The oddest trend today is not the USE of the celphone, but the use of celphone headsets. Initially, it was for driving, as some states required this by law. I, in my geek years, used to wear the large over the head headsets with the flexible boom mics before anyone even thought of this law. This was also back when I thought my used glass t-top `85 300ZX was my starfighter and I was Luke Skywalker.
Now it's years later and well... They're everywhere. But it's not just for driving anymore. It seems people (especially the bluetooth brigade) have taken to wearing headsets everywhere they go. The really cyber freaky ones are the Lt. Uhuru wireless bluetooth earpieces that have the blue light in the side that make you look like a Borg. There's one coming out that practically looks only slightly bigger than a hearing aid. What's next? A brain implant?
Then there's the wired types. If you still use the large over the head types, people look at you like you escaped from the technological backwoods or found it in some nick-nack box at a garage sale.
It's like a fashion statement. Like you're not cool unless you use a headset. This leads me the sparking thought of this. Cel etiquette.
Things that piss me off:
1) When you walk into a store...get off the fucking phone! I'm in high end retail by day, and I end up glaring at you with that "hey you rude bastard, get off the phone or get out!" look.
I remember one day this black couple walked around the store and the male was on the phone. It was my partners turn anyway so he sat off to the side waiting for him to get off the phone. I was with a customer so I saw him, but ignored him because, technically, he had a salesperson. Wouldn't ya know, he felt insulted, grabbed a huge wad od cahs out of his pocket, threw it down on some merchandise, sucked his teeth and quickly stnatched it back up as if to imply he felt insulted that no one approached him as if we thought he had no money and would be wasting our time as he was ready to buy. However he never stopped his yakkin' on the phone.
Listen...buddy? If you want someone to approach you for help, try getting off the phone and engage someone in conversation.
We heard her later, defending my partner to her chatty boyfriend yelling, "Well ya won't git off da damned phone? Whatchu expect??"
These days, I never know if people talk to people face to face anymore. Walk down the street or through a shopping center and count how many people appear to be talking to themselves. It's confusing. How many times had you thought someone was talking to you until you realized that they have a headset in the other ear? Don't DARE talk to them while they're on the phone, either! They'll give you that rude "One minute, can't you see I'm on the phone, why are you even attempting to have a conversation with me", finger.
The more pathetic thing, I guess, would be for the person who doesn't have the phone even on, yet choses to ghost talk to an imaginary person because they don't want to be bothered...or perhaps they don't really have any friends...or maybe they really DO have a habit of talking to themselves?
This is one nasty trend that's going to spark some road rage murder one day. I can feel it in my bones.
But only one thing is worse than people looking like they're having conversations with themselves. Those who have the walkie talkie feature on the phones. Ok, that may be cool on Star Trek, but at least a Trek communicator didn't make that annoying chirp.
Do we need to know what you BOTH are doing? Do we need to publicly hear you ENTIRE worthless conversation about how you found a good deal on tomatoes or a dress at such and such store or how hot so and so was the other night?
Why do these people think that their convesation is so grandeous that we must be forced to listen to it?
And when did walkie talkies become cool for anyone but the civil services? I thought we grew out of that at 11. Is dialing a phone number so hard? For THIS, I would accept the headset people more than the walkie talkie people. I still can't figure out how you understand each other on those things.
Posted by Darkstar at May 19, 2006 08:35 AM | TrackBackAs a gentleman, I adhere to three simple rules of cell phone etiquitte.
If you must use them, use them discreetly.
If you are in company when your cell phone rings and you simply must take the call, apologise and excuse yourself. When you return, you may inform your companion if it was a boy or a girl.
In all other cases, turn the fucking phone off.
Supplicated by: Meathe at May 19, 2006 10:39 AM