# Using Cell Phones in public places **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2001, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cell-phones-in-public-places/73613 "2001-07-24T12:05:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hibbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@Hibbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hibbins)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cell-phones-in-public-places/73613/61 "2001-07-27T16:17:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Had I wanted to make a real bet, it would have had the form: “Let me hook you up to a driving simulator and measure your response times both when using a cell phone and when not using a cell phone. If your response times are not degraded, I will give you a wad of cash. If they are degrade, you will give me a wad of cash.” Is the difference between the two clear to you now? The difference is crystal; unfortunately what you state above is wholly different than what was in your original post. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > It drives me nuts, too. Unlike some people, I can drive and talk on my cell phone without becoming a traffic hazard. > > Bets? In my experience, people who claim they are unlike (and superior in abilities to) other people are probably just kidding themselves. Degraded response times do not necessarily make a traffic hazard. An unusually aware driver when preoccupied with a cell conversation is likely still more aware than many/most other drivers. A cell phone should not distract a driver any more than carrying on a conversation with a passenger while driving, certainly less than putting on your makeup or shaving while driving. I will agree that dialing and looking up numbers detracts from a drivers awareness (this can be avoided though). Call me sometime when I am on the road. I assure you I will sound very distracted and remote from the conversation (at least that is what I am told), probably because I am focusing on driving and not on talking. People need to be educated in proper cell phone etiquette. We don’t need laws, we need Miss Manners. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Shade\_OF\_Purple-Gray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@A\_Shade\_OF\_Purple-Gray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Shade_OF_Purple-Gray)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cell-phones-in-public-places/73613/62 "2001-07-28T05:28:42Z")
I will cheerfully club people who refuse to turn off their damn cell phones in movies and concerts. You know, those selfish pricks even ignore the big signs in my movie house admonishing people to turn them off before entering the seating area! It never fails when I go to watch a movie and it gets to a real tense spot, some SOB’s cell phone goes off in the back and I want to rip his head off and s%%t down his neck. I got almost got into a fight with one gawky teen punk who had to talk to his ‘boyz’ behind me on the phone and finally won when I stood up and asked him how high up would he like his phone shoved. Another time I observed two big guys across the way do something similar to some jerk in a suit who was on the thing like every few minutes and it took both of them threatening to cream his butt to get him to turn it off. I don’t own a cell phone. I have no need for one at all, especially at the cost and with all of these sneaky things the sellers gloss over or don’t tell you about, like your free calls can only be used after midnight, on a Thursday, in a thunderstorm, during winter, when it hails. Nor do they tell you that your 5 cents per minute long distance charge is only for out of state calls and instate, it jumps to 15 cents. Besides, I watch court TV and cannot believe the people marching in to sue over cell phone related stuff. At least in England, they’re much smarter than us Americans, because they’ll stop and really fine your butt if they catch you using a cell phone while driving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-cell-phones-in-public-places/73613.md?page=3)