Will someone explain cell phone etiquette to me?

[L Sass]

Because apparently I just don't get it. Consider the following 2 incidents - both at grocery stores.

1. I'm at the deli counter being waited on. Woman on cell phone arrives at deli counter chatting up a storm about blah blah blah. Second woman then arrives at deli counter in line. A second clerk asks who is next, and chatty cell phone woman continues to chat with no outward indication that she is wrapping up her call. Now both deli clerks, me, and 2 waiting customers all know who is in line, etc. Clerk waits for about 45 seconds while woman #1 continues to chat. Waiting woman #2 is patiently getting a little preturbed. Nobody says anything, so I pipe up and say "I think this means you're next." Clerk proceeds to take woman #2's order -- woman 1 - still chatting, gives me the evil eye.

2. Separate grocery store. I'm in the express check out - you know - the 12 items or less. Woman in front of me chatting on her cell phone - about 4 folks behind me. Cashier tells cell phone talker her total, and she takes a break from her conversation to say she doesn't have cash - she's going to go over to the ATM and get cash - be right back. Goes to the ATM and proceeds to chat away, complete with gesturing or using her hands, and not at all focused on what the ATM is telling her to push, etc. After about 2 minutes, I left. Folks behind me were pretty annoyed, cell phone lady was so engaged in her conversation that she was oblivious to all these people waiting on her.

Now perhaps I am impatient, but from a cell phone etiquette standpoint, how long SHOULD the rest of the consumer world reasonably wait for folks who carry phones everywhere with them to wrap it up? (Oh, maybe I just needed to vent)

 

[MuscleGuy]

In my opinion, you shouldn't have to wait at all. If they are having a phone conversation, then they are having a phone conversation....they shouldn't be getting in line for things and holding people up.

Some people seem to think they are so important they can't be out of touch for a second or just turn the phone off for a minute while they do something else (like paying for groceries).....but when you hear what they are actually saying that is so important it's usually just inane.

 

[marnold]

Situation 1: You rock. I would have done the same. Enough said.

Situation 2: Too bad the cashier didn't cancel her order on the register the minute she said she didn't have cash.

Cellphone etiquette (if there is a thing) should be taught in grade school. Then maybe the "new" generation would graduate knowing what is rude because apparently this is not being taught at home! LOL

 

[PhyllisG]

I can understand completely especially because these people are talking about nothing. Everywhere you go people are talking away and you can hardly think straight. I know stuff about other peoples lives I have no business knowing at all. I watched a woman at a Panera cafe knock someone's food tray off the p/u counter, not even noticing and just walk away still talking on her cell phone while everyone else stood there staring at her. Oblivious. People walk in front of your car--at least in my town--talking and expect you to be responsible for their crossing the street. I am sure you can tell this is a pet peeve of mine. All I can imagine are all these words floating around the universe forever.

 

[Fidget Queen]

Nobody should wait for someone who can't get off the cell phone - AT ALL. It is not just a "cell-phone etiquette" problem, it is an issue of complete lack of respect. The cell phone use is just a symptom of these people's selfishness and overblown egos.

IMHO, if you are shopping or going into any situation in which you will be talking to or dealing with other people, you turn off the iPod and you end conversations. Period. Even if you somehow manage to talk on the phone while interacting with other people, it's rude, to both the one you're talking to and the human being in front of you. I have no patience for people who can not and will not regard the people around them.

 

[marnold]

I agree with all of you, but these days I am beginning to feel "old school" because I interact daily with many more rude people who do not have manners...kind of a bummer!

 

[L Sass]

I agree with all of you, but these days I am beginning to feel "old school" because I interact daily with many more rude people who do not have manners...kind of a bummer!

YES!!!! That's my point -- I feel like an old kurmudgen (sp) because I really expect folks to turn off their phones in these kinds of interactions. I don't think I should feel bad about that, but I do.

 

[marnold]

Maybe if more of us called out the rude people in public at every opportunity, they would wake up, straighten up and fly right?!

