Cell Phone Etiquette (Or Lack Of) (2 Viewers)

[Eddie]

I'm sure that most people think cell phones are a wonderful technological advance from the old days of big bulky wall phones with a big dial on them.

I got my first cell phone in about 1988; a Uniden Bagphone I could take with me out in the field, on my boat, camping, virtually anywhere I went. But when I used it, I was polite with it. I'm a private person, and I just never saw the need for anyone else to be able to discern with whom I was talking or what we were talking about. It just wasn't any of their business as far as I was concerned. And, for the most part, the majority of other people you ran into who also had cell phones didn't want you to hear their half of their conversations either. Somewhere along the way that changed though and you'd come across people who would walk around freely chatting away, indulging the rest of us with half of a conversation that we didn't want to hear in the first place.

Then, along came those walkie-talkie type phones. You know, the kind you'd use in a high-noise type of environment like a construction site or something. THEN, you started running into people who insisted on standing in the line at the grocery store checkout and LOUDLY subjecting everyone around them to, not one side, but BOTH sides of their conversations.

BEEP-BEEP: "Bobby, my sister just called and you wont belive what that SOB she's dating has done now, blah-blah, blah-blah, blah-blah".

I don't know about you, but I was never really interested in being forced to hear what the SOB who's dating Bobby's wife's sister did.

Now today, we are blessed with cell phones with speaker-phone capability. These are the phones that are apparently for people who are so lazy that they can't hold the phone to their ear. You've seen them. They walk around in WalMart waving this thing around in their little hands like it's a StarTrek communicator, just lost in their own little world, chattering away about their relationship problems, their terrible boss, their rotten kids, or the fact that they can't decide between meatloaf or beefstew for dinner (I prefer the stew).

So, this is what I did today: Some woman was talking loudly on her StarTrek Communicator with a guy I presume was her husband/boyfriend. They were talking about whether to go to the beach or the mountains this weekend. Since it seemed to me to be a public discussion, I chimed right in with my opinion. I told "Bob" that there really wasn't much to do at the beach right now cause the fish aren't biting and the water is too cold to swim....so if it were me, I'd go to the mountains and snowski one last time.

Bob said, "Who the hell is that?!" And the woman looked at me, quite obviously taken aback and said, and I swear this is TRUE, "Excuse me, this is a PRIVATE conversation!" I just smiled and walked away.

 

[Bobby]

I was buying my wife a Christmas present back in December and she happened to call me just as I was paying for it. I answered , said I'm at the checkout counter and I'll call you back , and hung up. The clerk smiled at me.
I just shrugged . I said it would be rude to talk right now wouldn't it?

This bugs me all the time. Then I thought well, what's the difference if they're talking to someone standing next to them or talking into their phone.
Well, the difference is they have to talk louder to be heard over their cell phone. It's annoying. I think the next time someone in line does that, as I talk to the clerk I 'll pull a Garrett Morris hard of hearing routine on them
YES I FOUND EVERYTHING I NEEDED THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE PLASTIC PLEASE. COULD I HAVE 2 FIVES WITH THAT CHANGE.

Do you think the boor on the cell phone would be annoyed?

 

[Lori]

I agree with you completely. Now the thing is that stupid ear piece that people wear that apparently need to be in contact with everyone every second of the day. If you don't notice the ear piece, all of a sudden, the guy (or gal) behind you starts to talk and you think they are talking to you cause you don't see the ear piece. Holy cow people, if the house isn't on fire, let it go until you are in a private area. This new ear thing drives me nuts, and quite frankly, it looks stupid and when you are talking into it. You look kind of stupid too cause those around may not know you have that device.
Apparently, we aren't the only ones. Many places I go, (Dr offices, pharmacy, salon/spa's) ask that you shut them off as they are trying to maintain a peaceful environment. Enough said.

 

[Eddie]

Glad to know I'm not alone in my feelings. Generally, I keep my phone on vibrate when I'm in public and when it does ring I look at the caller ID. Unless it's the Hospital or my home security company calling, the call is usually not important enough to take at that moment. Goodness KNOWS, I'm not so important as to be talking to someone every minute of every day.

