Have you ever been to a concert, enjoying yourself, having a good time, when all of a sudden someone taller than you scoots in front of you?

“Excuse me,” they politely say. “Sorry, can I just…yeah thanks,” they mutter. They might even slap you on the back to feign some sort of intimacy to make you feel better about the situation. But there they stand, blocking your (and everyone else behind you’s) view.

It’s a shitty thing to have happen. Especially for a band you really care about.

I’m 6’1″, so I don’t have this problem very often. I feel really sorry for the people who are 5’2″ or below who hardly ever get to see anything, let alone a concert, unobstructed. I’ve always tried to be cognizant of this issue. I try to be nice and stand…moderately far back, enough so that those vertically challenged folks can have some standing room in the front, but close enough so that I can still enjoy the show. I also try to stake out a place pretty early so I’m not pushing my way in front of people’s view. Which, ya know, I think is a pretty damn nice thing of me to do, considering I could just be a total ass and shove my way all up to the front.

But now, the vertically challenged are taking a stand. With the rise of cell phone technology, they have decided to raise their phones up and get video of every single moment of a concert. I know you’ve seen it. Maybe you’re guilty of it – taking your phone and holding it far above your head to get a video of every single song to post onto Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or whatever the kids are on these days.

This was the person right in front of me at the Dr. Dog show last night who gave me a fantastic view of their screen.

I know you didn’t pay $20 to see the back of my head instead of the band, and I didn’t pay $20 to see a band through your phone.

You’re there. You’re already watching the band you paid money to see. Why do you need to take a video of it? To prove you were there? To watch later to relive the wonderful moments? It’s just going to sit on your phone or disappear in your Instagram story and you’ll never see it again. So why bother?

Just be there and enjoy it. Disconnect for 60 goddamn minutes and enjoy talented musicians playing the music you love right in front of you. Your memories, your friends, and your fellow concert goers will thank you for it.

N.B. Yes, I realize the irony that I took a picture of her taking a video. I was doing it for science.