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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6323824" data-attributes="member: 177">First off, it isn't &quot;have things with them&quot;.&nbsp; It is &quot;use at the table&quot;.&nbsp; I don't care if your laptop is in your backpack, and your smartphone is in your pocket.&nbsp; Some years ago, my mother came to visit me in Boston.&nbsp; I had to ask her to not smoke in my apartment.&nbsp; She was used to smoking at home all the time, and it didn't occur to her that my home might now be different.&nbsp; But when I asked her, she didn't make a big deal out of it.&nbsp; She didn't ask me to justify the rule at length, didn't question my right to make it.&nbsp; Even though it meant having to overcome the pangs of a mildly addictive substance, she held to it, and went outside when she wanted to smoke.&nbsp; There was nothing &quot;bizarre&quot; about this - it was a simple request, and she complied without problems.If there's something bizarre, it is the sense of entitlement behind the idea that a host or organizer cannot set some basic ground rules.&nbsp; Because, OMG, how horrible it is to be asked to live without your smartphone or laptop for a few hours!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 6323824, member: 177"] First off, it isn't "have things with them". It is "use at the table". I don't care if your laptop is in your backpack, and your smartphone is in your pocket. Some years ago, my mother came to visit me in Boston. I had to ask her to not smoke in my apartment. She was used to smoking at home all the time, and it didn't occur to her that my home might now be different. But when I asked her, she didn't make a big deal out of it. She didn't ask me to justify the rule at length, didn't question my right to make it. Even though it meant having to overcome the pangs of a mildly addictive substance, she held to it, and went outside when she wanted to smoke. There was nothing "bizarre" about this - it was a simple request, and she complied without problems. If there's something bizarre, it is the sense of entitlement behind the idea that a host or organizer cannot set some basic ground rules. Because, OMG, how horrible it is to be asked to live without your smartphone or laptop for a few hours! [/QUOTE]

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