# I hate cell phone ringers! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 18, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950 "2003-02-18T20:19:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/1 "2003-02-18T20:19:41Z")
I think everyone who has one of those goddam “catchy” cell phone ring tones and leaves their phone on their desk when they’re gone should have the damn thing duct-taped to their ears while I hit their number and “redial” on my silent-ringing vibrating phone for a full 4 hours. I wouldn’t even mind paying for the minutes! I’m surrounded by a bunch of pinheads who all just got brand spankin’ new phones, and they’re all just as giddy as can be about all the great little ditties they can use as a ringer. But they leave them on the desk, volume high, all the time, whether they are there or not. It’s not unusual (which hasn’t yet turned up as a ringer song, but I’m sure it will) to have 3 or 4 of these things tweedle-deedling away at once while I sit here diligently surfing the SDMB or occasionally even taking a work break. I’m gonna start putting them in an open drawer with a nastygram telling them to take their frigin’ phone with them! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/2 "2003-02-18T20:39:34Z")
For revenge (and I this is from SNL’s “Tipsy the Turtle” cartoon from back in the 80s): Go to a card store and buy on of those cards that plays “Happy Birthday” when you open it. Pull out the gizmo that plays the music. With a pocket knife, cut a small hole in the lining of Noisy-Phone’s coat and drop in the little music maker. Those little batteries can last for hours! ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/3 "2003-02-18T20:42:32Z")
OMG you take work breaks!!! I have a solution to your problem however, one that I have often considered, although not yet used, myself. Take with you to work one ten pound sledgehammer. Wait for one of your colleagues to walk away, leaving the offensive thing on his or her desk. Importantly: do not wait for it to ring…it will only annoy you and possibly spoil your aim. Beat the cellphone repeatedly with the sledgehammer. Go back to your desk and the sanctuary of SDMB. Repeat as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Swampwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Swampwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swampwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/4 "2003-02-18T20:57:08Z")
**Motorola’s Law:** _The amount of time it takes for someone to answer their cellular phone is directly proportional to how annoying the ring is_ ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/5 "2003-02-18T20:59:57Z")
Mine plays the Godfather theme. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/6 "2003-02-18T21:49:58Z")
Ooh, where did you get that? Mine plays the theme from [_Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo_](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0060196). FWIW I don’t leave mine on my desk unless it’s off or in vibrate mode. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/7 "2003-02-18T22:04:45Z")
I don’t object to people who prefer difference ringtones. Why not? It makes it easier to distinguish your phone’s ring from others’ phones, and it lets you have a little fun too. It’s not my cup of tea – a simple beep and the vibrate mode – but I’m not really bothered by that in itself. I _do_ strenuously object to people who set their phone ringtones unnecessarily loud, and particularly those who leave their phones unattended. If you’re not going to use it, switch the damn thing off or at least switch the tone off. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/8 "2003-02-19T00:02:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*Mine plays the Godfather theme. 😃 \*\* hehe, Mine plays “Axel F” but I always keep it with me, so as not to annoy people like the OP. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/9 "2003-02-19T00:37:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t object to people who prefer difference ringtones. Why not? It makes it easier to distinguish your phone’s ring from others’ phones Which is why, when I get a cell phone (won’t be for a while… none of 'em are good enough for my tastes), I’ll have its ring tone set to “Ri-i-i-i-i-ing!” Mine’ll be the only one on that planet that still does that. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/10 "2003-02-19T01:26:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*Which is why, when I get a cell phone (won’t be for a while… none of 'em are good enough for my tastes), I’ll have its ring tone set to “Ri-i-i-i-i-ing!” Mine’ll be the only one on that planet that still does that. \*\* Oh no it won’t. My cellphone will play a tune when pigs grow wings and the very heart of hell itself is encased in a block of ice. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/11 "2003-02-19T05:46:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*My cellphone will play a tune when pigs grow wings and the very heart of hell itself is encased in a block of ice. \*\* I have a choice of 30 different ringers on my Japanese cell phone. Exactly none of them are not tunes of some description. And some of the descriptions are in Japanese, so I have only a vague notion of what they are (“ruforo?!?” What?). Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/12 "2003-02-19T07:44:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh no it won’t. My cellphone will play a tune when pigs grow wings and the very heart of hell itself is encased in a block of ice. Yeah, but you live on the East Coast, so I don’t have to worry. ---
**Author:** ![moc.liamtoh\_rorrim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f17d59/32.png) [@moc.liamtoh\_rorrim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moc.liamtoh_rorrim)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/13 "2003-02-19T09:19:26Z")
my ringtone is one constant, high pitched BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP sometimes i just let it ring… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/14 "2003-02-19T11:41:11Z")
Mine plays Ode to Joy. Kinda ironic when it’s the boss calling. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/15 "2003-02-19T13:07:06Z")
**UnwrittenNocturne** , you have no idea how often I’ve contemplated that! And **Eats\_Crayons** , you’re a poster after my own heart! I actually did that to someone once-he brought a Xmas card to work with the little sound dealy. He would leave it on the outer corner of his board, where everyone could hear it, and he’d open it occasionally, facing out to our boards. After a couple days of this annoying shit, we took revenge-he went to the rest room, and we took the music box out of the card and stuck it in the vent directly over his board. We could hear it if we strained, but it played directly into his little area. Took him over an hour to find it.😛 He took it home. And yes, everyone else, it’s the volume and abandonment that bugs me. If I could, I’d have the opera singer from the “Fifth Element” or “Baby Elephant Walk” as my ringer, but it would be on a very low tone or off, unless I was alone. It’s not the song that’s so irritating as much as just hearing the same few bars over and over and over and over and over…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/16 "2003-02-19T13:09:58Z")
Or get a ringer tone that is a realistic human scream. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/17 "2003-02-19T13:27:15Z")
Oh, I _like_ that! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/18 "2003-02-19T16:07:00Z")
My personal phone plays “Stampede” (just like in the beef commercial). I turn it off when I put it in my locker. The phones we use at work all play the same 2 or 3 rings but I keep mine in my pocket. I despise the bulky holder with the belt clip. I don’t need that extra bulk on my waistband thank you. Plus I live in fear of dropping it in the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/19 "2003-02-19T16:15:37Z")
My phone plays the old Adam West Batman music, but it’s usually just on vibrate. I had the thing in my bag when I first got it and never heard the ringer, so I finally gave up and got a belt clip for it. Now people call me a dork for wearing the phone on my belt, but at least it doesn’t annoy people when I get a call. (The pants I wear don’t have pockets big enough for a phone.) ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950/20 "2003-02-19T16:30:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eats\_Crayons \* > \*\*Or get a ringer tone that is a realistic human scream. \*\* Joohwan? Is that you? :eek: I have a friend who wants that very thing. Cell phones going off during lecture make me see red. When they go off during tests, it drives me into a rabid werewolf-like rage. I can think of few other things that irritate me as much and in quite the same way. The one I really hate is that generic little tune that nearly everyone seems to have. It’s got this four-note progression that repeats three times and then has one long note at the end. Why can’t they ALL use vibrate? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-cell-phone-ringers/155950.md?page=2)