I suspect the problem here, as in so many cases of discourtesy, is that people just don´t think; and there is a worrying tendency to regard a challenge to someone´s behaviour as ruder than the behaviour itself; and an ill-advised tendency to try and accommodate electronic devices rather than have a straightforward ´switch it off´policy.  I´m thinking of the recommendation to switch off or set to silent (whatever that means) in some halls and the airlines´recommendation that passengers use the ´flightsafe mode´ (whatever that is).  I say this is ill-advised because it clearly isn´t working, and venues like golf courses have now taken to insisting on the devices being left in the clubhouse.

I have to report that the burgers of Hagen are not much better as an audience than we are in London.   I didn´t see many illuminated handsets but the number of people talking during the performance was greater even than in the circle at the proms; and I could have been at the NY Met with the applause beginning long before the music ended in Acts I & II.

It´s hard to believe these people are all arrogant, ignorant or both.  They are, quite possibly, working on the principle that what isn´t expressly forbidden is acceptable.  I´m sure I´ve said elsewhere that someone must be incredibly dense if they can read a request to stifle coughs and still think conversation is acceptable; but clearly many people have thinking habits that are very different from mine.  It´s quite possible they don´t think a bright light in a darkened auditorium is a problem (there is, perhaps, another excuse for the chap in front of me as there were several restricted view seats nearby with the text screens glowing.  Maybe he thought his blackberry was no worse than that); but I think they should be told!

The Hagen Tannhäuser, anti-social behaviour apart, was rather good.  I´ll write a bit more about it later for anyone who might be interested.

I can see the pre-show request to silence your phone becoming like the airline steward's pre-flight safety announcement for frequent fliers - they've heard it so many times, they take no notice.

The best example I know of a standard direction becoming ritualised and ignored is in the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy when at one point the deacon chants "The doors, the doors.  Let us attend."  In ninth century Constantinople it meant something.

I only switch mine on to make calls, Ruth.  My biggest nightmare is that one day I´ll assume it´s off because 99% of the time it is.  And a concert will coincide with one of the very rare occasions when one of the few people who know the number decides to call.  But, as in your case, it hasn´t happened yet.

Whatever, I bet he never has it on vibrate.

Boom tish! 

Hurrah, they'd turned their watch alarms off yesterday.

This will probably be the next thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akvLIpTOmhM

Another mobile phone offender last night (Goetterdaemmerung - sorry, no time to perform umlauts). Other side of the balcony, less offensive and quieter ring tone. But, dear Wotan, the culprit allowed it to go off 3 times during Act 1 (at least, I heard it 3 times during the quieter passages - there may have been more). Why didn't someone over there attempt a forcible removal (of the phone or the person)?