I do work for a website on general tips and advice. Somehow, I am somehow finding myself strangely drawn to the etiquette section. In the US acceptable social customs, like class, are a little more loosely defined than in other parts of the world. As a result, sharing space with others can at times get confusing and downright hairy. So for those of you wanting a little more direction, here’s a segment on cell phone etiquette.
10 Most Important Cell Phone Etiquette Rules by Lucinda Tikwart
Long gone are the days when we carried bricks in our briefcases and whipped them out at traffic intersections to make calls while demonstrating how “with it” we were. (Although we all get nostalgic remembering that Rodea Dr scene in Pretty Woman). Now everyone who wants a cell phone has one, and you can bet it’s the G3 iPhone, or at the very least a crackberry. One of those versions that does everything except walk Rufus and fold your socks.
It continues to intrigue me how you can put a cell phone in the hand of an otherwise courteous, normal person and then sit back to watch how that person loses all sanity coupled with awareness of the people around him. Just as some of us hide behind email to avoid face-to-face communication, too many cell phone users think a phone in their pocket makes them more important than everyone else.
Unless you are one of the final few on this planet to invest in a cell phone, taking note of the following ten simple cell phone etiquette rules are a must.
1. Wherever you find yourself, use your inside voice. Here’s an interesting behavior to consider. Why do cell phone users shout into their phones as if it were a tin can connected to another tin can by a string? Most likely it is because you yourself are in too noisy a spot to hear the perosn on the other end of the (non-tin can) line. This one’s really simple: find yourself a spot to talk outside and away others where you can shout all you like. Realize that yelling in any public area or around others is rude, frustrating and uncalled for, whether you are on the phone or not. A quick no-fail test to see if you are the kind to raise your voice when talking on a cell phone: Take your cue from the response of those around you. If anyone looks in your direction, lower your voice or find a spot way away from bleeding eardrums.
2. Put your cell phone back in the cradle. We have all at one time in our lives found ourselves slaves to our phones, and there are very few of us who don’t resent this needy, blaring device in our pockets. Thus, we resent the person who interrupts our vacation from it with a “Hello?” breaking the calm. Start by thinking of your phone as a tool for emergencies only. Examples of such include your boss calling to say you uploaded your personal photos instead of the report to the site and it is drawing traffic and comments from customers; your grandmother phones to say she’s leaving her retirement home in Florida in the morning and is moving to Vegas where she’ll take up exotic dancing. Second, think of your phone as a portable answering machine. Yes, it records missed calls and it takes messages when you can’t talk. It really does. Never make a friend, colleague or boss feel that the conversation you’re having on your phone is more important than the one you’re already having with them.
3. When in doubt, vibrate. Any place of worship, museums, shows, planes, stores, hospitals, in an open-plan office, while giving a speech, during any kind of medical appointment… all these are off or vibrate moments. Initiate only essential calls, and keep conversations brief when you are in spots that aren’t phone-friendly, such as restaurants and while visiting friends. If your phone does not have a vibrate capability maybe it’s time for an upgrade.
4. Guilty, as charged. If you forget both “off” and “vibrate” and your does in fact annoy everybody in your vicinity and rings, turn it off immediately (and be thankful you chose a grownup ring tone). Sink lower in your seat, glare around as if joining the search for the wrongdoer and no matter what, NEVER ANSWER IT!
5. Live people come first. Even though you’re on the phone, you still exist in the world to those around you. Don’t continue a call while someone is trying to take your order, locate an upgrade for your flight, or understand the details of your returning a worn sweater. Attend to face-to-face business first and foremost.
6. Consider availability. Now here’s a thought: Do you really want to be available all the time? Does that make you more productive, or make you feel more important, or needed? The more available you make yourself, the more everyone will expect you to be. Experiment. People will actually be annoyed with you for not being instantly and constantly available rather than just happy to hear your voice. Being connected 24/7/365 is like never having a weekend or taking a vacation. Repeat this mantra: “If it isn’t important, you’ve interrupted yourself , and in the case that it is, they’ll call back.” The world will still turn, I promise you.
7. MACD. Mothers Against cell phone driving. America is behind the times when it comes to legislation regarding driving and talking but the international results are clear. Driving and talking on the phone kills. We have no data yet on the impact on road deaths caused by texting, but the first thing authorities do after a railroad accident is pull the driver’s cell phone texting records. If none of these reasons compel you to change your risky actions, think of all your fellow drivers cursing you for your erratic, clumsy and downright idiotic driving style while yakking away.
8. Big No-No’s. I don’t care how important you think you are. The gym is no place for a cell phone. Don’t talk when you’re doing cardio and don’t take up space on equipment while catching up the latest gossip. That goes for public (and private) restrooms, too. Too many of us have heard a toilet flush midway through a conversation know how much of a giveaway this is. Others that agree have experienced the embarassingly awkward experience of reporting a drowned cell phone to their service provider.
9. Repeat after me. “I promise to never, ever conduct an emotional, confidential or private phone call in public.” Mobile addicts everywhere are blurting out steady streams of shocking and secret revelations to large masses of unsupecting strangers every day. Don’t be a statistic.
10. Yes you! All of the above applies to the world of text messaging.
