1. If you're in class, I don't think you should be answering your phone. Most of the people in my classes turned their phones off when they sat down and turned them on as soon as the class ended. I'm fine with that. There were some people who didn't, but it usually wasn't a repeat offense. Having 200 glaring faces directed at you suddenly is a pretty good deterrant.

2. If you're in the movies, don't play with your phone, or at least cover the screen with your hand like the people in my town do. It's not noticible and if it is noticible enough to piss you off, I honestly think you're the type of person looking for things to piss and moan about. Personally, I find the following things in theaters a whole hell of a lot more annoying than cell phones in theaters: crying infants, little kids, teenie-boppers, tall people, people who smell bad, and above all else, people who whisper to each other during the movie, for any reason. Whispering isn't quiet, it's extremely distinctive and annoying. To me, that's all a whole lot more irritating than a tiny screen.

3. I try not to do it, but I see the same problems when people are messing with their stereo, trying to read, eat, apply makeup, change clothes, or engage in deep conversations with their passengers. Shitty drivers are shitty drivers.

Personally when I'm at work, in a theater, restaraunt, classroom, or anywhere else where I feel a ringing phone is a breach of etiquette, I will put my phone on vibrate. If not, I have the ringer on. I have my phone on 24/7 for two very simple reasons.
1. I take care of my grandparents who are both just a few years short of 90. I'm not going to sit around the house on my free time, because I want to have a life other than watching the bird feeders and wasp traps all day for entertainment. If they're calling, they are paying long distance. The only time they call long distance is in case of an emergency, and I was sure glad my phone was on the other night when my grandma had to be hospitalized and the police/emts needed vital information about her medical conditions, immediately.
2. My girlfriend lives in Japan during the summer. That's approximately a 17 hour time difference and wildly different time schedules to work around, leaving only a few hours a day where talking to each other is possible. If she calls, I'm taking the call, end of story. I'll vacate whatever venue I'm in before I start talking, and if that offends someone I'm sorry, but when I only talk to her once a month (if I'm lucky!) I'm taking the call.

Sixth in one, half dozen in the other...

/end sappy moment :)

that's what it all breaks down to.

When I find myself in a situation where someone is chatting on a cell phone I try to ignore their conversation as I do when people in line are having an in-person conversation. It's rude to evesdrop when avoidable. When I CAN"T avoid evesdropping because the people are talking too loudly is when I would ask them to be quieter or in some cases save their phone call till later. I will be considerate and not complain about conversations in-person or on the phone until the they start being too loud to be considerate to me as well. In fact I will probably tolerate the rudness far longer than some would. If I say something to you though then you can be sure you asked for it.

My cell is on all the time when I'm out. It is also always on vibrate. If I get a call in class, I just hang up on the first ring (so I know the number and can call back that person later). In the movie theatre, I walk out to the tunnel as far away as I can before I even take it out of my pocket, hence no distracting light or sound for the other people. On the road, I use it at stoplights sometimes, or pull over. There isn't much point in having a cell if you're going to turn it off, and since I don't have voicemail, it has to be on for me to be able to return people's calls.

monkeysugar: I'm one of those annoying tall people. I even try to sit with perfect posture to boot. At least I don't have a 'fro.

And after all, isn't this what this thread is all about? Not rights versus priviledges, but manners and etiquette. One can disregard both, but then one ends up being a candidate for the next Jerry Springer or Montel show, or a guest appearance on Trailer Park Boys...

Observance of manners provides for civility, and we all want to live in a civil society.

Or at the very least, knowing the rules allows you to know how to properly break them.

/yeah, I just ripped off the Dalai Llama.

because we are all fed up with boors.

I have no problem with talking on a mobile while on the bus. Just don't shout. Speak in the same tone and volume you would if the person were sitting next to you.

Again, it's just considerate.

Not that I am going to defend the behavior becuase it makes me crazy - -(I don't want to know other people's personal business...) But there are some people who are just LOUD TALKERS... Saturday night live had an on going skit witht hem, Seinfeld had an episode about them... I was at a customer site yesterday who had two of them... they weren't on phones this was their normal speaking voice.. Hard of hearing? Perhaps...

thanks mal.. you just reminded me of Inconsiderate Cell Phone man!!!!

http://icpm.8m.com/

Both. My apologies though. Guess I'm all spent on reading discussions of cell phone use on this board that seemingly still has a search function intact.

