# To the obese woman whose cell phone rang at the tomb of the unknown soldier **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 3, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573 "2007-05-03T03:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/61 "2007-05-03T17:20:04Z")
Okay, given that information about signs and reminders, I’m willing to change my assessment from forgetful to maybe stupid. Or maybe just completely oblivious. I still think it’s a whole lot of not much to get excited about. As for whoever said that cell phones should always be turned off in public, if I did that there wouldn’t be any reason for me to have a cell phone. The only reason I carry one is so that my kids can get in touch with me when I’m not at home. Of course, I’m not one of those who keep the thing glued to my ear. Short conversations about necessary information or questions. So most of the time I don’t think about having it in my purse. When I see signs or hear reminders I do remember it, though. And yes, I do remember to turn it off in the theater. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/62 "2007-05-03T17:55:00Z")
This sort of thing is the reason that I love my Blackberry. It lets me set it so that even on the loudest, most obnoxious setting it still vibrates three times before it rings, giving me plenty of time to thing “man, I’m a bonehead” and mash the external “dump caller to voicemail and stop ringing” button. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/63 "2007-05-03T18:16:59Z")
[QUOTE=DiosaBellissima] And for what it’s worth, as a white fat ass from Bakersfield (I think that squarely puts me at least next to the white trash category), I’m not offended by the OP. I’m more offended by idiots who can’t follow basic instructions at a place where respect is more than warranted. [/QUOTE] come on **Diosa** we all know the white trash live in Oildale and Weed Patch, not Bakerfield. 🙂 As usual you cut through the BS to the heart of the matter, she was an idiot that cannot follow instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/64 "2007-05-03T18:32:43Z")
You can add me to the list. There is no excuse really for forgetting to turn your phone off in a quiet situation. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/65 "2007-05-03T18:36:19Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] Congratulations on the OP, by the way… you managed to bring out the fat apologists, the gender crusaders, the outraged caucasians, and the “always assume a medical condition!” bad-behavior-justifiers, all in one deft stroke. My hat is off. [/QUOTE] Yeah, all the squirrels rolling thier nuts 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/66 "2007-05-03T19:39:30Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Or an inability to detect vibrations. [/QUOTE] Yes! The inoffensive “ringtone” that comes factory-standard. The only time my phone is off “vibrate” is when I’m at home and likely to be in another _room_. If I forget and it rings in public I’m fucking mortified. (May have something to do with my being too lazy to change the audible ringtone from the Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” but mostly it’s just that ringing phones are fucking annoying, even when the mood isn’t funereal.) It would be nice if there was a way for hand-bag users to benefit from this feature. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/67 "2007-05-03T19:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] and a cell phone debate. If only he could have put in something about leaving her cat outside. . . [/QUOTE] …the vets to be de-clawed. Oh, and **Contrapuntal** is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/68 "2007-05-03T20:02:15Z")
I know the honor guard can’t have a sense of humor about these things, but man it would have been great if they would have levelled their rifles at her head. Maybe even a little mock firing squad action to drive the point home.\* Then we could get a gun control debate, military are murderers debate… who knows what else out of this one. \*And damned if I don’t bet somebody will take this seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/69 "2007-05-03T20:07:50Z")
Huh, missed a whole page of new posts. [QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Any term that denigrates a person based on his membership in an ethnic group is offensive. Until “white” means “not white” and “trash” means “treasure,” the term “white trash” is offensive. The fact that you may not be offended by it has fuck all to do with it. [/QUOTE] That’s the thing – it _doesn’t_ denigrate a person based on the ethnicity. It denigrates a person based on their _trashiness._ The “white” part in there is an archaic reference to a supposedly privileged class. I agree that it’s out of place and best avoided – “trailer trash” means the same thing, without the racist connotation – but it’s important to note that any associated racism is not against people who are “white,” it’s in the implication that they are letting the side down, or that it’s more remarkable for whites to be trashy than it is for any other ethnicity. For this reason, “trailer trash” or just plain “trash” applies better. Freaking out _in this way_ about this usage is whiffy of the sort of person who gripes that white heterosexual males are discriminated against, though. It’s just eye-rolling. It’s offensive to say that whites _should be_ a privileged class. I think it’s very hard to argue that they _aren’t_, though. We all work towards an egalitarian society, but there’s a long way to go. An eighteen-year-old dirt-poor native has more to overcome if they want to make something of themselves in our society than a white boy with the same means. Ought not to be, but it is. The term “white trash” refers to these circumstances. The old view encouraged lowered expectations for certain ethnic groups, if _they_ laze around and drink and fight all day, what of it? It’s not like they’re going to get a job at the bank. But a _white_ behaving like that, why you _know_ they could do better if they applied themselves just a\* little.