I would like to say that I think I am a very conscientious cell phone user. I never use my phone in restaurants. If I am out shopping I would never talk on the phone while someone was checking me out of a store. In general I don't talk on the phone a lot, but I like to think that I know the rules of etiquette involved with cell phone usage.
Today I was talking to our speech therapist, and mentioned that "my" child's mother would be joining us at the end of the session. The therapist asked if I would call to the mother know that she had to end the session promptly at noon, and if she wanted to come early to discuss some things to please do so. Therapist takes "my" child into session. Typically the waiting room is buzzing with children and moms because it is a children's speech therapy office, and there are about 10 therapists there. Today it was just me and this one woman. I dialed the mother to let her know about the session ending promptly, and this woman starts sighing rather loudly. I am talking quietly, and facing the opposite direction from this woman so her sighs do not distract me from the call. Then the woman says "excuse me. excuse me. If you are going to talk on your phone can you go out in the hall? I am trying to read here." Ha ha ha ha. I was so floored because if she really had so much trouble concentrating while I was talking then she overheard my conversation with the therapist and knew that my call would be brief to let the mother know what was going . I sort of started to stand up to walk toward the hallway, but by the time I reached the door my conversation had ended.
So what do you think? Would you ever ask someone to leave the room while you read? I wouldn't, and I would not expect a waiting room for children to be quiet to begin with. Am I wrong?
Re: Cell phone etiquette
One of my biggest pet peeves is people who use the cells in public places (especially on the airplane). Something about the one-sided conversation that I have to listen to makes it so much more distracting than other noise.
With that said, I may have moved to a corner or away from others when using my cell, but I would not have asked you to leave like that woman did.
Hmmm...yeah. She was already a good distance away from me. The waiting room is GIANT so when I made the call I chose the chair closest to the door, and she was at the opposite end. I never thought about a one sided conversation being more distracting. If that was the case then maybe she didn't actually listen to my conversation with the therapist.
I hate when people talk on the phone in public but I would never interrupt someone's call to ask them to leave the room. I also feel different levels of annoyance when I can tell that the conversation is to make plans, versus when someone is just shooting the breeze to kill time.
This- it's one thing to just call someone to make a quick plan or update them. It's quite another when they are going on and on and on. It seems to be those people that seem to think everyone cares about what their conversation is about.
I agree with this.
It is one thing if it is a teeny-bopper practically screaming into the phone at their friend. And even then I'm pretty non-confrontational and most likely wouldn't say anything. I don't see what you did as wrong. That lady needs a chill pill. She can't concentrate? It is one thing if you are studying for a test but just reading, come on. I go down to the beach to read where there are screaming kids and most of the time I don't even hear them because I'm engrossed in what I'm reading.
I think she was being overly dramatic. You were polite and reasonable IMHO. Don't worry about it one bit.
LOL, wrong account...this is RnV
I definitely agree that she was being dramatic.
And people on their cell phone when they're at any kind of cash register are one of my biggest pet peeves. I have gone so far as to loudly say it's rude if I'm shopping with someone, hoping the person hears me haha
Ha ha ha ha. I would love to do that, but would not be brave enough.
I do not like it when people drive and talk on their cells. I really wish they would ban this across the country.
I especially do not appreciate it when people turn while on their cells. Because they almost always lose their grip on their steering wheels (yet they manage to hold onto that cell!) and barely miss crashing into someone.
(can you tell what nearly happened to me this morning?)
I think she was being way over dramatic. I have some level of acceptance when it comes to talking on your cell phone in public. If I could tell your conversation was going to be quick and you were being quiet, it would not bother me at. all. If someone was just sitting on their phone talking to someone to waste time, that's when I'd start to get annoyed.
I also hate people who talk while at a cash register. If I happen to be on my phone at the store and it comes time for me to check out, I will either end the call, or if we're in the middle of something, I will go to a quiet part of the store, finish up, and THEN check out. (Except at the grocery store where I do self checkout. Then I just make the other person - usually my mom - listen to the computer beep and tell me to put my item in the bagging area).
I was on my way to meet some fellow nesties last month, and there was a woman in front of me who had a cell phone in one hand (but using it as a GPS) extended out so she could see the screen, and an ice cream cone in the other! She was driving terribly.