The most-read story for the past couple of days on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram online site is “Disagreement over texting at movie theater leads to assault charge.”
And the star of the story, who has been dubbed a pussy, dooshbag, whiner, jerk, pansy, and numerous other things in the comment section, is wondering how things got so out of hand.
“I would have never given the interview if I knew it would have blown up like this,” Dale Fout said.
Consumer watchdog columnist Dave Lieber posted the story on Sunday, and when I read it online yesterday morning, readers had left about 50 comments slamming Fout for complaining about whiplash after a a woman sitting behind him either tapped him on the shoulder or pushed him while he was texting at a movie theater.
By Sunday night, there were more than 300 comments. This morning, more than 400. And they keep coming. Readers are furious that a 220-pound man who describes himself as a barrel-chested former athlete would complain about a 136-pound woman telling him to turn off his cellphone during the movie.
Reader comments have been brutal, some even vaguely threatening. Besides calling Fout every name in the book, readers have discouraged people from hiring Fout’s advertising consulting business. Another poster, Joe Guru, revealed Fout’s criminal record from 20 years ago.
Fout didn’t know any of this when I called him today to ask how it felt to be publicly crucified. He’d read the story in the print edition of the paper yesterday morning, chuckled about it, and didn’t pay it much mind afterward. Then, this morning he received an anonymous phone call from an angry man who told him his attitude was deplorable and who vowed to never do business with Fout.
Fout assumed the angry call was prompted by the news article, but he was startled when I told him hundreds of others were saying worse things about him in online comments. He pulled up the web version and began reading the comments while we were still on the phone.
The real wimps, Fout said, are the people who believe everything they read and make anonymous statements online without knowing the real story. If anybody wants to come say some of that stuff to his face and threaten him, they’re welcome, “but when you’re sipping through a straw for a month because your jaw is broke, don’t blame me,” he said. “I take care of business.”
He doubts anybody will confront him face to face.
“If I was in front of them they’d probably pee and crap their drawers,” he said. “It goes to show you what a bunch of idiots there are in the world. They’re idiots because they don’t know the whole story. I’ll tell every one of them to their face they’re an idiot. The woman put her hand on me and pushed me.”
As for the anonymous commenter who revealed his criminal background, Fout said he will recruit a computer expert he knows to figure out the commenter’s personal information. Then Fout will talk to a lawyer about suing the guy. He asked me if I thought he had a case. I told him no, since criminal convictions are public record.
The 54-year-old Fout characterized himself as “outspoken” and “fiery” but said he would never strike a woman and doesn’t seek confrontation with people. Indeed, he was the one who left the theater and complained to the manager about the woman’s “haughty” attitude and about her pushing him. He didn’t confront her or make a scene inside the theater because he didn’t want to bother other patrons. He did the right thing, he said. Besides, he was making one little text and holding his phone up close to his chest so the light wouldn’t bother anyone else. The woman was making a big deal out of nothing.
“I was more offended by her attitude than what she did to me,” he said. “All she had to do was say, ‘Hey, that phone is bothering me,’ and I would have apologized and stepped out [of the theater]. But don’t push me.”
He was also offended by the way Lieber presented the story.
“Obviously the guy slanted the story because in all likelihood he’s a liberal,” Fout said.
Lieber’s story makes it sound as if Fout called police and pressed charges, but Fout said all he wanted was an apology from Godwin.
Fout complained to a manager in the lobby. While doing so, a woman approached him to say she was a physical therapist. She looked at his neck and noticed a knot.
“Before I knew it here comes Emergency Medical Services and police,” Fout said. “The theater management said by law they had to do that.”
Lieber’s story quotes police as saying that Fout desired to prosecute Godwin, which led to the ticket and a $260 fine. Godwin, of Richmond, Virginia, told Lieber that she paid the fine because it would be too expensive to travel back to Texas to fight it in court.
But Fout said he never asked police to press charges.
“The police came up and they’d already escorted her out and wrote her a ticket,” he said. “What am I supposed to do, ask the police not to do it? Are they going to listen to me? No. They’re going to do what they want to do.”
I asked Fout why police would cite the woman if he weren’t pushing for it.
“C’mon, Jeff, you’re not stupid,” he said. “It’s $260 in revenue. They seized an opportunity.”
Fout said he felt bad for the woman after he read in the Star-Telegram that she’d had to pay such a high fine.
Fout said both of his convictions from the late 1980s — one for assault, one for injury to an elderly person — were misunderstandings. He tried to explain them during our 45-minute phone conversation but the stories were complicated, convoluted, and rife with finger pointing and tales of a corrupt legal system. Suffice it to say that he felt wrongly convicted. Both incidents occurred long ago when he was in his 20s and was too poor to afford an attorney and therefore got railroaded, he said.
