cell phones

[sunnyday]

Some people, many in fact, are very rude in using their cell phones. Some students bring them to class and even into the school library after being told repeatedly to turn them off. What a nuisance!!! The ultimate happened this morning--some nut's phone rang in church!!!

[Stephanie]

They are a wonderful invention but there are many downsides to the cellphone, that's for sure!

[Lindaloo]

The most dangerous use of the cell phone is while driving.

[cycloneye]

And also here in Puerto Rico we are not permitted to use a celular in a gas station but I dont know if that happens in the US too.

[Miss Mary]

I'm actually quite proud to not own one. I simply don't want the responsibility of having to answer it while grocery shopping or driving, for a few examples. I have encountered very rude shoppers, every aisle almost, as you go Krogering - all the while talking on their cell. Their cart smack in the middle of the aisle. Honey are we out of ketchup, they ask. Ugh. I want to say - oh just buy an extra bottle!!!! It's not like that will break your weekly budget too much.

I do believe cell phones have taken already aggressive drivers to another level or a new low, if you want to look at it like that. I swear some drivers just forget what they're doing when that cell is in their hand. They don't turn when the green arrow appears, making it impossible for any cars behind to turn. You miss that opportunity. But the worst is when they stray over the double yellow line, into your lane. Happens in my community almost daily. You have to have your wits about you and drive much more defensively than ever before.

Sunnyday, I was recently at a church Confirmation parent meeting. At least 8 cells rang. One mom's rang twice and each time she kept the ringer on, not muted. At that point we were all glaring at her. If I was in charge of any meeting or function like that, I'd say first and foremost, okay if any of you have cell phones, let's just get them all out and mute them. All together now, hit that mute button.......and then smile and continue on. That will get the point across.

The real problem is multi-tasking. It's so rare anymore to just do one thing at a time and do it well. Cook dinner, but not watch TV while doing so? Or talk on the phone while cooking? Ironing's another biggie - you think, oh this is a perfect chance to call Mom. I'm beginning to think I'm not good at multi-tasking, that's definitely why I'm resisting buying a cell phone. LOL

Mary

[StormCrazyIowan]

Well, while I do own one and enjoy the freedom to use it whenever I need to (well, when I have minutes, that is!), I have the decency and courtesy to turn mine off when I am in church, or at a dinner, half the time I leave it in my car! Some people are just irresponsible and rude, I totally agree!!

[streetsoldier]

Debi reports that, both at Three Rivers Community College and at Southeast Missouri State University, she has heard student's (and prof's!) cell phones rining, but it "isn't much of a problem".

BTW, sunnyday...do you teach at a community college? And, if so, does your school have a Phi Theta Kappa chapter? Just curious...both Debi and I are PTK alums (mine in 1978-1980 before transferring to Washington University, hers at Three Rivers before SEMO in 2000-2002, both of us officers).

[sunnyday]

Streetsoldier,
Yes, there is a branch here.

[azsnowman]

We have a cell phone for obvious reasons, our business and for the police dept. We VERY seldom use it for any other purpose than those mentioned above. I agree....there are some REAL nimrods out there.

Dennis

[breeze]

I finally had to put up a sign in my office....
"Please turn off your cell phone during your EEG!"

Ain't nothing like spending 20 minutes to hook
22 wires up to someone's head, get a good
hook-up, start the 40-minute test...they get
relaxed and fall asleep where the lines on my
computer are sooooo smooth and easy to read,
then.....RIIIIING!!!! Patient wakes up and EEG
looks like crap! Now that I have the sign up,
I remember to say, "I need you relaxed - please
turn off your cellphone!"

[SWV]

As a mother of three children (one of whom is a teenager..just barely 13) I do have a cell phone for those emergency phone calls. The calls from school "Your child is sick.", calls from my husband (or to my Husband) "I'm running late can you get the kids?". We Four daughter's 13 th birthday she received a cell phone to contact us if a change in plans should arise or any emerganecy. She has not abused the priviledge.

[vbhoutex]

Some people, many in fact, are very rude in using their cell phones. Some students bring them to class and even into the school library after being told repeatedly to turn them off. What a nuisance!!! The ultimate happened this morning--some nut's phone rang in church!!!

