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Originally Posted by Rlyss
As for phones in lectures, if it's on silent/vibrate then it's never bothered me if someone takes a call outside (as long as they don't start talking until they're out). People have to go to the bathroom, come or leave early to lectures, take calls for any number of reasons. As long as they're quiet and discreet about coming and going I don't think it's too big a deal. Kids in middle school shouldn't have phones on in class, but adults in a university lecture deserve more freedom than that.
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Exactly. A lot of us are adults with adult concerns--children, spouses, etc--that add up for emergencies. I keep my phone on me at all times and on vibrate regardless of where I am because it has proved useful in the past during family emergencies. And as Rlyss said, in a college lecture, it's just one of many things that can distract. I know during a long lecture (especially those summer term) I get up to go get a drink or stretch if the professor hasn't given us a break in a while. Besides, I've had profs who keep their cell phones handy for the same reasons I do. However, if you're text messaging someone in class and it's not a 300-person lecture in the auditorium...that's ridiculous.
As for the movie theater--when stuff like that happens repeatedly, that's when I go get an usher. Usually I preface it by saying this, "Someone is talking on their cell phone so much I can't enjoy the movie. I'd like my money back." Usually they'll deal with the culprit rather than giving you your money back. Yeah, it requires you to get out of your seat but it takes about as much time as going to the bathroom, and the person at fault feels completely chagrined because some teenage usher had to ask them to correct their behavior. There's a REASON why they say to turn off your cell phones and be quiet, people. Sometimes I think people fail to realize they're not alone in the world.
My biggest pet peeve, as someone who has worked in service industries, is when people approach a person they have to interact with in order to order something while still on their cell phone. You'd be amazed how many people try to conduct a conversation while also trying to conduct business with the deli counterperson, cashier, bartender, etc. It's incredibly annoying to have to figure out who the hell the person is talking to. It's even more confusing and annoying when they're using a handsfree unit. Ugh. If, for some reason, I must do the above (for instance, when I tell my mother goodbye she has about three more things of "absolute importance" she must say to me) I apologize to the person. This has only happened once.
I think the other problem here is that people feel that talking on their cell phone is their "right." I'm sorry but I don't believe you have a right to be rude without an excellent reason. The other problem here is that people have a hard time self-policing their behavior, and cell phone usage is one of those behaviors that requires practicing self-control of a sort. It requires you to be aware of others, your surroundings, and to be aware of what is polite and what is rude. Some people just don't want to exert that kind of effort. To me that means you shouldn't have a cell phone to begin with
