Put your cell phone down!!!!

[valeriedl]

I just need to vent about this because it really drives me crazy-

Why is it that everyone now has to always be on their cell phone sending text messages, checking their email or what ever when you are trying to talk to them. It's like I'm talking to a wall half the time because their face is always staring at their phone and not looking at me.

At Christmas my brother's girlfriend had her head right in her phone. When my uncle saw it he walked right over to her and said "We don't do that here". She just looked up at him and didn't know what to say. She just stuffed her phone in her pocket and didn't get on it for the rest of the time she was there.

I don't know if my uncle went around and talked to everyone else there too because I noticed that no one else was on their phone, which was really nice.

I don't get out that often because I don't drive and when I do I like to spend time talking face to face with people. If you can't actually talk to some one and need to do it by typing it then you might as well stay home.

[Screamy]

I hear ya there, everyone I see or talk to has that cell phone attached to their head or fingers. Even worse when I drive with someone and people are texting while driving. At least wait until a damn red light. Thanks for the post!

[valeriedl]

I live in the US and I know they are trying to put, or have put a law out there that when a cop sees you on your cell phone while driving then they can pull you over and give you a ticket.

[Screamy]

They are working on that here in Canada too, most of the time I think cops don't want to waste time, I have seen people sit at greenlight texting and cops drive by. Oh Well even if people get tickets it will not stop them. If they receive too many, should be allowed to take phone and close account. Now that must be worse than a ticket!

[valeriedl]

That would be a great idea Screamy! Maybe we could run for some kind of goverment position and make that a law

[Screamy]

Wooo-Hoooo- Some kind of North America law, you can run US and I will run CAN. Who wants to join, need alot of agents to keep this thing in motion!

[nicholasscott21]

I listen to BBC Radio 4 and recently they had a person in the know warn men not to carry their phone in their pocket- some health warning! When you think about it, your phone is picking up signal strength all the time is switched on so 'radio waves' are penetrating all around the phone so if you have it close by all the time you are exposed to theses signals.

I use to carry my phone in my left trouser pocket but I noticed I was getting twitches in the muscle close to the phone. Now I carry my phone some distance from me.

Nick
xx

[Cint]

I definitely hear you, Valerie. Last year when my son came home from college, he was texting someone on his cell phone when we were eating our dinner. I asked him to put it away, if he wanted to talk to that person, he needed to wait until we were finished with our dinner. This year, he had his cell phone on him, but at least he didn't use it during dinner.

Several years ago, a man riding his bike was hit and killed by a teenager texting while driving in the neighborhood I used to live in. Something does need to be done about driving and texting. It can be dangerous!

[valeriedl]

I listen to BBC Radio 4 and recently they had a person in the know warn men not to carry their phone in their pocket- some health warning! When you think about it, your phone is picking up signal strength all the time is switched on so 'radio waves' are penetrating all around the phone so if you have it close by all the time you are exposed to theses signals.

I use to carry my phone in my left trouser pocket but I noticed I was getting twitches in the muscle close to the phone. Now I carry my phone some distance from me.

Nick
xx

I think I had heard about that.

You sure your cell wasn't on vibrate and someone was calling you? - ha ha

[valeriedl]

My husband's son is in college and comes over about once a month. About every 10 minutes he's pulling his phone out of his pocket to look at something or send a message.

I wish my husband would say something to him about it because I don't feel it's my place to. We don't see him that often and it would be nice if he would just leave his phone in the car for the few hours that he's here. What's going to happen that's so important that can't wait a few hours to find out about?

Remember there was a time without text messages and even cell phones, what did we do then?

[nicholasscott21]

When I worked two person shifts and the other person (mainly younger than me) was using his phone to text the whole shift- I felt I was on my own and when ever I struck up a conversation with him he would get a text and I would be cut off in mid sentence.

Now, being 50, I remember writing letters, buying a stamp, giving it a week to get to the recipient and a week for a reply! I use to sit on the top of the stairs early in the morning waiting for the postman, hoping my letter would come that morning- I'd be very disappointed if it didn't - knowing I would have to wait for the next post that day or maybe tomorrow or the day after. The joy of getting a letter! It's mostly junk mail now

[Rae1889]

I have 2 issues with cell phones

1) I hate when people get mad at me for being on my phone all the time (ie, my parents or chad) and then they bitch at me when I haven't immediately answered one of their texts. You can't have it both ways.

