Cell Phone Users = Morons?
 

I can't tell you how many times I've seen people do stupid things while on their cell phone. Don't get me started about how many times someone could have killed me while they yapped on their phone while driving (and not paying the least bit of attention to the road and the other drivers). Is it the person that's stupid, the cell phone that makes the person stupid, or both, or neither?

The person's stupid to begin with. The cell phone just gives them an outlet for that stupidity.

You raise a very interesting question. I know many very intelligent people who lose their smarts once you put a cell phone in their ear.

I also know some dumb bunnies who use restraint and uncommon courtesy with their cell phones.

Maybe a cell phone morphs you into your opposite!!

The person is stupid to begin with, the cell phone just makes them worse.

Your odds of being in a serious accident while on a cell phone are about the same as your odds of being in one when you have a BAC of .04.

Anyone want to start Mothers Against Cellphone Driving? MACD doesn't have a ring to it though...

I think that it is a specific kind of intelligence. Some people are smart when it comes to math. Some people are very articulate. Some people are brilliant musically. Some people are smart when they use cell phones. Others are complete morons when on their cell phones.

Drunk + Mobile = Stupidity

Also, wish I had a recall on text msg's. Once was having txt sex w/ girlfriend and sent it to first number on phone /hilarity ensued.

I use it when I'm not driving, and not in crowded rooms. I'll step outside or at least oout of the room i fI think someone will have a problem wiht me using it. I'll pull over if I need to take a call.

I try to only use my headset and voice-activated dialing when I'm driving. With that, it's no more distracting or unsafe than having a conversation with people in the car. Which can still be unsafe and distracting, but you don't see legislation about that!

People who try to dial a phone, drink coffee, eat lunch, put on makeup and curl their toes while driving are the REAL problem, after all!

i'm a little embarrassed using a cell phone in public, because i'm aware of so many idiots making asses of themselves. I just hate to think I'd look like that.

I guess my biggest peav with cell phones is in restaurants. It's really hard to eat when everyone is discussing EVERYthing at double their normal volume. And what is it exactly about people raising their voices when they're talking on the cell phone?

a friend of mine says that the radiation is something to be concerned about (from the engineers and designers of the cellular systems) he says that it's going to wean out the assholes and the idiots...

i think it's pretty accurate.

i think that there's an unwritten law in jersey where if you're talking on your cell phone while driving your car MUST straddle two lanes of traffic while going about 5 miles under the speed limit.

then, of course, when you flash your hi-beams and try to pass, they get all pissy and slow down even more...

gotta love jersey... :P

My mom doesn't turn off her cell phone when we go out (if she remembers to take it at all), and it's extremely embarassing when she gets a call, because she talks loud -already- and her voice seems like a loudspeaker in a restaurant, so everyone's staring at us while she's on the phone, and I just hate that crap with a passion. The only time a cell phone is useful is in an emergency, in my humble opinion.

And it seriously bugs me when someone's cell phone rings in the middle of a class or something and then they have to disrupt the teacher by getting up, shuffling down the aisle, and waddling out of the room to talk to their "pookie" or their "boo." Good god.

DING DING DING!

We have a winner!

I work in retail. The thing that pisses me off is people who come up to pay for their stuff and continue talking on their damn cell phone and completly ignore the fact there is a real person in front of them. I just want to grab their phone and shove it up their ass.

driving + talking over the phone at the same time is prohibited over here.

there is a time and place for everything. cell phones users can be intelligent. it is just hard to see it just because there are so many dumb ones out there

I agree with the general consensus of the thread, they just bring out the stupidity in people.

All cell phone users are morons. But not all morons are cell phone users.

Or something like that :D j/k

They definitely bring out stupidity in people. The worst though, aside from driving with one, is when someone is with a group of people (or just you) and their phone rings, and instead of telling the person they are busy and will call back later, they apologize to you and take the call. Just pisses me off when my friends do that...

