I don’t know if it’s the season or my small town or what, but there’s just something wrong with people these days!

Take yesterday, for example. My Favorite Domer agreed to accompany me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, at the movie theater here.

Don’t laugh. We’ve read ALL the Potter books and watched ALL the movies to date, so we weren’t about to miss the final installment!

Now he’d seen it just a few days previously and pronounced it a good show, but that was all I got (other than a warning there was more “death” in this one). He knows better than to ruin my experience.

Unfortunately, the guy sitting catty-corner behind us with his date (wife?) didn’t. All through the movie, Mr. Big-shot is carrying on a running conversation, explaining what just happened, revealing what’s about to happen, pointing out ways the film differs from the book, repeating portions of the characters’ conversations, etc.

I was half tempted to whirl around and demand he shut up! Okay, I did whirl around a few times and give him the “mean-ole-mommy” glare, but it went for naught. He must’ve been a kid who’s mom didn’t glare (if there is such a creature!).

And another thing. What possesses strangers to belly right up to others in a movie theater? I mean, this show had been out a whole week already, and most people had seen it who wanted to see it, so it wasn’t exactly crowded. We got there early, chose seats away from those already sitting, and thought we were doing fine. But as new people came in, they did their best to box us in, leaving whole rows empty in favor of sitting close to us. Go figure.

And what’s with the people who ignore the movie ratings? Somebody came in with about a dozen small children (hey, I have nothing against kids — I have one of my own — but this movie was rated PG-13, and these kids were clearly under the age of 10). They led the kids right to our area, and we were “treated” to rattling sacks of candy, crunching sounds from popcorn, sucking noises from sodas, and inappropriate nervous giggles for the rest of the show. These must be parents who like to traumatize their kids with dark horror; otherwise, they’d have stayed home, saved the admission cost, and rented it when it came out on DVD (where they could fast-forward through the dicey spots).

As the credits finally started to roll and people began leaving, MFD and I looked around and couldn’t believe the mess. People are pigs, he commented. Many of them didn’t bother carrying their trash out (despite having a waste receptacle right beside the door); they left sodas in cup holders, squashed popcorn on the floor,and unused napkins strewn about. Didn’t they realize they weren’t in their own living rooms?

Who’s teaching basic niceties like consideration of others these days???