I found Fout to be a blowhard, condescending at times, and difficult to like. On the other hand, he doesn’t seem to edit his thoughts before speaking, which is always refreshing to an interviewer.
Overall, my opinion of Fout is he’s one wacky dude. Hopefully I don’t have to eat hamburgers through a straw for saying so.
On the other hand, Godwin paid the fine rather than return to Texas to contest her ticket. If you pay the fine and, in effect, admit guilt, then don’t complain about being wronged. It’s inconvenient to return to Texas for a court date, but it beats being punished for something you feel you didn’t do. ( I once fought a jaywalking ticket for eight years because I refused to pay a fine for something I didn’t do. I eventually got my day in court and the ticket was dismissed. Lieber wrote about it in one of his books, “Watchdog Nation.”)
This guy really knows how to garner empathy.
Why confront him… He’d probably claim whip-lash from being to close to him…. What a little child this guy is….
Evidently things are settled by fighting? This guy sounds ridiculous if he makes these statements. People talk like that in high school, I would think adults know better…
The Star-Telegram just got rid of all the comments and put this message at the top of the story:
“Editor’s note: Comments have been disabled on this report because of repeated violations of our stated policies.”
what an ahole
Its hard to believe Fout’s side of the story in this article. I know for a fact that the movie theater gave Godwin multiple free movie passes because they were embarrassed about the whole incident as were the police officers about having to write the ticket for something so ridiculous.
Claiming a whiplash and calling the cops has put Fout’s clients on notice what kind of person they are taking ‘advice’ from.
Let’s all hope Fout has ‘less business to take care of’.
Mr. Prince – I think you’re being unfair to Ms. Godwin here. The expense of a plane ticket, hotel accomodations, lost wages and possibly legal representation may be prohibitively expensive for her. Some of us have economic and family considerations that make a thousand plus mile plane trip to attend a court date impossible
Wow, this Fouts fella sure knows how to dig himself into a deeper hole. He comes off like a self-righteous idiot. You know, the type who will blame everybody instead of taking responsibility for his actions. Not being able to explain felony assault on an elderly person and blaming the conviction on the legal system just reeks of the type who has a big whopping entitled SOB.
OMG this guy is such a self-righteous pussy! He is obvoiusly not able to handle himself in society due to his redneck low-life upbringing. Maybe he can blame his mama, and his papa, if he has one. And…I’d be happy to tell him so to his dumbass face!! Anyone who patronizes his business is an equal dumbass!!
“… Godwin, of Richmond, Virginia …”
{First, I’m no Fout fan. He talks big, and I’ve seen so many guys like that hit the ground, hard. He’s obviously dealing with some anger issues to feel it’s necessary to say; “I take care of business.” Most of us take care of business, Fout.}
That said… Too many damn foreigners in Texas. Honestly, they’re making Texas a worse place to live. At times I think we would be better off if we didn’t have the job climate we currently enjoy. If Godwin shoved Fout, then we have a problem regardless of the fact that Fout was texting. You do not shove someone, because you don’t like what they’re doing. That’s low-class and cannot be tolerated.
I hope the guy that maliciously released Fout’s criminal background info learns that in some cases there are “dispositions” associated with certain cases, which affect release of that type of otherwise public information. There are also considerations as to whether the info was relevant or merely a malicious release. If you’re “Joe Guru” this is not a good week for you.
All-in-all this was a crappy situation for everyone involved.
He claims that if she had just asked him to leave, he would have left. What a crock. He had already revealed his sense of entitlement by being on the cell during the movie. Anyone who does that has shown they don’t care what anyone thinks. He’s a boorish individual and a tool for trying to blame political ideology for his own failings as a human being. He’s a rude jerk. Is he actually trying to blame liberals for that fact? You mean even in THIS case, a conservative is trying to play the victim?
@ProtectTexas….Godwin is from Texas, she now lives in Virginia due to her husband’s job. The facts are very important to this story and the FACT that Fout has a previous record and an obvious temper says a lot about this particular situation.
Thanks for that tidbit… fact is, even Fout is from Canton OH and as for as I’m concerned if nothing else Godwin acted like a damn foreigner and she still may be. Where was she born? If she was born in Texas, she should be ashamed. As for the release of info, you may want to check into what I said about “dispositions” associated with certain cases. Judges can preclude the release of “public information” in their final ruling(s). Fout’s case may be governed under that type of ruling. There’s always the civil side related to releasing of information. The old adage “anybody can sue anyone over anything” is still true.
