Patricia Stoltey

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A Rant About Cell Phones

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I don’t whine and complain enough. Whining and complaining make great blog posts. I love reading a whiny post, usually leave a comment of sympathy or add my own horrid experience. Today I’m feeling it. It’s all about cell phones.

1. I’m sick of people talking on their cell phones while they’re driving. For some reason, when a driver talks on a cell phone, his car automatically accelerates and his brakes no longer function properly.

2. Cell phone talkers drive me crazy when they yakkity-yakkity-yak in a place where I’m forced to wait and listen. I was trapped twice yesterday, once in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, and once at the grocery store.

The woman in the doctor’s office was speaking a foreign language. I couldn’t even enjoy eavesdropping. I tried staring her down, but she wouldn’t make eye contact.

At the store, I was trying to get to the yogurt. A man stood in the way, talking on his phone, his cart stationary in front of him. I couldn’t get his attention, so I left my cart in the aisle and squeezed past to reach the dairy shelves. He suddenly got off the phone, shoved my cart out of the way, and charged around me, leaving me with an armful of yogurts and my cart no longer within arm’s reach. I didn’t drop anything. If I had, I might have been tempted to stalk the guy to the bakery section and accidentally get in his way.

3. Talking on a cell phone is a lousy excuse for any person to let a door shut on the person walking behind him, for cutting into a line, backing out of a parking space without looking, or ignoring someone who needs help. Anyone who uses a cell phone in this manner needs a smack up the side of the head.

There. I’m finished. Thank you for listening.

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Comments

  1. I hear you, sister.

    My son and I went out for Thai food. The man in the booth on one side of us was practically screaming into his phone for a good ten minutes, ignoring his daughter while he put the “hard sell” on a client. Behind us, there was an Asian woman yammering into her phone, in what I assumed was Thai, while her ravenous family ate dinner and did their best to ignore her. We could barely hear ourselves think and didn’t enjoy our food as much as we would have without all that racket.

    It’s illegal to talk on a cell phone without an ear piece here, but people do it all the time. So irritating.

  2. Driving and talking (oh, if it was only talking, but they text and dial — and around here, they seem to slow down, not accelerate, so you’re stuck behind them).

    I don’t think people realize how annoying it is. Sometimes I get mean and I stare at them and appear that I’m engrossed in their side of the conversation. If it was private, why talk (many decibels too loud) in public.

    It took me a long time to get a cell phone, which I did only because my job had me on the road at all hours, and I wanted to be able to call AAA or 911.

    I have a fancier phone now, but there are only about 5 people on the planet who have the number. Half the time, it’s not even on–or it’s too far away for me to catch a call.

    I will say, however, that I LOVE it for long-distance because there’s no fee beyond minutes, and I roll over hundreds every month anyway.

  4. Hi everyone. It does feel good to let off a little steam once in a while, doesn’t it? I don’t know about starting a rant blog, though, Linda. I’m afraid it would be like unleashing a monster.

  5. Oh yes, rants do make great blog posts, and this one is fabulous. I have the same grievances towards cell phone users in public. I especially hate it in restaurants.
    karen

  8. The rudest cell phone user I encountered was a guy in the airport at the departure gate. He conducted a 20-minute conversation in a very loud voice as we were waiting to board the plane. I am not exaggerating–I timed him.

    Unfortunately, his seat was in a row behind mine or I would have “accidentally” whacked him in the head with my shoulder bag as I passed by in the aisle.

    We all have a right to talk on our cell phones; we all have a right not to be forced to listen to everyone else’s conversations!

    Excellent rant, Pat. You may have created a whole new niche for yourself. Why don’t you start a “rant” blog? 🙂

  11. Bravo, bravo, bravo!!!
    I could rant with you about people using cellphones and not having the manners to notice people around them. They act as though when you’re on their phone they are the only thing in the world. Good post.