A month for cell phone courtesy
Talk about poor taste in cell phones.
Forget Independence Day, Bastille Day, and Canada Day, there's something a lot more exciting going on in July than just celebrating your country. According to a Palm Beach, Fla., etiquette expert, we're also in the middle of National Cell Phone Courtesy Month.
The "National" part is debatable, since no national body like the U.S. Congress has backed the event, but in a country with a National Frozen Food Month you can't be too picky.
While some of you may rightfully wonder if "courtesy" and something as obtrusive as a cell phone can ever go together, Jacqueline Whitmore of The Protocol School of Palm Beach (I can only imagine the board meetings of that group) begs to differ. She offers eight tips for "how to talk on a wireless phone without annoying others."
The tips, which range from not talking in a restaurant to speaking in quiet tones, are exactly what you'd expect, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth repeating. My favorite is tip No. 6, which advises against talking about private matters in a public place. I'm always amused when a person yelling at their significant other on a cell phone gets angry when you give them a strange look.
I wrote my own take on cell phone manners two years ago, but I want to know what you think. What are your pet peeves for cell phone behavior? How can cell phone users be more courteous?
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent.
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Ban All use of cell phones in cars !
Which occurs on September 19th.
I mean really, you want a cool day... heh
Just last month in a movie theatre... Bad: a cellphone rings, audience grumbles. Worse: the guy picks up the call and starts talking in the theatre. Even worse: he actually says, "I can't talk right now. I'm in a movie theatre." (Duh, that's what voicemail is for. If you can't talk, why did you answer the ******* phone?) Worst: the guy starts arguing with people who have just called him an selfish a--hole.
I think a part of the problem comes down to the fact that some people think that they are entitled to ignore manners and that they somehow fall into an exception because they are better than the others around them.
Tacky, tacky, tacky.
As demonstrated by the use of "U," because typing out two extra letters would be so much bother.
I do not know your professionalism and courtesy as a cashier - but I get annoyed when I am in a checkout line and the cashier does not look at me or even say "Hello". All I get, in the middle of their conversation with the bagger about where they are gonna drink tonight, is "that'll be $25.34" and they put their hand out. They are still talking to their bagger friend and still looking at them.
If I have time to wait - I will not do anything until they look at me and go "Ahh - that'll be $25.34".
Once I actually walked out or a store with all my stuff sitting in the bags in the cart. The cart remained in the checkout line. I brought my business some where it would be appreciated.
I know - nothign to do with cell phones - but since yo uare talking about "Courtesy" I had to bring it up...
Just because someone has my phone number, does not guarantee that I will answer a call at any moment. Same goes for call-waiting. I will NOT put a call on hold to answer another incoming call. That is just being rude to the person to whom I'm already talking. See rule above for more info.
By the way, I second Havoc70. We must legislate stiff penalties for driving and using a cell phone!
I was standing in line at a formal ceremony to be inducted as an official of an organization and the cell phone of the guy ahead of me rings obviously annoying the people running the ceremony. But then the guy pulls out the phone and starts talking to whoever. Wow!
Just recently I was waiting at a red light. i was going to go straight on through the intersection. Approaching from the opposite way was a truck which went into the left turn lane so he would turn in front of me. The light was red for both of us but he wasn't slowing down enough to stop and, yes, he was on his cell phone. The light turned green for me and the other lanes going straight through from his side but not the turn lanes. I waited to go and sure enough he ran the light crossing in front of me and almost hit another car in the lane next to me. I don't think he ever saw either of us.
It's rare that a single Sunday will go by without 1 or 2 (or more) phones going off during mass. Sometimes the people won't stop them and just let them keep ringing which may be worse than answering.
Geeze, I could go on for another 10 stories.
here in San Diego where i live, mostly people who cross from mexico use them
From http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/
Q: What if my phone has a push-to-talk feature, can I use that?
A: No. However, the law does provide an exception for those operating a commercial motor truck or truck tractor (excluding pickups), implements of husbandry, farm vehicle or tow truck, to use a two-way radio operated by a ?push-to-talk? feature. A push-to-talk feature attached to a hands-free ear piece or other hands-free device is acceptable.
That page is an interesting read.
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by licht1
July 8, 2009 10:12 PM PDT
- In DC, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month is being observed by Marion Barry.
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http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/marion-barry-observes-cell-phone-courtesy-month/