Everyone should just put their phones on vibrate and use text messaging when it's "rude" to talk. And if you don't want to see someone looking at the phone, don't look at them.

should leave that to the mods to handle, quite an effort to go to complain

that's ok. at least he used good manners. so polite, so polite :thumbsup:

1. If people talk loudly on a cell phone, it's because A: they are loud talkers regardless, and the same annoyance would exist if they were talking to someone near you in person, or B: they are an idiot who thinks they have to yell into their cell phone to be heard. Neither of which can be blamed on the phone- both of those issues can only be attributed to the idiot him/herself. Regardless of the conversation, what they're saying, how "stupid" you may think it is, how useless a conversation you deem it to be- it's none of your fucking business what they're talking about, and you're a selfish ass for passing judgment on the way everyone carries on their lives. If you're a loud talker and inconsiderate of those around you, you're going to do the same whether it's in person or via cell phone.

2. Almost every invention has gone through a demonizing, had countless "experts" denounce it and "prove" how bad it is, and so on and so forth. Radio was said to be the end of the family unit, creating zombies that never went outside and played, the economy would fall because no one would go out to get the news anymore, people wouldn't have to pay for entertainment, etc. Then the TV was invented, and the same exact excuses were brought up again. As someone noted, the same excuses given now for cell phones in cars were once given for radios in cars. Experts were brought out, people failed awareness tests, bullshit like that.

3. I don't fear technology, like some people do. Fear is a product of ignorance- and in this case, it's not ignorance of cell phones, but of how little an impact they really make in the grand scheme of things.

People with weak minds, poor self-esteem, and those looking to fit in anywhere they can to get friends are easily lead and coerced into believing whatever gives them a sense of belonging, and the "popularity" gained by mutual interest in a cause. That's how cults operate, and I find it hilarious that people buy into that nonsense.

Of course, this mostly applies in America. Here in America, there is an imbalance. People's desires to get exactly what they want every second of their lives is badly disproportionate to their ability to respect others and what others want. You can't all have what you want, because then you interfere with other people's ability to live happily with what they want. We also can't all sit around trying to accomodate everyone's wishes all at once, or there would be no talking, no music, no art, no theater, no dancing, no anything. We, in America, are a society that wants what it wants, even at the cost of another's inconvenience, exactly when we want it. That means that people feel it's fine to talk in a movie theater. Yes, they're inconsiderate, but they're motivated by getting what they want.

There has to be a balance of respecting that other people have wants, but they also have things they don't want. Common courtesy goes a long way towards that end, but we (here in America) are far from any kind of resolution for this. We are so selfish as a society when it comes to each other's like and dislikes.

Also, there are many countries where the ownership and use of cell phones is so common, that their use is accepted and commonplace in a million more places than it is here- starting with the commute on the bus or subway.

We, as a country, are still coming to terms with how cell phones impact our lives, and how they change the everyday interactions we have with others. Rude and idiotic behavior is brought about by rude and idiotic people. If they happen to be using a cell phone at the time, that's unrealted. They're still rude and idiotic people. They could be holding the back half of a cat, it doesn't matter.

I did a search. In the last 500 threads including the words "cell phone" the particular topics in my op--cell phones in class, cell phone screens visible in movie theaters--hadn't been addressed.

Exactly. Their conversations are none of my business, so I shouldn't have to listen to it.

There is a flaw to your logic. If a person is talking loudly on a cell phone, they are talking to someone who isn't with them at the moment. The conversation would not be occurring but for the presence of the phone.

Here, it is illegal to talk / text with your phone whilst driving a car however if you're using a handsfree method of conversation it's allowed. This i believe is quite fair as talking to someone on the phone with a handsfree kit is basically the same type of thing as talking to a passenger.
Cell phone use shouldn't be tolerated in a cinema as it is very distracting to everyone else nearby, we are asked to turn our phones off whenever a movie starts at the local cinema. Just put it on vibrate and if it starts vibrating just take the call outside the door.

I can't stand cell phones! Everyone has one. Not me man. No fuckin way! They bug the shit out of me! We should go back to the big ass ones from the 80's. The ones you had to carry around that weighed about ten pounds. They are so annoying. Girls with cell phones are such a turn off. Can ya hear me now bitch!!! :mad: