As a person who has sold all manner of cell phones for a total of about 6 years, I can say people's cell phone manners are fucking atrocious. But, at the same time, people are going to be assholes in any way they can, if that's their predisposition. The cell phone is just another tool they use to be an asshole, so demonizing the cell phone isn't going to help anyone, or anything, or resolve any problems. Get assholes to stop being assholes, or just generally rude and inconsiderate people, and the cell phone will cease to be just another thing that idiots use improperly.
That being said, I personally realize that the world will not stop rotating on its axes and fling me off the surface if the dude in front of me at the checkout counter takes one or two extra minutes because he's being inattentive. I've clocked such people doing these things. I don't care how long it feels like, i've never seen it take over 1 minute of the person not paying attention. And i've been clocking people for a while. 60 seconds is a long time to realize you're done and need to pay... but it feels even longer if you're rushing so bad that 1 minute of your life is disasterous. Bottom line, some people are assholes, rude, and generally inconsiderate... but some people also need to chill the fuck out from time to time and realize there's more to life than 1 minute.
As for the "you wanna take this outside?" bit, i'm more of a "instigate without making it look like instigating, while still indoors in front of witnesses". This way, if he's got the balls to do it, he's gonna do it in the store. If he lacks the grapes to fight me at all, it's not going to happen outside any more than it would inside.
Before anyone roasts me for saying I antagonize people, let me say this: I am a very laid-back person when it comes to most everything. IF it ever comes to someone saying "...take it outside", all efforts to resolve the situation verbally (and I do make every effort to resolve by talking first) have already failed, and this is pretty much the last resort of the offender.
Typical line (and keep in mind i've never once been in a fight):
"No, I don't want to take it outside. Let me make sure i've got this- you're acting like an asshole, I called you on your rude behavior, and your response is to prove you're an asshole by threatening me? People with balls don't make threats, they make promises- and right now, I promise you will be much better off if you walk away before you get yourself in trouble."
I love delivering it, it's like a small speech. I actually wrote it as a line for a character in a script I was writing one day, years ago, and thought it was so great i'd give it a shot. Hasn't failed me- every person i've ever said it to has backed down immediately, with no further incident.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, though... because apparently (i've been told as much) that when I say it, in my very calm and even tone, I take on the facial expressions and appearance of a psycho killer or something, and that maybe part of its success is that people think i'm literally a serial killer or hitman or something by the look i'm giving them. I've been told that by more than one friend. So, grain of salt and all that.
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