I have HAD it with the fucking cell phones!

The BBQ Pit
1

I attened the NA World convention in San Diego Ca over the weekend. 25,000 clean addicts from all over the world together to celebrate NA’s 50th birthday. Pretty awesome.

Except that a lot of them brought their damn cell phones to the convention. Worse than that, they brought them into the meetings. Every meeting I went to, there were at least 5 cell phones that went off. :mad:

I have a cell phone. It is a useful tool. But dammit, there are certain situations where having the phone with you (and turned on) is not only inappropriate, but goddamed rude.

Some of the situations are 1) funerals, 2) church services, 3) movies and theatre, 4) recovery meetings, 5)school classes, etc…

This problem is not just with NA members, but they are my people and I expected better from them. I expected them to be more considerate. Do they not realize that everyone hears that damn phone when it goes off? That it distracts everyone. (admit it, when you hear the phone, you’re attention is diverted to it) Do they not realize that they can go for an hour and a half with taking a fucking call? Do these people think they are that fucking important that it’s OK to disturb the entire meeting ?

There was one fella in the row behind me who actually answered his call. Here is the coversation:

Asshole: Hello? No, I’m in a meeting. Yeah. Uh huh. No, I didn’t sell it. Right…sure…OK. Look, we’ll meet up later…OK…yeah…uh huh. Yeah, I’ll see you there

What did the meeting speaker say during that exchange? I have no idea, because my attetnion was diverted. The guy thought he was being quiet and not disturbing anyone. Obviously he was absent from school the day they taught that sound travels.:rolleyes:

Unless you are a doctor, on call, and there is a possibility you may have to use your gifts to save a life, (and then, maybe you shouldn’t be at a film or a meeting that day) you can stand to have your phone turned off for a couple of hours. It’s a fairly simple process. When you sit down around others who want to concentrate on a single event, reach into your pocket and press the button that turns the phone OFF! You can turn it back on when the event is over. Most cell phones will even record messages from people who have tried to reach you! How convenient is that!!!

It’s called courtesy for your fellow humans, and we need more of it.

2

Those things are really annoying … we have restaurants over here that sport “no cell phones” stickers, which I really like.

Having your cell phone on and getting calls means you’re important and indispensable :rolleyes:

Maybe those people should join CA (cell phone users anonymous)

3

You’ve heard my Nextel rants before, from the time I used to live in a part of the Orlando metro area with a population dominated by those working in the building trades. Can you say “bleep bleep” in movie theaters, followed by walkie talkie conversations, and NOBODY CARING because everybody else has a Nextel? Yup.

4

I have been trying for years to get NJ Transit trains to put up posters and make announcements to the effect of “please keep your phione calls brief and quiet,” but they refuse—despite admitting it is their number-one complaint.

5

Whenever a group of people is gathered together for a public event, nobody should use a cell phone. I do not go the NYC live theatres to hear you rattle on. Fortunaely, it is now illegal to use them in theatres.

Let’s fact facts here: Your life is not that important. There was an outrageous event in the middle of a live play when a woman took a call from a friend about MUST-SEE TV. An actor on the stage when down, grabbed her phone, and started yelling at the person on the other end about interrupting the performance.

6

Oh man, I would’ve loved to see that!

7

Me too.

[sub]The holes are waaaaay too small…[/sub] :wink:

8

I was at Wimbledon for the men’s finals this weekend and in the last few points before Federer won, various assholes had an SMS message come in, accompanied by the Morse … – … we all know and hate. This is right about when the players are about to serve, and after multiple warnings to each and every person there that they MUST turn off their mobiles. Fact is, people are selfish and stupid. No more analysis required.

9

The most depressing part is it will only get worse, devolving into “phone rage” slugfests in the middle of the movie theater.

10

I had to stiffle some phone rage this weekend. The guy behind me will never know how close he came to eating his phone.

I mean, I can only hear that annoying beeping in situations that are supposed to be quiet so many time before I snap.

11

I finally got a cell phone. I love my little phone, it is cute and does nifty things! I can download many ringtones from the web and play a symphony on my phone!

But the best, the very best thing about my cute little phone is that I can push 1 button and it goes into “etiquette mode” and stays there. In “etiquette mode” the phone makes no noise whatsoever. If someone calls me it vibrates silently. If I should open it and hit a button, no chirping noises will ensue. If I get a text message, it waits silently on the screen. I love my phone, because it has good manners.

12

My phones has good manners too, it’s called a fucking “off” switch.

13

I’ve helped make it their #1 complaint! For all the good it does…

Many folks talk twice as loudly as normal into their cell phones, I suspect because they aren’t getting visual cues from the listener that they are being heard. I’ve seen - sorry, heard - this many times with folks on the trains in groups, conversing at a tolerable volume, then someone’s cellphone goes off & suddenly he’s drowning out everyone else.

Scariest thing tho was driving up Rt 17 earlier this year. I was out in the passing lane, going by a car that was doing a bit under the speed limit. As I drew even with it, my peripheral vision caught a sudden flurry of motion. I glanced over. The other driver had a cellphone to her ear in her right hand, and clearly had gotten so enraged by the conversation that she was gesticulating angrily with her left.

Look ma, no hands! I guess she had one of those newfangled cars that steers itself…

14

This entire phenomenon baffles me. Like herownself I leave my cell phone on “silent” mode whenever it’s not plugged in at home. That means all the time. I feel it vibrate in my pocket (added bonus!) and I decide whether I even want to respond to it or not and no one knows the difference. I know when I have had a call and if they left a message without even looking. Why doesn’t everyone do this? Oh yeah, I forgot people are dumb.

