Mobile Phones.

Prideth · Post by **Prideth** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:24

I've noticed an interesting phenomena that has only really become visible since mobile phones became so prolific.

Has anyone else besides me noticed while out and about how many people have to answer their phone, no matter how inconvienent it is, what they are doing, where they are, who they are talking face to face with, everything is automatically dropped and comes to a total standstill the moment their mobile rings.

It is like the phone controls them, or they are just so attached to the thing that they can't help themselves, phone rings=phone must be answered. No letting it ring, no letting it go through to voicebank. It's like the master calls and the slave must comply. Telling some people they have to turn their mobiles off in some places, like hospitals, is fraught with problems too. They tend to act as if you have just told them to cut someones throat.

I refuse to let the phone control me, whether it is my mobile or landline. If it isn't convenient for me to answer, I don't. If the call is important, the person will ring back, if it isn't, they don't need to. I wonder if anyone here is a phone slave, and willing to admit it, or are you like me and manage to control the beast.

I just posted this thread in RandomGames, but thought the subject might draw some interest here as well.

mistergreen77 · Post by **mistergreen77** » Mon May 29, 2006 13:25

Well I get paid to answer the phone - so I don't feel any particular need to, but funny how I always seem to. I have no problem turning it off, and frequently do. There are a few times it is too inconvenient and you are right, the world never ended because I didn't answer the phone. I think there is a bit of a cultural hang up from the days when only rich and important people had mobiles and answering one became a sort of status symbol. Now it has just become a bad and annoying habit - I hate it when a conversation is ruined by the phone ringing.

Dizi · Post by **Dizi** » Mon May 29, 2006 13:51

I have diiferent ringtones on my phone, my parents and my boyfriend have a ringtone so that I know it is them, normally if I am at college they won't ring me so if they do I know it will be for something important.

But I am happy to let anyone else phone and me not answer if i am busy with something else. As you have said if it is important they can leave me a message or even just phone back later. Some of my friends get a little anoyed with me as they seem to be controlled by their phones and when I am at home I don't see the point in carrying my mobile about. So sometimes when they righ I don't hear it so I can't answer it even if I'm not busy...then again if its important they could always try my house phone

espenso84 · Post by **espenso84** » Mon May 29, 2006 18:57

It's not like I HAVE to answer my phone. But usually people calls you for a reason, so why not answer it? But I do catch myself in just letting it ring when I don't want to or don't have the time to answer it. Just remember that you are the boss of your phone and not vice versa

Railwaymodeler · Post by **Railwaymodeler** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:11

While I don't own a mobile (Surprising in my field, yes), but riding public transit, I have noticed some real rude behavior with phones.

I used to take the 7:09 train downtown when working in Chicago, and you'd get a lot of professionals on that train, and all of them had mobiles. I remember once, there was a lawyer sitting across the aisle from me, and he was discussing his clients case so loudly the entire car could hear the details, and he wasn't even careful to censor what he said. We all knew he was defending a guilty car thief. That sort of thing could very well blow his client's case!

Then on the bus, it's also very interesting. The people so aborbed in their conversations, they don't hear the elecronic announcements via satellite of where they are, then the scream at the driver to stop because they missed their stop.

I personally feel no attachment to any telecommunication device, and have no desire to get a mobile phone.

Pager · Post by **Pager** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 3:25

I usually carry 2 mobile phones on me, one personal and one for my job.

The job one I have to answer when it rings since I'm primary for PBX support in my office. So no matter where I am, I usually have to get up and leave, so not to bug other people. Which I would assume is understandable to most people.

The stuff I don't understand is, people who go out to movies or the theatre and talk on their cell phones there. Or more so, people that sit there and text message through movies and what not. I don't know why someone would spend money to go see something and spend half the time talking on the phone, not only do they miss it, but its very rude.

I personally never answer my cell phone. If it is impotant they can leave a message. But for lots of people they treat missed calls like life or death. I used to post on this other site, don't remember which one, but they were having a discussion about people dialing 911 wrongly. And one example was a girl dialed 911 because she could not remember her cell phone's telephone number so she could purchase more minutes.