Yesterday, I boarded an elevator with eight seemingly harmless people. Five of said people were talking on cell phones before the elevator arrived, and much to my surprise, not ONE of these people ended their conversation after getting on the elevator. That's right. I was forced to listen to FIVE conversations (two of which were in foreign languages) for seven floors. WTF?
It's time we put our collective feet down people. In my former corporate life (many years ago), I wrote a document on email etiquette for use at my company. This incident made me realize that someone really needs to write and distribute a cell phone etiquette manual to every Tom, Dick and Harry that purchases a cell phone. It's bad enough that I have a near-death experience at least once week when some yahoo decides he needs to send a text message while driving 70 miles per hour down a freeway. Now I have to enter small, confined spaces and be forced to listen to five meaningless conversations at once? It's ridiculous.
So as much as I love my cell phone, I make these promises to you... I promise I will not talk obnoxiously loud on my cell phone in public. I promise I will not text while driving or while you are speaking to me. I promise not to install a ridiculous ring tone on my phone and then let it ring for extended periods of time. And finally, I promise I will not discuss my latest trip to the gynecologist in front of seven strangers on an elevator.
You're welcome.
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15 comments:
The gyncelogical visits are THE WORST! Who are these people???
What I love (NOT) is when you're at the grocery store and someone is approaching you down the aisle and you can't tell they have a wireless device and their conversation sounds as if they are talking to you. There's kind of a familiarity there that's unsettling and then at some point you realize (hopefully before you have answered them back) that they don't even know you're there...
I agree! Please write a cell phone etiquette manifesto.
The rudeness has become completely ridiculous.
May I also add to the list that it is very rude to talk on your cell phone while interacting with someone (i.e. the cashiers) which works both ways. The cashier at the local Chevron is always on her cell phone.
And, please, hang up the phone when someone is trying to help you. Back to elevators, the other night I observed a young woman drag a box one handed on to an elevator while on the phone. She didn't even have the common decency to hang up when a very nice gentleman offered to help her with the box on her way off the elevator. He gave up and just carried it for her....while she continued her converstation all the way to her car.
I must confess, I have been guilty of several breaches of cell phone etiquette concern text message. Once brought to my attention last fall, I have reformed. I promise.
Those are good promises. People do drive ya nuts these days with cell phones. My sweet mother could be in the middle of accepting an Academy award, but make no mistake, she Would answer her ringing cell phone!!!!
This is one of the reasons why I resisted cell phones for so long. I didn't want to put myself in position to be one of "them."
Thank you, Rhonda, for promoting positive cell phone use.
Now find us an inexpensive, unobtrusive cell phone signal jammer so we can all become covert vigilantes. Although doing so probably won't help with the twit trying to "text" while driving; jamming the signal will just add to the general distraction. But elevators, definitely a problem-solver.
Yeah on everything.
What is up ridiculously ring tones, they are annoying, dumb and unnecessary.
You know how in the movie theater they tell you like 5 times to “please turn off your cell phone”? And then some friggin’ idiot always gets a call during the movie? I hate that.
I once found myself laughing so hard at The Wall Street Journal radio broadcast, I nearly pissed myself. I know. The Wall Street Journal, for crap's sake. Anyway, they now market and sell porno ring tones for cell phones. They had an on air demo of moaning and groaning. Charming. Then, the host says, "WHOA! Don't let that go off while you're in Church!" Spit all over my dashboard moment.
Mine plays Death Cab For Cutie's, "When Soul Meets Body." I don't let it ring endlessly though.
Thank you!
Drives me nuts that people seem to think they took the privacy of their own homes with them when they took their phones outside too. And the glares you get if you have the nerve to actually hear them, because obviously YOU should be turning your ears off. Oh wait was that ears or phones that come with a power down option? I forget...
On Tuesday I was at my daughter's dance class. All the moms are sitting around in a fairly small space. This one mom is on the phone the entire time. First she has a conversation with her mother, and then calls two other people to have the exact same conversation. A couple other moms' phones rang, and they got up, and went into the changing room to have their conversation, and then come back. At one point after the woman had said, Hoow fuunnnnyyyyyeeeee! for about the 80 bazillionth time, I broke. I looked at someone and rolled my eyes. And she snorted and/or laughed.
I'm diggin' that jamming of the signal invention :)
I just spent the whole hour sitting next to a gum smacker cracker. Our daughters play basketball together, but I don't care. She is an uncouth cow. I politely moved my chair out of gum cracking hearing range only to have her creep into my gum cracking free sound proof bubble. WTH? I could hear this broad over 30 kids slamming basketballs on the freakin court.
That tops rude cell phones in my own little world of incosiderate sins. Can't. Stand. It.
elizabeth- I can top yours. I waited at my daughters' dance class on Thursday evening and heard a mom sitting next to me start cursing God for her thinning hair. Yes, lady, because God only has time to worry about smiting you and your tiny follicles on your tiny brain. :( I thought my eyes would get stuck from rolling around so much. I had a headache by the time the hour was over.
You must have some great reception in your building because in our elevator we got nothing--thank goodness!
I am so glad I am not alone in this...maybe we should start thinking of punishments for obnoxious cell phone abusers!
You are defitely not alone! I know this is heresy, but I don't have a cell phone. Don't want a cell phone. Wouldn't take one for free cell phone. No!
I'm just bloody sick of them and wish you would write an etiquette manual, get it published and distribute it widely. :)
Peace,
~chani
http://www.coudal.com/shhh.php
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