Thursday, May 21, 2009

Cell phone ettiquette

What in the hell has happened in the last few years that we have completely forgotten the appropriate ettiquette for cell phones?

Years ago I attended a funeral and actually watched the son of the deceased answer his cell phone and then talk, YES TALK, on the phone during the service. While I don't condone or excuse this behavior, it was so long ago that cell phones weren't necessarily in the mainstream at that time so people really had no clue what was appropriate.

A few years and several million cell phones later, people started to adopt more appropriate standards with cell phones. But now I think we have reverted to some highly inappropriate bevavior.

Lately I have seen some very disturbing activities among cell phone users. No, I am not talking about "texting" or "sexting". I am referring to the basic common courtesy people have forgotten to extend to one another.

At two T-ball games in a row this week, the coach on the other team (2 games, 2 teams, 2 different people) not only had their cell phone on, but they answered it in the middle of the game, which coaching their team. And then to top it off, they had actual CON-VER-SA-TIONS. WTF?!?!

Then, today I attended a luncheon meeting. Honest to God, I can forgive you if you forget to turn your phone off and it rings and you look sheepish and grab it, turn it off and freaking apologize. Who hasn't made THAT mistake once or twice. What I cannot tolerate is this scenario:

Lady A's phone started ringing, and ringing and ringing. She checked it and just turned off the ring, not the phone. Then Dude B's phone rang, and rang, and rang. Lady A's phone rang again. Dude C's phone rang, then Dude B. Just when I thought people had it figured out, Dude C's phone rang again. These people were all withing 5 feet of one another.

And you know what Dude C said? "I just dont' know how to work this new phone." Surely you know where the freaking power button is. If you don't, you shouldn't have a cell phone, let alone a driver's license and a set of car keys.

I think the most amazing thing was that no one else in the room appeared to be in the least bit bothered. In fact, they all looked kind of amused. I think I was the only one in the room who looked like they just smelled an 8 month old partially thawed dog terd.

Perhaps that is what bothers me the most, that no one else seems to care about interrupting an important thing like I dunno, coaching your child, or a volunteer speaker, for the sake of finding out what the hell you're going to eat for dinner.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the worst lack of cell phone ettiquette is when people talk on their phone in a public restroom. I have actually seen someone answer their phone and go to the restroom to talk because it was a more private place. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! GROSS!!! Makes you think twice about borrowing someones phone.

Maude said...

OMG that is really gross! Next time you hear that you should fake dropping a really loud deuce by moaning and dropping something that goes "sploosh" in the toilet so that whoever is on the phone gets outed! Yuck! That is pretty bad!