Anyway, I’m just tired of all the low-class behavior, H. Allison. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’ve watched as Texas has slowly become an unfriendly place because of all the influx a unfriendly, low-class people.
Actually Godwin was born in Texas and lived here for 50 years before moving and I’m not sure what she should be ashamed of. Tapping someone on the shoulder to politely ask them to turn their phone off is the “Texan” thing to do. Standing up and making a scene in the movies and threatening and then following through with filing an assault charge would be the behavior to be ashamed of….talk about low-class people.
Hmmm… Person shoves or otherwise violates space, shoveee complains, shover gets ticketed for her behavior, pays fine.
What exactly is the big story here?
As Paul Harvey would say, “… and here’s the rest of the story.”
Brenda Godwin was in town for her mother’s 80th birthday. Her mother was sitting with her in the theater. Her mom was driving Brenda to DFW for her return home and they made time to see this movie. Sweet people. I have known Brenda’s mom for about 10 years. My wife and I have traveled with her often and she has been in our home countless times. She is the gentlest and nicest person I have ever met. She makes a great pecan pie, too. I do not know Brenda, to be honest. But I believe her mom when she called that evening and told us that Brenda tapped the man on the shoulder – then all h–l broke loose. She said the man’s screen light was a distraction and they just wanted him to turn it off. (so much for “holding it close to his chest”). She told us this right after it happened, way before it made the paper. She was astonished, bewildered and upset this could have happened. Her mom said that while the police were ticketing her daughter, she could do nothing but cry.
Just some perspective.
From the horse’s mouth, “I would have never given the interview if I knew it would have blown up like this,” Dale Fout said.
Is that what Godwin should have thought before tapping a grown man on the shoulder in a movie theater because his cell phone light is still shining ? HMMMM……….I might get charged with ASSAULT for this? God forbid Fout walks in a crowded area and gets tapped on the shoulder with, “Excuse me sir, did you drop this?” Would he charge them with ASSAULT ?
Good to read Street Level’s perspective. Even so, Godwin made a mistake when she decided to take the matter into her own hands; tap or not. She should have tracked down management — no matter how much time it took — and made a formal complaint. She shares responsibility in all of this mess. Fout’s reaction aside, Godwin’s goal was to watch the movie and instead she tried to make a point and her decision caused her to miss the movie and her point was not made. Especially if she didn’t intend to confront Fout.
There are a lot of inconsiderate people on this God-forsaken planet, and apparently Fout is one of them. Had Godwin waited a few minutes and let that idiot take care of his poorly planned, lousy business, the confrontation could have been avoided. There’s plenty of blame to go around, and making an effort to avoid accountability on both sides is sad to see.
I still think this entire ordeal came about because of a matter of “culture,” or lack thereof. I could not care less if anyone agrees, but when you’re faced with a jerk, don’t put yourself in the position of being a jerk. You’re going to lose.
To be fair, Dale Fout was also sitting with his mother at the movie. He said his mother is a gentle woman who turns the other cheek, but even she was peeved at Godwin’s manner of asking Fout to quit texting.
Fout said he heard someone talking behind him while he was texting but didn’t pay attention to it — just thought it was people having a conversation. Perhaps, he speculated, it was Godwin asking him to quit texting. Maybe she thought he was ignoring her request. Maybe that made her mad. It might explain why Godwin felt compelled to tap him on the shoulder — what else do you do to get someone’s attention? The only people who really know what happened are the people involved, and they all have different perspectives.
It boils down to basic human rights and neighborliness. It’s legal to text in society. It’s up to theater management to enforce its rules against cell phone use. On the other hand, it’s rude to sit down in a movie theater and, just as a movie begins, to start texting or talking on the phone. You put your neighbors in the position of leaving their seat and complaining to a manager, saying nothing and stewing, changing seats, or speaking out. Fout’s behavior put Godwin in that position. So she spoke out and tapped him on the shoulder, or shoved him as Fout claims. Of the four choices Godwin was faced with, she chose the one that, hopefully, human beings never forsake — the choice to interact, communicate, and reason with our fellow man and come to a reasonable conclusion without starting World War III.
I spoke with Fout at length yesterday, listening to him talk about what a tough guy he is, and how he’ll give anybody the first shot on him and then he’ll take care of business, etc. It’s hard to imagine him being hurt by that woman. It’s hard to imagine her delivering a Fritz Von Erich-type shove on a stranger. Fout even said what upset him most was her “haughty” attitude, not the physical contact.