So no one here has a cell phone? I find that very hard to believe. Now one thing I have to say in defense of the cell phone user is that not all, not even most, cell phone users are morons. The fact of the matter is that there are morons everywhere. And alot of people have cell phones. This thread should be called "Lets swap stupid cell phone stories" which we all can do. Of course we could also have a bad drivers (with no cell phone involved) thread. Anoying people at movies thread (again could even limit that to no cell phone stories and would still have plenty) and as far as using the hands free mic to talk on the cell phone I do not see how that is any safer. I mean that is based on the theory that people are more unsafe on self phones becasue they are only driving with one hand. But I always only drive with one hand (as do most,or atleast alot of, people) and I also sometimes (rarely) will drive and talk on the cell phone. And not to toot my own horn but I think I am a decent enough driver either way. Of course I am also just not an idiot. And as for talking on a cell phone while driving increasing your chances of getting into a wreck as much as having a BAC of .04 I have heard that before but I would take that with a grain of salt. People can use statistics to "prove" anything. That could just be an example of that.

I spend a great deal of time in my car and with my job. A cell phone is a necessity. I do use a hands free when I am in the car and I have a phone with voice activated dialing to minimize handling. I try to use my cell phone intelligently and minimize the use when I am in the car. not only due to safety, but its also pretty expensive.

Agreed - rude and stupid people are going to be rude and stupid - regardless of the level of technology involved.

I have no cell phone. I would not take one without significant payment, and then it would spend its time with the battery discharged.

I have a pager. It is on when I'm not at home. If it's urgent, people page me. If it's an emergency, they put 911 after the number. If it's not an emergency and they put 911 after the number, they get a fucking earful when I call them back.

In Wal-Mart here, some girl knocked over a center island display of 12-packs of sodas because she was too busy on her cell phone to watch where she was going. A 5-year old got hit in the head and had to be taken to the emergency room. The little bitch tried to slip off unnoticed, but me and two other people caught up with her before she got out of the store.

If cellphones and WALKING are this dangerous, imagine cellphones + driving.

I work for a cellular company. One of the perks is that everyone gets free mobile phone service. The drawback to this is that our break room is constantly stuffed with these idiots on their phones trying to shout above each other in their own one-sided conversations. Just try to have a relaxing smokie break when you've got 10 people in the smoke room with you hollering at their kids, parents, & significant others.

I'm gonna make a sign that says "Please insert mobile phones securely in rectum before entering." and stick it on the door there.

Last night I was at the Movie Bulletproof monk. I am sitting there trying to enjoy some quality time when some Renob answers his cell phone as loudly as possible. The person hung up on him, so he called them back right there in the middle of the theatre. It took many loud comments to get this guy to take it outside. I think the problem is that most people dont care about anyone but themselves. I myself own a cell, but I turn it off in movies, pull over to answer a call, etc. People need to realize that even though they are talking to someone on a phone that does not excuse them from interacting with society in a normal manner.

my phone stays on perpetual vibrate and i glance at the number unless it looks like an emergency i wait until im somewhere private to call em back

Cell Phones can cause problems. I am the first one to admit that I shouldn't drive with one, but I do.

A cell phone is like a gun, it can be used for usefull purposes, but is just as likely to be abused and cause trouble

I use my cell phone while driving, and will continue to do so. I'm very safe, though. I've dropped it into my lap a number of times when the road demands my complete attention. People that know me know this, and respect it.

I only use my cell phone in the car occasionally, and only then when it is safe to do so.

I had a cell phone for a period of time, and it was off unless I was making a call. I checked for messages periodically, but only once or twice a day or so... and yes people who abuse them annoy the shit out of me. If cell phone jammers were legal I'd be a happy man.

I got rid of my phone a few years ago and really can't think of any times when I really needed it again.

It's just stupid.

And then there's the Nextel commercials with Dennis Frantz for the combination cell phone / walkie talkie.

Thank you, Nextel - because, God knows, it wasn't annoying enough hearing just <i>one</i> side of a phone conversation !!

i haven't gotten one just because i don't want to seem like an idiot...i hate it when they talk when they're driving...one almost ran over my gramma in grocery store parking lot once....to get him to stop backing up i smacked his van with my hand a few times really hard....scared the bejesuz out of my gramma
i don't like it when i'm in a restaurant and some really loud teenage girl is screaming into hers "oh my god ! really! no way!! i can't believe it!!" just pisses me off!!!!

I don't think all cell phone users are morons. Someone already mentioned that some people are stupid to start out with. The cell phone merely exaberates their stupidity when they use it in certain situations. The worst is when people use them in movie theaters and restrooms.

Cell phone + driving = responsiblity. Period.

I ditched my cell phone 6 years ago because the cell provider pissed me off. I haven't really had a reason for one since then, but I'd still like to get another one for emergencies.

