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| Yes | 38% | 1186 votes | Total: 3087 votes | |
| No | 62% | 1901 votes |
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Add to FavoritesBan the Overuse of Cell Phones in Public, Please! It is time to show some politeness.
Honestly, can we not just sit down to a meal and enjoy it without a worry of cell phones ringing around us? It is just rude. Yes, of course cell phones should be banned from where we eat at or other establishments, which we may offend people, by intruding on their right not to hear out annoying conversations with other people, as business is being is transacted. There are too many reasons why we should not use our cell phones in restaurants:
1.At my bank, the sign outside reads: "If you are talking on your cell, you will not be helped."
2.At most restaurants, I go to, there is a sign which will read: "Please turn off your cell while eating."
3.At the hospitals they ask, "Please do not leave your cell phone on."
4.At my own doctors office, there are two signs. One says, "The doctor is the only person who sits on the round stool." The other says, "If you are talking on the cell, when the doctor comes in, he will not treat you." Good medical doctors are hard to find, so I do as I am told to keep my appointment.
5. Once I had a doctor, I waited for two hours for my appointment and I was sick, sick. When he arrived in the room, his phone went off. He took it and discussed how to cement his driveway for ten minutes. I got a new doctor. My son in law is a medical student, I tell him these stories so he will never do this, unless of course, it is an emergency. Otherwise it is not nice.
6. Not one morning goes by, I do not stop at a light and find everyone else waiting are on their phones.
7.Do we really care if someone is on the phone, at a table near by and keeps asking, "Can you hear me now?"
These things just tell me Americans are tired of listening to personal conversations other people are forced to hear.
7. Once, I sat at a play, "The Helen Keller Story." It was a great play, but at that moment of intensity, where the teacher is getting Helen to spell w-a-t-e-r, someone's phone rings, and they answer it.
8. Even at a book lecture, an author tells of his book and it is he most interesting thing I have heard in years, someone's phone rings. Then she has the gall to not only answer, but to continue talking out loud, while the poor man is trying to explain the Creek Indians of the South and how they made pottery and integrated into the other cultures. I wanted to go over and whop this little lady at the back of the head, for being so incredibly rude, you know like the commercial, "Wow I could have had a V8.". I was a lady and did not do this. But, the librarian did take it away. Good for her!
And do not even get me started about the people who prefer the things in the ears, as they walk around talking to themselves or you and themselves, because they have a phone call. That is another story.
Americans think we can talk on the sell whenever we want too. We tend to keep our attitudes, 'because we are Americans, we can do whatever we please.' Well, maybe we can, mostly. But we are still rude as heck. And sometimes, we do not get our way with everything. It is time we as Americans start being a little more considerate of the others surrounding us and put our cells on hold, for a while. Really, can't we just put the phones down and eat out lunches or dinners, and enjoy a good conversation with a friend? Or better yet, enjoy the quietness of it all, sometimes?
Learn more about this author, maddie rose.
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No
Love them or hate them cell phones have rapidly become an essential communication tool in our society. The benefits these devices provide are clearly outranking the detriments or else we would not have seen such a proliferation of these gadgets in such a small amount of time.
Cell phones have become a mandatory social device in our daily lives. Leading me to quote on the few occasions I leave home without it, "I feel naked without my cell phone." From a safety perspective we do not question their value, obvious from the number of parents who feel peace of mind knowing that their children can contact them and they can contact their children no matter where they are.
Of course there will be many situations where one's cell phone use maybe deemed inappropriate, but many of these situations are not necessarily a black and white judgment call. Knowing when and how it is appropriate to use one's cell phone is a matter of personal behavior resulting from a consideration for others. Granted there is nothing more annoying than someone breaking into a loud conversation on their cell phone in a restaurant, and generally most would agree. However it seems an extreme measure to ban them completely when perhaps a more subtle or courteous approach to such unwanted activity maybe more effective.
At this point it is timely to look at how the Japanese tackle this issue. They do not approve of cell phone use in many public places in Japan including restaurants and on public transport and the vast majority of their sizable population follow the etiquette of not talking loudly on their cell phones in public venues. It is not uncommon to see small signs posted on walls in trains and restaurants requesting patrons to refrain from talking on their cell phone and it works. Such an approach is polite and effective, it obviously is enough to get the message across and for the tourists and others not familiar with this etiquette it is quickly and politely pointed out.
Is our community polite enough to recognize and respect such standards of cell use behavior? Potentially no, however implementing a ban in restaurants is an arbitrary solution. Will there be a fine for those ignoring the ban, if so who collects the proceeds? Will the ban be limited to restaurants? What about other public places? Are certain calls exempt, for example calling for an ambulance or police? These and many more questions will arise from such a ban being implemented.419
It is a failure to take others peoples feelings into consideration that is the problem. The obnoxious act of ranting on a cell phone within close proximity to others trying to enjoy a quality meal in a relaxing environment is most likely the same person who honks at you when you are taking too long at the petrol pump, who also forget to turn their phone onto silent mode when in a cinema and tends to think their time is more valuable than anyone else whilst waiting in queues. Lots of loud sighs and hrmmphs!
So for those in our community who are not as considerate as we would like, why not employ a sincere, clever or creative way to communicate the message. T-Shirts are a wonderful platform from which to express our views. One could be tempted to wear "Are you talking to me?" Restaurant owners should make the request to their patrons to refrain from using cell phones via their walls, menus or waiting staff as a courtesy to the other patrons. Most elements of social etiquette when dining have been around far longer than cell phones. Banning is an extreme option when a simple request will suffice.
Learn more about this author, Jodie Kaine.
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