Ban cell phones in restaurants

[Molaker]

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...

I think you will find this is the way many if not most retailers operate, not just Autozone.  It's not a question of how they value their foot traffic so much as their trying to spin plates and keep from losing anyone.  Obviously, some clerks are much better at it that others.

 

[driftless shifter]

I use Autozone for shop supplies because they're always having sale on supplies, to get you in the door. I like having a couple cans of brake cleaner and carb cleaner around and I love those blue paper towels.
I get my parts at Napa, where they hire parts guys and still have racks of manufacturer catalogues to back them up.

Bill

 

[Molaker]

I use Autozone for shop supplies because they're always having sale on supplies, to get you in the door. I like having a couple cans of brake cleaner and carb cleaner around and I love those blue paper towels.
I get my parts at Napa, where they hire parts guys and still have racks of manufacturer catalogues to back them up.

Bill

One of the problems around here (SW Missouri) is many of the NAPA retailers have or are closing.  I suspect it's because of the growth of O'Reilly Auto Parts (Springfield is O'Reilly's headquarters) and expansion of Autozone into the area.

Boy, talk about thread drift. ;D

 

[bucks2]

Don't you have the number to Autozone on your phone? Simply call them and explain that you're the customer at the counter waiting for them to take your money. One less phone line to ring and distract them.

I've finally reached the age where I don't allow other people to make the rules as to what I'm allowed to do, so I guess Betty and I won't be having lunch. Having said that, I did grow up in the era when courtesy was expected and know when using a phone is proper. Using the free wifi in a restaurant is a benefit when updating apps or downloading larger files.

Ken

 

[kjansen]

I don't shop our local NAPA any more.  I will be at the counter and be waited upon, but if the phone rings they will interrupt me and wait on the phone customer.  I asked the employee if he knew what a hold button was, and  just walked out and will never go back. I would always ask my walk in customer if I could answer the phone and then put them on hold while taking care of the person that actually would walk in the my store.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    Well Tin man (Jim) it took a page and a half for that post to surface, and i'm sure it went right over everyone's head.  But the gun shot did stop the texting.

Ed

 

[Tin man]

At least for a day or two, or till the trial is over....

 

[Dan23]

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.

This is also a pet peeve of mine. And I leave the stuff I was about to buy at the counter and walk out as well. Once, the counter guy had my credit card in his hand and did that and the fireworks began. "Gimme my freekin' card! Bye, bye."

I also have a stupid phone, I find smart phones intrusive even at home.
Bill

Smart phones are an asset, but like all phones, rules of courtesy must be followed. I will answer and tell the caller to wait while I walk outside.

 

[Dan23]

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.

All of what you said is true. Still, what happened at the Florida movie theater was pure unadulterated insanity.... from Tallahassee to Tampa. A lot of insanity goes on here.

 

[Kevin Means]

And another thing...

Unfortunately, I have to travel via the airlines a lot and I've come to despise it. It's the rigamarow of the whole thing. Well guess what, now some airlines are evaluating the practicalness (is that a word?), of allowing people to use their cell phones in flight. They'll be relayed through a system on the plane that connects with cell service on the ground - much like how WiFi is now done on airliners.

Can you imagine getting stuck next to someone in an airline seat who babbles incessently for hours on end about... whatever! They're going to need a "cell phone" section in the rear of the plane, much like the old smoking sections they used to have (remember those). "You want to talk on your phone in flight? Fine. You've got seat 66A." Either that or they're going to have to stick about 10 air-marshalls on each plane to handle all the fights that break out.

 

[Dan23]

And another thing...

Can you imagine getting stuck next to someone in an airline seat who babbles incessently for hours on end about... whatever!

This isn't strictly about cell phones, but early this winter I was sick in the ER after strong pain that turned out not to be heart related. With only a curtain between us, another paitient was brought in accompanied by his significant other and an entourage of-- at all times-- the maximum number allowed to be in this area. The guy's SO talked non-freeking-stop for over four hours about the most inane topics, a true stream-of-consciousness talker; and when she could not be in the room, she was right outside on her cell phone. I discreetly asked staff for some relief from her verbal barrage and got none. The poor guy was in for pancreatitis and was in such pain he could not pee. Not a single one of his guests stepped outside to give him some privacy for concentrating on the task, prompting the SO to say to him, "Really, Roger... I mean really!??"

Poor me, but long term probably he was the more suffering. That's probably why he drank to the point of pancreatitis.

Some people simply cannot shut up. Cell phone not required.

 

[sandiern]

Not addressing the issue of annoying behavior is not going to make it go away. I think restaurants. like movie theatres, should post signs asking folks to silence their cell phones as a courtesy to all diners. I like Barb's suggestion of asking them to turn their phones on speaker so all can hear the conversation. I'd say "Are you always this rude or is this a special day?". With regard to restaurants and noisy children without restaurant voices, we've asked to change our table if we observe out of control behavior. Instead of worrying about offending the folks with noisy kids or loud cell phone usage, maybe diners should use social media to post reviews of restaurants that permit or do not discourage rude behavior. Another idea is to post " check ins" on places like yelp. Imagine a check in that said " Don't go to this restaurant now, there are loud unruly children". That might get the restaurant's attention!

