Cell phones are quite handy nowadays. They make you able to be in contact and be able to contact people at virtually any place you are. This can be a Godsend in certain situations, however, there are those places out there where cell phone use should be strictly prohibited. Here are a list of places that you should not ever use a cell phone be it for safety or even common courtesy for fellow people.
Just like with pagers, cell phones are not wanted in movie theatres. Why? Because nobody likes paying a fee to watch a movie and have some person four rows back suddenly make noise with a phone ringing to “Another One Bites the Dust” or a loud, “Hello?!” If you insist on carrying a cell phone with you into a movie theatre then please put it on vibrate only and answer it once you step outside the room. This is a lot more courteous to those in the theatre watching the movie and allows you to remain a decent individual. Ever seen how angry patrons get when someone’s phone goes off at an important part in a movie? It can get pretty messy, in fact, sometimes people demand money back during or after the viewing because of those inconsiderate people. I can understand some need to be in contact, however, there is also text messaging on most phones, which can also be set to vibrate. Sure the little light on the phone can be annoying, but at least you won’t be making any noise if you get contacted in an emergency. However, if there were a real emergency and you were needed during the movie, the movie theatre would alert you (providing you let someone else know where you were going) that you need to leave or get ahold of someone. But please, when they flash that ‘no talking, no cell phones’ sign on the screen, be respectful of the house rules and switch them to silent or just shut them off.
Restaurants
Honestly, I can’t speak for everyone else, but when I go out to eat in a restaurant I tend to go to enjoy myself. I am going to use a game example of this, so forgive me if some of you don’t know what I speak about. PlayFirst has a game out called “Diner Dash: Flo on the Go” and the basic synopsis of the game is you’re a waitress and you have to serve all sorts of customers. They have one customer type called the Cell Phoners, basically. (I forget the real name, but they’re young men on cell phones) These men tend to drive most anyone crazy with their loud “talking” while customers eat. As they talk loudly, customers around them get angry and grow closer to leaving. This plays true in real life. Who wants a pleasant conversation at dinner with your family interrupted with someone talking entirely too loud on the phone one booth or table away? In public places people need to carry common courtesy, understand that while you feel you may have a right to do something others have a right to not be interrupted by annoying ring tones and loud talking.
Store Checkout Lines
Recently, I got to experience store checkout lines and cell phone use. Let me tell you, it can be very aggravating. Waiting in line can be stressful enough, especially if someone in front of you appears to have two carts full of goods. However, people on the cell phone can be even more annoying. Listening to someone converse behind or in front of you about things you truly don’t care about is bad enough when there isn’t a phone in hand, but when on the phone, their attention is more focused on the phone conversation. Now onto why it shouldn’t be used in line. Sometimes checkout clerks ask you questions, such as “Did you find everything? Do you need help out with these?” or other questions that may be needed to be answered. Unfortunately, people seem to ignore the checkout people while talking on the phone and then get annoyed when they don’t hear the total correctly on the first time it’s stated. Not only this, my experience was the person was so absorbed in conversation they didn’t hear people behind her or even the clerk stating to put her goods up on the belt. Adding insult to injury she got offended when someone told her to pay attention and get off the phone. Now I can understand the need to be on in a store if you don’t know if a product is right for someone, but in checkout there is no real reason to be on your cell phone.
Hospitals
Most hospitals have the general rule of “Cell Phone Use Strictly Prohibited” just like at gas stations, for very obvious reasons. Phones can cause machines to go “wonky” as I call it, meaning they tend to function improperly and could cause severe problems with patients in the actual rooms. A lot of frustration goes on in hospitals, but a lot of joy as well – obviously with births. But beyond the obvious machines in use, understand that a lot of people are there to visit people who are sick and don’t want their visiting time interrupted with a loud talking person outside pacing up and down the hall. This is why the hospital has pay phones near elevators (using a local hospital as an example) – so if you need to call someone you can. People need rest and quiet in the hospital, not yap-yap-yapping. Please be very respectful to both visitors and patients – if you MUST use your cell phone please go outside and call.
Funerals
There is nothing more inconsiderate than someone being at a funeral or at a body viewing chatting away on a cell phone. Yes, I’ve seen this happen. It shows great disrespect to the deceased and shows even more disrespect for the grieving family. Funeral homes are not the place to annoy others at all with prattle. Whatever it is can definitely wait till after you exit the funeral home and depart for the day or night. Even if you’re contacting someone to relay a message to those grieving, please do so before. Inside with people crying and possibly someone performing the eulogy is not the place for a phone to ring. So please remember that in these times of sorrow to shut the phone off, leave it in the car or turn it on silent before going in. Your focus and attention is required and desired elsewhere – not on the telephone.
There are many other places that phones should be prohibited and for good reason. Remember that if you must carry a phone on you at all times to please have respect for those around you. You don’t want people interrupting you while on the phone so expect others to not want to be interrupted by you talking on the phone. Above all else please be careful with cell phones, they also can cause accidents and nobody wants to deal with those.
