Cell Phones
It is guaranteed that if someone is driving stupidly in front of me, they have a cell phone in their ear. I'm not sure what people did ten years ago when these devices were less prevalent. Did they talk to themselves? Pick their noses?
Are people more popular these days? Do they have more to say? My question is: Why in the hell are people always on their damn phone? In the grocery line, in the cafe, in the toilet, during coitus?
I don't get it.
It is nice to have a phone if you're waiting for a call or in case of emergency, but it seems the whole damn thing has ballooned out of control.
I remember the first time I saw someone with a head set. He was wearing a business suit and in an airport shuttle sitting next to me. He was talking to thin air, laughing and carrying on with some invisible friend sitting in front of him.
I could see no wires, or microphone and I really wanted off that damn bus and away from this crazy asshole. Then I saw him reach down an push a button . Whew was I relieved.
I didn't think this phenomena could get any worse. But it has. Now with the blue tooth shit, people now install some big silver and blue butt plug looking thing to their head. Now they can walk around completely oblivious to their surroundings and look like a fucking idiot at the same time.
Some places are starting to fight back. I've seen big signs in front of the cash register at Starbucks that read " Please complete your phone call before coming up to the register. If you are on the phone we will help the next customer in line" Good for them. I get really fucking sick of listening to phones going off in a restaurant when I'm trying to enjoy dinner with my friends and family.
Are people more popular these days? Do they have more to say? My question is: Why in the hell are people always on their damn phone? In the grocery line, in the cafe, in the toilet, during coitus?
I don't get it.
It is nice to have a phone if you're waiting for a call or in case of emergency, but it seems the whole damn thing has ballooned out of control.
I remember the first time I saw someone with a head set. He was wearing a business suit and in an airport shuttle sitting next to me. He was talking to thin air, laughing and carrying on with some invisible friend sitting in front of him.
I could see no wires, or microphone and I really wanted off that damn bus and away from this crazy asshole. Then I saw him reach down an push a button . Whew was I relieved.
I didn't think this phenomena could get any worse. But it has. Now with the blue tooth shit, people now install some big silver and blue butt plug looking thing to their head. Now they can walk around completely oblivious to their surroundings and look like a fucking idiot at the same time.
Some places are starting to fight back. I've seen big signs in front of the cash register at Starbucks that read " Please complete your phone call before coming up to the register. If you are on the phone we will help the next customer in line" Good for them. I get really fucking sick of listening to phones going off in a restaurant when I'm trying to enjoy dinner with my friends and family.
And these fucking ring tones... I was in a Macaroni grill on Valentines day and this phone goes off next to me, the ringer said..." PICK UP THE PHONE BITCH" Now come on, that's not even cool. It might be cute at the frat party or at the bar with their slut friends but to have that stuff scream out in the middle of someones dinner with kids around? Not classy.
I've read that some places in Europe are installing wall panels that block cell phone signals to prevent rude stupid people from disrupting others during , plays, meals, movies etc... I agree wholeheartedly. Leave that shit in the car. They can go 30 minutes without gabbing with some other asshole. I know they can.
The private sector better start taking care of this issue before the government starts deciding what's good for us.
I've read that some places in Europe are installing wall panels that block cell phone signals to prevent rude stupid people from disrupting others during , plays, meals, movies etc... I agree wholeheartedly. Leave that shit in the car. They can go 30 minutes without gabbing with some other asshole. I know they can.
The private sector better start taking care of this issue before the government starts deciding what's good for us.
posted by Bill Rowland @ February 23, 2007
30 Comments
30 Comments:
I got rid of mine when I was doing repair type work. Wineries would call me for "emergencies" and I could never get my ass away from work.
I don't own one now, and am thankful that I can legitimately control who and when I talk on the phone.
I know how you feel, having been regularly nearly run over by these jerks. I can only hope the Darwin Awards are taking care of them as fast as possible. I've thought about making a zapper in the spirit of the TV-B-Gone, but I'm afraid of nailing someone's pacemaker by accident.