 

[none]

I hate those bluetooth ear pieces, people walk around talking to themselves looking like the Village Idiot.You can't tell the crazy people from the cell phone people anymore.At least you used to know if someone was walking around carrying on a conversation with themselves, they were likely crazy & you stayed away from them.
The thing I have seen more of is a sign on the counter of a business that says "please finish your phone conversation before approaching the counter"
I was at a convenience store & the guy behind the counter told the young girl who was talking on her phone "when you finish your call, I'll wait on you" Boy did she looked pissed! I told him "thank you!"

 

[.]

Oh man, this is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I'm the cashier you were talking about.
Lots of times, people come in using their "outside" voice and appraoch the counter to pay.
I usually like greeting folks, but these cell-phone people don't even glance my way or acknowledge me.
Frickin' hate that!

I went on a 1st date with this one girl, and we were at the dinner table, she was on her phone yakkin to her girlfriends .
I dialed her number and she told her girlfriend "hang on, I have another call. Hello?".
I said 'Hi, it's me, your date sitting across from you. I'm gonna go. Bye."
She looked up with big surprised eyes.

True story. I'll never forget it.
I don't think anyone ever did that to her.

 

[none]

Forgot to add to my above post.
A friend of mine was training a new driver one day. The trainee crawled up in the passenger seat all ready to go,bluetooth in ear ready to take on the world.
My friend said "take that damm thing out of your ear. I wont know if your talking to me or not & if your riding with me,your obliviously NOT that important"

 

[none]

Oh man, this is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I'm the cashier you were talking about.
Lots of times, people come in using their "outside" voice and appraoch the counter to pay.
I usually like greeting folks, but these cell-phone people don't even glance my way or acknowledge me.
Frickin' hate that!

I went on a 1st date with this one girl, and we were at the dinner table, she was on her phone yakkin to her girlfriends .
I dialed her number and she told her girlfriend "hang on, I have another call. Hello?".
I said 'Hi, it's me, your date sitting across from you. I'm gonna go. Bye."
She looked up with big surprised eyes.

True story. I'll never forget it.
I don't think anyone ever did that to her.

That date story was too funny! Dude your my hero!

 

[CDR]

So, this is what I did today: Some woman was talking loudly on her StarTrek Communicator with a guy I presume was her husband/boyfriend. They were talking about whether to go to the beach or the mountains this weekend. Since it seemed to me to be a public discussion, I chimed right in with my opinion. I told "Bob" that there really wasn't much to do at the beach right now cause the fish aren't biting and the water is too cold to swim....so if it were me, I'd go to the mountains and snowski one last time.

Bob said, "Who the hell is that?!" And the woman looked at me, quite obviously taken aback and said, and I swear this is TRUE, "Excuse me, this is a PRIVATE conversation!" I just smiled and walked away.

 

[.]

That date story was too funny! Dude your my hero!

The joke was on me, she was really pretty and I liked her.
-Paul, zero

 

[Stroker]

The joke was on me, she was really pretty and I liked her.
-Paul, zero

Paul,
Better to find out after the first date, rather than a year of marriage, just how important you were to her!

 

[Jenn]

I had a delivery lady (and I use the term lady rather loosely) from Prudential Overall Supply who would come in to service my rugs and uniforms and was always talking on the phone, I mean she'd drive in to my driveway with her elbows on the steering wheel of this big delivery truck, yapping on the phone. She'd come in, roll up my rugs, talking on the phone loud as you can be, hearing about her daughter and everybody else. I'd wait until she had a pause in the action to you know, update her on an issue or something but half the time, she'd be so wrapped up in the conversation, she'd ignore me.

Finally I told her that when she came into my business, she better be off the phone. She told me that it was her personal cell phone and she was doing her job, so I told her that she wasn't going to be doing her job at my business any more, and I used my cell phone and the invoice she had just thrust at me, to call her supervisor. She actually was pleading with me not to complete the phone call, but I'd had enough.

A few days later, I was cut off by a POS truck and it was the same driver. Yalking on the cell phone and driving with her elbows. I called POS and reported her but as far as I know, she's still driving.

 

[Jenn]

Oh man, this is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I'm the cashier you were talking about.
Lots of times, people come in using their "outside" voice and appraoch the counter to pay.
I usually like greeting folks, but these cell-phone people don't even glance my way or acknowledge me.
Frickin' hate that!

I went on a 1st date with this one girl, and we were at the dinner table, she was on her phone yakkin to her girlfriends .
I dialed her number and she told her girlfriend "hang on, I have another call. Hello?".
I said 'Hi, it's me, your date sitting across from you. I'm gonna go. Bye."
She looked up with big surprised eyes.

