Cell-Phone-Use-In-Public pet peeves...

[DVC-Don]

If someone I'm talking to starts in on a cell phone call, I just walk away and leave them. Jerks. In a restaurant and the call is important (please use vibrate) go outside for your conversation. Why should the rest of use suffer because you think you are important. Rant over.

 

[Amberle3]

More than 10 years ago I was at a dinner theatre one evening and there was a guy on his cell phone. The dinner theatre does musical comedy spoof shows. Now the format for the show is you get your soup & salad, then Act I; your entree then Act II; your dessert then Act III. And then the bill The actors are also your servers, and they stay in character all the way through.

One guy had brought his cell phone and was talking on it during the dinner course. Next thing I knew one of the actors had it and was talking away at the person on the other end of the phone (in character, of course). The phone was passed around from one cast person to another, occasionally with an audience member getting it for a minute or two. By the time it was returned to the owner at least 20 minutes had passed.

This was back in the days before unlimited rate plans and cheap rates, so I'm betting it cost him a fair amount to be making that "hey, I'm at the neatest place" call.

Oh, I have to add that although I have a cell phone, almost no one has the number. My family has the number and they know they're to use it in case of emergency only, or for when I'm out of town. I will leave it on in restaurants etc, because I know that if it rings, it's important. Except for the one time my aunt decided to call when I was at a movie, and she only called to find out what time I was going home. She's since been reminded NOT to do that, and in fact I think she's now lost the phone number.

 

[Saffron]

I never use my phone in the bathroom and I hate when other's use their phone when they're in a public bathroom and I'm in there! I think it's fine that they don't care that they're using the bathroom while they talk, but I care!

I too was on call 24/7 and had to take cell phone calls for emergencies, but I wouldn't go into a public bathroom and initiate a call from there. Eww!

And I have no idea why, but those headphones people wear around the malls etc so that they can talk on the phone, bug me. LOL!

 

[Morganpics]

I agree with the above posters about the rudeness of people using cell phones with no regard for their location. So far when I have been around someone on their phone they haven't been making life altering decisions. My DH says within a generation or 2 kids will be born with them attached-hmmm-ouch! We each have a cell phone-his is in his work vehicle and mine sits in my pocketbook turned off. We have them for our convenience, not anyone else's.

 

[Amberle3]

I was in the bathroom at a mall once when suddenly I heard this voice from the stall beside me saying
"Hiya!"
"How are you?"
"So, what are you doing?"

And I was a little stunned/mortified. And then I realized that OH, she's on a cell phone and she's (thankfully) not talking to me! What a relief (no pun intended). She went on to talk about totally trivial things, and I'm assuming hung up before ... well I'm not going there.

I just couldn't believe that someone would call OUT when in the bathroom.

Can you imagine getting a call like that? "Oh hi, I'm just like at mega mall y'know at the bathroom and there's like a totally long line so like I thought I'd just call you y'know? Blah blah blah Oh hey, I'm next and oh there's one open now.. no it's okay I don't need to call later this won't bother me...." Ick.

 

[Missy1961]

I commute to work each day on the Long Island Rail Road, and my cell phone pet peeve is the folks who call every friend they have and talk about nothing. And of course they talk loudly! I hate that.

I also hate when people are outside on a beautiful day and they are so busy talking on their phones they are missing the sun, the flowers, etc.

And to the fellow NY poster who wrote about the no hands cell phone law, well here's for you: I recently saw someone driving with a cigarette in one hand and her cell phone in the other.. Boy, at that moment I wished I was a cop......

 

[TimeforMe]

Originally posted by mudnuri
So not all calls are meaningless, and not all people on the receiving end are rude, and thoughtless people...some of us are looking out for your children!

Brandy

I don't think there was one response on this thread that was referring to this kind of situation. Lighten up, will ya

 

[Nancy]

Originally posted by krissy3483
I am so glad you made this thread, I was totally about to make one to complain about my HUGE pet peeve today as well.
I can't stand Nextel phones, especially since the person coming out of the speaker sounds all garbled anyway. I DO NOT care about listening to anyone else's conversation, but just hearing noise is even worse.
But my biggest pet peeve is people who talk on their phone while they are checking out in a store. It is one thing to approach the cashier while on the phone, but I absolutely HATE when a phone rings while in the middle of a transaction, and the person has to answer it. I think that is so rude and disrespectful to me. For a while I just took it, but I finally started standing up for myself. Now, if you get on my line while on your phone, or if you're rude enough to answer it while I'm trying to ask you something, then I'm just going to sit there and wait for you to finish. Take all the time you need, but I am not taking anyone's money until they can treat me like I'm a person too.

Sorry, I just HAD to get that off my chest. I feel so much better now!!