I turn mine off or leave it home when I'm in class, and in the odd event that it goes off in a bad place I turn it off, throw it into a nearby coat or bag to muffle it if I can't immediately shut it off without disturbing people, or hoof it to where I (hopefully) won't disturb anyone to answer. I'm trying not to be a jerk about it, although I'm pretty sure that I have my jerk moments.
Then again, people tell me I'm a lot better than others they know. I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that.
And yes, the Q-zone technology is meandering its way here. I want it installed in theaters, cars, and public transportation first.
- ISU Tinkerer
Aw man. I could drone on for years on this one. Where I work, there's lots of RF "stuff" happening, not to mention some seriously shielded areas for our testing. My wife hates it. Whether or not I can even get a page is a total crap shoot. I love it. I don't have to deal with phones much at work. And we aren't allowed to have cameras at work, so no camera phones either. It pretty much lets me decide who and when I want to talk to.
The ones that get to me are the little headsets like you talk about here, they walk around with arm motions and talking like raving lunatics. But they are getting really uncool now, I saw a lady in walmart with a buggy full of groceries walkin along and talking. I thought something was amiss until I saw the little thingy on her ear.
I hate talking on the phone with a complete and total hatred, and this whole cell phone thing is beyond ridiculous.
I'd better shut up now.
I also have mine only for emergency and work. I have never had the habitt to talk for hours in the phone.
A couple of days ago I referred to several people at work as "a bunch of freakin' cyborgs," so I guess that shows where I stand on the matter.
I totally agree! What can be so important anyway? I think it's a status thing. People are always getting out their mobile phones and comparing who has the newest model or whose phone can do what. It's annoying. Love the European wall panel idea!
I couldn't agree more. I was at a dinner meeting a year ago and walked out because the person I was meeting with thought it was more important to talk on the phone. I thought it was more imporant for me to show how rude I could be and leave unannounced.
I did pay the tab to show I wasn't a complete asshole.
The goverment has already decided it's not good to talk on the phone in your own car... it's just a matter of time.
i'm with you all. My husband never used to think up any reason to annoy me from or at work until he got his cell phone.
God, I miss the old days!
I agree. Of course rude and stupid people existed long before cell phones. And what makes a phone call so important that when talking to somebody, they have to stop in mid conversation to answer the phone?
The automatic answering system was created to put off stupid people making stupid inquiries and wasting valuable time.
I was at a meeting recently with a top executive from Rolls Royce - really - when afterwards he had turned the phone back on, and suddenly it rang "Thunderbirds are go!!!" - no really.
virgin mobile
18 cents a minute
no contract
nationwide
no roaming
5 cents to text
use in emergencies
or for travel
or when bored to send friends a text
(who oes not like a text?)
It is a total status thing now?
all those miroradioxwaves whatever they are... i wish i could opt out!!
I bet that is the REAL source of all my migraines.
asshats
turn off the phone, you are not that popular!! and a cell phone won't change anything
thank you for the opportunity to vent.
Oh wait, one more....
Children DO NOT NEED CELLPHONES!!!!!!!!
unless they are going away or on a special occasion.
thanks.
Scott: When I had one for work, suddenly co-workers stopped thinking for themselves and called me instead.
ISU: I know what you mean, mine is on silent most of the time I just carry it around as a portable answering machine. It sounds like you are pretty considerate with yours too.
jam: I know what you mean, people are completely clueless as to what tools they look like when walking around with those things.
kirsten: As it should be, it's just a phone not heroin or crack.
alandp: Yep cyborgs, with their utility belt full of gadgets, phone, pager, PDA, Ipod, etc..
m: instead of men looking at each other's peckers in the locker room , they just whip out thier cell phones instead.
