only get involved in private business matters when it involves human rights (ie if theater owners barred elderly, gays or minorities).
No that’s like watching a movie on DVD in miramar. Wrong ananlogy. I was saying one industry controlling another. Just like Microsoft and windows. Hardware shouldn’t be controlling the software…govt. intervention.
Exactly. Not that I’m displeased by this new policy, regulation or law, whatever it is. I’ll bet the big movie theaters refused to pay the annual bribes this year, and this is the result. 
I don’t believe that it keeps ticket prices lower; they’re not low at all IMO. 
No that’s like watching a movie on DVD in miramar. Wrong ananlogy. I was saying one industry controlling another. Just like Microsoft and windows. Hardware shouldn’t be controlling the software…govt. intervention.[/quote]
Your analogies are way off, so let’s stop trying to speak in metaphor. Do you believe a private property owner should have rights to control activities on his premises or not? Does a businessman define his business or does the government?
hehehe!!! Neither is absolute. A balance is important. I am all for Govt. regulation. If not cinemas would have 80 more seats, fewer exits, and ofcourse would be openly showing porn. My theatre and I’ll do what I want with it syndrome.
So let’s not talk about this as a pvt/govt debate. LEt’s keep it at popcorn or no?
No that’s like watching a movie on DVD in miramar. Wrong ananlogy. I was saying one industry controlling another. Just like Microsoft and windows. Hardware shouldn’t be controlling the software…govt. intervention.[/quote]
Your analogies are way off, so let’s stop trying to speak in metaphor. Do you believe a private property owner should have rights to control activities on his premises or not? Does a businessman define his business or does the government?[/quote]
More to the point is: does a half-arsed “legislator” have the right to waggle his teeth in a meeting? The answer is a resounding YES! Especially when he can get his “legislation” passed, and even more so when his “legislation” will make absolutely not one tiny whit of a difference to the way people behave in movie theaters.
Shame on you all for even entertaining the thought for even a second that this was anything other than a daft Taiwanese numpty waving his tiny wee peekie around for his wee second in the spotlight.
Goddamn! Anybody would think you guys were Vorsokian!
Why do people need to eat during a 90 minute long film anyway?
I liked it when the lassies would walk up and down the aisles at halftime with their wee trays of ice cream and fags.
I agree. If someone wants to:
That was my introduction to movie going in Taipei – rats crawling over our feet.
No that’s like watching a movie on DVD in miramar. Wrong ananlogy. I was saying one industry controlling another. Just like Microsoft and windows. Hardware shouldn’t be controlling the software…govt. intervention.[/quote]
Your analogies are way off, so let’s stop trying to speak in metaphor. Do you believe a private property owner should have rights to control activities on his premises or not? Does a businessman define his business or does the government?[/quote]
More to the point is: does a half-arsed “legislator” have the right to waggle his teeth in a meeting? The answer is a resounding YES! Especially when he can get his “legislation” passed, and even more so when his “legislation” will make absolutely not one tiny whit of a difference to the way people behave in movie theaters.
Shame on you all for even entertaining the thought for even a second that this was anything other than a daft Taiwanese numpty waving his tiny wee peekie around for his wee second in the spotlight.
Goddamn! Anybody would think you guys were Vorsokian! [/quote]
LOL. Classic post. I admit when I’m beat.
I don’t believe that it keeps ticket prices lower; they’re not low at all IMO. [/quote]
Maybe not, I guess. I usually go to second run cinemas anyway.
I do think though that a cinema owner is entitled to charge what he wants in his business and run his business as he sees fit (other than endangering lives), including people bringing their crap in. The other issue is that he has to clean the cinema after people bring their food and drink from outside. People have a real sense of entitlement about what they should be able to do in someone else’s business. Does this new law make it illegal to say no food or drink of any kind is allowed in, so long as the cinema owner isn’t selling any either? Surely he could claim he doesn’t want anyone damaging his property, which would seem like a reasonable request. I know this is pure fantasy, but what if a Taiwanese cinema owner fronted the cash to make the place really plush and snazzy?
It’s pretty Taiwanese, the whole thing. ‘We reserve the absolute right, passed down by the emperor of Heaven, to eat cheap crap wherever and whenever we want, in public.’ 
Buttercup: Actually, it’s a sub-clause of “we reserve the right to act like complete dicks in public and undermine someone else’s livelihood for our own short-term gain”.
Well, it’s the whole ‘food as recreation’ thing. Funny. There’s an indie cinema near me with an alcohol license. Same concept, I guess.
Food isn’t recreation in Taiwan. It’s very, very serious.
it’s one of the things about Taiwan that I’m glad to be out of - that endless socialising at restaurants thing.
I don’t do it that often, but it bores me to tears when I do. We’re both so Anglo.
Well, yeah. It’s the main problem I have with my non-Anglo boy. It’s just so damned effete and time-wasting to care so much about tomatoes. Nor will the world end if we run out of balsamic vinegar.
Damn! And here was me thinking that was kendo.