Originally Posted by
Jazzop
I can only envision a couple of scenarios in which this might be acceptable:
1. Pregnant wife expecting any moment
2. Reservist in armed forces with special on-call status (I knew a Marine in this situation)
3. Lifeline for Who Wants to be a Millionaire
I would actually cut the first and the third, as well as the fourth suggested by PFKMan23.
For both the pregnant wife and the dying family member, it is probably better that the call go to the restaurant, who can then inform the waiter as well as arrange for someone to immediately take over their tables.
For the lifeline, tapings of game shows are scheduled in advance and for specific times - take the day off, if you are expecting to be a lifeline.
It is only in the case of the armed forces where you don't want to give a list of numbers where you can be reached, that the cell phone seems to be the most practical option given the competing demands.
It really isn't that long ago that most people didn't have cell phones. They still managed to be present for their childrens' births, to be notified of family tragedies, and even to respond to the needs of the armed forces.