Ryan: I've been to meetings like that too. I should have walked out. I think next time I will.
l>t hehehe well at least he cares :)
lexcen: stupid people existed before cell phones but the cell phones made them more visible ;)
mutley: I bet that was embarassing, I'm surprised he didn't ritually disembowel himself on the spot of dishonouring his family name.
infinitesimal: Children with cell phones, 5 year olds...WTF? Ridiculous.
i have had a cell phone since 1988 and i can`t believe how cool i thought i was when they were the size of a toaster oven.
cell phone use is proof that we want to be connected to people more than our society permits.
it`s only natural.....but people should be a little more considerate in thier usage.
if i`m in a group and i recieve a call i will walk away if the call is going to consume more than a few seconds of time.
in meetings i put the mute on.
I know a good place for folks to put their cell phones. It'll be uncomfortable at first but they'll get used to it in time.
Hammer, my company gave me a Blackberry to use...hell I can't even remember my home telephone number much less figure out how to use a Lilliputian keyboard...they sent me a butt plug for my ear too but I can't see that happening.
Everybody is sending these text messages back and forth...I'm trying to read all of them and most are just, "Thanks for sending" or some other crap.
I can't get anyone to call me! They want to text back and forth!
Just call me!
I never thought I'd say that...
DAMN!
OOOHHH Macaroni grill....um I mean-
I have a prepaid cell phone for emergencies only. I try never to give out the number. People who do somehow get the # are warned not to call me on it. If they call anyways, I get really mad. I honestly do not want to be reachable by everyone at all hours of the day. I get annoyed when people call and I don't pick up and they get all mad- "Where are you? This is your cell phone so you must be there, why aren't you picking up?" Well I just don't feel like talking to you right now jackass!
"It is guaranteed that if someone is driving stupidly in front of me, they have a cell phone in their ear."
Umm, I've been driving around idiots long before cell phones showed up. But they do make matters worse.
I see a phone as a business tool, I don't like to just bullshit on them.
And even if I still had a business and a cell phone I wouldn't allow it to break in on my talking to someone in person.
That is why you can set up voice messages. They can just damn well wait a bit until you get back to them.
No one has my cell phone number and I've only used it about four times in two years.
I think that one day I will take a hatchet to it.
Oh, my cell phone number is.
360-775-7056
But don't bother to call because I never turn it on unless I'm adding minutes or calling someone if I want directions.
And I don't have voice messaging set up.
I don't even like to talk on the phone.
Dr alistair I have a motorola bag phone and it still works :) Yeah consideration of others is where it's at.
phosgene: That has been a recurring theme in hospital emergency rooms lately. I'm not sure if it's self inflictred or not...
Otis: texting is weird, I have big fingers and like you i'd really rather talk and get it over with.
yvonne: yeah people get mad at me too, just because I have a phone doesn't mean I want to talk to every tom with a harry dick.
BBC: Cell phones make great portable answering machines and a way to stay away from pay phones in the rain.
Rose: To me it really depends on the caller, but I like to wait till I'm at home and talk on a real phone.
No one can WAIT anymore...that's the problem. Everything has to be done NOW. Weekends hardly exist anymore. Cellphones make it very hard to get away....but you CAN always leave them behind.
I have to agree, people DO look crazy when talking to mid-air!! haha
"i have had a cell phone since 1988 and i can`t believe how cool i thought i was when they were the size of a toaster oven."
dr alistair....VERY funny =) Must visit your blog....
Hammer,
I could't agree more !!! I think cell phones are a menace. I wish they would be completely banned from use while driving, hands-free or not. And in public, it is just RUDE... No-one is so important that the business they need to do can't wait until they get back to the office or their home -- like the good old days.
What I wonder is, how on earth did people ever get anything done before cell phones? They had to wait till they got home to see if anyone wanted to talk to them.
and cell phones are having a negative impact on movies. You can't have the thrill of a character searching for a phone booth anymore, and Superman has to change somewhere else.
