Cell Phone be gone!
Posted: Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Maureen Thomson
Lyssabeth's Bay Area Wedding Officiants
The topic of cell phones seems to keep appearing in my life of late, so here are a few thoughts.
First of all, I don't seem to get cell phone coverage in my new home in Manzanita, Oregon. If I go out onto my front porch and it's not raining, I can lean my body over the railing at a minimum of 45 degrees and get one bar (well, two bars if you count the one that sticks into my midsection because I'm leaning over the railing). This results in only about 50% of my calls getting dropped and the listener to catch about 40% of what I am saying. It also prompts funny looks from my neighbors, none of whom have been over with the much-anticipated "welcome to the neighborhood" banana bread. Hmmmm...
So in frustration, I turned off my cell phone, figuring I'd deal with the problem when I had time. Yesterday, I realized that I'd gone a week without even thinking about it. I turned it on. 10 messages--all from telemarketers. Nothing, by the way, from Verizon, who promised me over a week ago that they'd test the area for service and get back to me "within 2 hours to 5 days" with the results.
Last month, actor Hugh Jackman stopped in the middle of his performance of A Steady Rain on Broadway to admonish an audience member whose cell phone was ringing. "You want to get that?" he quipped in character as the accused no doubt, slunk into his seat in mortification.
Wow! I wish I had that kind of power! But that's not the point. The debate over the conscientious use of cell phones has gotten out of hand. Now states are looking at laws making it illegal to text while driving. Uhhhh....ya think? People yammer on cell phones on buses, the minute the plane lands, in public libraries, coffee shops when their table is 4 inches from mine, while driving, during sex (not that i know from firsthand experience but I can only imagine that nothing is sacred). And speaking of sacred, do people use their cell phones in church? Could it be possible that places of religious worship are the last bastion where these ubiquitous electronic devices are not permitted? Of course, you could try, but if Hugh Jackman can cause such a fuss, don't be surprised if the hand of God doesn't extend from above and hit your off button permanently.
I read a survey stating that 52% of people think it's acceptable to use a cellphone in a public place if it's a time-sensitive situation and one talks quietly. I agree. I also think I must interact exclusively with the other 48% of the population, who apparently eschew the notion of time-sensitivity and indoor voices.
This once again proves the dichotomy between common courtesy and common sense. People may state it's common courtesy to use one's cell phone judiciously, but in reality, people's lack of common sense permits them to assess nearly every conversation as time sensitive and their tone of voice as being well modulated at all times. Trust me, they aren't and it isn't.
So it appears that even I, the queen of Common Sense Courtesy, can't make a dent in people's inappropriate cell phone chatter. I don't have a big enough platform--although I am writing Hugh Jackman a personal fan letter TODAY. However, in a flaunt in it in your face attitude, I've decided to give up my cell phone for good. If I didn't need it for a week, I don't need it forever. To be honest, I do see the need for a cell phone occasionally. If I'm officiating a wedding, I'd need one in case of emergency en route; if my husband is running late, I'd like a call so I don't worry. If I'm in the aisle of Safeway wondering if we need eggs, I want to be able to call home and see if we have any. Note however, that I will not continue this call with a blow by blow description of the hot guy working at the bakery counter or a rant about the price of deli meat.
So Jeremy and I will share a phone (Jeremy being my husband and not the guy behind the bakery counter who truth be told looks too young for me anyway and probably spends all his time texting frosting recipes). And get this--we're even going to reduce our monthly minutes to the bare bones I've-got-an-emergency level. Whah-ha-ha...I'm giddy with the mutinous nature of the whole thing!
I refuse to embrace rudeness even if society accepts it as status quo. Now some would call me a stick in the mud, out of date, obstinate, a fossil, even a killjoy.
But that would be rude!
Maureen Thomson is a wedding officiant and owner of Lyssabeth's Wedding Officiants serving California , Colorado and Oregon .
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More commentsExcellent Article! I went on a cruise with my girlfriend for nine days and could not use my cell phone, it was fantastic. I am from Missouri and they are just now passing the no texting while driving law. Its about time, right? Also, I graduated from college May of 09' and one of my pet peeves was people talking on their cell phones in our small business library. It happened all the time, especially by foreign exchange students.
Enjoyed the chuckle - I agree about manners on cell phones but nobody has asked my opinion on that lately either. Marijo
I used to be unable to get cellular service in my house and I worked from home. So my neighbors did not consider it an uncommon site to see my taking conference calls from the edge of my front yard in a lawn chair :).
Thank you for the article! I have always been interested in embarking on a "cell-phone-free-week" experiment.
You have said what so many other people think..scrap the mobile I say! Who knows, people may start writing letters again.
RIGHT ON!
I wish everyone had your thoughts about cell phone etiquette.
Here to stay unfortunately! They will eventually wire them in!!
wonderful, awesome patience, man. I would havecertainly thrown out the instrument and said "to hell with you". thanks, maureen, this was great
Wow, giving it up FOREVER? That must be liberating, although I could never do it. Chances are the reason you didn't get service in your home is because the house was built many years ago and the pipes within your walls are interfering with your signal. This happened to me when I lived in a house built in 1970, there was only one spot in the entire 3,000 square foot house where I could get a signal.
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