The fast pace of out modern plugged in society has had many effects not the least of which is the erosin of common courtesy.
The most alarming example of this is the answering of a cell phone when in the company of another person.
I consider it very rude when I am at a social ocasion and I am conversing with someone whose cell phone rings and in mid sentence without loosing a beat they answer their cell phone and leave me hanging. When I was a salesfloor Associate trying to help customers on the floor or at a cash register I would experience this phenomena quite often. Picture this: a customer is at a cash register having their items rung through with a line of people behind them who are waiting to pay for their purchases. The customer at the register gets a call on their cell phone. They proceed to take it. All this customer's items are rung up and bagged. I am standing there ready to take their payment. The customer continues to talk on their cell phone and hold up everyone in the line. They do not conclude their transaction by paying until their phone conversation ends.
WORD TO THE WISE ... if you are unable to multi-task turn your cell phone off when you plan to do activities that involve other people. When did we all become such slaves to our devices? We have become like the pavlovian dogs. We react to the sound of the ringer without even thinking. The majority of cell phones have call display. I would suggest that if you are presently engaged with a human being that it is rude to answer your cell phone until the interchange with the "now" person is at its conclusion.
Are we creatures of reaction or do we still have a will of our own? Is it even possible to say "excuse me" before we answer our cell phone? Some people do this. I appreaciate it! The rest of us need to learn how to say those two little words.
The most alarming example of this is the answering of a cell phone when in the company of another person.
I consider it very rude when I am at a social ocasion and I am conversing with someone whose cell phone rings and in mid sentence without loosing a beat they answer their cell phone and leave me hanging. When I was a salesfloor Associate trying to help customers on the floor or at a cash register I would experience this phenomena quite often. Picture this: a customer is at a cash register having their items rung through with a line of people behind them who are waiting to pay for their purchases. The customer at the register gets a call on their cell phone. They proceed to take it. All this customer's items are rung up and bagged. I am standing there ready to take their payment. The customer continues to talk on their cell phone and hold up everyone in the line. They do not conclude their transaction by paying until their phone conversation ends.
WORD TO THE WISE ... if you are unable to multi-task turn your cell phone off when you plan to do activities that involve other people. When did we all become such slaves to our devices? We have become like the pavlovian dogs. We react to the sound of the ringer without even thinking. The majority of cell phones have call display. I would suggest that if you are presently engaged with a human being that it is rude to answer your cell phone until the interchange with the "now" person is at its conclusion.
Are we creatures of reaction or do we still have a will of our own? Is it even possible to say "excuse me" before we answer our cell phone? Some people do this. I appreaciate it! The rest of us need to learn how to say those two little words.
Comments
Post a Comment