Cell Phones

[jackfaire]

Okay I had to bawl out a friend today for using his cell phone in a library today.

He didn't understand why it was a big deal I pointed out that while we were talking in hushed tones to not disturb others that when he hopped on his phone he started speaking like he would normally.

People instantly forget they are in a library when they get on their cell.

[LadyBarbossa]

The thing with using the cell while, say, having dinner with friends at a restaurant is the fact that I believe it's incredibly rude to go out with a friend or number of friends and then carry on a conversation with someone else on the phone. When someone is on the phone, I always feel as if it'd be rude of me to chat with people physically there lest I make it difficult for the phone-user to hear their convo. Hopefully that made sense.

My Dad has lost most of his good manners since he got a cell. Mom will answer a call on the house phone in the living room, and suddenly he feels the urge to whip out his cell and dial an old friend and have a loud conversation in the same room. He's also the kind that calls us five times a day (he's a truck driver) just to ask repeatedly what we're doing, what's 'on the agenda' for today, etc. Especially grating if we tell him we're planning on going out or taking a nap and then he rings the phone/phones off the hook and wonders why we don't pick up because he apparently wasn't listening when we told him our aforementioned plans. He's gotten into the habit of calling just for the sake of doing it.

Texting is even more aggravating, IMO. At least when people are walking around talking, they can pay minimal attention to where they're going and such. Chronic texters stand in the way like some kind of zombie consuming their diet of electronic brains.

[Boozy]

The thing with using the cell while, say, having dinner with friends at a restaurant is the fact that I believe it's incredibly rude to go out with a friend or number of friends and then carry on a conversation with someone else on the phone.

I agree. Like I said I don't mind cells in restaurants - as long as the person's dinner companions don't mind. That's an important qualification.

My husband is frequently on call, so he'll take often work calls when we're out for lunch or something. I don't mind, because I understand that the calls are important. The other option is not spending time with him at all while he is on call. I'd rather go out and put up with the occasional interruption.

He's also the kind that calls us five times a day (he's a truck driver) just to ask repeatedly what we're doing, what's 'on the agenda' for today, etc.

I hate it when people call me because they're bored at work. If I'm at home, I usually have better things to do. If a friend calls and they actually have something to say, that's great. But don't expect me to entertain you while you work.

[Rageaholic]

There's no difference between overhearing pieces of a regular conversation and overhearing pieces of a cell phone conversation, in my mind.

This.

The only times when cell phones get on my nerves are.

-When people are talking REALLY LOUDLY, like when I am trying to study and some asshat is carrying a long and loud conversation about her friends car troubles.

-Those noisy ringtones that go off. Even more annoying is when they just ignore it while everyone else is about ready to shove it somewhere. Just turn it on viberate!

I don't mind if people text in class, as long as they are quiet about it.

[AdminAssistant]

I don't mind if people text in class, as long as they are quiet about it.

Oh, I do.

I was on the verge of telling one of my students this year that if there was something THAT important going on that he couldn't put his damn phone away for 50 minutes, then he could just leave my classroom. It's so distracting, and it makes me feel like such a piece of crap.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I don't like people yapping on mobiles when I'm trying to serve them; when they're driving; or if they're bellowing into the phone. -.- It's just totally rude and uncalled for and the person doing either of those needs a good slapping. I got knocked off my moped once cuz this dickweed was driving on the wrong side of the road, yacking into his phone.

[Bloodsoul]

I can't stand people on their phones while driving, especially since I've nearly been run over by such folk on occasion.

Also talking on the phone when you're on the john is just wrong.

[protege]

Add me to the group who can't stand idiots on phones while driving. In fact, I got stuck behind such a driver. This woman, was attempting to steer while holding a phone--as soon as the road started to curve, she'd hit the brakes. Bad enough that she was going well under the 35mph speed limit, but to have to deal with that crap too? Get off the damn phone!

[mikoyan29]

I remember a study a few years ago where they said cell phone driving is worse than drunk driving. Now we add texting to the mix. Given that this is activity where you pretty much are focused on the screen and have to use both hands, I don't know how people can drive too.

[Fryk]

"People who text while driving can turn an LOL into a great big OMG."

Thanks Katie Couric

[HYHYBT]

I remember a study a few years ago where they said cell phone driving is worse than drunk driving.

I remember that as well, and the results don't equate as well as they seem to. They made the participants continue the phone conversations throughout, no matter what was going on in the test. Which makes sense, for a study, but doesn't translate well to real life: if you're drunk, you're drunk for the whole drive, but you can choose not to answer the phone while on city streets or in heavy traffic, and drop it if things get more serious. If I'm out on a deserted country road with good visibility, or on a rural interstate with the next closest car 1/4 mile away and going the same speed and direction, there's no good reason I can't take half a minute to tell someone I'm running late. But where there are turnouts, driveways, traffic lights, etc., or traffic or pedestrians? Forget it.

As for rude, well, unfortunately (or fortunately, take your pick) this story is thirdhand, but my brother knows someone who went to a church where another member had been having an argument with the pastor. So to express his displeasure, Sunday morning during the Gospel reading he placed a loud phone call. Because this *is* a thirdhand story, I can only guess at how that went over with the rest of the congregation.

[jackfaire]

It's not the talking on the cell phone that is bad in my opinion it is the holding the cell phone to your ear. For years people have been having conversations in their cars and no one said squawk now because it's on a phone it's an issue and people assume it's the talking.

[Bloodsoul]

I s'pose it's good that not too many use their laptops while driving, eh?

http://www.elfonlyinn.net/d/20040609.html

[Greenday]

I remember a study a few years ago where they said cell phone driving is worse than drunk driving. Now we add texting to the mix. Given that this is activity where you pretty much are focused on the screen and have to use both hands, I don't know how people can drive too.

Bollocks (hooray for using English English curse words!). Cell phone driving isn't near as dangerous as drunk driving. Being drunk actually impairs your ability to react and move. Cell phones do not. As for texting, why exactly does it require focusing on the screen and using both hands. I text with one hand without looking and even realize when I make an error without looking.

[lordlundar]

Being drunk actually impairs your ability to react and move. Cell phones do not.

Actually, cell phones do because people like to think they can multi-task. There is no such thing as a human capability to multi-task, they simply switch focus from one task to another. When you factor that in, combined with how people seem to block out all other events around them while using cell phones, and you have a situation that yes, is just as, if not more dangerous than drunk driving.