Cellphone Etiquette

I was in at a Subway restaurant the other day ordering a sandwich, when I saw a sign that said "Please do not talk on your cellphone while ordering."  Is a sign like that really necessary, you ask.  Would you believe it if I told you that it most definitely is?  While I haven't been made to wait by someone on their cellphone at a Subway restaurant, I have been made to wait at a Starbucks and at a grocery store.  I have also been irked by thoughtless cellphone usage in other situations that have made me very uncomfortable.


Nobody can deny the the cellphone is one of the most useful and important modern conveniences.   With the advent of do-it-all handsets like the iPhone, the cellphone does more than just keep people connected with one another.  There is the convenience of GPS, a camera and the Internet at your fingertips, not to mention an application available for pretty much anything you want your cellphone to do.  Of course, when you put a cellphone into the hands of certain people, their behavior becomes so obnoxious that you wish you could take it back from them right away.  So to preserve the sanity of the rest of us, I thought it may be a good idea to talk about the potentially explosive subject of cellphone etiquette.  I know that some of you are probably thinking, "How DARE she tell me what to do?"  I am going to go out on a limb here even if you hate me for it.  I KNOW I'm not the only one who feels this way about cellphone usage, and I believe I speak for those who don't have a voice or feel too awkward to say anything.




WHILE WAITING IN LINE:  It is perfectly acceptable to talk or text while waiting in line, waiting being the operative word.  You just want to make sure to modulate your voice so we can't hear you.  When it is your turn to order or check out as the case may be, please dispense with all cellphone use until you have done so.  This means you should not get to the front of the line and continue your conversation while the rest of us wait, neither does it mean you continue the conversation between placing an order and paying for it.  Once you get back into your conversation, more often than not you get so absorbed in it that you don't hear anyone around you.  So when you are told how much you owe, you don't hear it, making the rest of us wait longer than we should. 




WHEN YOU ARE WITH PEOPLE:  In this situation, the polite thing to do would be to allow the call to go to voice mail.  If you absolutely have to take the call, first make sure to excuse yourself.  Then retreat to a quiet location and take the call, but keep it short.   Please don't have a long and loud conversation in the presence of the people you're with.  




IN PUBLIC RESTROOMS:  This includes the restrooms at work as well.  Is there really any conversation that can't wait until you're out of the restroom?  Also, if you're comfortable having people listen to your bodily functions as you perform them, good for you.  I on the other hand, feel bad enough that you can hear me go to the bathroom. I don't need your friends to be able to hear me as well.




WHEN YOU HAVE A CRYING CHILD:  The crying child needs your attention.  You are the adult.  Hang up the phone and calm the child down.




WHEN IN PUBLIC ANYWHERE:  No matter where you are, nobody wants to hear the conversation you are having.  Please don't inflict it on us.  It is suggested you observe a 10 foot rule to have a private conversation.  If you can't manage to find a place 10 feet away from everyone in order to have a conversation, then stand in one place, speak softly and have your conversation.  Do not walk around while talking. Also, set your phone on vibrate if you're in church, in a meeting, in a movie theater, at a funeral or any other place where it is inappropriate to have your phone ring. 




WHILE DRIVING:  This is probably my biggest pet peeve.  Using the cellphone while driving has been outlawed by many States including WA, but it still continues.  I know you think that you can drive just fine while using your phone.  However most people can't, and for the safety and well-being of everyone the law has been put in place.  Please obey the law.  Again, there is no conversation that can't wait until you get to your destination.  If it truly can't wait, then pull over to a parking lot, have your conversation and then drive. Don't contribute to the statistic, or worse become a part of it.


I know you have choices.  Choose wisely.  And please consider the people around you.  Please.