Courtesy in Restaurants

[Ranger REG]

Last night, I was out at a nice restaraunt with my family, and some kids a few tables down were playing a cell phone game. The volume was very loud, and the same annoying midi music was overpowering the conversation for over 20 minutes. Finally I went over and asked them to turn the volume down. It lasted for all of 5 minutes, then they started playing again.

You see. It's proof that the direct approach didn't work. It's better to just criticize them loudly within earshot. Like in high school.

*recalls that long walk in the hallway while everyone stares and gossips about you*

There's nothing more than making the parents of spoiled kids more embarrassing than becoming objects of gossip and humiliation.

We gossiped about Jessica and Nick's marriage trouble. Boom, they're separated.

We gossiped about Brad and Angelina. Boom, they finally admit they're in a relationship at Muhammad Ali's birthday celebration.

 

[Viking Bastard]

I don't get this. Why would anyone care if someone is talkin' in their cell at a restaurant?

There are people who feel the need to talk really loudly in their mobiles, especially older
people, a practice that is quite annoying and intrusive, but I don't see the hate against
people chatting.

I mean, if someone who I go out with to a restaurant is doing nothing but taking calls,
I would probably be offended, but I could not care less about someone on another table.

You wouldn't get offended at two people chatting, why would one person chatting
annoy you?

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't get this. Why would anyone care if someone is talkin' in their cell at a restaurant?

There are people who feel the need to talk really loudly in their mobiles, especially older
people, a practice that is quite annoying and intrusive, but I don't see the hate against
people chatting.

I mean, if someone who I go out with to a restaurant is doing nothing but taking calls,
I would probably be offended, but I could not care less about someone on another table.

You wouldn't get offended at two people chatting, why would one person chatting
annoy you?

It's not the chatting part, it's the ringing in the middle of dining. Of course, that annoyance stems from having telemarketers interrupting dinnertime at home.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Ah, you mean not setting the phone to 'silent'.

That I get.

Tad annoying, if not violence invoking.

 

[Bront]

It's not the chatting part, it's the ringing in the middle of dining. Of course, that annoyance stems from having telemarketers interrupting dinnertime at home.

Believe it or not, it bugs the caller too, hense why they answer it quickly.

My only phone is my cell phone, but if I'm in a public place, I'll answer it and either call them back, or resolve it quickly, assuming I'm with someone else. If I'm by myself, I don't see the problem as long as I'm generaly about as noisy as I might be if I was talking to someone with me.

 

[Ranger REG]

Believe it or not, it bugs the caller too, hense why they answer it quickly.

Well, it's their rutting fault for not shutting off the ringer. And don't give me the "oh, I forgot" excuse. Either get a better cell or stick to landline.

 

[Staffan]

Well, it's their rutting fault for not shutting off the ringer. And don't give me the "oh, I forgot" excuse. Either get a better cell or stick to landline.

Reminds me of something that happened in the middle of a class here at university. Suddenly, a cell phone goes off. One guy goes "God damn, who's the idiot who forgot to turn his cell off?" The phone rings again, and the same guy goes "Oh wait a minute..."

 

[S'mon]

I was in restaurant yesterday with my wife, parents & aunt, and my phone rang - "number withheld." I cancelled the call without answering. Not because of diners at other tables, but because of the people at my table.

 

[Xath]

Reminds me of something that happened in the middle of a class here at university. Suddenly, a cell phone goes off. One guy goes "God damn, who's the idiot who forgot to turn his cell off?" The phone rings again, and the same guy goes "Oh wait a minute..."

I was in class a few weeks ago and 3 cell phones went off within 10 minutes of each other. At the last, the professor got really irratated, but in the middle of her rant, her cell phone rang.

 

[Darthjaye]

As an employee in the restaurant business for the last 13 years (until 5 months ago that is) I can honestly say that what is annoying about cell phones is this:

(1) People who chose to carry on the conversation while trying to order. Not only is it rude, but people do it often, and they hold up the server from getting to other tables.

(2) It seems rude to the person they are with that they would chose to go out to eat with the person with them, then ignore them for someone on the phone. It's just as easy to say "I'll call you later" than to be this insensitive.

(3) The idiots who don't turn off their ringer in the restaurant. How rude can this possibly be. Well let me tell you, I as server and as a customer, don't want to hear your annoying ring tone next to me while I'm dining or working. It's fine outside or at the store/ mall, but when I'm carrying a conversation or trying to dine in some semblence of peace, I do not want to be assailed by annoying ringtones. Show some courtesy with cell phones.

(4) Of course most of the idiots descibed above are also the ones who talk on the cell phones while driving one handed with the cell phone held in their left hand blocking site of traffic to their right. They also tend to lane change like this without looking or signaling. I do not feel bad for these morons when they get in an accident, I do however feel bad for people who they cause injury to in the process of their ignorance.

I disagree with those here who think the people next to the wife were rude. They are welcome to their opinion and if your listening in on their conversation you should ask yourself this: If you are hearing them instead of your wife/ significant other, then what is wrong with your wife's choice of activities while dining? How many other people in the restaurant chose to be on the phone nearly as long? How rude do you perceive them to be? While you consider a your trip to the restaurant to be your business, you should also consider it a practice in social manners and politeness. Consider others feelings as well when you take your cell conversations into a public place where others are simply trying to enjoy a meal.