So, it seems like Fout put Godwin in a position of having to speak out, and when she did, Fout didn’t like it and made himself the victim.
Hi Dale Falt’s grandkids who are Googling his name in 15 years? It’s me, the internet. Just wanted to let you know that your Pop-Pop is the worst, and he did a great job of showing a tiny woman how manly he is.
Just in case you were planning to ask him to play outside or watch a movie or something, take my advice – don’t. He will “TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS” all over your tiny face!
GRRRRR!
It’s rumored that the Celine Dion fan club is considering the removal of Fout from their membership. Wait! Just in… he’s out’a’there!
Typical narcissistic behavior. The guy obviously feels he is never wrong and always the victim. I say run from this idiot. Nothing good will come from knowing him.
This guy constantly feels like he’s the victim.
He texts during a movie and is asked to stop? He’s the victim.
He speaks to the press and they report his words? He’s a victim.
Wow, it’s really surprising that he lists Rush Limbaugh as one of his favorite things on his Facebook page.
“Obviously the guy slanted the story because in all likelihood he’s a liberal,” Fout said.
Wait…what?
We have an enormously entitled guy who degraded the theatre experience of all those around him and broke a clearly announced rule about texting during the movie, blamed a small woman for his neck injury, yelled for the manager and cops to save him, threatened his anonymous detractors with some unspecified bodily harm, and now claims he’s the real victim of liberal bias in all this.
Hell, it didn’t take Dave Lieber to spot his tea party politics. We can smell them in the air.
I can’t believe someone this clueless about public perceptions works in marketing. There’s a company to avoid.
He says the police pressed charges without his consent and against his wishes?! BULLSH*T.
@ProtectTexas… It appears he also outsourced the development of his companies website, instead of utilizing a local development/hosting company… he’s a winner all the way around!
@Roy ~ The “in all likelihood” cracked me up, and it’s more proof the guy ain’t from around here. Good ol’ “Startlegram Dave” has been leaning to the left for decades.
@Brian R. ~ That actually happens quite often these days when dealing with domestic violence and other similar police calls. “Pressing charges” is almost a thing of the past, and that is not a good thing.
One more comment for “Roy” — the Tea Party has nothing to do with this case. That is a foolish connection, and the fact that you make that jump says a whole heck of a-lot about you, gringo.
Good catch, Corey Keizer. Some of the best data/hosting centers on the planet… in fact, the best data/hosting centers on the planet are located at the Infomart and surrounding area.
Oops… last comment for “Roy” ~ just realized Fout may have something in cyberspace that identifies him as a Tea Party supporter/member. John Wayne Gacy was a Democrat. I could go on about political parties and their members, but why? Meaningless…
Dale your daddy should have admonished you when you were young there is a time when a man should put away his shovel and quit digging his hole..
put your shovel away Dale… put it away..
Dude, you are a HUUUGE weenie. Accept that, live with it & move on. You filed assault charges on a 54 y/o woman that’s half your size for just touching you & asking you to stop something that’s interrupting a movie she paid at least 10 dollars to watch. Besides that, texting/calling during a movie is just inconsiderate & quite douche bag-ish of you. Whether she did indead push you or not… SHE’S A 54 Y/O WOMAN, HALF YOUR SIZE! Short of her stabbing or shooting you, makes you a WEENIE for filing charges. You PUSSY! Tustin, Ca… That’s where I live. Let me know when you’re close so I can give you an exact address & I’ll gladly call you a little bitch to your face.
Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time, Mr. Prince.
ProtectTexas seems to have missed his civic and geography lessons in high school or learned them at the school of bizzaro. Virginia is also a part of the Union, you know?.
In fact, it was one of the original 13 colonies and Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, was located there. Seven of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were from Virginia as were eight of our presidents. I suppose those credentials are not sufficient for some intellectually bereft Texans.
I hope to God most Texans aren’t like you. If they are, secession would be the best thing that happened to the U.S.A.
We just want Rick Perry to secede and take Dale Fout with him.
Illuminutty, putting your adolescent innuendo aside… for me, it’s more about culture and not so much about where people were born. Our Alamo was full of those from other states (some were from Virginia). They came here to fight for Texas and what Texas stood for and still stands for, today. Friendly is part of Texas, literally, as you may know.
The way people treat other people and the way they protect the Texas Culture determines whether I/we will get along. I don’t suffer fools, and I have no problem admitting I’m prejudiced toward Texans and those that come to Texas expecting to act like a Texan, always. As I see it, and yes I do live by a very strict code, neither Fout or Godwin acted like a Texan. There were better ways to handle the situation. That’s the way I see it, and since my way would mean this story would have never seen the light of day, my way is best. I could not care less what you or anyone else thinks, if you’re in for a fight over a lame movie or because someone pushed you, you’re thinking like a uncouth fool.
