Cellphone free zones
 

I admit it...I carry two of them. But, please, they are SO annoying. Does anyone feel that we need to set standards as to when these things can/should be allowed? Personally, I would MOST CERTAINLY patronize a restaurant if they did not allow the use of cellphone while in the building. And, maybe Miss Manners would care to comment: it is rude when a friend/colleague is with you...and the **** thing rings. And then, your friend/colleague is involved in a lengthy conversation regarding the weather at home, etc....(and ignoring me in the process) Can't that wait? Just griping...

I also carry work and personal cell phones (and a nationwide pager to boot), and I try to observe different "rules" for which phone it is and when the call comes in.

The work cell phone is supposed to be for emergencies only (our pagers are supposed to be used for routine ) but people regularly "abuse the privelege" because it's easier for them. At lunchtime, I'll answer the work phone, but unless it's the boss or a true "business-stopping" emergency, the caller is told I will contact them when I'm back in the office. If it seems that a call will last over 30 seconds or so, I make it a point to get up and go to the lobby or outside, as I think it's plain rude to carry on at the table.

The personal phone is another matter - very few poeple are given that number (I give out the pager number instead). I end up letting maybe 90% of calls on the personal phone roll to VM (I do the same thing at home if I've just prepared a hot meal). Some of my friends are aghast that I will not answer a ringing phone (they trot out the old "it could be a relative calling about an emergency" bromide) but guess what - it that's the case they will most certainly leave a detailed message) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Bottom line - I rule the phone - not the other way around!

They exist. Moose's isn't San Francisco's first, but probably its most famous. Check it out if you find yourself in my part of the world.

New technology is now out from Japan that creates jamming waves that block ALL cell phone calls inbound and outbound.

Being installed in restaurants, theaters, trains, temples, etc.

Manufacurer hopes to be able to sell in the USA by October 2001.

Ooh, chest pains. Call 911. Phone's not working. Victim dies enroute to hospital. A few minutes made all the difference. Family sues. Bye-bye restaurant.

A restaurant has a land line phone you can use in an emergency.

Admittedly, I wish there were more of these cell free zones! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Sanctuary area in the BA Terraces lounge at LGW is a cellphone free zone. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This is sad. Cell phones can be so valuable. But people abuse them.

But, if someone wants to carry on a conversation with another person, why does it matter if they are sitting across from them in the restaurant, or in another state?

Here is why we are so bothered:
1 - They seem to be totally unable to answer on the first ring. They LOOK at the phone like it is the first time they have ever seen it.

2 - They feel they have to yell into the phone. Sort of like how people yell at people in wheelchairs.

If they would stop yelling, the rest of us would not even notice and just think they were talking the person next to them.

The problem with cell phones is not the yelling (yelling just makes it worse).

The problem is that the cell phone user is talking to someone who is not physically present. A one-sided conversation is unnatural, and you get the feeling the person is talking to him/herself (especially the earphone models). Two other people talking to each other in your presence is natural.

Using a pay phone does not present this problem, not because they are land lines, but because pay phones are placed out of the way (in the lobby, next to the water fountain, in the vestibule of a train, etc.) Pay phones are not installed at restaurant tables, because that is where people eat and socialize. You cannot socialize long distance.

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 02-16-2001).]

I pity those poor souls who are addicted to them.
I threw my cellphone away last year and since then my life has only gotten better.

Amtrak's Metroliner between New York and Washington has a "quiet car". No cell phones, no pagers, no other gadget that makes noise.

Like the rest of you, I carry a cell all the time but one, I put the ringer off and let the vibrating ring take my calls, and two, thanks to caller ID I know if its urgent or not quite often. I believe that people just like to look important using them, I would be the first to vote for no cell phone zones most everywhere.. there is a time and place for everything..