This totally ticks me off too! If I would ignore the customer and talk to someone else I would get complained about. Cashier are told to make casual conversations with customers, we are supposed to greet them, make sure they found everything, offer assistance, announce the total and then thank the customer. How can you do that when they are talking away about the fight they had with BF/GF? talking about where they were last night, where they are going tonight etc? What did they all do before cell phones came out? Stay home and never go anywhere because they were so busy talking on their home phones?

 

[HollyJoy]

My pet peeve is when people are checking out at a store and on their cell phone. I think it's just rude. They wouldn't like it if the clerk was chatting away w/someone else while helping them, so don't do it to them!

 

[clh2]

Personally, I think restaurants should have a "cell-free" zone for those of us who don't care to listen to all of those talking on cell phones.

 

[Jeanny]

I won't let my work-study students use their cell phones while they're working. I saw one of my students get up from the scoretable right in the middle of a basketball game to answer her phone ... so into the "rules" went no cell phones while you're working. I pay them to work, not to chat on the phone. It's one thing if I ask them to call another student to relay a message, it's another to have a whole conversation while they're also filing, or faxing or copying things for us. I usually have to fix what they weren't paying attention to while they were on the phone.

And people talking on their cells while in movie theatres?? What's up with that?

I have to admit, I talk on my phone when I'm driving, but I have my earpiece in and I'm paying attention to traffic.

 

[Figaro]

Our youngest is far away from home and I am always glad when she gives me a call on her cell phone. Because of her busy schedule (and the 5 hour time difference) she is usually calling when she is on the bus to and from work. And I am sure that anyone listening to her half of the conversation would think it was incredibly boring(smile), but I love getting updated on every part of her life.

It really isn't any different than if she was sitting next to a friend and talking to them on the bus. As long as the other person isn't talking above a conversational tone and doesn't talk about squicky things, I don't find it any more or less annoying than someone talking to a friend any other place where it is appropriate to talk to them.

 

[mudnuri]

I don't think there was one response on this thread that was referring to this kind of situation. Lighten up, will ya

The point I was trying to make is that not everyone whose in a public place on a phone is doing it because they want to chat with "aunt mary" Some people on the phone are not obvious who or what they're talking about... which was my point!

Brandy

 

[LeftCoaster]

Originally posted by Saffron

And I have no idea why, but those headphones people wear around the malls etc so that they can talk on the phone, bug me. LOL!

I agree. It reminds me of crazy homeless people on the streets.


Personally, I will not answer the phone if I'm in a restaurant, store, or in the company of someone else. I'll talk on the phone in the mall or outside of a grocery store, etc. but, I will not set foot in the place until I'm done with the call. Generally, I'll let the call go to voicemail and check the voicemail at the appropriate time.

 

[BarryHom]

I hate it when people answer their cellphones in a movie theater. I think what's bad too is when you're on the phone with someone and they get a call on their cell and answer that one. Then they have two phones next to their ears and try to carry on a conversation while the other waits. Just put down the phone!

For me, I usually have my cellphone off unless I'm expecting a call. I let the call go to voicemail and I check it later. I'm not important enough to leave it on all the time.

 

[mrsheppo]

I hate cell phones and driving - a potentially deadly combination.

Yesterday, a lady was talking on her cell and ran off the road right into our mailbox that is near the street. She ended up in the ditch with quite a bit of damage to her car. DH had cemented the mailbox post in the ground.

 

[loozianalooza00]

I have a problem with my mom. We were in a restaurant the other day and the phone rang... really loud. I got all embarassed and then she started talking all loud on the phone to husband. On top of that she started yelling at him! I just turned my head and mumbled "Mooom." I tried to pretend I didn't know her D ) but how can you not know the person you are sitting next to?! Soo embarrasing and I just hate it!

 

[ibouncetoo]

I'm a really nice person, HONEST, but I've developed this really perverse behaviour..........if I'm in a public restroom and someone is on the cell phone......I just keep flushing the toilet!

 

[dbogen]

Originally posted by ibouncetoo
I'm a really nice person, HONEST, but I've developed this really perverse behaviour..........if I'm in a public restroom and someone is on the cell phone......I just keep flushing the toilet!

I love it. do you mind if I borrow that perverse behavior??

 

[Chattyaholic]

I'm a waitress and occasionally (rarely, thankfully!) have a customer walk in talking on their cell phone. I refuse to go over to the table until they are finished with their conversation. Most people don't seem to mind and they wait patiently for me to come over after they finish their call. One customer talked for about 10 minutes. I kept glancing over to see if he was still talking and he was. I went about my business waiting on other customers, but the second he ended the conversation he yelled, rather loudly, "Can I get some service over here?" Moron.