Cellphone opponents, take note!

In article <[email hidden]>,

Randy Johnson said:

Quoted post said:

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070530/K053017AU.html

One feel-good story does not make up for the misery caused by obnoxious,
self-absorbed cell phone users; cell phone use should be banned while
driving, in public places (such as restaurants, theaters, waiting rooms,
etc).

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my daughter, I
may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Miche

--
In the monastery office --
Before enlightenment: fetch mail, shuffle paper
After enlightenment: fetch mail, shuffle paper

"Miche" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my daughter, I
may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Miche

And that can be done in 15 seconds or less. It is the loudmouth that talks
on the phone for 20 minutes and is disruptive that is the problem, no matter
the place.

Miche said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my daughter, I
may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Of course, because one of your worlds will collapse if you are not in
constant contact.
I can't tell you the number of inane conversations I have been subjected to
one side of by cell phones users just have to gab to stay in touch with
their friends. I have never been interested in having vacuous conversations
with my own friends, so I sure as hell don't want to be listening to
someone else have one, at high volume, with someone else.

Edwin Pawlowski said:

"Miche" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my daughter, I
may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Miche

And that can be done in 15 seconds or less. It is the loudmouth that talks
on the phone for 20 minutes and is disruptive that is the problem, no matter
the place.

Unfortunately like most things a few give everyone a bad name. I put my
phone in manner mode or just turn it off when in a restaurant etc. That
way I can look at the CID and go outside to call them back.

The other day we were in a restaurant and there was a blaring ringtone
and the person answered in a loud voice. They kept going for at least 15
minutes and spoke loud enough to ensure everyone in the restaurant knew
how important they were. An example of even more clueless I was at an
event where there would be a speaker and the phone of the extremely self
important guy in front of me started ringing just before the event
started. He starts yakking in a loud voice. The MC went to the podium to
introduce the speaker and asked that people turn off their phones. The
guy actually got louder. The MC asked again and I gave the guys chair a
kick and he kept going. The person next to him gave him a nudge and he
kept going. The person on the other side of him gave him a nudge and
pointed at the speaker and the guy stopped.

I was at another event and a guys phone started ringing and the guy
answered it and got into a loud conversation while the speaker was
giving his presentation. The speaker politely asked the guy to turn the
phone off and the guy announced that it was important business. A number
of us said to the guy "maybe you should be somewhere else this
morning" and he left in a huff.

Dave Smith said:

Miche said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my
daughter, I may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Of course, because one of your worlds will collapse if you are not in
constant contact.

If it's an emergency that's one thing. A routine doctor's visit shouldn't
necessitate a phone call. Oh, and the other thing, at least at my doctor's
office, there are signs everywhere requesting all cell phones be turned off
because they can interfere with the medical equipment being used. What did
people do when there were no cell phones? They used a pay phone or the
phone at the doctor's office to make the call.

Jill

George said:

Edwin Pawlowski said:

"Miche" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my
daughter, I may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Miche

And that can be done in 15 seconds or less. It is the loudmouth that
talks on the phone for 20 minutes and is disruptive that is the
problem, no matter the place.

The other day we were in a restaurant and there was a blaring ringtone
and the person answered in a loud voice. They kept going for at least
15 minutes and spoke loud enough to ensure everyone in the restaurant
knew how important they were.

I have no idea why people think talking on a cell phone makes them
"important", but it's true. And the attitude has been going on for a very
long time. Remember those big clunky phones in the 1980's that were the
precursor for cell phones as we now know them? Hardly anyone had them back
then. I remember having lunch with friends one day and the man at the next
table kept up a very loud conversation on his phone. It was clear he wanted
people to know how important he was since he just *had* to be reached to
conduct business during lunch.

I wonder how long it took for him to develop an ulcer? Lunch should be time
to relax. Or, do it the old fashioned way - take the person to lunch and
talk business over a couple of martoonis 😉

Jill

George said:

Quoted message said:

And that can be done in 15 seconds or less. It is the loudmouth that talks
on the phone for 20 minutes and is disruptive that is the problem, no matter
the place.

Unfortunately like most things a few give everyone a bad name. I put my
phone in manner mode or just turn it off when in a restaurant etc. That
way I can look at the CID and go outside to call them back.

That is a hard one to judge accurately because we really have no idea how
many people are packing cell phones. You would not likely know that I have
one, because it is rarely turned on, I don't use it while driving and I
don't use it around other people. If I need to make a call I slip outside
to do so. I am sure there are lots of others who do the same. Then there
are those who think they are too important to turn theirs off or like to
think they look important with them. And then there are those idiotic
chatterboxes who can't exist without a phone glued to their ears.

jmcquown said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Of course, because one of your worlds will collapse if you are not in
constant contact.

If it's an emergency that's one thing. A routine doctor's visit shouldn't
necessitate a phone call.

Exactly. If it is just an routine appointment most people should need to
call home and report on it, even if they are running a little late. Heaven
forbid the person call before getting to the office, perhaps outside the
building or in the lobby.

Quoted message said:

Oh, and the other thing, at least at my doctor's
office, there are signs everywhere requesting all cell phones be turned off
because they can interfere with the medical equipment being used. What did
people do when there were no cell phones? They used a pay phone or the
phone at the doctor's office to make the call.

I am so unaccustomed to carrying my cell phone that one day last week I had
to call my wife from a tire shop to tell her than I was leaving my lawn
tractor tire there and could she please pick it up on her way home, that I
didn't realize I had the phone in my pocket and used their phone.

Dave Smith said:

George said:

Quoted message said:

And that can be done in 15 seconds or less. It is the loudmouth
that talks on the phone for 20 minutes and is disruptive that is
the problem, no matter the place.

Unfortunately like most things a few give everyone a bad name. I put
my phone in manner mode or just turn it off when in a restaurant
etc. That way I can look at the CID and go outside to call them back.

That is a hard one to judge accurately because we really have no idea
how many people are packing cell phones. You would not likely know
that I have one, because it is rarely turned on, I don't use it while
driving and I don't use it around other people. If I need to make a
call I slip outside to do so. I am sure there are lots of others who
do the same. Then there are those who think they are too important to
turn theirs off or like to think they look important with them. And
then there are those idiotic chatterboxes who can't exist without a
phone glued to their ears.

Speaking of glued to their ears, what about those ridiculous EarBud phones
that go IN the ear? I was at the grocery store one day and a woman said,
"Hi!" and I replied "Hi!" before I realized she'd just gotten a phone call
and wasn't saying hi to me. She had one of those things stuck to the side
of her head. LOL

Jill

jmcquown said:

Dave Smith said:

Miche said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my
daughter, I may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Of course, because one of your worlds will collapse if you are not in
constant contact.

If it's an emergency that's one thing. A routine doctor's visit shouldn't
necessitate a phone call. Oh, and the other thing, at least at my doctor's
office, there are signs everywhere requesting all cell phones be turned off
because they can interfere with the medical equipment being used. What did
people do when there were no cell phones? They used a pay phone or the
phone at the doctor's office to make the call.

Last time I had to take one of the kids to the dr. the waiting room was
just packed. The usual admonitions to "Turn off your cell phones" are
posted.

This twenty-some-odd chick's cell phone rings and she launches into a
protracted high-volume whinge about how much she wanted to go to Cancun
with her friends only her parents wouldn't let her because her wedding
was going to be soooo expensive, they're just mean, oh woe is me, etc.
etc. etc.

So I cross eyes with the guy sitting opposite and he holds his hand up
and gestures "the world's smallest violin playing a sad song just for her".

I'm glad I wasn't eating or drinking. To my credit, I didn't start
giggling until both my righthand and lefthand neighbors cracked up.

Did it faze her? Maybe a *tiny* bit. She glowered in our general
direction and did a 180 to face the other end of the waiting room.
There was no reduction in volume or change of topic. By this time
anybody not immersed in a 3 year-old Reader's Digest was frankly and
overtly following the conversation and chiming in with their own comments.

Finally the nurse called her name and she rang off with a final comment
about how rude some people were.

I don't know if it did anything to reduce the overall rudeness of modern
society but it was certainly more entertaining than the magazines.

jmcquown said:

table kept up a very loud conversation on his phone. It was clear he wanted
people to know how important he was since he just *had* to be reached to
conduct business during lunch.

Ya sure, you betchya! Remember how in those days you could actually buy
dummy cellphones to use while tooling down the road in your convertible to
look so cool and trendy? Whatabuncha dolts! 😉

nb

Kathleen said:

Last time I had to take one of the kids to the dr. the waiting room was
just packed. The usual admonitions to "Turn off your cell phones" are
posted.

[great anecdote snipped]

Quoted message said:

I don't know if it did anything to reduce the overall rudeness of modern
society but it was certainly more entertaining than the magazines.

....and shows the general attitude towards CPDs (cell phone drones).

(Hey, I just made up an acronym! 😉

nb

Dave Smith <[email hidden]> scripsit in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Exactly. If it is just an routine appointment most people should
need to call home and report on it, even if they are running a
little late. Heaven forbid the person call before getting to the
office, perhaps outside the building or in the lobby.

So, we LIKE making up little rules for others to follow, I see :-) Do
you carry a cane to strike them with if they transgress? What is your
position on licking stamps in public or stepping on cracks in the
sidewalk?

I am assuming you mean "shouldn't need to call home", otherwise your
statement is contradictory (which is the kind of tory we are stuck with
nowadays).

--

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's
oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the
search for a superior moral justification for
selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith

In article <[email hidden]>,

jmcquown said:

Quoted message said:

Miche said:

On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my
daughter, I may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Quoted message said:

If it's an emergency that's one thing. A routine doctor's visit shouldn't
necessitate a phone call. Oh, and the other thing, at least at my doctor's
office, there are signs everywhere requesting all cell phones be turned off
because they can interfere with the medical equipment being used.

I thought that also, but I don't believe it is true. Some people will
pick up their cell phones anytime they ring, even if they are in the
middle of a conversation with their doctor. And then they have a long
conversation, while the doctor waits impatiently. No, shutting off the
cell appears to be for the purpose of not causing a patient backup while
people yack on the phone.

In many of the medical offices I've been to, the signs requesting that
cell phones be turned off are on the doors leading to the exam rooms,
not in the waiting room.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dave Smith said:

That is a hard one to judge accurately because we really have no idea how
many people are packing cell phones.

I live a block from an elementary school. I am continually amazed at
how many little kids carry cell phones.

Quoted message said:

You would not likely know that I have
one, because it is rarely turned on, I don't use it while driving and I
don't use it around other people.

I wear my cell phone on my belt and keep it on all the time, except when
there is live music or a speaker. I don't answer it while driving, as I
don't have that talent, but I will pull off the road when I find a safe
place and call back. When I am talking to someone and it rings, I
ignore it and call back later.

Quoted message said:

If I need to make a call I slip outside
to do so. I am sure there are lots of others who do the same. Then there
are those who think they are too important to turn theirs off or like to
think they look important with them. And then there are those idiotic
chatterboxes who can't exist without a phone glued to their ears.

To me, half of a conversation is the facial expressions and other body
language. A long cell phone conversation for me is 30 seconds. I do
talk to my sister for much longer, because I don't have the money to fly
900 miles more than once a year or so.

Dan Abel said...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jmcquown said:

Quoted message said:

Miche wrote:
>
> On the contrary. If I'm in a doctor's waiting room with my
> daughter, I may need it to tell my husband where we are.

Quoted message said:

If it's an emergency that's one thing. A routine doctor's visit
shouldn't necessitate a phone call. Oh, and the other thing, at least
at my doctor's office, there are signs everywhere requesting all cell
phones be turned off because they can interfere with the medical
equipment being used.

I thought that also, but I don't believe it is true. Some people will
pick up their cell phones anytime they ring, even if they are in the
middle of a conversation with their doctor. And then they have a long
conversation, while the doctor waits impatiently. No, shutting off the
cell appears to be for the purpose of not causing a patient backup while
people yack on the phone.

In many of the medical offices I've been to, the signs requesting that
cell phones be turned off are on the doors leading to the exam rooms,
not in the waiting room.

Most cellphones can be directed to transfer incoming calls immediately to
voice mail. I imagine that's hard for some folks who can't stand being out
of touch for a moment. The BUMS!!!

Andy
Please leave a message

Dave Smith said:

Exactly. If it is just an routine appointment most people should need to
call home and report on it, even if they are running a little late. Heaven
forbid the person call before getting to the office, perhaps outside the
building or in the lobby.

I vote for outside; cell phone users should be exiled with the smokers.
Just as we shouldn't have to breath second-hand smoke, we shouldn't have to
tolerate noise polution and second-hand inanities.
--
Change Cujo to Juno in email address.

Michel Boucher said:

Quoted message said:

Exactly. If it is just an routine appointment most people should
need to call home and report on it, even if they are running a
little late. Heaven forbid the person call before getting to the
office, perhaps outside the building or in the lobby.

So, we LIKE making up little rules for others to follow, I see :-) Do
you carry a cane to strike them with if they transgress?

No, but if I am with someone I make sure that we raise our voices enough so
that we are interrupting their conversation and much as they were
interrupting ours. It is not a matter of making rules, just a matter of
them having a modicum of respect for the people around them.

Quoted message said:

What is your position on licking stamps in public or stepping on cracks in the
sidewalk?

No problem, unless they make a lot of needless noise while doing so. :-)

In article said:

Dan Abel said...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In many of the medical offices I've been to, the signs requesting that
cell phones be turned off are on the doors leading to the exam rooms,
not in the waiting room.

Most cellphones can be directed to transfer incoming calls immediately to
voice mail. I imagine that's hard for some folks who can't stand being out
of touch for a moment.

AFAIK, cell phones only emit signals under three conditions:

1. When you turn them on
2. When you move from one cell to another (generally involves driving,
unless your medical facility is several miles long)
3. When you are talking

Cell phones do not emit signals just because they are turned on.

Dan Abel said:

Cell phones do not emit signals just because they are turned on.

The older cell phones *could* affect some vents, IV pumps and monitors
it was found. But over the years technology has improved greatly and my
understanding is that banning cell phones is generally unneeded. I can
only think of one particular vent (HFOV) used infrequently at my
hospital that we still protect from cell phone transmissions. Patients,
family members, and medical staff use cell phones almost as much as land
lines anymore.