We live in a society where most of us are attached to our phones. I am guilty of this myself with my hand often holding it for no other reason but to feel the comfort of knowing it’s there I guess. It’s become my fourth appendage, never far, always charged and ready to connect me to someone, somewhere in a nanosecond. This is not a good thing.
I remember what life was like before cell phones and portable tablets. It was much calmer. I suspect this is because I was unattainable during down time. You remember down time? The time we used to have alone when we weren’t concerned about work, what the guy you used to know in high school had for lunch, for what some perfect stranger just got upset about. Down time meant you were intrusion free and increasingly that is becoming obsolete. And it’s not just my phone that’s intruding, it’s others.
If you want to surf while on vacation, or sit on the bus and not talk to a stranger than I think you have that right. You are bothering no one. Who am I to judge? I’ve got attachment issues too. I draw lines though on where my phone is acceptable and not acceptable. Eating dinner with my family or friends, unacceptable. Eating lunch alone, acceptable. We all have to draw parameters around our phone usage or it will take over our life. That being said, I think we’re going to have start calling out the people who have no phone etiquette.
Last year, while driving across the United States, high up in a seat in our motor home, I was appalled to see how many people were texting while driving. Warning: Graphic image if you click through.
Even though it’s illegal in most States and Provinces, most people just don’t care. You are eight times more likely to be in a car accident while texting. That’s double the odds of drinking and driving, and yet I continue to see people everyday getting that one little peek while driving down the highway. This is a perfect example of someone’s phone usage affecting those around them.
While on vacation in Jamaica last week, I came across three more examples of people using their phones in socially unacceptable ways.
As I’ve mentioned, my phone doesn’t come to the dinner table. If you want to bring yours, go for it, just not dining with me please, but I digress. If you want to bring your phone to dinner at a restaurant, go ahead. There is this neat little thing though on your phone called a silent button. Please, for the love of romantic meals everywhere, find it. Our meal last week was interrupted repeatedly by the man next to us texting. The best part was every time his phone would ding, loudly I might add — there’s volume too you know — he would sigh and roll his eyes like “how dare this person keep texting me”. Yes sir, not only are they bothering you and your pompous need to impress, but they are bothering everyone in the restaurant. Now, I don’t think it was my job to get up and tell this man to silence his phone, but I do think it was the restaurant’s responsibility to tell him to shut it off.
There is no place more sacred than the spa. Most women know it and dutifully shut their phone off upon entry. Imagine my surprise when last week, while receiving a lovely massage the masseuse started texting! You have go to be kidding me?! I’m in there for down time, and your phone is buzzing away?! So, I’m lying there with cucumbers on my eyes and my foot is being rubbed by two hands in the most magnificent way and *buzz*, one hand rubbing now and click, click, click….two hands, *buzz*, one hand, click, click, click…..you get the idea right? While I consider this one of the most shocking workplaces I’ve seen phones used, it’s definitely an epidemic. I’ve seen lifeguards, on duty, texting. I’ve watched the person behind the fast food counter hold up their finger to me and fire off another message before taking my order. So, maybe, just maybe, employers should ask for phones to be handed in at the beginning of the shift and picked up on the way out? Just a thought.
Finally, I know it’s a real drag when the flight attendants ask you to shut off all electronic devices upon take off and landing. That three minutes without your phone is scary, but they ask for a reason — your safety and the 297 other people you’re flying with. Now, I get that there is evidence to suggest that perhaps these devices aren’t interfering with the planes equipment at all. In fact, just yesterday, I heard the FAA is considering lifting that ban so that we can continue to play Candy Crush while heading off into the wild blue yonder. Oh, those will be happy days indeed. But you sir, you are the worst offender, because not only is your phone still on but your are sending and receiving messages while we’re landing! Device on, in airplane mode, probably ok. Device on, sending and receiving? Probably not. Now I’m not Albert Einstein, but I’m thinking you’re not either, so until the evidence is in, shut your damn phone off.