Canada May Allow Jammers to Silence Cellphones
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/2001...mers_dc_2.html

I can see cell phones being useful in a few professions; e.g., doctor, salesperson. However, with these phones being so inexpensive, everyone and their dog has one. Last week I was almost rear-ended by a person yapping on a cell phone at 70 mph, and got to listen to some idiot call his wife from the food store to inquire as to which type of potatoes to purchase.

Speaking for myself, I already have a personal e-mail, work e-mail, a home (land) line, a business (land) line, and an excellent voicemail system that I must checkin with twice per day across the country. Far from wanting a cell phone, I would pay $30 a month to be able to drop one of the above.

-This is not to belittle the technology, the persons who use cell phones, or keep my head in the sand vis-a-vie technology. But, it seriously seems that the communications issue has gotten out of hand. There are more than enough ways to get in-touch with someone as it is, and I would have to say that 90% of the cell phone conversations that I hear have little or no serious content. As for cell phones while driving, this is outright dangerous.

In Chicago this weekend I heard an interesting commentary on one of the classical stations. Seems that during a recent CSO concert, the Bruckner symphony was drowned out by a cacophony of other noises.

Cell phones, 2-way pagers, even someone's hearing aid emitting a high-pitched signal that its batteries were low: all combined to ruin the quiet movement. The CSO directorate was in the lobby trying to pinpoint the offenders on the seating chart. The radio commentator advocated a "no tolerance" rule. Maybe even banning for the season those who violate the rule.

I certainly would favor a signal jammer at concert halls and movie theaters. The liability issue could be resolved by a waiver posted at the entrance. Or published on the back of the ticket, acceptance of which is implicit in the purchase of the ticket (similar to the rules on the airlines).

For those of you who work or live in northern Virginia, there is a patch of asphalt there that has jammers in action, near Langley. The CIA blocks inbound and outbound calls in that area.

Alright, I admit it, I love my cell phone. I use it for all my long distance calls ... and most of my local ones. But then, I spend less than 10 minutes a month on local calls and typically between 1000-1300 minutes a month on long distance calls.

I almost always eat alone. If a call comes in, I see no problem in talking on the phone ... not yelling, talking. If someone doesn't like it from another table, too bad. Once I was talking as I was walking with an earplug in place. I was stared at by an administrator here at the Medical School. I asked him whether or not he had seen a cell phone before or whether or not he was still in the primordial world of land lines only.

However, I do have some use rules. Whenever I am in a public setting, I put the phone on vibrate mode (e.g. at a restaurant, at a meeting, etc.). I do not answer the phone if I am already engaged in a conversation with someone else (regardless of who it is that I am talking to). (I don't answer the phone if there is someone else in my office talking to me; I don't answer the other line if I am already on the phone.)

There are a number of small circuits available that will jam a cell phone in a small area. You can turn one on when someone is being obnoxious and be able to turn it off if they suddenly suffer a coronary from no cell phone access and need to dial 911. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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"Sire, it is not a revolt. It is a Revolution!"

the cell-yap bothers me when: 1) someone is driving and blabbering and is totally oblivious to the road--I've seen one serious wreck occur because of this and dozens of near-misses. maybe it's just Minnesota drivers http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif and 2) the yapper is LOUD, esp. when they're in the seat next to me on a plane, and esp. when the yapper is some idiot corporate d*ckhead making sure everyone around him knows how important he is. or she.

if Canada implements the jammers, maybe it's time to think about emigrating north.

Butcher Bird was only partially correct with the "cell phones are useful some professions". You forgot to include drug dealers, prostitutes, burglars, pimps etc. In HI about half of the loud cell phone conversations I unfortunately hear seem to begin with "I"ll bet you cant guess where I am calling you from?", as they stroll along the beach ear to the phone. They're loud cell-yell drowns out most of the nice ocean sounds. !@#$%^&*(!!!

MisterNice

1. Jamming is a terrible idea. It's illegal in the United States and should continue to be. Cell technology is still very new and there are better ways to modify people's behavior. There are a lot of important conversations besides 911 calls that I would not want to be a party to preventing. I can remember to turn my cell phone and pager off or on silent when entering theaters, meetings, courtrooms, etc. So can everyone else. Remember when every other yo-yo had their digital wristwatch set to beep on the hour? Don't hear that too much any more, do we? No. People's behavior has changed.

