Ban cell phones in restaurants

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Our Android phones (and probably others) have the ability to "reject" an incoming call with a text message back to the caller.
 
PatrioticStabilist said:
I know in our theaters they really are taking a proactive approach to cellphone usage and will kick people out.
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And in theaters (or school auditoriums where I find the most offenders), it's not just the talking you have to worry about. I can't tell you the number of times I've been assaulted with the brightness of the screen on a phone or tablet from the people sitting in front of me.
 
That one is way up on my list of pet peeves as well, Tom. And for some reason, when some answer their phone, they talk louder than normal. I actually asked a fellow once why he bought the phone - as he was talking loud enough to be heard in the next county without it.

But that was after a full confrontation because of his loud discussion - most likely about his business. It happened in a waiting room at Kaiser. This fellow answered his phone, stood up, and paced back and forth while talking very loudly. He wasn't angry, just talked loud. He had been sitting with another person and chatting with them - in a normal voice that no one else heard or minded.

Anyway, I confronted him - and asked that he keep it down a bit. He asked by what authority did I have to do that -- and I responded by pointing to a well positioned sign on the wall not 6 feet away that read, "No Cell Phone Usage, Please".

But then, it could be worse. Was in McDonald's a few weeks back and a fellow changed his babies diaper in full view of other folks including myself. I contacted the manager - and he asked the guy to leave - after explaining that by law CA restaurants had to provide facilities for that in their rest rooms.

 
Aye Bob, I've never figured out why someone's volume has to increase when they get on the phone. OTOH I've occasionally caught myself doing it  :-[

Changing a diaper on a restaurant table, or even adjacent to a table  :eek:  Someone left their brain at home that day. Hopefully, restaurant staff sterilized the furniture afterwards.
 
Why is it that people talk louder on a phone than they do in person ? Drives me crazy. As for turning down the volume on your ringer when in a meeting/movie/church, how about muting the phone with vibrate on ??? And what about those people who answer the phone and loudly say "I can't talk to you right now, I'm in a seminar"? And then repeat that several times ?

And don't even get me started on people texting in a theater during a movie ... do they not realize how bright that light is ?
 
Smart Phones are addictive.  I  have a rule that at any meal phones are not allowed.  This means when we have an RVForum rally and a group goes out to dinner, I do not want to see anyone using their phones to read emails, get texts, get the  weather or anything or talk to  Suri.

I was recently out to dinner with a group and  the conversation led to something  I KNEW I could  quickly find an answer to on my phone.  But  my rules  applies  to me too.  So I feel the  pain too.......please  no phones at meals, or in waiting rooms too.
  Thanks Tom for  bringing up the subject as it  gave me another place to express my views and some of you may share a table with me  in the  future.  Can you hear me now?

Love the shade tree!
 
Betty, How about using the smart phone to read the restaurant menu ;)

Oh, Rule # 4 for Quartzsite Happy Hour !
 
Wendy said:
Betty, How about using the smart phone to read the restaurant menu ;)

Oh, Rule # 4 for Quartzsite Happy Hour !
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You can read the  restaurant menu ahead of arrival at the  place and determine the caloric values and  points and all that  BEORE we sit down.  And I don't count  Happy Hours  in my phone rules! 


I "like" the  people who will take a call in a crowded group and look down when they talk thinking they are disguising the  conversation by looking down...NOT!
 
Tom said:
Aye Bob, I've never figured out why someone's volume has to increase when they get on the phone. OTOH I've occasionally caught myself doing it  :-[
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It is a subconscious action and comes about as the phone audio is lower so people think that they must speak louder.  The same thing happens to those who can't hear good, they also speak louder for the same reasons.  So much from Communications 101 about 60 years ago.
 
I helped a friend install three cell signal blockers in his higher end restaurant, he was so tired of all the complaints, when they could no longer get a signal, it stopped, but he actually lost some business. He still has them and has no intention of removing.

His waiters complained that they had a hard time listing the evenings specials and taking orders because people refused to put down their cell phones and order their dinner....how rude!

Sadly this is illegal since you need to provide access to 911....

I personally silence mine and generally leave it in the truck or it is in my pocket, I have an old dumb phone, refuse to have a phone smarter than I am....

Jim
 
Jim Godward said:
It is a subconscious action and comes about as the phone audio is lower so people think that they must speak louder.  The same thing happens to those who can't hear good, they also speak louder for the same reasons.  So much from Communications 101 about 60 years ago.
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Jim, I was about to say the same thing.  Maybe you and I being older than dirt has something to do with learning that long ago ;) :D
 
If the cell phone was on speaker and the volume plenty loud enough for everyone to hear, some folks would still be shouting at the phone  ;)
 
Wendy said:
Betty, Is taking pictures with a smart phone an exemption ?
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Dang, there are always exceptions.  But only if it is to post a photo here on our RVForum to  prove a rally!
 
I am willing to bet, there are two family's in Florida wishing the cell phone was never invented. 

The problem with today's society, is that people believe the world evolves around them. 
 
Clerk gets on the phone while I'm waiting to pay, I just leave. I leave my stuff where I'm at, on the counter in his way is preferrable, but I'll leave it on the floor, where I stand, if in line. Autozone policy is the phone has priority over "captive" customers My policy is not waiting to spend money while they're trying to make sales on the phone.
I do it all the time, it's a pet peeve.
I also have a stupid phone, I find smart phones intrusive even at home. There are no boundaries anymore, used to be you left people alone after a certain hour. These smart phone beep and boop now if Putin farts or a styrofoam coffee cup is spotted in the ocean. I don't wanna be that connected. I find texting to be a kabuki dance way of communicating. A phone call is worth a thousand texts, or somthing like that.
Bill
 
We find all sorts of boorish behavior in restaurants and other public places these days. Inappropriate use of phones is just one common example - we've even seen a father play nerf football with his son in the aisle while customers and servers ducked. Where is the management in these places?  None of them seem willing to tell a customer that their behavior is disruptive to other customers and staff. no matter how outrageous. My daughter is a server supervisor at a Chilli's restaurant and the de facto policy there is "hands off". She is not even allowed to politely ask someone to quiet down or rein in their kids. The store management lives in terror of a "compliant to corporate" by an irate customer because the store manager is always deemed wrong and the customer right. Nobody is swilling to lose a single customer to maintain standards of common courtesy. And modern communications makes complaints easy to make, either formally or by social networks, and the issue is always one-sided.
 
Awhile back we were at a new pizza restaurant in Goshen and the waiter came up to the table to take our order and pulled his smart phone- I thought he was texting and my blood started to boil- I asked politely if he was texting ? he smiled and said no, it was tied into the point of sale, my DW and I started to laugh, he laughed and said that from now on he would let customers know he was taking their order.
I am enjoying this thread, good to know that we are not alone in our thoughts,  great post  and lots of good comments.
 
driftless shifter said:
Autozone policy is the phone has priority over "captive" customers
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Although I don't shop Autozone, I find that concept interesting - a customer has money in his hand, the one on the phone - who knows? A bird in the hand kinda thing for me.

Now that I know how much they value foot traffic, you can bet your ASE certificate I will never darken their doors. I find that extremely obnoxious. Might be tossing my Chili's card, too... :mad:
 
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