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Dining Etiquette
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| Yes | 38% | 1173 votes | Total: 3067 votes | |
| No | 62% | 1894 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesIt's amazing that our species was able to survive for so long without cell phones. I'll be surprised if the next generation doesn't pop out of the womb already holding one to its bawling mouth. How could we have ever managed anything like eating at a restaurant without a cell phone affixed to the sides of our heads? No wonder the dinosaurs went extinct they didn't have cell phones to cart to their dino-restaurants (T-Rexteraunts?).
Any way, why do we go to restaurants? To get away from real life. We wish to immerse ourselves in the illusion that we have servants who bow and scrape before us to get a dollar extra tip. Going to restaurant can give you the refreshing feeling of going to an island vacation (just with less Montezuma's revenge). When you're at a good restaurant, you feel as if you rule the world. It's a feeling that many people pay a lot of money for only in a restaurant, it's legal.
So, why should we spoil it all by allowing people to drag elements of real life we're trying to get away from into our incredibly expensive food fantasies? If your call is so important that you have to spoil the evening for a whole roomful of people, then you shouldn't be eating out in the first place.
Some diners with cell phones are considerate and carry pagers or put their cell phone on vibrate in order to make their incoming call as unobtrusive as possible. People like doctors are probably always going to need to carry phones around, unless they get their own restaurants.
Cell phones are one reason why we should allow dogs in restaurants. The well trained dog could go over to the talker on the cell phone and promptly eat the phone. A big dog can just chomp it down in one gulp. The phone isn't bothered and, like most things, passes out the dog's digestive system intact. Let the phone addict pick up his ringing phone then.
(This apparently happened in 2004 in Turkey at a gas station. The dog got a sudden hankering for a Nokia and had a very expensive snack. Both dog and phone reportedly came out fine.)
To sum up, restaurants are places of (expensive) sanctuary from the everyday world. Cell phones destroy this sanctuary and so should be banned from all restaurants.
Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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No
It is not necessary to ban cell phone use in restaurants when the problem could be solved simply by teaching customers the basic principles of cell phone etiquette. All cell phone users should observe proper cell phone etiquette in order to protect their own privacy and avoid annoying the others around them, not only in restaurants but in all public places. Instead of banning cell phone use, restaurants and other business should post signs outlining the acceptable use of cell phones in their place of business.
The most important principle of cell phone etiquette is that face-to-face conversations always get first priority. Cell phone users should never interrupt a face-to-face conversation for a phone call except in the case of emergencies; nor should they expect others to wait for them to finish non-emergency calls. There is a big problem in business nowadays with rude customers ignoring waiters or cashiers to talk on their cell phones, but still expecting the waiter or cashier's full attention. This is, of course, unacceptable behavior which is not only rude, but can slow down business and make other customers impatient.
The second rule of cell phone etiquette is that one's conversations should never disturb others. Conversations should be kept as brief and quiet as possible. It is acceptable to make a short call to the babysitter to check that the kids are behaving, but not to have a long-distance reunion with one's long-lost third cousin George. Whenever possible, call should be taken away from the table, in the rest room or outside the restaurant. This is as much for the caller's convenience as it is for the comfort of others around; away from a crowd, it is easier to hear and communicate without raising one's voice.
The final rule of cell phone etiquette is to avoid private subject matter. In part, this is for the comfort of others; no one wants to hear about the results of a stranger's colonoscopy over a nice Italian lunch. It is also, however, for the protection of the caller. In a public place such as a restaurant, anyone can overhear personal information such as medical history, address, or social security number. It is best to protect this information by keeping one's calls private.
These principles of cell phone etiquette should be intuitive to cell phone users - but if they were, no one would be considering banning cell phones in restaurants. Complete cell phone bans would be inconvenient to customers and might hinder their ability to contact help in an emergency situation. Instead of banning cell phones, restaurants should clearly outline the rules of cell phone etiquette, warning customers that people on their cell phones will not be served and that loud cell phone users will be asked to take their calls outside. This kind of policy will remove the problem without unfairly targeting customers who can use their cell phones responsibly.
Learn more about this author, Amelia Hill.
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