# In which another person's annoying habit makes me change.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 12, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438 "2006-09-12T17:07:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/21 "2006-09-12T22:08:38Z")
[QUOTE=lorene] Am I the only person left in the world whose phone just…rings? [/QUOTE] I do, and as it is, it’s not a conventional ring - it’s sort of an echo-y ring. But it’s the only non-music option on my phone! I couldn’t believe it! Fortunately, cell phones are not allowed in our building, so I’m spared this nonsense. Unfortunately, there is no policy governing email notification .wav files, and I’ve been treated to college fight songs, mooing cattle, and Monty Python clips - these are especially amusing on days when there’s lots of email flying around… :rolleyes: I keep my computer volume just loud enough for me to hear when I’m seated at my desk and I chose boring, short and sweet sounds for various requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/22 "2006-09-12T22:22:34Z")
I keep my cell phone on vibrate whenever I’m at work, even if I’m sitting at my desk and the phone is right in front of me. It’s also on vibrate whenever I’m on campus, or if I’m on the Metro. In fact, the only time I have the ringer turned on is when I’m home (the AC/DC ringtone is really just for my own amusement). We are very lucky to not have any cubicles where I work: everyone has an office, though most people have an officemate (as I do). The woman 2 offices down from me has a habit of leaving her desk and letting her cell phone ring and ring (very loudly), and she has no officemate so when that happens I go close the door to her office. [QUOTE=Otto] Why do people have personal cell phones at work? [/QUOTE] Why wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/23 "2006-09-12T23:12:45Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Who said it was a personal phone? Oh, no one did I suppose. I guess I just figured that if the phone was a part of their jobs they wouldn’t be leaving them on their desks. > [@lorene](#): > > In my office, we’re not always in the office. Instead of having to tell my daycare provider every day what number to try me at, I just have her call my cell if she needs me. My impression from the OP is not that these are field workers but desk jockeys who’re just wandering away from their desks without their phones. [QUOTE=Misnomer] Why wouldn’t they? [/QUOTE] Because if they’re at work they’re supposed to be…working? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/24 "2006-09-13T02:55:36Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Because if they’re at work they’re supposed to be…working? [/QUOTE] In a Dickensian sweatshop, maybe. Most employers understand that employees need little breaks throughout the day: to get something to drink, to chat with a co-worker, to eat lunch, etc. Short, infrequent personal phone calls fall into that category. Also, your way of thinking makes absolutely no allowance for varying corporate cultures: maybe _you_ work in a place where every minute that you’re in the building you’re supposed to working, but please don’t imply that those of us who don’t are somehow doing something wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/25 "2006-09-13T02:58:49Z")
[QUOTE=velvetjones] **Podkayne** Purchase an emery board or two. Keep one in your purse and one at your desk. Then you can file those rough edges instead of nibbling them. It works much better. [/QUOTE] Oh, I do have one in my purse. I just don’t always have my purse close at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/26 "2006-09-13T03:02:38Z")
Ok, I remember why I keep my phone attached to my person. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/27 "2006-09-13T14:57:53Z")
I am taking night classes and the school’s cell phone policy states that we must keep our phones on vibrate at all times. I just leave mine that way even when I’m not at school because I would never remember to switch it off and on at the appropriate times. Also, it vibrates so loudly that I rarely miss a call, even when my phone is in my purse. Before I started leaving it off, I had it set to play rainforest noises. It was the least annoying tone that came with the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/28 "2006-09-13T15:09:09Z")
My cell is kept on “mouse mode”. I used to work in a factory where regular cells were banned from “inside the yellow line” and the production guys got a couple with special safety features for internal communication. One day, this guy comes into the lab looking like his wife just told him they’re having quadruplets; I ask what’s wrong and he says “the new cell… _moves!_ I thought I had a mouse in my pocket!” Keeping my cell in my jeans, on vibrate, works a lot better than trying to remember what it sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/29 "2006-09-13T15:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] In a Dickensian sweatshop, maybe. Most employers understand that employees need little breaks throughout the day: to get something to drink, to chat with a co-worker, to eat lunch, etc. Short, infrequent personal phone calls fall into that category. [/quote] Expecting that people not take or make personal calls outside of scheduled break times is “Dickensian”!? > [@Misnomer](#): > > Also, your way of thinking makes absolutely no allowance for varying corporate cultures: maybe _you_ work in a place where every minute that you’re in the building you’re supposed to working, but please don’t imply that those of us who don’t are somehow doing something wrong. Please don’t assign your inferences to me. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/30 "2006-09-13T15:22:19Z")
Thank you for putting your phone on vibrate! And I ask that everyone else do the same during the work day. As for me, 98% of the time my cellphone is turned off, anyway. It’s for me to make calls, not for other people to call me. The telephone rings it had were really shrill and annoying, so I put it on this thing called “Spring” which is generally not very annoying and not very loud. And it’s off when I walk away. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/31 "2006-09-13T15:59:38Z")
[QUOTE=velvetjones] I work in a typical office/cube farm. I have several co-workers who leave their cell phones on during the day (like I do) and if they happen to be away from their desk I get to listen to their phones ring and ring and ring and ring (one of them has a ring tone that sounds like part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, that one I hate most of all). [/QUOTE] Go remove the battery from their cell phone and hide it in the back of one of the drawers in their desk. Perhaps with an attached note complaining about the inconsiderateness of leaving it on ring instead of vibrate? ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/32 "2006-09-13T16:10:54Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] I just take my phone with me. [/QUOTE] Ditto. Exactly **because** it’s so impolite to leave it at your desk! As for dealing with abandoned ringing phones… just put them on Vibrate. Often the [del]losers[/del] owners will go for **days** after that wondering why they’ve been missing all their calls 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/33 "2006-09-13T16:19:09Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] You could always use the abandoned phone to make a call to one of those 900-number dial-a-porn lines and leave the connection running. I’ve noticed that cell phones occupied by a call-in-progress don’t tend to ring audibly. Could be wrong about that but seems like it would be worth a try. [/QUOTE] I really like the way you think. This is an excellent idea. > [@Otto](#): > > My impression from the OP is not that these are field workers but desk jockeys who’re just wandering away from their desks without their phones. That’s it. The “staying alive” woman is not in the office every day (thank Og) so I only have to put up with that a couple of days a week. The rest of us are regular cubicle dewellers. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/34 "2006-09-13T16:25:37Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Expecting that people not take or make personal calls outside of scheduled break times is “Dickensian”!? Please don’t assign your inferences to me. [/QUOTE] Dude, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/35 "2006-09-14T15:17:33Z")
OP in reverse - our neighbour’s kids where sunbathing one day with some really **loud** music blaring - which was driving us mental. D’Mother was on the verge of calling the Gardaí, but instead I dragged our CD player out, put in some obnoxious CD and turned it up full blast… a few minutes later the music from next door was turned down and we never had that problem again… ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438/36 "2006-09-14T16:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=Lobelia Overhill] put in some obnoxious CD and turned it up full blast… a few minutes later the music from next door was turned down and we never had that problem again… [/QUOTE] I always welcome such opportunities to practice my bagpipes. You see, I’m not very good so I needs lots o’ pradtice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-another-persons-annoying-habit-makes-me-change/372438.md?page=1)