Cell Phone Etiquette
I’ve been wanting to write this one for a while. It’s some practical advice on how to use a cell phone without causing me to want to kill you. Try it at home…
- Don’t Answer it - It is almost always wrong / rude / punishable by death to answer a cell phone in front of someone else. That’s what voicemail is for. The only exceptions are immediate family or someone who is trying to meet up with you. Significant others are not ok. You spend enough time yapping with them all day.
- For the love of christ, don’t make a call! Making a call is even worse. The only reason to make a call is if you’re with a friend and a third friend is meeting with you. That’s about it. When you make a call, it is actively demonstrating that you are not at all interested in the company of your current entourage.
- Fines are doubled in the car. You can’t even answer immediate family there. Worse than ignoring your company is making them listen to you gab about something no one cares about.
- A few text messages are ok. If you text in front of me, I don’t really care. It’s not obtrusive. If you’re having an IM style conversation, go jump off a cliff. It’s annoying. I’d say the max acceptible is 3 texts per hour.
- Do NOT ever wear a stupid bluetooth thing unless you’re talking to someone. Even then, you probably shouldn’t wear it. You look like a huge cyborg idiot. I have one, and I use it if I want to talk in bed, or if I’m wrestling a cougar and need my hands free. Emoting in the air while talking on a cell phone isn’t good enough reason to need those hands free.
- If you put someone on speakerphone, let them know if there are other people listening. There’s a curb your enthusiasm episode about this.
- Ringtones. If your phone sounds like fifty cent stuck in a soup can, change it. Put that crap on vibrate. I don’t see why anyone needs a ringtone. I don’t EVER need to know when you’re getting a call. Actually, girls with purses can have a ringtone. Don’t make it an obnoxious one.
- Last, and probably most important - LEAVE ONE MESSAGE. If you’re in my call log, that doesn’t mean you’re getting a call back. I assume that people who didn’t leave messages needed me then, and only then. A “Hey, I’m heading to lunch, want to come?” kind of call.
If you leave a message, I will probably call you back. Leaving additional messages sharply decreases the chance of a callback. If I wake up and you’ve left 3 messages and two texts asking me to call, that’s probably grounds for a 24 hour no call period. I don’t want to spend 10 minutes going through your messages.
This stuff is important. Seriously.
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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September 14th, 2006 at 2:51 am
Amen, I have almost always followed those guidlines. For a ringtone (if I even have one) I have that of a regular ring that is free with the phone.
Thanks for writing this reminder for those people that blatantly break these cell phone rules.
September 14th, 2006 at 3:16 am
This should be printed out and given to the customer whenever a mobile phone is being sold!
September 14th, 2006 at 5:07 am
Haha yeah, and given to a new friend to sign as a contract
September 14th, 2006 at 7:13 am
> You look like a huge cyborg idiot.
You mean like an AWESOME cyborg idiot.
My goal, in fact, is to someday become a cyborg.
September 14th, 2006 at 8:06 am
Excellent post
September 15th, 2006 at 5:30 am
couldnt agree more
September 15th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Totally agree with the necessity for cell phone etiquette. At UT I have seen people answer and initiate cell phone calls in the middles of class.
On an entirely unrelated note I wanted to find out purchasing banner ad space on your blog for one of my sites. I’m trying to find new outlets to reach the UT student base, after facebook banned my ads. Supposedly my ads were banned because they are promoting a competing site which is BS.
Oh yeah by the way I was that volunteer instructor at your hang gliding class.
September 17th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Thanks Tynan.
I forwarded this to my ex-girlfriend who broke every single one of those rules on a regular basis.
September 17th, 2006 at 2:01 pm
once upon a time i was trying to get my significant other to break up with me, so i answered a phone call during sex…
September 18th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Why is it that almost everyone agrees with these rules but the world is still overrun with cell phone idiots? Could it be that they think that when they answer the phone while with friends or on a date, they have a good reason so it’s ok? And same for whenever they break the rules? Because everyone must know how rude it all is yet no one stops doing it. Except me. I swear to you, I am never ever rude on my cell phone. It disgusts me. I only care it for REAL emergencies.
September 19th, 2006 at 6:12 am
another rule that should also be included, is answering your phone while on a train or bus etc. its so annoying listening to someone elses life!!
September 19th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
I liked the old layout better.
September 19th, 2006 at 11:34 pm
My workmen spent so much time talking to their girlfriends on the cell phone during workhours. Since they are all my friends, and I know the girlfrends, I acctually called the girls and forbid them to call them when they are working. They nagged, I say I would fire them if I catch them talking to the girls again, If you wanna talk send an sms and he will call you on his break. Damn! They obeyed. Wohohoh how gratefull were the guys for me, all straight 8 hours of not-nagging. Plus I could work in peace and they had something to talk about when they meet them in person.
October 9th, 2006 at 10:47 am
my professor anwsered her cell during class. right in the middle of lecture… beat that.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
To get through college I work at Sears and before that I worked at Subway. Seriously, when you want someone to help you or take your order, GET THE FUCK OFF YOUR PHONE. There are other customers who aren’t preoccupied I could be helping.
The worst is when they come up to you and ask you something while they’re on their cell phone, and then when you answer them (and interrupt their conversation) they give the stare of death. Oh, sorry to inconvience YOU fine sir!
October 16th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Yeah, I found this piece to be very - oh, hold on for a minute….
Sorry. My buddy called. Anyway, like I was saying, this - wait. Text message…
Dang. What was I saying? Oh yeah. The article. Cell phone etiquette. I find that - woah. I GOTTA get this.
Sweet. It was that chick from Sidebar the other night. She wants to meet up tonight. Um, I forgot what I was saying.
October 24th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
If someones ringing you its either to chat or to meet up now or later.
A meet up call takes two minutes so whats wrong with doing it in company its better ignoring another person whos trying to talk to you. If there calling to chat just say I can’t talk now.
Leaving a message costs money for both parties. And the message will just be “Call me. Its complicated”. The person should just call you back.
My phone manners are really the opposite of this. I think its rude and annpoying when people don’t pick up and don’t call back. Its like if you tap someone on the shoulder and they ignore you.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
See, now this is the kind of emotion you need to put into your music.
July 15th, 2007 at 8:23 am
I don’t mind if people pick up their phone when I’m talking to them, but I do mind if they start a real conversation.
So, ‘Hey, what’s the matter?’ and ‘I’ll call you back later’ are all right, but a 10 minute conversation is not. And I do expect them to appologise before answering their phone and interrupting our conversation.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
My boyfriend & I were in bed together naked; he was well you know, we were about to have sex when he answered his cell phone. And I thought it only happened in the movies. lol In reference to Evans comment, it works…..I broke up with him.