2) I also hate when I'm in the mall food court, with chad and maybe my mum and sister and there is nowhere to eat our food but there are 2 or 3 tables where there is one person with headphones in playing with their phone or ipod, or just yacking. Its like seriously? Move! I wanna eat and your taking up space. Stand aside and chat!

[valeriedl]

I'm feeling old now but I remeber a time when there was no internet and email, you just sent good old mail to each other.

I had a friend in the navy when I was in high school. He was stationed all around the world and I just couldn't wait to get that letter or post card to find out where he was and how he was doing. I think I even have them all still. I loved writing that letter back to him asking him what he was doing and letting him know how I was.

If I'm out with other people the only time I'll answer the phone or send back a text is if it from my husband or my parents. I have them set to different ring tones and different types of beeps for a text message so I know who it's from. If I don't then they think I'm having a seizure and might be in the hospital - they get really crazy about that.

My neurologist aslo has my cell number because like all drs they always call when you're not home and I won't miss a call this way. This is usually an important call that needs to be taken.

[CathyAnn31]

//rant//

While I agree it is rude for people to be on their phones at what one might consider an inappropriate time, it's also rude to come up to someone and say "we don't do that here." I wouldn't appreciate being told what to do. A polite simple request, now that's different. For the record, I don't like my inlaws much and I'm addicted to Words With Friends. I'll play when everyone's sitting around conversing, who misses me, it's a family of 17, lol. But I don't bring it to their family dinner table.

I also agree with Rae's first point. Sometimes it's important to be on our phone. It's not always goofing off or shooting the breeze. We shouldn't assume anything. And Rae, next time just smile and say hello, sit down and enjoy your meal. I bet they move right away because they don't want anyone listening, lol.

Please use caution while using a phone while driving. Pull over if you can. A call or text is never worth putting anyone's life in jeopardy. Just ask my friend Kristen.

In case anyone was wondering, I'm 42 yrs old. Not a young kid with a phone glued to her ear, lol.

[valeriedl]

First you have to understand my uncle CathyAnn31. He's an old retired Army guy who always says it like it is and doesn't hold anything back, everyone who knows him is just used to it.

My brother's ex-girlfriend did nothing but sit there and be on her cell the entire time that she was anywhere, and I'm not exrating about this. We'd try to have a conversation with her but it was just impossible. She might give a one word answer now and then but I know she wasn't listening to anything that anyone was saying to her. Finally we got so sick of it that no one even bothered to try to talk to her, she was holding a nice text conversation with someone on the cell so I know it didn't bother her. I think my uncle just wanted to find out if this girl was going to be like that too.

At least this girl, the few times I've met her usually doesn't have her phone out.

My cousin (who's house we were at) actually works for a cell phone company and has a pretty hi up position. Her kids and her brother (who lives with her) are all old enough to have phones, which I'm sure they do, and are at the age when people are always on them. But I didn't see one of them with a phone out the entire time we were there. I don't know if she told them to put their phones away while there are other people in the house or not.

My cousin, who has the youngest of all the kids got them REAL toys and other things to play with. It was nice to see the older kids playing with the younger kids . They weren't sitting infront of the tv playing video games.

[CathyAnn31]

Valerie - Understandable. However, she was a guest. Your uncle could have said something to your brother and let him deal with it, or better yet, your bro should have picked up on it all on his own and asked her to politely put it away. Being in the military doesn't give him a reason to be an ass. Just curious, how old is the girl?

With that said, I am irritated by people and their cells. We were waiting for a table at a restaurant once and their was a mom, dad, and 3 young kids- all of which were busy on their phones. It was funny in a way, but mostly sad that instead of enjoying their family time together they were each in their own little worlds.

[valeriedl]

Valerie - Understandable. However, she was a guest. Your uncle could have said something to your brother and let him deal with it, or better yet, your bro should have picked up on it all on his own and asked her to politely put it away. Being in the military doesn't give him a reason to be an ass. Just curious, how old is the girl?

His girlfriend is around 30, which in my opionion is a little too old to be playing on your phone when you are around a good bit of people. The ex was probably about 20, if even that old. That's usually the ages when people are always on their phones, but that didn't give her an excuse for it. .

The whole family was glad that my uncle did it though.

[CathyAnn31]

Guess we are going to have to agree to disagree on your uncles behavior.

Glad your family approved tho. And glad I wasn't there.

Just my opinion. :-)

[nicholasscott21]

I think it polite to switch off in company - this makes it all the more exciting when one turns it on because all the texts start coming in!
xx

[Nakamova]

I don't have a cellphone. Probably the last person in the world without one.