2. I use almost the opposite protocol from Non-NonRev regarding the cell phone & pager, with (I think) even more effective results. I encourage my office to use the cell phone for routine calls. I leave it off or on silent if I don't want to be alerted. This way the calls go to voice mail, and I get to decide later, based on the message content, how urgent it is. My office (as of about a year ago) has been instructed not to use the pager unless there is something extremely urgent. Otherwise they would page me every 20 minutes. This way people can feel free to call me on the cell phone about anything they would say to me if I were present, and the pager is available is someone is certain that something needs my attention immediately. YMMV, but this has worked well for me for over a year.

Some people actually don't know how to put their cell phone or pager on silent. These people should not be allowed to own one. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

3.NoStressHere is correct about the yelling. AT&T found out almost 70 years ago that the speech level people use when talking on the telephone is effectively regulated by the amount of sidetone.

Sidetone refers to the amount of your transmitted signal (even on a wireline telephone) that is injected into the receiver so that you can hear yourself. More sidetone -> you speak more softly; Less sidetone -> you speak louder. Most cell phones have little or no sidetone. My guess is that the cell phone manufacturers don't want to run the battery down by feeding you plenty of sidetone. The effect on battery life would definitely be measurable.

Another factor is that most people have at least a little trouble hearing voices over cell phones in noisy areas, including almost any outdoor setting. If the cell phones were capable of more receive audio level without distortion people could turn the volume up so they could hear the other party better, get more sidetone level while they're at it, and not feel that they have to yell.

It's nice that lots of research is being done on digital transmission protocols, and efficient RF transmission, but there's a lot of work that was done early in the last century on basic psycho-acoustic phenomena that is being ignored because it isn't very sexy any more.

[End of polemic. I'm sorry, I think about this stuff a lot.]

[This message has been edited by RichG (edited 03-12-2001).]

In the event of a real emergency in a restaurant or elsewhere, the use of a landline dialing 911 would be far better anyway as the 911 operator would also have a confirmed address of the placed call indicated on their computer screen, something a cell phone is unable to do currently.

This will change (in the U.S., anyway).
http://www.fcc.gov/e911/

I just think that the novelty of the things has not worn off, as it has with, say, digital alarm watches. When I first got one, I carried it in my hand, just WAITING for the all important incoming call. Jeez, what a jerk I must have looked like. I think the reality of the matter is for the new kids on the block (and that now includes schoolkids, drug dealers, and everybody else for which the phones were just a few years ago unavailable, now have them and are experiencing the new thrill).

I would favor cell free zones in restaurants, definitely in cars (unless you have a safer way to do it, i.e. a speakerphone/hands free method), libraries, churches, and anywhere else that you simply won't allow any YAYHOO total unconditional access to you. Beepers had the sense to vibrate, and you could respond when you had a moment. It wasn't considered bad form to NOT respond to a page, if you were busy. Nowadays, the incoming call is treated like a "calling", and the recipient is most likely obliged to pick up on the call, and the caller feels put out if you don't pick up.

I guess maybe a protocol for these calls should be identified....hate to think of more regulation, but these **** things are out of control, and IMHO, another depersonalization. Just my two cents worth.

I felt the need to comment here after being at a seminar yesterday where an announcement was made asking people to please turn off, silence, or change their phones to vibrate. Despite this announcement, I heard at least 5-6 phones ring throught the day in this group of 100-150 people, including one nimrod that actually answered it and started to carry on a conversation right in the middle of the group! This all makes me wonder if we do need the jammers.