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The one that got me was when my 5 year old and I were changing into our boots in the tiny, closeted entrance-way between the great outside and our hairdresser’s salon (2 adults and a 5 year old were a TIGHT fit). This woman comes in and she’s talking on her phone. She couldn’t remove here laced up boots without putting her phone down so she put the phone down, turned on the speakerphone and continued to talk. Even if she was the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON EVER it still would have been rude but she was far from the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON EVER and was prattling on about, “like oh my god what are you doing this weekend really i don’t know maybe i’ll go”. At the time, my 5 year old didn’t understand why it was rude but I kindly informed her…
And, did you report the masseuse? I would have lost my noodle.
Oh, in the spa, your hand should not leave where it is rubbing to answer a text, I’m sorry. On that one I definitely would have had to comment. I usually don’t care when/where people use their phones because I realize I don’t know them or the why behind what they’re doing (and I don’t care.) But. When it’s done while driving? That I can’t condone. I’ve told my SIL I won’t ride with her if she pulls it out and she is not allowed to use it when she’s transporting my kids; they’ll tell me. Sure, she rolls her eyes but come on. If your eyes are not on the road, you are jeopardizing things that are not yours — lives that are not yours to mess with — and that should mean more. If it’s an emergency, pull over (although, yes YES I admit to occasionally glancing at directions and even then I kick myself and say I need to invest in a talking GPS.)
I agree. I once took a yoga class at the local gym and the woman next to me was texting in between EACH POSE!! unbelievable.
Please tell me that you reported the masseuse at the spa? I am horrified. People texting and driving really gets me too. Hurtling down the highway at 100kms an hour is NOT the time to be on your phone for Pete’s sake. No one is that important. Plus, a Bluetooth headset costs about $30 now so there is absolutely no excuse. If they want to mess up their own lives that is one thing, but that is no reason to endanger mine or anyone else’s. Grrr. Sometimes I think we need to just get rid of phones in cars altogether, but that’s a whole other can of worms.
I noticed taxi drivers love to talk on the phone while driving. So dangerous.
Basically it’s a person’s sense of entitlement – they feel they are the most important person ever and everyone else be damned. I’ve been going out without my phone less and less and guess what? Nothing has fallen apart! And nobody cares that I’m not posting pictures of the fun I’m having with my kids. And when I’m not posting those pictures, I’m actually having fun with my kids 🙂
It’s amazing how that works isn’t it? 🙂
Taxi drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers…..it’s epidemic and scary.
I didn’t report the masseuse. I cut my intended tip in half but I didn’t want to be responsible for someone losing their job. I don’t know her personal situation. That being said, we did report the lifeguard we saw texting and he was fired. Rightly so, I might add. You are responsible for others lives, your eyes should always be on the pool not your phone.
Wow, talk about missing the point of yoga!
Texting and driving is the new drinking and driving. It’s out of control and will take a huge public message campaign to get people to change their ways.
I was upset but I didn’t report her. I just kept thinking, what if she gets fired? Does she have kids? I couldn’t do it. I cut my tip in half though and left it at that.
I just don’t get people who feel the need to do this?
I will never forget seeing the woman driving the car beside me holding her cell phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Oh you’d love this sign that I got at the thrift store:
http://www.northstory.ca/?p=4909
Only I put it in my living room!!! Because the phone thing has gotten so out of control.
Gah! And no doubt reading the newspaper on her lap! Driving is not a multitasking thing. What is wrong with people!
I love that sign Alex!! I’ll be looking for one now too!
I am a doctor and see this all the time with my patients, despite ample signage, reminding them to turn off their phones. Nothing irritates me more than when I am in the middle of my exam and their phone goes off. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they pick it up and tell the other person they can’t talk right now and then proceed to have at least a ten minute conversation. I get up and leave the room, making them wait for me. I have other patients waiting and have a scheduled day that I am trying to keep. I have also had to ask family members to leave the room that cannot be bothered to get off the phone, whether texting or talking, when I am trying to explain something to their hard-of-hearing 80 year old mother.