There are valid reasons for taking on a fight and none existed at that movie theater. People need to re-learn what it means to respect one another.
Please leave the Tea Party out of this… below is their mission statement and I find no problem with any part of it. The intentions are honest and honorable. I hope they are even a little successful, then more and more. Those who jump on or name-call the Tea Party have never really looked into their effort.
“The Tea Party, a non-profit, non-partisan Citizen grassroots organization is to help: restore fiscal responsibility; effect reductions in taxes and spending of the government at the local, state, and national levels; mobilize and empower citizens through communication, education and the use of election, initiative and petition processes; to restore free markets, personal freedoms, and rights that have been diminished due to extensive growth of government control, and its apparent unwillingness to faithfully execute existing laws and abide by the Constitution of the United States of America.”
Hear! Hear!
Fuck you Dale.
This guy is a tool. Oh yeah Dale. I’m a liberal and I won’t pee in my pants if I see you out & about. And I will confront you just for fun. Try not to cry like a little bitch and run to management =)
@ Street Level
you missed part of it “brought to you by Koch Industries (thus Joseph Stalin since we got our start building oil refineries for that pinko commie)”.
This guy is a bully, plain and simple. The way he theatens to beat anyone who VERBALLY assaults him with PHYSICAL pain, while at the same time stating that he ISN’T one to seek physical confrontation makes me believe even more than the way that woman got off with only a fine was a miracle. If he had been alone with her somewhere with no witnesses, there’s no telling what that madman would have done to her. Checked that guy’s facebook page, he has a picture of him with another woman, must be close. Wonder if he beats her?
We can almost universally agree that Dale is a total toolbag. What bothers me more is this writer, Jeff Prince. What a piece of work.
“On the other hand, Godwin paid the fine rather than return to Texas to contest her ticket. If you pay the fine and, in effect, admit guilt, then don’t complain about being wronged.”
Dude, how stupid can you be? Why would she pay $300+ for a flight back to Texas for a $260 ticket? I once drove four hours to contest a traffic ticket, but even that was stretching the bounds of reason. Grow up. You and Dale were made for each other.
Well said Christopher.
whats everyonew deal, the lady should just have mind her own damn business. What’s more disruptive him Texting or her making a big ass deal about. She’s lucky he was cool about cuz I know if I was him there would have been a big ass scene in that theater. What’s next no snacks in the theater cuz the popcorn is to loud, please grow up and learn how to mind Ur own business. Until then if she don’t like him Texting in the movie, she should pay his phone bill then maybe she can have a say so.
If he was upset about it then he should have confronted her after the movie to tell her that was inappropriate, not slap her with a fine. Such a dick… Texting is ridiculous in the theatre.
Wow Jr, you are clearly as childish as Dale Fout. Suddenly asking someone to stop being disruptive is disruptive in itself? What kind of logic is that? That’s the same as all the people attaching political meanings to some clowns anger management problems. Instead of being a man, he lost his cool, made a scene, and got police involved. Presumably because someone interfered with his little narcissistic world that exists in his head where he can do no wrong. And to threaten people with violence and then say you seek no violence all in a single interview says a lot about you as a person. Talk about breaking peoples jaws after you cried to the police after an old woman tapped you on the shoulder. She could have punched you in the throat and you should have been a man about it.
ProtectTexas – You’re not nearly as special or exceptional as you believe yourself to be. Exceptionalism is the hallmark of adolescence thinking.
“Readers are furious that a 220-pound man who describes himself as a barrel-chested former athlete would complain about a 136-pound woman telling him to turn off his cellphone during the movie.”
Just because someone is bigger doesn’t mean it’s okay for the smaller person to escalate a confrontation to physical violence.
FOUT YOU SUCK AT LIFE!!! Get out of MY Country
Got linked to this story from Joblo – what a complete waste of life this guy is. Whiplash by being tapped on the shoulder? Give me a break. Guys like this are why I choose the movies I see in theaters very carefully. A good response to someone being rude on the phone during a movie is to yell out “Stop the movie, this man here has to take a call! It’s important, please help him!” Works every time lol.
“If you pay the fine and, in effect, admit guilt, then don’t complain about being wronged.”
This is ridiculous. Mr. Prince, if you decide to spend your energy and money in this life fighting jaywalking tickets for 8 years, go for it. But, some people in this world have bigger problems, more constraints, more responsibilities, less resources and their efforts aren’t recorded in books.
