I really try not to be a d*ck when I use my cell phone in public. That includes talking at a loud decibel, using my phone all the time (aka phone addiction that I’m trying to alleviate) or leaving the ringer on when I’m in a movie or public place.
But, I’ve found that not everyone acts like that. In fact, while I was on vacation, I had two instances where I wanted to rip the phone out of someone’s hand and break it because they were so rude with it in public.
Vacation Case #1:
Sitting in a spa, relaxing and enjoying quiet and despite several signs that say “NO CELL PHONES,” a woman is yapping away on her phone, standing buck naked in the locker room. I saunter in there, in a blissfully post-massage haze, only to be pulled back into a crushing reality by this b*tch talking. Yeah, that killed the mood.
Vacation Case #2:
While I was in the hot air balloon, 2,000 feet above the ground, I hear the faint sound of Achy Breaky Heart (no joke), which turns out to be the cell phone ringer of the taper-legged jean woman next to me. No joke. She got on her phone and talked for 20 minutes, then made a call and talked for another 20 minutes. Seriously?? I even asked her to put it away and she wouldn’t. That is just rude. Did you pay that much money to talk on your phone in a f*cking balloon? No. Fact.
Non-Vacation Case:
Sitting on the bus after a long day at work, when two men begin talking on their walkie talkie cell phones (to separate people), turning the volume up so everyone on the bus can hear the conversation
Not long after that last incident, I realized that the old etiquette when it comes to phones is totally gone. Now, there is no etiquette unless individual people, stores or companies tell people about it.
For example, I frequently see signs about no cell phones, camera phones or even tweeting. And without those signs, people just assume they can use their phones, regardless if it’s rude to others.
Seeing those signs always struck me as odd, but after my trip and that bus ride home, I get it. And it makes me realize my own cell phone bad habits and I change right away.
What about you? Does bad cell phone etiquette irritate you?
You know what I hate, those stupid bluetooths….ATTENTION PEOPLE: you look like a crazy person talking to yourself!
While I never have long conversations on my cell phone, I do sometimes get too invested in it when I’m out in public – mainly checking Twitter :). I’m trying to be better at putting it away and focusing more on what’s happening around me because we can miss so much!
I can’t stand it. Phone manners really are gone. I also get really peeved when people curse on the phone or say other crude things when children are present. I don’t care if they are not your kids, watch your mouth. It would be nice if more businesses and people stood up for cell phone etiquette.
I have a hard enough time hearing people anyway, so when someone is in the background yapping away on their phone it makes me want to scream!
I was at a napping event on Sunday and a jerk was talking LOUDLY on his cell phone.
I hate those effing walkie talkie phones. Hate.
OMG…my parents are the WORST! We’ll be sitting in a restaurant having dinner and my sister or someone will call. I’ll beg them not to answer it, to just let it go to VM and call back when we’re leaving. But NO, they insist on pulling the phone out and yapping away at the table (usually just about the time the server comes over to take our order). Plus they can never HEAR whomever it is, so they ratchet up their voices “Laura? LAURA?! Can you HEAR me??!!!!”….yes, the entire restaurant and the nail salon next door can hear you too….UGH!
Yes, it definitely pisses me off! I try to always have my phone on silent in public places, don’t talk on the phone when I’m in a store, checking out, etc. I think it’s really pathetic that we have to have signs in public places now to prohibit/allow the use of cell phones now. Technology has not made *everything* better, you know!?
I hate cell phones in general. I think I was the last kid in my high school to get one, and my parents forced me! Basically I don’t like being accessible all the time, and I hate how people expect you to respond back or call back right away; I will do it when I have time! I also just don’t like talking on my phone in front of others, it makes me feel weird that strangers can here by business.
My biggest pet peeve is when I’m out to dinner and people continually text, talk, or check their phones. Its so rude, like they aren’t content just being with you. An updated Emily Post etiquette book actually says its rude to have your phone out on the table and I completely agree!
It is VERY annoying. :/
Wow #1 i would be PISSED!!! I am guilty of a few phone faux pas but never THAT bad, as described here.
I can’t agree with you more! It has become so ubiquitous and people just seem to have no consideration. You highlighed some of the worst but for me one of my pet peeves are those who have decided that the no cell phone while driving does not apply to them and yet they look at you in astonishment when they almost hit you like it is your fault. Ugg so irritating!
Ugh….not only is it annoying, but last night in the cab home from Penny’s Noodles it proved extremely dangerous. We were cutting down a heavily shaded side street and it was completely dark despite street lights. It was one of those streets with the speed humps too, so the cab wasn’t even going that fast. And then, SLAM! We flew forward into the divider as the cab driver slammed on the brakes and the horn. I don’t know how he saw anything because when I looked through the plastic partition and through the windsheild, it was just dark….but then to the right we saw the teenager on his bike, dressed all in black, riding past while talking on his cell phone. He was cutting down back alleys that crisscrossed the side streets. I don’t know how the cab didn’t hit him, I really don’t. Inches away maybe. Needless to say, the three of us sat there shaking our heads, afraid to move forward, while the DUMBASS didn’t even slow down.
I didn’t even have a cell phone until about a month ago so everything that people did on thier cell phone in public annoyed me. But the absolute worst is when someone pulls out thier phone and starts texting while you’re talking to them.
Of course now that I’ve got a phone I can barely put it down. But I try not to be rude about it.
When I took transit my number one was people having big serious relationship conversations on the cell phones in the middle of the bus. I mean, really?!
I guess I will never understand what could be so important that you can’t put the phone down for 20 minutes. Especially if you’re in a place where you can’t go somewhere away from other people. I mean, yes, there are emergencies, but those don’t usually require 20+ minutes of conversation so loud the rest of the bus/room/whatever can here it.
