analog

I'm wondering, though, if these calls really are all personal calls, or if they're conducting business. For example, I worked for years in stores that sold wireless phones. We got lots of calls on our cells- but they were customers.

It's very possible that these people are getting client calls or other calls of a preofessional nature.

Also, how annoying can it get in an office? Regular phones are ringing all the time, so what's the difference with cellphones? And if you stopped a convo with a coworker to answer your landline, would that be any different if it's a customer/professional need either way?

People get way too bent out of shape about cellphones, way too often.

If you're having a conversation with someone, and someone else walks up and asks to speak with you, does person #1 get to be upset because someone else needs to talk to you? The difference is, some people are rude, and some people are not rude- if you're rude and not on a cellphone, no one counts it and puts it in a nice little survey to show how evil cellphones are.

They could also put it on vibrate.

Bottom line is- some people are rude and/or inconsiderate of those around them, regardless of whether or not they use a cellphone. Those who are rude and own a cellphone (which, let's face it, a LOT of people have them) just make their rudeness stand out more, and degrade the overall image of cellphone users.

Not everyone is a bitch, or a prick, when it comes to using their cell (meaning not having loud ringers in an office environment, not interrupting people to answer a non-business call). It's just the bad ones stick out so much.

I'm a big supporter of cellphones in general, but i would not have been anywhere near as nice as you were. She'd have gotten something more along the lines of, "put the fucking phone down." She's being an idiot, and rude to us by ignoring us while (barely) doing her job. Her manager would have gotten a talking-to, as well.