What Are Your Cell Phone Rules/Guidelines?

[RandomAnthony]

Assuming you have a cell phone, what are your rules/guidelines about using the phone? In what situations will you answer the phone? In what situations won't you answer the phone? For example, when you're out with friends eating dinner, will you usually (assuming you don't have babysitters at home with your kids or something) turn off the phone? Or do you leave it on all the time? What do you think?

I'm not even going to touch texting, which came up a bit in another thread, because I still suck at it.

[Lori]

I don't text, so can't answer for that.

I do not answer the phone in the car. If I see it's from my kid, I'll pull over and call him back. If I'm out anywhere, again the only call I'll take is from Jake. That includes with friends, at the store, wherever. Well, if it's at a store, I'll answer if it's from Richard. Or a good friend that I'm trying to make arrangements to meet that day. If I'm with my family, I don't even take my phone since they are the only ones I would answer anyway!

Speaking of which, where the hell is my phone anyway?!

[Natalie]

1) I don't answer if I don't know who it is.
2) I keep it on vibrate unless I'm at home.
3) I don't feel like I have to be available and reachable 24/7, so I will or will not answer depending on my whimsy and mood. Suck it, friends and family.

I don't even know half of what my phone does, and I don't care. I need a phone - a device with buttons numbered 0-9, capable of dialing others and accepting calls - not a camera, music player, Swiss army knife, first-aid kit, and whatever other goddamned useless bells and whistles I have on the thing. I'd quite happily use one of those Jitterbug phones marketed to old people.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

I have a cell phone, but I hardly use it. It's nice when I'm away from home to keep in touch with Chris.
I don't text. Except with Sarah Montambo, once. :D

[Nuri]

Maybe it's an age-group thing? But people look at me like I'm kind of a jerk if I'm in mid-conversation with them, my phone starts up, and I just send it to voicemail so that I can keep talking/listening to them. I always feel like I have to excuse it with, like, "Nah, I didn't recognize the number," even if the tiny screen is flashing "Omma" (Mom) at me. I mean, I figured SHE'D understand...?

Texting has become semi-essential since coming to college. I feel bad because we don't really have a good texting plan. I've just discovered how to send pictures from my phone to the computer, which was a very exciting development for me.

I'll silence my phone often, but I'll only ever turn it off when I'm in a final or something. It's definitely something I'd feel naked leaving the apartment without. I'm kind of terrified how much I rely on this thingy, and I'm actually rather jealous of cellphone-less King Dinosaur. That sounds really liberating.

[Sally, la reina]

I've owned a cell for about ten years now (!) but I barely feel owned by it. The thing is mostly on silent, almost always, and I use it as a voice mail receptacle. Often I'll email the person back instead of calling.

I loathe the phone. I hate how cheerful and fake I have to sound during conversations. I hate wrapping things up with a tidy "ok then! Gotta go! Talk to you soon!" I just do.
I've trained nearly everybody to communicate with me online, and that is the way I like it.

I do randomly use it to call my mom, or Sweeter, and when he goes to the grocery or something I know to listen for it because he HATES it when he can't reach me. So we try to balance that out.

[Sarah]

My phone's almost always on silent. I rarely get calls on it. Mostly the people in my life send texts, which I prefer, because they're to the point. Brent calls me on my cell but usually I know he's going to be calling for whatever reason (like, "I'll call you on my way home to see if you want me to pick up dinner").

I LOATHE when people talk on their phones in restaurants, in check out lines, in the theater, in class, etc. Tuesday I was sitting on a bench at school trying to read before my class and a girl next to me was having a very loud, inane conversation in which she was trying, I think, to be coquettish with the person on the other end, but only succeeded in sounding like a complete shrew, and which was very difficult to ignore.

[Lori]

Oh good. Then I'm not an old curmudgeon. You all do know we are the minority, right? People rave about the iPhone, and stare as if I'm an alien when I say I just use a cell phone for calling or receiving in emergency situations.

[Kevin]

i am a phone guy AND i text. because i travel much for work i have to be available for work related conversations but i also text my family and friends too. especially if something big happens in sports. my eldest son and i have a great texting relationship about about sports which evolves into many other topics. that has helped our closeness as he feels i have done what is socially relevant to communication with him more. my daughter will just text "i miss you daddy" or "i love you to the moon and back" and i can save those and look at them when i am having a bad day. she is 25 and we both still need that. if i am talking to someone i will not answer my phone and just let it ring. it gives me a great opp to say "right now, you are more important that whoever that is"

i do covet iphones by the way

[Félix]

K: That's just ... well ... a really good bunch of words you put together. Inspiring. Yup. And I really mean that. Not being my usual wise-ass. Nope.

[[deleted user]]

Kevin, I'm with Larry on that.

[Sarah]

My phone is always with me, but I turn it off if I'm at a restaurant, a movie, or a concert. My friends with iPhones have now started placing their phones on the table when we're at a bar or restaurant, since they're too big for pockets. I find it irritating.

When my partner is out of the country - generally for a couple of months at a time - my phone is always in my hand, and we text constantly. I'm sure I'm a jerk then...

On the whole, I recognize the value of the technology - it has been invaluable while touring - but I think we have our usual tendency to overindulge.

[Dan]

I keep my phone in my car in case of catastrophe. That's the extent of my cell phone use. I don't text and the only time I talk while I'm driving is when traffic is crawling along and I decide to call my brother, the FedEx man.

I recognize the value of texting but a dark movie theatre should be a text free zone. Also, people who text non-stop while ignoring people who are present in the flesh are very irritating to me.

[Félix]

I'm sorry. What did you say, Dan?

[Sarah]

Dan - I agree - I hate phones in movie theaters. Doesn't matter if you're texting or checking the time. The LIGHT is irritating too. There are few things that can't wait two hours, and if it really can't wait, go outside.

[Kevin]

what about someone wearing night vision goggles in a movie so they can text without the backlight on? i suppose the clickety-clickety sound ratchets your nerves too

[Sarah]

Kevin, if you want to sit in the theater wearing night vision goggles and clickety-clicking on your un-backlit phone, you have my blessing.

[Kevin]

that's ok, i don't go to movies anyway. just a "what if"

shoot, i am not allowed to make a peep when watching movies at home LOL

[Sarah]

Anyway, apparently you may want to put the cell phone down, or else handle it with gloves...
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090306...