People drive me nuts! I was waiting at the doctor Monday and this woman was practically screaming into her phone in the tiny room where we were all forced to listen to her for about 1/2 an hour until she was finally called into her appointment.
i’m guilty of texting, but when i’m out to dinner, on a date, on a friend-date, i do my best to keep it to a minimum or just ignore my phone all together. i feel rude!
i went on vacation w/ my best friend and we stayed with her cousin who is our age. one night, i just did not want to go out so i stayed in by myself. now i totally expected the 3 am-girl talk-taco bell fest, that’s fine…whatever. my friend and i were sharing a room as our sleeping area and she was talking on the phone until 6 30 am. NO JOKE. i yelled at her twice to go somewhere else with that shit! not to mention she spent all day everyday on the phone at the f-ing beach. it was really obnoxious and it was distracting b/c all i wanted to do was read and relax by the water!
oh wow….end rant. i guess phones really do annoy me!! :)
Don’t even get me started on bad cell phone habits. I have a shorter tolerance than most when it comes to cell phone use. My favorite? When people are walking down the street, heads so deep in the phones, they don’t even notice other people walking towards them. I never step to the side. If they walk into me, that’s on them. It’s utterly ridiculous.
I’m the same as you. I try to be as polite as I can. If I have to call Gzilla and ask him something while I’m at the grocery store, I will wait to get in line until I’m off the phone. That used to really upset me when I was a cashier (at a grocery store and at retail stores). Can you get off your phone for A MINUTE so that I can get your !@#$%* credit card?
P.S. I would say we should launch a PSA campaign on cell phone etiquette, but I’m guessing that’s of no use.
I hate cell phones. Well, that’s not completely true because I love them for their internet access but hate them for the phone bit — and for this very reason. I hate how everyone has them everywhere. I used to get so fuming mad at my ex when he would take a call while we were out to eat at the table — and he was popular enough that he always got calls while we were out. So incredibly rude. I also hate them because I don’t want to be that accessible (and I just hate talking on the phone in general), but you’re made to feel like a pariah if you don’t carry one with you at all times because people feel like they can’t get in touch with you. I carry mine everywhere and then never answer it.
I just hate inconsiderate people. When people are so self involved that they can’t think of others around them, that’s when I start to get pissed. Combine that with cell phones, and I’m sure you can see where this is going.
well, I’m an offender. I almost think it’s funny when I see a no cell phone sign because no one is going to follow that. At least I don’t talk on speakerphone in public though – only in my car and house.
I absolutely HATE when people use their cell phone like that. If I absolutely need to use my cell phone in a public place, I excuse myself and go somewhere more private. AND I hate when people have their cell phone on loud in a public place. I always keep mine on vibrate.
I am not a big phone person in the first place (mine is used for texting and internet access first and foremost) but I hate having phone conversations in public. Can’t believe someone in a hot air balloon stayed on the phone for so much of the ride – that’s insane.
We used to have a show over here called Trigger Happy TV and one of the skits involved a guy walking around talking on a giant mobile phone at the top of his voice in really inconvenient places. It was hilarious – so annoying, but hilarious…
If I’m in public, I still try and find a private corner to talk. But that’s only if I absolutely NEED to talk to someone. I actually get embarrassed when I talk on my phone in public! But I guess that comes from being a part of a generation where we didn’t have cell phones as soon as we exited the womb…
I do understand that there are professions where people need to be on the phone constantly, but seriously people, you’re not impressing anyone when your conversation can be heard 3 blocks away. And your spa situation? Totally unacceptable. Obviously that chick doesn’t understand the concept of relaxation.
Aaaarrrgh! Your post made me so irritated! I cannot stand it when people use their cell phones with bad taste. And I’m conservative about it too. Standing in line? No! Restaurant? No! Class? Tsk tsk. I get so mad.
I would have seriously evaluated what state I was in and their state laws. If they weren’t that bad, I would have taken that cell phone from that lady’s hands and thrown it out from the balloon. Grrr!
I hate when people have their cell ringers on loud at work. I work in a cubicle farm, I can hear this one guys phone from the other side of the building. Turn it down!
I have a flip phone with no internet, too. I think I would have pushed Mrs. Achy Breaky out of the balloon.
Houses and cars are quite expensive and not everyone is able to buy it. Nevertheless, personal loans are invented to support people in such kind of situations.
I HATE when people text or check email at the table. That’s my absolute biggest pet peeve– I’m not afraid to speak up and tell someone to put away a phone if we’re having a meal.
I am not a fan of ring tones and almost always have mine on vibrate. While I do occasionally text when I am out and about I almost never take phone calls and when I do, I keep it short. I can’t stand it when I’m with someone and they are constantly reaching for their phone.
Like Lollygagger, I’m still rolling with the old school flip phone and no internet.
I am guilty of constantly getting texts/checking my phone but I HATE talking inpublic because I find it rude. I don’t want complete strangers knowing my business.
I can’t believe that woman didn’t hang up even after you asked her. I think I wouldve slapped her, no joke.
I don’t like when people are loud on their phones. Seriously people there is no need to yell. I also hate it when you are hanging out with someone and they keep taking calls or checking their phone for text of emails. Its like they are saying there time is more important than mine. Don’t get me wrong I have been know to check my phone for texts/emails while with others but I would never take a phone call. And if I did I would not stay on the phone for a long period of time. People need to tell the person that called them they will call them back because they are with company.
Uggggggh. I hate everything about loud cell phone people! It drives me bonko. But this is also coming from a girl who still has on old school flip phone with no internet ;)