Phoning it in

In the category of nice-try-but-not-going-to-happen, some business etiquette consultant has declared July “National Cell Phone Courtesy Month.”

To give you an idea of how futile this concept is, she made this unilateral declaration in 2002.

Yeah, you’ve noticed how many folks have taken up the idea in the past seven years, haven’t you?

This woman states the blindingly obvious—turn the damned thing off during meetings, movies, weddings & funerals; remember that when you’re in public your call is, too; not every call takes precedence over your real-time companions; etc. She puts numbers on them, like that’s going to imbue them with greater force than just being sensible imparts.

But the very fact that she has to state the obvious is an indicator that mobile phone users don’t give a toss about courtesy, sensibility or even the obvious.

& she doesn’t even go into the whole thing about people driving with one hand holding the triple shot mochaccino & the other the iPhone, weaving through traffic as though the Almighty Himself were clearing the way in a T-34. Those morons are the 21st Century justification for the Second Amendment. In fact, we should be issued 9mm pistols just for the purpose of removing them from the gene pool.

So, observe the made-up month-long focus however you see fit. Don't make me a lick o' difference, since I only use mine to check my email.