True story. I'll never forget it.
I don't think anyone ever did that to her.

I've done that several times to my sister and she hasn't learned.

 

[.]

I hate rude people on cell phones. Some days I'd like to just rip the thing out of their hands and kick it up their @ss!

 

[Kelly]

OK, I use a bluetooth....but ONLY in the car. It started after my dirtbike accident last November. It was really hard to drive and talk with my wounded wing. I know, I know....just wait until you get home then. Well, it doesn't work that way when you are in the car for at least an hour and sometimes two hours on a commute.

Anyway, even if I stop at the store I take it off my ear and leave it in the car.

I live in a VERY small town with VERY unimportant people and I am amazed at baseball and football games there are these freakin' rednecks (gotta love 'em) with barely any teeth and high-water acid wash jeans with a damn bluetooth in their ear! GRRRRR!!!! You aint that important damnit!

 

[clwill]

In my family we have a game called "crazy or on a cell phone" where we look at someone talking to themselves and try to decide which they are. My 14 year old is the best at it, and the other day he got his first "crazy" right. We were walking in this upscale mall and this guy was talking to himself. I said "cell phone" and he said "crazy"... it wasn't until he got closer and we realized that a) he had no Lt. Uhura in either ear and b) was swatting away imaginary flies that I realized my son was right

 

[paoldtimer]

What drives me crazy are the people on airplanes...the wheels hit the runway and 60 seconds later everyone and their brother are powering up the cell phones...to talk about absolutely nothing!! You mean to tell me you can't wait a few minutes to get into the terminal before you have to yak on that phone! I don't care to hear your conversation!

Paul: That is a classic! You didn't lose a thing...looks go away

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I now occasionally will tell a complete stranger "You've got a bug on your ear!" and they'll grab for it!

A very shallow guy who used to drive for us was something else. Any chance he had to be on his cell phone, he'd hold it way up and make sure to look all around at other people while he was talking. In other words, he's "Mr. Important." LOL.

LOL, remember when Mr. Important was the guy in a movie in the 70s who'd pick up a car phone? I bet he's having an identity crisis about now!

Yeah, I hate the darned things. Thank gosh for caller I.D. You having my number and my having a phone does NOT obligate me to talk to anyone. Dittos on vibrate in public and keeping conversations to yourself. Those annoying freaking ringtones! Edit. I DID hear one ringtone recently that I liked! It was a female voice saying "BLAH, BLAH! BLAH BLAH BLAH!"

Driving a truck, I obviously have to use public restrooms all week. How many times people will answer a stupid cell phone while sitting on the toilet? Don't they think the person on the other line hears flushing, not to mention "other" sounds? On top of that, there have been times when one of those guys has his phone set on vibrate (so you don't hear it ring). All of a sudden you've got a guy in the next stall saying "Hello? Howya doin?"

 

[Alan]

I had a customer come in one day, I asked if I could help him, and he held his finger up to me. I waited a minute or two, another customer came in, and I helped him instead of the cell phone abuser. The guy came unglued!!! I couldn't believe him..........he thought it was rude of me to help someone that came in after him. He left....

BTW, in July of this year, hands-free devices become mandatory in California.

 

[Lori]

OK, I use a bluetooth....but ONLY in the car. It started after my dirtbike accident last November. It was really hard to drive and talk with my wounded wing. I know, I know....just wait until you get home then. Well, it doesn't work that way when you are in the car for at least an hour and sometimes two hours on a commute.

Anyway, even if I stop at the store I take it off my ear and leave it in the car.

I live in a VERY small town with VERY unimportant people and I am amazed at baseball and football games there are these freakin' rednecks (gotta love 'em) with barely any teeth and high-water acid wash jeans with a damn bluetooth in their ear! GRRRRR!!!! You aint that important damnit!

You are using the bluetooth for its intended purpose, hands free while driving. Many people can't leave them behind in the car, and that is what I am talking about. I can't count the number of times I have seen people at the grocery store walking around having a conversation and looking ridiculous.
We got my Dad a Garmin GPS system that works in his motorcycle as well as his car and has bluetooth capabilities. I am thankful that he can keep both hands on the wheel or handlebars when he is traveling as we call and check on him frequently. He hasn't used it for any other reason. They are a good tool if you use them for the way they are intended.