\* Yes, the situation has improved, but the term remains. FWIW, growing up in East Vancouver, the term “white trash” was applied (without irony) to people who fit the bill, regardless of ethnicity. The family on our block most frequently derided this way (for their long reliance on public assistance, thieving, partying, rock-shirt & mack fashion sense, prolific reproduction rate, etc, etc, ad nauseum) – they were the _Wongs._ ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/70 "2007-05-03T20:11:12Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] FWIW, growing up in East Vancouver, the term “white trash” was applied (without irony) to people who fit the bill, regardless of ethnicity. The family on our block most frequently derided this way…they were the _Wongs._ [/QUOTE] That’s wetched. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/71 "2007-05-03T23:05:32Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Ever consider that she might have a hearing problem? Nice that you’re so absolutely perfect that you can afford to think yourself sublimely superior. I hope the next time you make a mistake your bile gets returned to you in spades. 'Cause, you know, karma will do that. [/QUOTE] You still don’t get what the Pit is for, do ya hon? The OP came here to vent about the most obnoxious cellphone ring tone in the history of mankind. He was hyperbolic and over the top in his venomous reaction. I’m sure when it actually happened, he just stood there, seething, glaring at the woman, who probably hardly noticed. Instead of committing an anti-social act, like shoving the bitch’s cellphone up her ass, he came in here to unload. This is a good and salutory coping response, since words on the internet won’t get you thrown in prison for assault. IOW, this is another request that you don’t threadshit with your pseudo-moralistic scolding in the Pit, QG. No one thinks it’s cute or valuable. You have your own Pitting coming, someday soon, I’d think. I’d do it right now but I can’t be arsed to waste time on a thread devoted to you and all the futility that would entail, though when it happens, I bet this OP will seem like delicate lillies floating on a tranquil pond by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/72 "2007-05-04T07:15:22Z")
I’ve seen time and time again righteous indignation about cell phones going off in the theater, without much disagreement that it is incredibly rude and inexcusable. This doesn’t deserves a pass, learn to turn your fucking phone on vibrate. Arlington National Cemetery may have the feel of a “park” but, hey, in case the tons of tomb stones didn’t remind you, it is a fucking cemetery. Having something like this happen during a wreath laying at th Tomb of the Unknowns is akin to doing the exact same thing at someone’s funeral. No one would let it slide that you ‘forgot to turn off the ringer’ if you pulled this shit at a funeral, and it shouldn’t be excused here, either. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/73 "2007-05-04T07:20:34Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] IOW, this is another request that you don’t threadshit with your pseudo-moralistic scolding in the Pit, QG. [/QUOTE] I think you need to go find yourself a life. Plenty other people thought this rant deserved its own pitting. Go rag on them for a while. ---
**Author:** ![uglyduckling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e99b99/32.png) [@uglyduckling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglyduckling)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/74 "2007-05-04T08:14:42Z")
Sounds like she forgot to shut it off, but awesome ring tone where do you get it? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/75 "2007-05-04T14:44:37Z")
[QUOTE=uglyduckling] Sounds like she forgot to shut it off, but awesome ring tone where do you get it? [/QUOTE] You can get it for free, under a speeding bus. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/76 "2007-05-04T15:08:28Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] I think you need to go find yourself a life. [/quote] You’re the one who has nothing better to do but thread shit and scold people in the Pit. > [@](#): > > Plenty other people thought this rant deserved its own pitting. Go rag on them for a while. Nah, I like ragging on you. It’s so easy and so deserved. Your issue with it, that the OP’s bile is reprehensible, is just idiotic. His bile is perfectly appropos and your scolding of him once again demonstrates your lack of understanding of the purpose of the Pit. Read the BBQ Pit sticky again, and get with the program or fuck off back to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/77 "2007-05-04T16:38:54Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] Heh… you’re just priceless. Don’t ever change. [/QUOTE] Oh, I think there’s no hope of _that_. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/78 "2007-05-04T16:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] FWIW, growing up in East Vancouver, the term “white trash” was applied (without irony) to people who fit the bill, regardless of ethnicity. The family on our block most frequently derided this way (for their long reliance on public assistance, thieving, partying, rock-shirt & mack fashion sense, prolific reproduction rate, etc, etc, ad nauseum) – they were the _Wongs._ [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, two Wongs don’t make a white. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/79 "2007-05-04T17:30:53Z")
No, [Two Wongs can Make it White](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~hist32/History/af.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573/80 "2007-05-04T17:40:39Z")
[QUOTE=NoClueBoy] After running some background checks, aided by the scanners in the cemetary that read the vitals off of her implanted microchip, I found that the fat, trashy bitch with questionable ringtone taste had also parked in a handicap space, declawed her cats, smoked near someone, distributes Chick tracts, believes the American Civil War was fought over state’s rights, yields to pedestrians in crosswalks, likes Top 40 radio, called someone an oriental, tips improper amounts depending on mood, shops at Walmart, owns a gun, thinks _LOST_ has jumped the shark, voted straight ticket for some political party thingy, and had the gall to ask for a refund on the remainder of her _Reader’s Digest_ subscription. More info can be still be found, I’ve simply lost my will to live. [/QUOTE] Aunt Susan? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-obese-woman-whose-cell-phone-rang-at-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/402573.md?page=5)