 

[Jeff]

Some do not a phone in their ear to qualify.

 

[BinaryBob]

Cell phones can also be a source of great amusement.
Several months ago I was taking a shuttle from the airport to the parking area. There were about 8 of us in a van. A 20-something young woman was talking VERY loudly on her cell phone as the rest of us sat there quietly during the ride.
She was apparently talking to her 'boss' about "saving" the company. She was talking of how she single handedly convinced some heavy hitter business men to reverse their decision and go with her product / service (whatever it was.)..... so-and-so was too weak to handle this himself and she needed to head the project. blah blah blah and so on.
The entire dialogue was so obnoxious and self serving that when she finally hung up, the guy sitting next to her said, "I'm really not impresssed." Then the next guy said the same thing.. "Nor am I"... and the next.. and the next...
She pretended to not know what they were talking about. It was so over the top I would not be suprised if there were no one on the other end of the phone.

 

[gwcowgill]

Ban all cell phones in public places, cars, buses, airplanes and most importantly in restaurants.  My pet peeve is someone talking lous in spanish next to me. I generally start talking loud in Thai or Japanese. Sometimes they get the message, some times they m,ove farther away and look at me kinda funny. Speak to me in Spanish and you will get a reply in some other language.

 

[Tin man]

The problem with most of these suggestions ( direct contact) is that there are a lot of people walking the streets that are not wrapped too tight.

I rode on the LIRR Long Island RaIlroad to Penn Station listing to a woman yelling on her phone. A woman spoke up to her and she had the woman in her face.  I spoke to the conductor (another woman) if the person on the phone was was going to Penn. she did not know she did not ask for her ticket. 

The woman was just a coincidence this could of been men. 

When they closed the nut houses, ( not politically correct) they let the nuts out, gave them meds, but do not know if they take them.

Well that's my rant sorry you had to listen, but I did not have your cell number....

Jim

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

This thread drift, but noted a person thought pancreatitus is caused only by drinking.  I had it and thought I would die, you can, and I don't drink.
Had to have an ERCP I think its called to open up the duct, was in the hospital for a week, sickest I've ever been in my life, so I definitely feel sorry for that poor man.  You do not need an audience during those times.

 

[Dan23]

This thread drift, but noted a person thought pancreatitus is caused only by drinking.  I had it and thought I would die, you can, and I don't drink.
Had to have an ERCP I think its called to open up the duct, was in the hospital for a week, sickest I've ever been in my life, so I definitely feel sorry for that poor man.  You do not need an audience during those times.

This statement of mine:

That's probably why he drank to the point of pancreatitis.

Does not equal this statement of yours:

a person thought pancreatitus is caused only by drinking.

Unrelated addition: In my post above, I forgot to add that much of the woman's rattling on and on was punctuated with the phrase, "Praise the Lord." Normally, I'm not anti-religous. But by about the third hour I would have slapped Jesus if He had walked in with the rest of her church congregation visitors, which included the minister. Funny how some people can turn others against religion by their own public holier than thou displays. But that's is surely thread drift. LOL

 

[Larry N.]

This thread drift, but noted a person thought pancreatitus is caused only by drinking.  I had it and thought I would die, you can, and I don't drink.
Had to have an ERCP I think its called to open up the duct, was in the hospital for a week, sickest I've ever been in my life, so I definitely feel sorry for that poor man.  You do not need an audience during those times.

I concur -- I had it, too, and my drinking is one beer or Manhattan two or three times a year. The pain was bad, and I couldn't sleep very much for well over a month before they finally diagnosed it -- at first I was told I needed exercises for the back pain (it was just under the lower left rib, not in the lower back). The blood test that showed the very high triglycerides that, at least partially, caused it also resulted in a diagnoses of diabetes. Getting the triglycerides down stopped the pain within a week or less. But no thanks to the D.O. that gave me a sheet of exercises to do (I then went to a different doc).

 

[Dan23]

Here's an snippet of a news article from the AP, posted here for the fair use purpose of discussion:

Smartphone trial judge annoyed by phones in court
MARTHA MENDOZA  -  The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) ? So far one of the biggest problems for a federal judge overseeing a patent battle between the world's largest smartphone makers isn't about stolen ideas. It's getting the roomful of smartphone devotees to turn off their devices.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh has become increasingly frustrated during the first few days of the trial pitting Apple against Samsung because the many personal Wi-Fi signals interfere with a network the judge relies on for a real-time transcript of the proceedings.

The phones also ring, buzz and jingle, and can be used to take photos, a serious violation of court rules.

~snip~

To read the rest of the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/smartphone-trial-judge-annoyed-by-phones-in-court/2014/04/09/9bc7cf36-bfa1-11e3-9ee7-02c1e10a03f0_story.html