You don’t know this woman’s circumstances. You can’t say that’s it’s merely an “inconvenience”.
Were you there at the theater? Judging from Mr. Fout’s past behavior – i.e. assaulting an elderly woman – do you think he was standing there politely in the theater? Isn’t it more likely that this “blowhard” who doesn’t “edit” his comments was fuming and threatening?
So, you think this woman, who, by the way may have been legitimately charged given just putting your hands on someone is an “assault” in some states should spend her hard earned money, take time away from work or kids, relinquish her peace of mind and physical safety to fight this?
Look, you may be a big time warrior, but everyone is not. That doesn’t make her “wrong”, it doesn’t mean she can’t complain or be hurt. It makes her different from you. Some people might even say she took the high road.
And by the way, if she had gone back, I doubt it would be in a book later. So, please don’t start with the “it would help change the system” because that would be a long shot at best.
Did you even interview her? Maybe you should have gotten her side before criticizing her.
I think that you, like just about every other “news” writer out there, are making the mistake of thinking you must balance the story. You just openly said some true, but harsh things about Fout. You wanted to appear balanced and made a presumptuous comment about this woman who has been messed with enough.
Get off your high horse.
Seriously? To say you don’t look for confrontations in one breath and then threaten people for having an opinion about your public mistake in another is just plain stupid. I was also wondering how one’s politics has anything to do with this? (“he must be a liberal”). Tell you what..I’m 6’1″ and a wide 290lbs and also a former football player…you are more than welcome to try to make me eat a hamburger through a straw…and while you’re doing that I’ll be ripping one of your ears off and feeding it to liberal dogs.
Illuminutty, I’ll be the first to say I’m about as unexceptional as you can get… it’s others who’ve tended to describe me as exceptional, and I always balk.
Try to have a good day.
My problem with this whole thing is that I don’t care if a 136 lb woman poked OR pushed the guy. He was on his cell-phone in a theatre. If you get a text while in a theatre – yes, go ahead and check it. Maybe even reply, but just once. After that, it becomes a conversation so leave the theatre and take care of it. Or just don’t respond. I have to assume that the lady poked or pushed him or whatever she did after the first text. In other words, the guy is most likely a douche.
Regardless, even if the woman DID push the guy, who cares? It’s a GIRL.
And his claims that he would make people “pee” themselves? Well, I would say “not really” considering that I could merely tell him that he risks a $260 fine PER finger poke. If you did the math, even IF he decided to get angry enough to punch, that’s 5 fingers! Since this is based in Texas, I’ll do the math for you, that is $1300!!!!
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it(Not in the theatre though, douche!)!!!
“because you’re jaw is broke” should be “because your jaw is broke” unless he spelled it out incorrectly..
If you were in a ‘deadline situation’ then you shouldn’t be in a movie theater. Also, if you’re an insufferable idiot, you shouldn’t be allowed to have a cell phone at all.
FFS!
If you’re someone who is waiting on a very important ‘text message’ from someone, then by all means…keep your ass at home until the message has been received and you’ve taken care of business!
Then, and ONLY THEN, should you take your sorry butt to see a movie…
Even then…if you feel a “reply text” may be warranted, then sit your a$$ in the BACK OF THE THEATER…where your cell phone’s screen light won’t bother anyone but the person next to you..if you’re oh so lucky!
I use to work at a theater and all my friends are managers at theaters. Before a movie they ask everyone to turn your phone off and if you do need to use it in an emergency….even one small text, then you have to get up and leave the theater to take care of it. (By the way, I live in Texas and the theater I worked at was in Texas)
The guy was at fault plain and simple. If it was an emergency text then all he had to do was get up step outside and reply. Hell, most theaters have a hallway to the side that you came in so you can text without anyone seeing and still watch the film!
@GrammarReddi — I corrected “you’re” with “your.”
I think we have a new term for a whiny, blowhard. A fout, as in “Dude, don’t be such a fout.”
You sir are a pansy. I like your braggadocios comments, true sign of a bully. If you think a 136 pound woman hurt your little tender neck then I would hate to see what a full grown man would do to it. Now that your branded as a wussy, might I suggest that next time you go to a movie you turn your stupid phone off, your not that important Governor Goofball. If the lady in the article reads this and needs help paying the fine, please let me know. I will help you pay it just to prove to you that there some real men on Texas.
Wow. If this guy is so tough, how the heck did he supposedly get whiplash from a woman sitting behind him in the dark?
I hope that $260 was worth having the entire world know what a whiny wuss you are, Dale.
this guy is disgusting.