 

[banslug]

I agree with all of you, but these days I am beginning to feel "old school" because I interact daily with many more rude people who do not have manners...kind of a bummer!

and THIS statement is how it's been at our school with our current 4th/5th grade kids......"more rude people who do not have manners" than those that do (obviously, I mean the KIDS not the adults at school). This RUDE behavior and these HORRIBLE habits are trickling down ALREADY to the young ones...I've seen it every school day for the past 9 months and THAT is why I'm ECSTATIC SCHOOL IS OVER TILL SEPTEMBER!

Lorrie, I'm old school too and don't give a hoot (wish I swore, lol ).

Add to your list, those that just don't listen to the sincere request to TURN OFF THE RINGER WHILE IN ATTENDANCE OF THIS performance/ceremony, etc!

Gayle

 

[LauraMax]

I agree with all of you, but these days I am beginning to feel "old school" because I interact daily with many more rude people who do not have manners...kind of a bummer!

You are not alone. I always say my mom brought me up wrong b/c she taught me manners.

OK Lorrie, why must you get me started? This is like my #1 pet peeve! (well, that & non-handicapped drivers parking in handicapped spots)

If I was Ms. Manners & I got to actually publish something about it, here's what I would write:

1) Leave your cell in the car when going into a public place
2) If you MUST have your cell w/you in case of a child emergency or b/c you're waiting for an important call, put it on vibrate (or hummer, pick your own euphamism LOL)
3) DO NOT answer cell in public place unless it's above referenced emergency or important call
4) If you must answer cell b/c it's above referenced emergency or important call, step into someplace private so the rest of the world doesn't have to be subject to your yammering
5) NEVER EVER bring the cell into the gym or a restaurant. Leave the gym's or restaurant's phone # w/your sitter or DH or whoever, but give the rest of the world a break, 'K?

Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

 

[mrsmel]

I couldn't agree more. I actually hate cell phones, but I understand their usefulness. I'm sorry, but I just don't need to be that reachable. I like it that there are times when no one can get a hold of me. My phone lives in the glovebox of my car for the most part. One of my biggest pet peeves? Parents who say their children HAVE to be able to get in touch with them. I'm not a parent, so flame away, but until just a few years ago parents didn't even have that option and many, many of us survived just fine. Of course, give the sitter the gym or restaurant phone number in case of an emergency, but I don't think picking between regular and chocolate milk constitutes an emergency. JMHO

anne

 

[TeTe]

I don't think it's phone etiquette. It's just plain manners. If they didn't have cell phones, rude people would find some other way to try to prove that no one else in the world matters but them.

 

[elliemom]

I can't even begin to tell you how much I agree with ALL of the above!!!!!!

My biggest pet peeve- I am not at home for an hour and a friend calls, rather than leave a message, they proceed to call me on my car phone ( NOW that's an old school term!!!!). My phone stays in my car, for when I am out and the school NEEDS to reach me for an emergency. That's it!!!!

When people are talking with an earpiece in the store and i can't see the earpiece, I may respond to their question, only to have them very rudely talk to me like I am 4 years old. " I AM ON THE PHONE"!!!!!

ellie

 

[JeanneMarie]

You are not alone. I always say my mom brought me up wrong b/c she taught me manners.

OK Lorrie, why must you get me started? This is like my #1 pet peeve! (well, that & non-handicapped drivers parking in handicapped spots)

If I was Ms. Manners & I got to actually publish something about it, here's what I would write:

1) Leave your cell in the car when going into a public place
2) If you MUST have your cell w/you in case of a child emergency or b/c you're waiting for an important call, put it on vibrate (or hummer, pick your own euphamism LOL)
3) DO NOT answer cell in public place unless it's above referenced emergency or important call
4) If you must answer cell b/c it's above referenced emergency or important call, step into someplace private so the rest of the world doesn't have to be subject to your yammering
5) NEVER EVER bring the cell into the gym or a restaurant. Leave the gym's or restaurant's phone # w/your sitter or DH or whoever, but give the rest of the world a break, 'K?

Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

I like your rules, Laura. Too bad 90% of the cell phone public would never even think of following those rules.

I just don't understand other people who are oblivious to others, whatever the cause. If you're in a public place, interacting with others, it is your obligation to pay attention to the other person(s) and not cause delay or aggravation to those around you.

There will always be the loud voice guy, who talks at the top of his lungs so that everybody can hear his/her "important" converation.

There will always be the chatty guy, who continues to talk even though he/she should be doing something else (checking out, eating, etc.)

Also, not to forget the bluetooth guy, who walks around "talking to himself", making those around him think he's talking to them, only he's not.

And last, there will always be the annoying ringtone guy, who has the loudest, most obnoxious ringtone known to man, and never turns it off in a restaurant or other public place.

 

[JannR]

I don't think it's phone etiquette. It's just plain manners. If they didn't have cell phones, rude people would find some other way to try to prove that no one else in the world matters but them.

Ditto! It's plain manners.

 

[marnold]

Isn't funny how the stupid guy talking to himself (bluetooth guy) is somehow cool now? In my day (ha ha), this person would have been shunned as a WEIRDO.

 

[kirsten777]

I can't even begin to tell you how much I agree with ALL of the above!!!!!!

When people are talking with an earpiece in the store and i can't see the earpiece, I may respond to their question, only to have them very rudely talk to me like I am 4 years old. " I AM ON THE PHONE"!!!!!

ellie

Maybe when someone starts talking to no one we can see, we should just go up to them and move their hair out of the way to see if they have an earpiece!!

I only have a cell phone so that if my car breaks down, I don't have to get out of it and risk my life! I have almost gotten run into by people taking on their phones while driving, 3 times in the last year!!!!! I think the terms, "consideration," "respect," "thoughfulness," have become archaic (sp) terms that are dropping out of the english language!!

 

[LauraMax]

Isn't funny how the stupid guy talking to himself (bluetooth guy) is somehow cool now? In my day (ha ha), this person would have been shunned as a WEIRDO.

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if Ben Franklin was magically transported through time & saw that.

 

[kathryn]

Now perhaps I am impatient, but from a cell phone etiquette standpoint, how long SHOULD the rest of the consumer world reasonably wait for folks who carry phones everywhere with them to wrap it up? (Oh, maybe I just needed to vent)

1 second.

I get the impression many people don't even know there is such a thing as cell-phone ettiquette. At least they don't put it into practice.

I really have no patience with people yapping on their cell phones in public places, or while driving. I think all businesses should have scramblers in them that prevent them from being used inside the store. My eye doctor has put up a sign in his office telling people that cell phone use is not allowed (I guess he's annoyed by it as well).

I was at the post office one day, and the first woman in line was yacking away on her phone, continued yacking away when she went up to the counter and didn't even acknowledge the existence of the clerk. She did her entire transaction while still on the phone. When I got to the counter, I mentioned it to the clerk and he was clearly annoyed as well.

I've also been to conferences where people get a call, and their freaking loud cell phone goes off, and of course they can't find it immediately and are rooting around in their purse, all the while having the phone even louder (don't people know how to adjust the volume? I don't use my phone much, but one of the first things I did was figure out how to put it on vibrate--which is called "manner mode" by my phone). And these are foreign language teachers, so they of course have some loud version of something like the Mexican hat dance song as their ring tone.

 

[kathryn]

...but when you hear what they are actually saying that is so important it's usually just inane.

How true!
I even read an article a couple of years ago about how cell phone use has increased the amount of time people spend talking to others, but DECREASED the meaningful content of the conversations. I know some students get on the phone the instant they get out of class, and what they say amounts to "hey, I just got out of class. Whatcha doing? Yeah, I've got another class now....bla bla bla". How about saving some things to tell people when you're actually face to face?

I wonder if any bodily harm has yet been committed on people because someone else was so annoyed by their cell phone use? I'm tempted at times, LOL!