Cell phones are a good thing. They're convenient, and in the case of Steve Davidson should be equipped with GPS locating service.
I've been traveling a bit this month - not for fun - but given the state of security at airports lately, I end up spending a LOT of time sitting around and paying exhorbitant fees for internet service which gets abruptly cut off at the most inappropriate times...
Anyway, during all this sitting around, I am subjected to conversations ranging from the fancy dinner where all the guys wore tuxes and looked "hot", to being grateful for the generator when there were 17 people over for dinner and the power went out. To "I felt pretty self conscious since he didn't have any clothes on" and "I won't make it for the afternoon meeting, but so-and-so will fax over the details, OK?"
Then there's the lady in the stall in the restroom declaring her undying love and adoration - repeatedly - to her "baby" - all the while toilets are flushing. How romantic.
And I'm about to take this here laptop and bonk the guy behind me over the head - he's been talking non-stop for at least half an hour. I'm tired of listening to him. There's no place to hide.
Oh, then there's the "We're gonna take off soon - I'll call when we land" calls, and the "We just landed in (insert town name here)" calls that get made before the plane even reaches the gate.
Yes, I do own a cell phone. It's currently turned off, and will remain so until I get to my hotel, where I can make calls in the privacy of my own room.
Oh goodie - we're boarding soon - they'll have to turn the dang things off... Only 20-30 more minutes, then an hour of quiet, if you don't count airplane noise and the inevitable small child that sits behind me or next to me. Though I much prefer small children to adults on cell phones....
What annoys me more then anything, is when I'm driving with a passenger, and the passenger gets on their phone. I need to turn down the radio, I have no one to talk to and I'm stuck listening to their conversation, all while driving them around. Major pet peeve!
What annoys me more then anything, is when I'm driving with a passenger, and the passenger gets on their phone. I need to turn down the radio, I have no one to talk to and I'm stuck listening to their conversation, all while driving them around. Major pet peeve!
Should do what I do. Practice driving with your
knees. It usually at least slows down the conversation and you never know when you might need to drive with you knees. Practice makes perfect. ........... hmmmmmmm Have we
had a knees challenge here yet????? ;)
I don't have a cell phone. they used to be cheap, but now $40+ a month is the cheapest I can find, and well, it's not worth it to me.
I like being, umm, disconnected I think!
People my age (40+) seem less cell-phone-centered than the younger (single) set (under 30).
My last job had lots of younger single folk and after work we'd go out for beers at the local bar. Me, being older and no-phone, figure'd we'd talk. The younger ones with phones thought it was important to talk to al their friends on the phone - outgoing and incoming calls and not one 'excuse me while i take this call'. I might as well have gone to the bar alone.
If they didn't want to 'be' there when they were there, then why go?
What annoys me more then anything, is when I'm driving with a passenger, and the passenger gets on their phone. I need to turn down the radio, I have no one to talk to and I'm stuck listening to their conversation, all while driving them around. Major pet peeve!
That's when you slide in your Nuclear Assault CD and turn it waaaaaay up to, like, 11 or so.
Shout that they have to hear the "good" part and just rock out while you drive. You won't be able to hear them protest and by the time the first song is over, they'll:
a. be deaf
b. have had their brains rattled inside their skull so hard that they've suffered memory loss and forgotten about the "important" call they had to make.
c. jump from the car at freeway speed, dialing as they hit the pavement.
You can also just pull over and suggest they get out to make their call in private. I suggest that if they do get out, you drive away and come back later after you've gotten something to eat.
I was on jury duty once and there were about 50 people in the jury pool, reading 3 year old copies of Newsweek, waiting for their numbers to be called or something, anything to happen.
There was a small bank of 4 or 5 payphones behind a small partition for the people to make calls.
In the middle of the room was a particlarly loudmouthed guy who evidently decided he needed to call everyone in his directory, complain that he was stuck in this room, direct their activities for the day, spout some "confidential" company information and tell them that they could reach him on his cell phone at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
After about 5 or 6 of these calls, I was sick of listening to him and from the looks he was getting and to which he was oblivious, most of the room was as well. Sooo, the next time he shouted his cell # at a subordinate, I was ready and wrote it down.
I went around, behind the partition and made my call from one of the payphones. When he answered, I informed him that no one in the jury room gave a sh!t about any of his "confidential" information and that he should just STFU or at least keep his voice down. I made sure to recite, verbatim several of the "confidential" items he'd mentioned.
Afetr hanging up, not wanting it to be obvious that it was me, I went to the restroom and when I came back, his phone was away and he was quiet.
Ah yes, peace at last. Went to dinner and no one was on their cell phone near my table. Well, except for me. Called mom to tell her I made it to Dallas, which looks similar to San Antonio, only MUCH bigger. And to be fair, there was no one within two tables of me, and I don't talk very loud, and I kept the call to under five minutes.
On a tangent, I arrived at my not very glamorous hotel, booked by a travel agent with whom I had no direct contact, only to discover that the reservation didn't actually exist anymore. But the nice guy at the desk checked and found a cancellation. Cool. 'Cept now I have to go down and get my own towels and shampoo because whoever had the room last stopped in for a quick shower after it had been cleaned.
Always an adventure. I've decided in my old age that I really don't like traveling much anymore... Oh, and I did bring a camera but haven't taken any pictures. Wanna see the room? :-)
Alas, I haven't anything better to do, really. But I may just go to bed early and get up early and see if there's a Starbucks within a 20 mile radius. This isn't exactly the part of town where Starbucks appears on every corner.
In the middle of the room was a particlarly loudmouthed guy who evidently decided he needed to call everyone in his directory, complain that he was stuck in this room, direct their activities for the day, spout some "confidential" company information and tell them that they could reach him on his cell phone at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
This reminds me of a time when I encountered a loud mouth like this. I wrote his number in a bathroom stall. And yes I made sure I mentioned his oral skills... :P
Hehe. Recently, I was in an airport and had to take a seat only one over from an obviously important business man on an obviously important business call. It was a boring call, he was simply telling the other end how they never tell him any important information but that is okay because he knows he's vitally important to business (cause yes, I could hear it). So, I got out my phone and called my 4 1/2 yo son (who was missing mom after 4 days).
I hadn't as much gotten the words "Hi, son." out of my mouth (and I don't talk loudly either, not that you would have noticed in this airport) than the obviously important business man sneered at me, tucked his phone with his shoulder, grabbed his stuff and went to the other side of the hallway, to talk. I guess it was quieter over there.
I told my son goodbye, I would see him in a few, and hung up. Chuckled a bit, then found a better seat.