So, Dale Fout threatened to break the jaw of anyone that confronts him? According to the Texas penal code Title 5, Ch 22. Sec. 22.01 Assault (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (2) intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury…
And while assault is generally a Class A misdemeanor, breaking the jaw and impeding the airway could become a 3rd degree felony.
Just sayin’.
Dale Fout, my name is Sandie Smith. I live in Texas. I’m a woman. I’d love the opportunity to tell you what I think of you face-to-face. I can guarantee you I will not “pee” or “crap [my] drawers” when I do so. With your computer expert, I should be extremely easy to find. I look forward to meeting you.
I don’t understand why everyone is calling Dale Fout a pussy. That seems like a clear case of understatement to me, for clearly he is THE BIGGEST PUSSY IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AND LORD OF ALL CRYBABIES THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
“If I was in front of them they’d probably pee and crap their drawers,” he said.
Either that, or they would merely touch your neck, incapacitating you with a series of violent neck spasms that require immediate medical attention lest you slip in a coma. You unbelievable pussy.
Texans, I summon you: DESTROY FOUT!
If this story weren’t proof enough of what a whopping pussy Dale Fout is, check out his Facebook page. He lists Celine Dion among his favorite musicians. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Pussy.
Fout represents everything that is wrong with modern theaters. And also America. But mostly theaters.
This dude is such a fucking idiot. The journalist is a liberal because he told what the police said happened? And it’s true, if you visit his Facebook page he does like Celine Dion. What a fucking pussy.
ProtectTexas – all other statements you’ve made about whose to blame aside:
“There are too many damn foreigners in Texas. Honestly, they’re making Texas a worse place to live.”
Really? What do you think all ass holes in Texas must not originally be from here? That all Texas born babies are born with an overly-pleasant and congenial disposition? It ain’t so mister. I know plenty of Texas-born jack asses that come from a long line of Texas-born jack asses, and I know plenty of perfectly lovely people from just about anywhere else.
Protect Texas indeed. You’d think that being welcoming and hospitable would be on your list of good Texas qualities but I guess that those niceties are reserved only for your fellow Texan dinner guests come to eat some chicken fried steak and Dr Pepper before the Cowboy game.
“Foreigners” don’t make Texas a worse place to live. Hell, it’s not even the tobacco-chewin, foul-mouthed, drunken red necks that make this place so infuriating. It’s the pious, closed-minded, holier-than-thou, Texas-proud, xenophobic, I’m-better-because-I-was-raised-that-way, southern Texas gentlemen that really make this place hard to live in. And yes, you can find those kinds of people everywhere. But, they usually don’t take up such a vast majority for the population.
I don’t even care about the stupid movie incident anymore. Yeah the guy is an ass hole, maybe the lady should have just minded her own business. I’m more concerned about the blatant prejudice coming from you. And to any non-Texans reading this, ProtectTexas does not speak for all Texans and there are a few people with enough open-mindedness to be able to see past at least regional differences.
If, sir, you feel the urge to publicly make a moronic statement regarding your regional purity being tainted by “foreigners”, please resist it and shut the **** up.
Have a nice day. 🙂
P.S. I hope you have a gay child.
Seriously dude? I’m 26 years old and live in college station tx and the same thing happened to me. I was watching a movie with my wife at home then all of a sudden a girl came from behind and jump on my back which pulled my back. I am 6’4″ and 200 lbs and this still happened. But now that I think about it that girl was my3 year old daughter just trying to get my attention. But that doesn’t matter to me so I immediately contacted my priest from when I was an alter boy so he could take me to planned parent hood for a rape kit because you never know about these kids now a days. At least they let me use my phone during it because I had a very important text message about my Celine Dion addiction coming but why should reschedule my rape test and put all of the people helping me out because they are all ants to me!!
And also, if you want to start a straw sipping massacre, I promise I will knock the homosexual mama’s middle aged man out of you.
I am very smart computer engineer from Texas A&M so please find me with that peasized,fully agressive brain of yours and let’s see if we become great
pals
Piss my pants? I’d piss in your face maybe.
If you so much as hurt my feelings I’d sue you for being a little princess.
Mr Fout, it sounds like you have been making excuses for agressive and verbally, and possibly physically abusive behaviour of your own all your life… it’s always someone elses fault when you hurt someone or when someone is in a situation where they can possibly hurt you, too many times this is the textbook behaviour of an abusive personality. Get help before you hurt your family, if you haven’t already.
I hope 4chan gets their hands on this story and makes the guys life a bit of a nightmare for a while.