One of our Elders' cell phone while he was serving at the Lord's table!!!!!I could not believe he had it on at the table. Mine is always with me as I give the number out to prospective employers. IN situations such as church or some other meeting it is on mute if not off. With elderly P-in-laws we feel the need to be able to find each other wherever and whenever. If I even use mine in the car, which is seldom, I have my headset on so I am not trying to drive and work with the phone. If I need to dial a number while in the car I wait till I am at a stop light or I pull over. I can not count the number of times I have almost had a wreck because of some NIMROD paying more attention to their phone than the road!! And I KID YOU NOT!!!! I ACTUALLY SAW A WOMAN WITH HER CELL PHONE ON HER SHOULDER HELD BY HER HEAD LEANED OVER DOING HER EYES IN THE MIRROR AND SMOKING A CIGARETTE!!! I still haven't figured out how she did it!!!! And the car was even staying on the road!!! And no it is not only women I have seen doing the stupid things!!!! That one just sticks out as the worst!!

[coriolis]

I'm going to get one, one of these years.....

[pojo]

I have mine with me where ever I go, but I am courteous by turning the phone on vibrate that way it doesn't interrupt meetings, church services or classes. I can still hear it going off, but will not pick it up til I'm out of the meeting.

[opera ghost]

I want one... but we havn't gotten around to signing me up for one.

I, honestly, don't understand what is so rude about using your cell phone in a grocery store? My husband is a total nimrod about remembering to get everything at the store on his way home- cell phones have prevented more than one call to the take out because we don't have everything we need to cook dinner... and just buying anything that you're not sure of gets very very expensive. It's not like he drives his cart over small children because he's paying attention to the phone.. or ignores other shoppers trying to move around him.... Maybe it's a product of my age and/or circumstances- but I really don't see a problem with it.

Driving, on the other hand... should be kept to a minimum while phoning. When I had one I pulled over to the side because I lack the focus necessary to pay attention and drive LOL But chatting in rush hour... (rushing along at 5 mph... houstonians know what I mean- I cross through 3 major freeway intersections on my way home...) Seems about on par with phoning while at the grocery store. I ocassionally bring along a book to read during the times when my car moves 12 feet in 5 min. Yawn.

I have, however, noticed a distinct different in cellphone usage/acceptance between my generation, my parents generation, and my grandparents generation. My grandmother (67) used the cell phone for the first time ever (she'd owned it for 3 years) when my grandfather had his heart attack on an isolated property... and she had to be talked through turning it on and dialing by my grandfather. It might have been funny if it wasn't so terrifying. (Grandpa auto-dials the numbers my dad programs and uses it for the free long distance to talk to his relitived out of state)

My dad (47) uses his for work and to check in when he's making a road trip.
My sister (19) uses her phone like a land line (chatting her life away in the fashion of teenagers...) and plays games on it. It's never far from her hand and she can be caught chatting on it doing practically anything. My husband (23) uses his for work and anything that he deems important (ordering the take out on the way home, calling about groceries, letting me know he's on his way home...)

It's driving me nuts *Laughs* I've been without a phone for 6 months and I despretly want one- I'm terrified of my car breaking down in the city and not being able to get ahold of anyone, and find it very inconveniant that I can't get ahold of my husband when I'm out and about.

*grins* But we'd never leave it on at church. At the beginning of our wedding ceremony there was an announcement that All cell phones, pagers, laptops, and other mobile noisy devices were to be turned off along with all flash cameras and/or anything that could possibly startle the already nervous couple into bolting from the church. (the last said with a laugh) It shouldn't be necessary to do that... it's a true shame!

[Miss Mary]

Operaghost - talking in itself on a cell in the grocery store is fine. But I've noticed no matter where a person is - store, car, church - they get that phone in their hand and completely forget where they are!!! For example, I had to encounter the same woman, in each aisle recently. After the third or fourth time I had to politely ask to get by - her cart was planted in the middle and you could not get your cart around hers - she sheepishly apologized. As if to say - oh yeah, that's right. I'm in a store, silly me. It's just common courtesy to let others by I think. I almost wanted to skip a few aisles to just get ahead of her but I needed items in ALL the aisles she was in. Sure hope that clears it up a bit.

M.

[opera ghost]

Operaghost - talking in itself on a cell in the grocery store is fine. But I've noticed no matter where a person is - store, car, church - they get that phone in their hand and completely forget where they are!!! For example, I had to encounter the same woman, in each aisle recently. After the third or fourth time I had to politely ask to get by - her cart was planted in the middle and you could not get your cart around hers - she sheepishly apologized. As if to say - oh yeah, that's right. I'm in a store, silly me. It's just common courtesy to let others by I think. I almost wanted to skip a few aisles to just get ahead of her but I needed items in ALL the aisles she was in. Sure hope that clears it up a bit.

M.

Goofballs. People like that shouldn't be allowed to have carts (Nor should they be phoning if they can't pay attention to anything in thier vicinity)

I tend to forget that there really are people out there who are too... Something... to notice the world around them. I don't get out often All I need can be delivered to my door from the internet. No silly shoppers to deal with! No screaming children!