Thursday, July 5, 2007
Cell Phone Anathema: A Rant
I loath telephones in general. I hate talking on them. I detest how they interrupt one's life.
I loath cell phones in particular. I hate how disruptive they are, and I hate what text-messaging has done to the spelling and literacy skills of my students. Why is it so hard to turn off your cell phone when you come into a class? How many times does one actually need to be in constant contact with the outside world for the 50 minutes or so that class is in session? Sure, if your wife is expecting a baby, or your dad is having surgery...I could, and do, understand. But don't those things have a vibrate function?
I'll never forget the time when, during an exam, a student's cell phone went off, she answered it and, after enthusiastic greetings were exchanged, said, "I'm sorry, I can't talk to you now, I am taking an exam..." WHY in the world would you answer a cell phone to tell someone you can't talk to them? Wouldn't the voice mail do the same thing? How could one think this is appropriate?
Perhaps this professor has the right idea:
Incredibly, there are some of us who are still cell phone holdouts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I'm with you, Ekky-ekky-ekky-ekky-z'bang, zoom-boing, z'nourrrwrignmm; I hates me the telephone. I was a Purchasing Agent for several years and had to spend my working hours on the telephone, so I refused to use one at home. I still avoid it like the plague.
I do not have a celulár (as they are called here) and will hold out for as long as possible.
Sign me up for the "hates me the telephone" club. Probably due to a call center job i held about 15 years ago.
i do have a cellphone, which i usually only answer if it's my partner or parents. i refuse to use it when driving, or conducting any face to face commercial transaction, or just when around other people. My phone's main use is as a timepiece.
Don't have a land-line anymore, and since i live in an adobe house with a metal roof, my cell doesn't work at home. Blessed silence!!!
The professor has the right idea. It boggles my mind how much other employees at work use their personal phones incessantly during work. And they think you're rude if you ask them to only use them on their breaks. Sheesh.
i must be gettin' old, cause i am fondly reminiscing about the pre-cellphone days.
Some hotels have posted signs on the doors to the public bathrooms indicating that people are not to use their cell phones while inside. Novel idea but most welcome.
Goodness knows I have heard enough women calling on their cellphones while "transacting"! How could this be considered appropriate? Doesn't this fall into the category of "Don't-stick-beans-up-your-nose" obvious? One would have thought.
Post a Comment