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| Yes | 38% | 1174 votes | Total: 3068 votes | |
| No | 62% | 1894 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesYou've been excited about the prospect of a quiet, romantic meal out at your favorite restaurant all week. This might be an infrequent treat, a special celebration, an excuse to get out of the house (perhaps to escape from the kids),or something that you have been saving up for. No doubt you will have spent time and effort on trying to look your best for the occasion; perhaps your date is a new acquaintance, or an established partner - it shouldn't make any difference - the very least that you expect, is to enjoy your evening together. It's not too much to ask, is it?
I'm sure we've all been in the same situation; an idyllic setting, great company, blissfully happy, then all of a sudden the tranquility is disturbed by the inopportune, annoying, rude, ringing of a cell phone. A ring alerts your attention more rapidly than the screaching of an undisciplined child. Not only does the cell phone ring,(often loudly),but the recipient of the call is often so full of self-importance, that he or she assumes that all the other diners at the venue need to tolerate the loud conversation. Does this seem familiar to you? Have you had your special celebration ruined like this? Have you been out with a partner who casts your feelings aside in preference to missing that call? Surely we cannot be held ransom to the technology that is intened to enhance our lives, rather than control them.
Once the thought pattern of quiet,whispered, intimate private conversation has been disturbed by this forced intervention, it is difficult to recover the mood or sentiments. It is blatant inconsideration.
Tech nology has many advantages, and the global communication link is one of them, however, accessibility needs to be sensibly administered. Generations of people have existed safely, and contentedly without having this symbiosis with a cell phone. Gadgets such as these are more of a fashion accessory than a necessity in many cases. Good manners should dictate cell phone usage, in much the same way as the self-regulated etiquette standards that we adhere to when eating a meal in a stylish restaurant.
If you do need to have constant access to your business or children (who might have a legitimate reason to contact you), then by all means leave the phone turned on, but turn the ringer off; use the vibrate mode, it is such a simple function to enable on your cell phone..
Urgent phone messages will still be received; without the intrusion into other people's happiness. Leave the room and take the call elsewhere, if it is that important to your life's plan. Most cell phone addicts are aware that very few of us are bold enough to confront the offender, it is a stressful experience.
Let's all be considerate; helping to spread happiness rather than anger. We all need to indulge ourselves with good company, and conversation that can be heard and appreciated only by the party we have chosen to dine with. You were born free - maintain that freedom, and enjoy the experience.
Learn more about this author, Karen Jones.
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No
Should cell phones be banned in restaurants?
As tempting as this might be, it is an untenable proposition for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost, if we try to legislate them, how would we know whether someone does or does not have manners? Should we make neglecting to say "please", "thank you", and "you're welcome" a crime? It is tempting, but imagine how twisted our society would be, if we did. Imagine how difficult it would be to enforce such regulations. Would we need to establish the Hanky Police? (On second thought, that might be a halfway decent name for a rock band.) Banning cell phones from restaurants is only a slightly less extreme proposition. Think of all those people who are desperate to prove their lack of manners when they are not behind the steering wheels of their cars.
Another issue is entertainment. So few restaurants provide a decent floor show. If you find yourself in an eatery that lacks an acceptable Mariachi band, what entertainment would you have while you wait for your food to be delivered, if you did not have a rude cell phone user to loudly criticize? (I particularly enjoy commenting on their conversation's content, or lack thereof. If that fails to garner their attention, you can always reach across them to snatch the ketchup bottle from their table. When they get upset at your lack of manners, you can look at them as if they were the slug creature from the planet Zargon with impunity.)
What about doctors and other critical personnel? Should they be given an exemption from this regulation? Would we have to issue them signs to wear around their necks like handicap parking placards? (Of course, if a doctor starts discussing his malpractice insurance woes or the gleeful details of his latest amputation, then this argument becomes moot.)
In conclusion, don't we have enough regulations in our society without extending them to include such non-lethal issues? If these cretins really bother you, do like the rest of us and accidentally-on-purp ose knock the darn things out of their hands with your coat as you get up to leave.
Learn more about this author, Rich Kroll.
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