Has anyone given any thought to whether or not the whole story is being told here? This guy could be a maniac, but then again, so could this woman! None of us were at this theatre when this rediculous whatever took place. If you have any brains at all, you know that the media always paints a TRUE picture! RIGHT! And for those of you wanting to meet face-to-face with this guy, be careful, you may get what you wish for!
Actually this schmo’s quotes, criminal record and actions are what’s doing a pretty good job of displaying what an asshole he is.
If you’re the kind of person defending texting in a theater guaranteed the vast majority of people are going to automatically think you’re a dick with that one action alone.
This guy utterly deserves the public derision that he’s getting.
AL (Illuminutty?), you’re worthless. High-tail-it, we don’t need your hate around here. Your hope that I have a gay child says it all, really. I’ll bet you’re one of those people that still uses the n-word.
Some of you people need stay on topic and quit acting like Fout & Godwin.
Goin’ to the Hill Country for the rest of the month! HAGO.
He who is without sin cast the first stone.
Like all bullies, this guy behaves badly, and as soon as anybody confronts him, he freaks out and goes running to tattle on them.
Fout is clearly a dumbass redneck which a penchant for violent behavior. Fact is that he admitted to texting in the theater. The entire situation could have been avoided had he just walked out into the lobby to text. He made his douchebag bed and now he has to sleep in it. What an a-hole!!
Dude, how did you even make it to the theater? On top of being a petulant little child with rage issues, you’re obviously a complete idiot to boot. When Al wished you had a gay child he was doing so to point out your intolerance and xenophobia(those words mean that you can’t abide differences in others and are afraid of anyone different from you, fyi).
You’re actions are unsurprising coming from someone who doesn’t bother with pesky things like grammar, spelling, and reading comprehension. In one breath you threaten to make people sip through a straw for a month and in the next you complain about other people’s hate?! Idiot.
I’m sure your machismo makes a little introspection unlikely, but you really might give it some thought.
Hahaha. I’m also evidently guilty of being an idiot… *Your* actions… yeesh.
Thanks Cannabination for backing me up but I wasn’t actually talking directly to the guy in the article but rather ProtectTexas whose been commenting for a while and is now aparently run away to the hill country. I appreciate it all the same. I think a much more interesting article would be to figure out who ProtectTexas is and interview him about why he mistrusts non-Texans so much and thinks that Texas should become its own nation, but I think deep down he realizes that doing so would mean getting a whole bunch of negative feedback like what Mr Dale Fout got with this article. So, ProtectTexas is perfectly content to spew his xenophobic ideals in the form of annonymous comments on articles that have nothing to do with the moronic point he’s trying to make rather than at least be man enough to attach his name to them.
Now I am sspeaking directly to ProtectTexas. First off, no, I am not Illuminutty and the comment I left for you was the first one I made to this article. I am not a hater, do not use the “n” word and as Cannabination said, I made the remark about a gay child in order to point out your apparent intollerance. I myself am actually gay and it because of close-minded people like you that make it difficult for people like me to live in places like Texas. I appologize if you misunderstood my meaning in my last comment for it was not my intent to come off as a hate spewing bigot. I was actually trying to vent my frustration about being surounded my hate spewing bigots. Obviously my point was missed and obviously it was entirely my fault for not having been perfectly clear and I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with your ability to comprehend simple english. But on one thing I will agree with you, I was wrong for saying I hoped you have a gay child. Nothing could be further from what I want because I would never wish such an insufferable parent to any child, gay or not.
Enjoy your time in the hill country 🙂
@ Brian from College Station. I personally know this guy you are threatening, and can tell you where he lives. I know he would be kind to you if you were not confrontational, but I also know you would have your hands and probably a couple of your friends hands very full if you forced him to react. I spoke to his 83 yr old mother about this. She said that the management called the police, etc, and they did that to protect themselves because of liability reasons. Your comments are rediculous, since you do not know the whole story…..not even close. But that being said, he lives in Grapevine, TX, and many people here know him. He is very easy to find. It is real easy to blow and go on this blog or anywhere on the net. Just know you are showing your ignorance for making personal attacks….. you and every other person who has made them. No wonder we have all the problems we have in this world!
According to the police report: ““Fout said he got up, walked out of the theater and asked management to call police.” – Officer Emily Hays
But in this article, he sure made it sound like he didn’t bitch and ask for the police. In fact, he said: “Before I knew it here comes Emergency Medical Services and police,” Fout said. “The theater management said by law they had to do that.”
What a piece of shit.
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Thanks a lot!
Check out this losers listing on Hotfrog. Can’t believe anyone would do business with such a wuss…
http://www.hotfrog.com/Companies/Dfw-Advertising-Consultants
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