The problem with the jammers is that they would terribly inconvenience those of us (most everyone on this thread) who I feel use their phones in a socially acceptable manner. For example my cell phone is always on vibrate when in a public place. When in a conference such as yesterday, I can then monitor from my caller ID the calls coming in. My office, wife, and others know if it is urgent to use the pager feature on my phone to either page me "911" or leave me a text page. Also yesterday for example I needed to contact someone whom I had been trying for two days. When he called me back, my phone vibrated and I was able to see it was him. I quietly excused myself, went to an empty corner of the hallway and called him back.

I almost never take a call if I am talking to someone in person, whether I am in my office or out and about with my phone as I consider this to be rude.

Somehow we need to instill people with an acceptable use code for cell phones so we can all get maximum use out of this rescource without being rude or bothering others.

In addition to the previous points made by the posters, they tend to have two adverse organizational behavior effects.

1. Managers are too easy to reach, tending to push decision making up too many levels in the organization, instead of encouraging decisions to be made at the lowest possible level.

2. Those who enjoy micromanagement are given another tool useful for their purposes.

I use my company's cell phone when I travel,only because I was told that we are suppose to use this phone for everything.

Also, out of respect of the others, I always go outside when I really need to talk to the person on my cell phone when I am in a nice resturant, talking to people when I am eating is very rare, for I usually just turn the **** phone off http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif



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Al

Cell Phone Firms Explore Way to Implement E-911
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...9/BU232858.DTL

Cell phones are over abused. Most of the cell phone conversations I hear in airports sound like this to me:

"Yeah, They just called my row, I'm walking down the jet way and now am getting on the airplane. Yeah, the plane is packed. Wow. Now I'm in my seat and putting the seatbelt on."

(In other words, no content at all, just pointless babble that is just noise pollution.)

As a teacher, I've warned my students that if their cell phones ring just once while I am lecturing, their final grade could fall by a full letter.

Adam

Cell phones are over abused. Most of the cell phone conversations I hear in airports sound like this to me:

"Yeah, They just called my row, I'm walking down the jet way and now am getting on the airplane. Yeah, the plane is packed. Wow. Now I'm in my seat and putting the seatbelt on."

(In other words, no content at all, just pointless babble that is just noise pollution.)

As a teacher, I've warned my students that if their cell phones ring just once while I am lecturing, their final grade could fall by a full letter.

Adam

Cell phones are over abused. Most of the cell phone conversations I hear in airports sound like this to me:

"Yeah, They just called my row, I'm walking down the jet way and now am getting on the airplane. Yeah, the plane is packed. Wow. Now I'm in my seat and putting the seatbelt on."

(In other words, no content at all, just pointless babble that is just noise pollution.)

As a teacher, I've warned my students that if their cell phones ring just once while I am lecturing, their final grade could fall by a full letter.

Adam

I'm a recovering cellphone user. Haven't owned one for 3 years now, travel a lot for business, and seem to get along just fine.

Was flying the other day. The guy next to me pulled out his phone the SECOND the plane landed, and was pushing buttons before we even taxied off of the runway. The FA who was seated directly in front of us facing us (F-class on a UA 737) saw this and told him to cease immediately (this was after they made the standard announcement that electronic devices cannot be used until we were parked at the gate and the doors were open). He stopped, but gave a grumble under his breath toward the FA...WHAT THE HECK IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT CAN'T WAIT 4 MINUTES!?!?!?!

Thought about saying something similar to what I say to my friends when they rudely take a call over me. Something along the lines of "Doctor, has the heart arrived from the airlift yet? Do you have time to make it to the hospital to perform the transplant?"

Jamming is a bad idea. I'm responsible enough to leave all of my gadgetalia on vibe, and I think others should definitely do the same when in public places. Yes, I'd be furious if somebody's cell phone ruined a great piece of classical music. But we shouldn't attack the technology - we should, as a society, change our cretinous behavior.

Most of my colleagues now use a two-way pager for business commo. That way, you can respond "I'm at lunch with a client...will call you in an hour" without disturbing a soul. Not to say that 2-ways pagers can't be abused too - I'd hate to eat lunch with someone who spent the whole hour tapping away at the little keys - but they are a vast improvement over a cell phone in specific situations. Most two-way pagers also have an option to silence the key-clicks, making them completely silent.