And I was just remarking the other day to my mom how those phone-in-the-ear thing reminds me of Uhura.
I have a neat ringtone on mine. It's a klaxon. 'cause I was a submarine sailor so my phone goes oogah, oogha like a diving alarm. Except I never get to hear it. The only time the thing is on is when I'm not home and my wife is. With her health problems I want her to be able to get in touch immediately. But the ringie dingie is turned off and it scares the crap out of me when it starts vibrating in my pocket. Oh, and it's on when I want to make a long distance call 'cause I get so many minutes I don't use the land line for LD. And I may use an hour or so a month talking to my 2 sons, my sister and a couple of out of town friends.
And the idiots that are talking on the cell phone in public that seem to think since there's no string connecting it to the can they're talking to they have to yell...... There was one in a store the other day that I could understand everything he said. And he was 4 aisles over.
And I hate call waiting, too. I hang up when I'm talking to someone and they say "wait a minute, I've got another call coming in". Even my sister or my kids.
The folks that rudely chatter on the phone in public places and need a sign posted to tell them otherwise, are the same folks that need a tag on hairdryers telling them not to use it in the shower.
I love this site: Cell Phone Bashing. (Saved since 2000!)
I have a prepaid cell and I'm happy with that. It is always turned off in the house and I use it for emergencies only.
I was out and about the other day and my son called me to pick up KFC. I didn't even give him the opportunity to finish - I just hung up on him.
I have told my kids EMERGENCY only, and they know I mean business.
If I go out to dinner, the phone is on mute. If I go out to the movies, the phone is turned off completely.
BTW, forgot to mention that the only reason I have a cell is because my best friend bought it for me. She said I needed to have one in case something happened with the kids...
kb: Yep people are too impatient. People from work never used to call me on weekends when it was my home phone but ass soon as I had a cell my job was 24/7..people are a-holes.
annie: Yes. I challenge the reports that say cell phones made us more productive as a nation. I just think it makes people rude and self absorbed.
Janet: Yeah how did anything get done when someone couldn't call 24/7? They did it themselves or waited. Cell phones are great for the road and emergencies that's about it. I found that Uhura pic and it inspired this post.
Myron: Me too, when someone puts me on hold I hang up on them as well. Screw that noise.
nomas: Maybe if cell phone jockeys used hair dryers in the bathtub we wouldn't have as many issues ;)
kateykakes lol KFC is an emergency!
Seriously, I, like having mine when I go to the grocery in case the wife wants something I forgot to get. Saves an extra trip. Even then I let it go to voice mail and listen to it where I'm not going to be blocking the aisle.
I noticed y'all seem to accept regular phones as a good way to communicate (I wait 'till I get home and call them on a regular phone). Gee, regular phone is OK, not messenger pigeons? Or mail? Come on people, technology changes, what do you care if I want to talk to someone while I'm at the mall? Now, I agree that talking on Blue Tooth does look disturbing, talking at the movies is VERY RUDE and while driving can be dangerous.
But if my furry little ass wants to talk to someone while I'm catching a quick bite to eat, that's none of your freaking business. My conversation does not disturb you any more than your conversation disturbs ME!
I bet people wearing those fancy Sun Glasses bothers you too, why can't they squint like y'all used to??
I'm surprised you people actually use computers, didn't know the old Atari computers could access the internet!
anonymous: Cmon you can tell us who you are ;) Actually it's not the technology, it's the blatant rudeness and inconsideration of cell phone users. If tend to be oblivious when I'm out with my family and if I notice someone on a cell phone then they are probably being obnoxious with it.
I've had a cell phone since 1996 it's a valuable tool but like anything else people take things too far and have the thing glued to their ear 24/7 and act like inconsiderate assholes while they do it.
Hi-Ho!
Stumbled across your blog during an early morning bout with insomnia.
Great shit! I esp like the Mexican food restaurant story... I can identify!
I'll be bookmarking this....
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