Apparently not much is personal any more. I don’t know about you, but I resent hearing that tinny William Tell Overture while I’m watching a movie. Last year a New York City Councilman introduced legislation to penalize anyone making or taking a call during an indoor performance. Pending … they couldn’t figure out how to enforce it.

How about working through pocketbook? The last concert I attended, people behind me were drunk and disorderly. The manager said she couldn’t do anything about it. I demanded a refund. She then seated us elsewhere, but our pleasant evening had become a major stressor. I told her I wouldn’t be back until they figured out “something to do”.

Apparently people are taking and making calls during funerals. Is nothing sacred any more?

I’m torn because I enjoy being connected with loved ones via cell phone, and I’m on-call to my coaching clients. I’m all for using it to make cold cruel world less so, but why not find a quiet, private place?

Are we doing this to look important and get attention? If you are, that’s not how you appear. We perceive you in one of three ways --

·Either you can’t function alone and need a constant umbilical cord ·Your self-esteem is so low you’re desperate for attention. ·You are rude, egotistical, and have no social consciousness.

If you do have to take a phone call in public, you should be apologetic about it, not proud.

Here are some common-decency suggestions for use of cell phone:

1.By all means use phone for essential business – this means to point and brief. 2.Maintain a distance of at least 10’ from others, lower your voice, turn away, act like you’re doing something private BECAUSE YOU ARE. 3.Value real people in your presence over cell phone. It is RUDE to take a phone call when you’re with someone else, with few exceptions. 4.Doctors and expectant-fathers have emergencies; you, rarely. 5.Get some balance in your life. If you can’t take time off to enjoy a play or visit an art museum without taking phone calls, what are you doing to yourself? 6.Understand that we think you’re rude and egotistical when you violate common decency. 7. Get a quiet ringer or vibrating cell. 8.Don’t give your cell number to everyone. 9.Let other people know you expect to use phone with etiquette.

You know how it goes – when a few people don’t behave right, rules and laws follow, and then everyone gets penalized. Work for quiet, no-phone zones, but most of all, enforce your own and maybe we can avoid massive legislation.

It would be a shame not to be able to use your cell phone in a public place in case of a real emergency, and this is where we’re headed, folks.