Put DOWN the cell phone!

While it seems simply horrifying to imagine living B.C. (you know, Before Cell phones), the fact of the matter is that things were a whole lot more pleasant. With the onslaught of advancements in cellular technology and more cell phone shops than Starbucks around town, young people in Sacramento seem to have lost their manners! Unfortunately, we can’t create a total ban on cell phones, but in the meantime take note: here’s some simple etiquette to remember.

There aren’t too many things more frustrating than being stuck behind someone who is so involved in their phone conversation that they feel the need to walk two steps per minute in a crowded walkway or drive five miles per hour on the Capital City Freeway. And somehow, inevitably, it’s always when you’re in a hurry. Whether it be in a busy airport or driving during rush hour traffic, hang up the phone or be subject to angry expletives and lots of honking. Help contribute to the smooth flow of traffic and call them back later.

At campuses all around town, it seems that a good portion of students are afflicted with Too Much Information syndrome (also know as “TMI“). These are the rude people that feel the need to broadcast every insignificant detail of their lives to everyone within earshot and usually can be found in lines or waiting rooms where other people can‘t get away from them. Somehow the second they open their Motorola Razor, their voice amplifies by about 3,000 decibels. By the time they’ve hung up the phone you know just how many Mai Thais they drank last night, who’s tongue was down who’s throat at Mandangos, and you can now recite their entire grocery list. If you must talk in front of others, pretend you’re in a library and keep your voice to a 12-inch volume… if anyone really cared about your weekend, they’d ask!

Onto another important matter… cell phone headsets. While Bluetooth ear pieces and other hands free headsets are always encouraged while driving, it seems that some people are taking things a little too far.

Walk around town and it seems that there are a lot of 20-somethings who think they’re so important that they need a phone in their ear 24/7. Get real! Not only do you look like you’re talking to yourself (which is creepy), but is it really that hard to hold a cell phone? Plus, we all know that no one’s calling you besides your mom and girlfriend anyway… is a headset really necessary?

Onto the big daddy of them all: text messaging. Text messaging seems to have replaced talking almost entirely. Mass texts of “what are you doing tonight?” seem to go out by the hundreds on the weekends and it doesn’t even seem that crazy to text message your boss that you’re running late instead of a courtesy call. The worst of all? Text message breakups! How insensitive can people be?

In a city full of people who always seem to be in a rush, don’t forget that face to face interaction is still an option. Give your thumb a rest!

It’s not fair to complain only about the consumer, however. Cell phone kiosks and retailers in the malls should get some manners as well. There’s nothing more jolting than strolling along the Galleria and admiring the window displays when a obnoxious man yells, “Hey! What cell phone service do you have?! Can I talk to you for a second!?” These guys need to get a life and stop disturbing the peace.

While the convenience and benefits of cell phones absolutely outweigh the positives,
it really just comes down to this: either hang up the phone or get out of the way and shut up!