I also like the silent car on the train and silent rooms in restaurants. Those are a great idea...I just don't like the idea of jamming.

Side topic: Anyone here ever wonder whether casinos jam cellular signals? I noticed that my phone and pager both immediately become useless upon setting foot in any of the large Las Vegas casinos. Maybe they build those huge buildings out of lead or something...

Jamming licensed radio signals is illegal in the United States. Therefore, I don't believe anyone does this until it is proven to me.

I am glad that you are such a good judge of what is and is not meaningful content, and I hope you instill the same open-mindedness in your students. I, for one, will continue having these "pointless babble" conversations with the people who are important to me. And if you stare at me, I will stare right back at you. (By the way, ever seen the social psychology findings about how most of the "connection" of interpersonal relationships comes about from having exactly such "content-less" conversations?)

Do you think it would be appropriate if I walked up to you and told you that the conversation you're having with your friend (in person or on the phone) is "pointless babble"? Why do you feel the need to criticize the conversations of strangers who are causing you no harm? You consider people talking at the airport "noise pollution" -- then stay at home! An airport is not a Trappist monastery.

That said, perhaps my #1 pet peeve is people who have VERY LOUD conversations in public places, e.g. restaurants, airplanes, waiting rooms -- and this applies to conversations in person and on phones. Apparently some people never learned about using the "three foot voice." Especially annoying in settings where people have had something to drink and they seem to be trying to one-up each other in voice volume. Blech. I am on my cellphone a lot, but I am usually quieter than a normal speaking voice.

"Cell phone jammers defy law"
http://www.msnbc.com/news/544178.asp

Pump up the jam...

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"Sire, it is not a revolt. It is a Revolution!"

Have we, as a society, really gotten to the point where we wish to regulate phone usage? My phone is my lifeline. More specifically, it is someone else's life line. It goes where I go. Period, end of story. Just like I don't chew with my mouth open, I use the manners my momma taught me & don't talk during concerts,movies, funerals, or the like. When it rings & I am in a group or closed corners, I step "outside". Not just for the comfort of those around me, but because of the privacy needed for some calls.

Last fall, I was in a resturant in the theater district in New York. I really wanted to eat there & someone had planned a special night for me. Once inside I saw the sign, "Cell phones prohibited". Special night or not, we had to turn around & leave. No way I was going to turn it off.

I have never seen warning signs for buildings stating that they employ jamming tech. If so, I'd have to stay away from those as well. I do hope that those places are advertising the fact clearly & openly. Bottom line, if I missed a call & found out that was in place, I'd sue everyone in sight. After impleding that company using the tech into the HUGE law suit against me for whatever happened as a result of me not responding to the call.

Personally, I don't care about the content of the conversation. Outside observers can't make the decision as to what is important enough to warrant cell phone usuage. All we can do is each try to be polite & considerate of those around us.

"Hi grandma" can be just as important to one person as someone yelling, "sell, sell, sell, @#$^% at 2:45 EST.

Put the phone on vibrate. The restaurant isn't going to search your person for a cell phone.

Pretty simple solution, isn't it? My phone has several "modes", one of which is Meeting. Meeting mode has vibrate turned on and the ringer turned off. I just switch modes when going into a meeting or similar situation.

Like it or not, the trend appears to be toward control and limitations on cell phones and other noisemaking devices. Whether that is jamming with the consent of all participants (restaurants, theaters, etc. can stipulate that use of the private facility constitutes consent to be jammed), or whether it is some other method (I like the cell phone detectors mentioned in the article above), the trend is toward regulating these things.

So far, many users don't appear to be able to regulate themselves with regard to cell phones. As time goes on, non-users and users with "manners" will grow less and less permissive of the noisemakers. And regulations of some sort will become commonplace.

We can debate value judgments about noisemaker regulation, but I perceive that this is the trend.