Cell Phone Etiquette

Cell Phone Etiquette
By Robert Goodman
Each day I ride the buses I hear cell phones going off and people having loud conversations about private health and personal matters, arguments over personal things, or what they are cooking for dinner. I remember on several occasions sitting in restaurants and the person next to me taking a call. First of all some of the ring tones are really annoying. But this patron was talking so loud that the manager had to ask her to step outside and not disturb his customers. I have heard some of the most intimate conversation that I have no interest in knowing about.
These are topics unwilling eavesdroppers can do without. Sometimes we need to take calls to confirm appointments or to discuss an urgent situation. There are some rules of etiquette that many cell phone users may not be aware of so I thought I would share a few.

1. Private conversations should be private.
2. Speak quietly when taking calls in public.
3. Keep calls brief when they are necessary to take in a public place. Let the other party know that you are in a public place and will call them back.
4. Always turn off your cell phone or put it on vibrate when on line in the supermarket, on buses, in restaurants, in offices, etc. Store clerks find it annoying and difficult to help a customer or ring up an order while the person is holding their cell phone and having a conversation on it.
5. Don’t light up your phone’s screen in a dark theatre.
6. Don’t talk and hold your cell phone while driving.
7. You should stay about 10 feet away from others when talking on your cell.
8. In the company of others excuse yourself when taking a call.

I hope these tips will make your cell phone useless intrusive to others.