As far as people talking on cell phones while driving, it all depends on the idiot or genius behind the wheel. I can handle it, but I know most people can barely walk and chew gum at the same time. Because of that, I totally back any laws the prohibit talking on a hand-held while driving.

I live just south of Los Angeles where everyone, their mother and their pre-teen children have cell phones and they have just become a nuisance here. People driving on the busy freeways and talking on the cells just piss me off to no end. They are either driving too fast and not paying attention, driving too slow and not paying attention, or swerving in and out of their lane not paying attention. The main problem is THEY JUST DON'T PAY ATTENTION!

Cell phones have become almost a necessity in a short time - the biggest problem I see with them is what everyone else has mentioned. Some people just are not intelligent enough to do two thinks at once. It is nice to know that you have the ability to call someone if you have trouble - Biggest problem with cell phones in our part of the world is that there too many areas where service doesn't exist because of a lack of towers - Sparse population is a bitch for a lot of things.

i hate phones. i fucking loathe people calling me a lot...... i talk to them in real life, italk to them on the net, i talk to them all the time. why must i talk to them when they are gone?!?! it's a GOOD thing for people to go away - especially when they ARE away.

that aside, i use a cell phone :D

in case i need something when i go somewhere. safety first.

the assholes who talk while driving would most likely be applying make up or fooling with the radio or programing C++ at the same time anyhow. a lot of people are dumb....

hmmmmmm.

if you're driving, then DRIVE. do not do anything else!

Are cell phones really a 'necessity?' Or have the providers just convinced us of that, appealed to our need for instant gratification, kinda thing. How many people screen all their calls via land-line at home, but hystericaly answer every little chirp their cell makes, because it's, well, "It's the cell, it must be important!"
I could buy the necessity angle for those out in the sparsley populated boonies, but there's no service, because the towers aren't economically viable. Tells you where the providers stand on the necessity issue.

My 67 year old mother has been traveling around the country on a motorcycle, usually by herself, for the last fifteen years, and has never given serious thought to getting a cell; it's pretty pathetic that so many people feel they can't even drive across town without a cell clutched tremulously in their hand...

Okay, so we have two in our family, but the missus works for one of the providers, and it only costs us three bucks a month. We might use 20 of the 1500 minutes we have a month, but if she changed jobs, it wouldn't be much of a loss.

I'll shut up now.

Some people are just too incompetent to drive while talking on the phone. I dont drive while on the phone unless its necessary.

i dont have a cell... it costs too much... if my parents offered to get me one i would accept it... but it would remain off a very large percent of the time... i just dont like people being able to call me whenever... i would leave it off and return the calls when it was safe and convenient...

Cell phones can be very important these days. Just try and find a pay phone when you are paged. Most of them have been taken away.

I am on-call over 100 nights a year and I really need one. I leave it turned off and only make outgoing calls when I am paged. If I am eating out, I usually go outside, but if there are few people in a casual place, I try and talk quietly. If I have to raise my voice, I get up then, and go outside.

I do return calls from the hospital while driving, but only with a handsfree device. I don't call patients back without pulling over because I have to give them my full attention and I have to take notes. When I am talking to a nurse, I frequently zone out because the driving requires my full attention. When things are back to normal, I resume the converasation. I figure that this is about the same as if I was talking to someone in the car. Not everyone is capable of that....I have actually seen people talking with their hands or yelling into the phone. I also dial while at a stoplight or use the speed dial to the main hospital number and have the operator connect me to the correct unit.

I have a cell phone.
I use it when I'm driving.
Number of accidents = 0

I actually saw a co-worker answer his cell while he was taking a piss in the men's room. I mean at least wait until after you zip up and wash your hands!

This used to happen me quite a bit.....I'd just ask them a bunch of real stupid questions. (i.e. about their credit card, bank card etc...) and then I'd take my sweet fucking time with the rest.....

If you don't have the common courtesy to recognize a human in front of I have the power to reciprocate, ass-clown.

I once had a lady in a quickstop store come in for her coffee and trendy bagel yammering on her cell phone about inane shit. I had her waiting 10 minutes while I ran her bank card (which I assured her "didn't look like no credit card to me") and then fumbled with the receipts until she hung up.

