Comments on: answering a cell phone

By: dan

dan — Fri, 30 May 2003 21:25:59 +0000

Indeed. Yahoo is just following my lead.

They even agree that you should, “try using your phone’s ‘vibrate’ function instead of the ringer in public.”

I took the cell phone etiquette quiz and got a 15 out of 18. The choice of answers was limited though.

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 30 May 2003 20:07:37 +0000

Clearly, your have your finger on the pulse of the public’s mind. Today’s question on Ask Yahoo is about cell phone etiquette.
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030530.html

By: Renee

Renee — Thu, 29 May 2003 21:30:43 +0000

Dan, you are more polite than the average Joe, or Dan.

By: dan

dan — Thu, 29 May 2003 20:58:14 +0000

Jason: Unfortunately, yes. I had only gotten the cell phone a few days before this happened and I knew that the ring was not mine. I didn’t know that when it got a voice mail it used a different ring. I have since kept my phone on vibrate.

Do some phones not have the silence feature? When a phone is ringing (loudly) people will hold the phone in their hand looking at who is calling. The first thing I do, even when it’s on vibrate mode, is to silence the phone. Only then do I check who is calling to see if I want to answer it.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Thu, 29 May 2003 20:39:58 +0000

Like Levi, I want to do something violent against those who have loud cell phones and let them ring a while before answering and who will answer them anywhere. There are several at work here who are very guilty and I don’t understand how they can be so inconsiderate.

However, I’ve been guilty of #1 and #3, though my phone is usually on vibrate, or quiet enough others don’t know. I’ve often wondered if it’s inappropriate to pick up the phone in a social environment, and I still don’t know what is best.

By: jason

jason — Thu, 29 May 2003 19:42:01 +0000

Was that you Dan? Oh Dan. Oh Dan, my disappointment is complete.

By: dan

dan — Thu, 29 May 2003 16:53:45 +0000

It was a new phone and the ring was not the normal one. At least that’s what the guy said…

By: Levi

Levi — Thu, 29 May 2003 16:05:12 +0000

How about the guy sitting in the front row of Biology class in a huge auditorium classroom right in front of the professor when his cell phone goes off really loud and he doesn’t even realize it’s his for a while? Man, the nerve of that guy!

By: jason

jason — Thu, 29 May 2003 15:42:53 +0000

On Scenario #1, walk away and answer the phone, but first turn the friggin’ ringer off.
Scenario #2, #3 are right out.

Embarrassment and hatred can be completely avoided if you simply turn your ringer off and enable vibration mode. That way you can discretely pull out your phone and choose to answer it or not.

I submit Scenario #4 – A person in the middle of class not only gets a call on his cell phone, but has the kiwis to actually answer it and have a full discussion.

By: dan

dan — Thu, 29 May 2003 02:53:39 +0000

I answered my phone in scenario #1. I wasn’t talking to anyone at the time, and there was enough noise that I didn’t feel the need to leave the room. In retrospect I could have stepped outside to avoid bothering people.