We had a great time visiting Grandma

[LONDONER]

I'll bet Grandma had a great time too.

[Steve]

Aaaahhhhh!!!

I'm so bloody sick of this!

Mark has five nieces & nephews. His parents - their grand parents - take them all out for Thanksgiving dinner at a nice restaurant (we trek up north to join them all). Inevitably they take texts on their phones throughout the day. Occasionally they come up for air and engage in a moment or two of conversation. One second we'll be having a chat (about them of course, but I can't fault them that at their ages), the next they're squinting at heir mobiles, furious punching in responses to their friends, or posting on FaceBook.

Last year they were somewhat better although still more than occasionally took up that horrible hunched pose and read and responded to messages. I felt like standing up and either confiscating their mobiles until the end of the day, or just plain telling them to knock it off and show some respect for the living. But I'm not their father (Mark's sister passed several years ago), and I don't want to overstep.

There is a line from one of my favorite movies, Torch Song Trilogy that I've used with some success when people don't have the social grace to disregard a vibrating mobile. "Hello, I'm another person in the world," That usually does the trick.

I understand if I'm talking to a doctor, or someone waiting for an important/emergent phone call. Otherwise its rude behavior to the nth degree.

[Rareboy]

I've just started asking people who start doing this to go somewhere else and do it in private.

And we will confiscate anyone's phone if they bring it out at the dinner table,

[LONDONER]

This is true also:

[CellarDweller]

I hate that! so dumb.

[meridannight]

fucking stupid.

[MikeW]

Saturday morning as I was walking to the gym, about 7:15AM, I passed my favorite coffee house; on the corner of College Ave. and Bancroft, right across the street from the University. There is an out door patio area but since it was early and a Saturday, there were only 9 people in it. EIGHT OF THEM WERE LOOKING AT THEIR iPHONES. I thought of stopping and taking a picture, but then I'd have to use my phone to do that.

[CaptainAwesome]

Sad but true..an unfortunate reality of today.

[meridannight]

There is an out door patio area but since it was early and a Saturday, there were only 9 people in it. EIGHT OF THEM WERE LOOKING AT THEIR iPHONES. I thought of stopping and taking a picture, but then I'd have to use my phone to do that.

in the past when i was out waiting for something or not involved in doing anything particular, i used to type down lines of poetry on my phone, which i would then finish at home. or put down ideas/inspiration i used to get. it was when i was bored and didn't have anything to do. now, whenever i spend more than five seconds looking at my phone i start feeling stupid. i feel adverse about using it anymore, unless it's actually for calling somebody. it even feels stupid listening to music on the phone already.

today, i carry a notebook (the paper one) and pen with me when i go out whenever possible. this way, when i get bored i can sketch something or write.

i don't even take my phone with me all the time when i leave the house.

[MikeW]

i don't even take my phone with me all the time when i leave the house.

LOL, well, yeah actually that's just it. I do *own* a cell phone-- one of those pay by the call AT&T smart phones. It's a nice enough phone I guess. I *almost never* take it with me. (Rare exceptions like if I'm meeting someone somewhere.) I have it cuz you almost HAVE to have a "phone number." (I don' have a land line.) Like today picking up a prescription at the pharmacist, the little machine asked me to fill in the last four digits of my phone number as a verification of my identity.

(My primary reason for not using a phone is my hearing: Tinnitus. It isn't a volume issue, it's a comprehension issue through the cacophony inside my head.) I partially read lips so, if I can't see them moving, I'm not always going to understand what you're saying, especially over a lame connection or if you're speaking with an accent.)