15

My mom used to share you guys’ hatred for cell phones…until she got one! Now she’s the obnoxious ass she used to hate: making pointless calls while we’re eating in a restaurant, leaving her cell phone on in a movie theatre so she doesn’t miss any calls, etc, etc. It’s horrible. I’ve tried to point out her hypocrisy and rudeness, but it just doesn’t sink in. >:(

16

Cell phones drive me absolutely nuts, too! I was at dinner with my SO the other day, and some lady was sitting with three other people, hunched over her food, yakking on her cell phone the entire time! As I see it, there are several things wrong with this picture: first, she is ignoring the people she is with, which I feel is unforgivably rude. Why the hell did she go to dinner with them if she’s not even going to talk to them?? Second, she’s disturbing everyone else’s dinner. Apparently the person on the other end couldn’t hear her well, she she proceeded to shout into her cell phone during her totally unnecessary conversation. Third, she’s shovelling food into her mouth while talking on the phone, and not bothering to chew it very well, either. Yuck! Put down the fucking phone, for god’s sake!!!

IMHO, wireless communication has pros and cons. One of the best things is that you can be reached at any time. That’s also one of the worst things about it. While I want to be reached in the case of an emergency, I do NOT want to be able to work anywhere in the world at any time. I feel that reduces my quality of life. And that’s why I’ve never been able to understand how people can stand being attached to their cell phones, palm pilots & laptops. Yes, you can work anywhere. But, shit. Why would you want to? Would’t that mean that you work more?

Also, I prefer being in the comfort of my home if I’m having an extended conversation because it’s unsafe to drive and focus on such a conversation. And since my attention is divided, I can’t pay attention to what the other person is saying, so that conversation ends up being more of a nuisance than an enjoyable experience.

17

While I appreciate the use of the vibrate/silent mode, I still believe that there are some situations in which it is rude to be continually checking the Caller ID on the phone and/or to decide to step out to take a non-emergency call.

You should be aware that you are not only being distracted by checking the Caller ID, but you are sending the message that the people you are with and the activity you are doing is not worthy of your full attention. You often give the impression that you would rather be somewhere else, doing something else, or talking to someone else.

In other words, some of you “etiquette mode” people are still letting your cell phones get in the way of your relationships, and you probably don’t even notice it. Be assured that your friends, family, and co-workers do notice it, and a lot of them probably feel miffed about.

18

Oh MAN, I about lost it this weekend. I was seeing Terminator 3 (good movie, by the way) and this stupid bitch behind me had 3, yes 3! conversations on her cell phone throughout the movie. Action scene too loud? She’d talk louder!. Unfortunately, she was kinda scary looking and my friends have already admonished me for telling people to shut the hell up in movie theatres, so all I could do was turn around and shoot her death glares. They weren’t even “hey, I’m in a movie I’ll call you back” conversations (which are still rude as hell) they were more of the “so where you at?” variety.

Yes, I do believe “phone rage” is going to be the next “disorder” to be diagnosed to every third person in the world pretty soon.

:mad:

19

It is for this reason that I hate “Call Waiting” on our home phone. (I don’t have a cell phone. Bow before me.)

I think Call Waiting is incredibly rude. You’re chatting away with someone, and suddenly they say, “Hold on a minute, I’ve got another call.” And hey presto! I’m in phone limbo, apparently not important enough to hold the attention of the person I was speaking with. I have taken to hanging up when the person puts me on hold. If they call me back, I say, “Oh, we must have been disconnected when you tried to take that other call.”

And (this is the best part), invariably the person will say, “Oh, it was a telemarketer.”

Worse, this slap-in-the-face technology costs $4.50 a month through our local service provider. Which means I’m paying $54 a year for the privelege of being rude to people on the phone.

I have actually had this scenario happen to me during a business meeting. The guy trying to sell me stuff took a call on his cell phone while he was doing his presentation to me. While he was speaking to that person, his Call Waiting beeped in with yet another call. So he put the first person on hold, and took the second call. I was amazed; I, his potential customer, the person he was actually speaking with, had just been relegated to third place in his importance rankings. He finished his second call, went back to the first call, finished up there, and then closed his phone. “Sorry about that.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “The extra time allowed me to think about your proposal, and realize I don’t need your database product. Thanks anyway for the presentation.”

Heh.

So, if I hate Call Waiting so badly, why do I have it on my home phone, you ask?

I’m married. I have no say-so. If you happen to see my testicles anywhere, please return them.

20

I have a cell phone. It is a great addition to my life. I love the silent mode because it vibrates instead of ringing and annoying my fellow bus riders. I keep my conversations quiet and fast. MY biggest pet peeve with the darn things is the dumb fuck that sits in the back of the bus and talks loud enough for the DRIVER to hear every word of their conversations. It’s normally a testosteron filled adolescent making the godaweful racket and wouldn’t you know every other word out of their mouths is a profanity. Now I’m not saying I dont indulge in a little profane speech at times but when it’s at a volume loud enough for a football game then thats just a tad bit much. Another irritation for me is the jerk that thinks it’s a good idea to smoke, eat, drive, put on makeup AND talk on the phone all at the same time. Just an accident looking for a place to happen and it seems that the bitch finds the back of me EVERY TIME I DRIVE. People wonder why I STOPPED driving…