I don't understand the cell phone craze anyway. Emergencies, sure great idea, but I've never felt the need for anybody to be able to get a hold of me immediately. Besides if you can't wait to get to a land line to call me cause you're to busy squeezing me in between stopping at the Starbucks and The Gap, then I don't want your damn call anyway.[/b]

depends on the person and the cellphone type and how they use it. i have one, but only (1) for the statewide long distance, (2) when i'm going to be late, (3) to arrange quick plans. possibly to check up on a friend who's having troubles while i'm at a bus stop and i have a bit of a wait. i try my best not to annoy people too much with too much talking .. i used to talk on the damn thing on the bus all the time but it just used up minutes and got people pissed at me and eventually i realized i was being a dumbass.

Tssk... I think the American public just doesn't like cellphones yet. Come back in a few years, and we'll see how much you've changed.

Here in Europe (old europe?), we used to look down on cellphone users too: bunch of annoying bastards, showing how important they are with their cellphones!

Now everyone and their dog has a cellphone, including yours truly.

The reason I have a cellphone is simple: the phone company forces me to pay a monthly fee for a normal phone; I hardly ever call anyone, but I still have to pay that fee. With a cellphone, I only pay when I call (it's a pre-pay system). This way, I save at least 200 Euros (200 dollars?) a year. God, I'm such a moron...

Another huge advantage: I had a job interview yesterday, and the guy would call me back. He did, 15 minutes later, when I was on my way home. If I had not had that cellphone, it would have been pretty damn hard to reach me; because I did have it, I now know that I'll be having a second interview this friday. Moronic, isn't it?

You wanna know what is a bigger problem in the car then cell phones??

How about someone barrelling down the express way at 70 mph, and yelling at their kids who are running amok in the minivan.

Or how about the idiot that is reading his newspaper, magazine, or map and trying to drive at the same time.

How about the idiot who is putting on her make up while trying to drive....

There are ALOT of idiots out there...regardless of what the excuse is....cell phones are just one of these things.

I don't think that cell phones are the problem, I think it is the idiot that can't seem to talk and drive at the same time.

I'm strictly a cell phone user. No landline. But at the same time I realize that having that $100 piece of plastic in my pocket doesn't give me the right to be a jackass. I get so fed up with sitting at dinner in a nice resturant and having to either listen to some guy's ringer or yapping on a conversation. Grr..

It seems that talking on a cell phone while driving takes away just enough concentration to be very dangerous.

That's why I make it a point to use a hands free device while driving and talking on the cell phone.

Cell phone users not stupid. Cell phone Abusers stupid

I would have to agree with the statement that cell phones don't make people stupid, they are already stupid and it makes them more stupid.

"Remember now people, there are no stupid questions, just stupid people"

I think cell phones are a great tool, I just can't stand the ringers. I always leave it on silent, and can't count the times it has saved my life. The first day I got it, my friend was in a car accident, lucky I was there, cause we were in a badddddd part of town. I could be happier if my mom wouldn't call to check up on me.

cell phone users are just the same as everyone else.
in fact they are everyone else, almost.
we'll get used to it.
no problems at all.

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Damn I can't tell you how many idiots I've run into (ummm not literally) blabbing on the phone while I'm dodging their car that's slowly meandering into my lane. Too many people forget they are still driving when the c-phone rings. For myself, I answer and tell them I'll call them back, unless I'm parked already. Unless my house is on fire or Timmy's fallen down the well (good boy Lassie) - it can wait until I get home.

One thing I find troubling about human behavior, which broadly addresses the cellphone/stupidity question, is that common sense, common decency, and common courtesy are increasingly uncommon behaviors.

cell phones don't cause accidents, idiots cause accidents.

I use my cell all the time. In fact, It's the only phone I use, since I got rid of my land line. I use it driving all the time. Stuck in traffic? Call you mom! It certainly passes the time. I don't use a hands free device, cause they are a pain in the ass, but luckily all these years of smoking have tought me how to drive with one hand. If I'm in a traffic area, or there are alot of twisty turns, I just tell them to hold on, I'll call them back later.

Not having a land line is awesome. No more sales people calling me, and bugging me at 8 in the morning on a Saturday.

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Cell phones...god how I hate them...I've never had one and never will, unless it's a) totally and completely free of charge and b) required by my job. They're so goddamn annoying...in stores, in restaurants, movie theaters, out at the park, on the beach, you can't escape the cutesy rings and rude talkers no matter where you go. If I could afford it, I'd buy one of those cell phone jammers and carry it everywhere I go...