How long do you suppose it will be until social convention establishes uniform cell phone etiquette?

Interesting question. I would definitely like to see something happen in the near future. Haven’t heard anything about the government pushing for this, so probably not anytime soon.

Never. Individuality, and self reliance will always screw things up eventually.

Especially with something as free wheeling as a cell-phone.

When George Jetson makes it to President of Spaceley’s Sprockets, or the twelve of never. Which ever comes first ! !

People will be rude on a cell phone forever.

Great question—one I’ve talked about with others often. Well, for a rare change, I agree with ChazMaz. Etiquette of all kinds is pretty much doomed, I fear.

I thought there was convention in regard to cell phone use.

When the next Emily Post or Miss Manners shows up.

It is going to take someone of international stature to set a rule and have enough power to get people to go along with it.

Unless it happens because people put in those signal blockers at various places.

What we really needed when cell phones first started to become common was another Dorothy Parker to ask in her way, “What fresh hell is this?”

I wish that social conventions such as you mention would develop. fear that they will not in today’s permissive, me-first environment.

I suspect that it will be a problem until telepathy is mastered, and then we’ll have a whole new set of issues.

Good question. I don’t know. I’m just hoping that it happens before I’m driven to taking the laws of etiquette into my own hands and giving some of these people a few good, solid smacks to the head. I’m not a violent person, really I’m not, I just don’t want the world to become one huge communal phone booth and because I don’t like your letting the door smack me in the face because you were on your goddam cell phone and didn’t see or care that there was someone coming through the door right behind you. I have a pretty long list of cell phone infractions but I’ll stop there.

I think it will never happen. It’s already too late. There are too many rude people who feel entitled to use their phones however and whenever they want without regard to the particular situation they find themselves in. They don’t teach this kind of etiquette in school and it’s not taught at home. When most of us over 40’s were kids, we learned etiquette at home and in school and in our friend’s homes. Etiquette of any kind is not routinely taught anymore, and there was never anybody pointing out any helpful suggestions for cell phone use when it started. I think it will only get worse.

I have never wanted to have a conversation walking around a store or whatever, or while driving.

Not my thing.

So I guess I have good etiquette by default. lol

@Coloma Me too. Polite by default. First of all, I’m one of those people who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, so I’m certainly not the kind of person who can do things while talking on the phone! And even the people I love with all my heart, I need a break from. Being in constant contact by phone with everyone in my life is not only not a necessity for me, it’s something of a nightmare.

@lillycoyote

Touche!

I agree, I like being unavailable! haha

I have joked forever with my daughter and friends that if someone was dead at 3a.m. they would be just as dead at 7a.m.!

Don’t wake me up! lol

I often turn my phones off at bed.
See you tomorrow unless someones dead. haha

@Coloma LOL. Exactly! That’s one of the reasons I don’t have a phone extension in my bedroom. Maybe if I had kids, or other such worries and encumbrances who were out and about in the world at all hours of the night it would be different. And you’re right, absolutely, anyone dead at 3 am is going to be just as dead, possibly even more dead, at 7 am . You just can’t just ambush people in their sleep. I once accepted a job offer in Rwanda when a Nigerian friend of mine called me up in the middle of the night; she woke me up out of a sound sleep, and I didn’t completely understand what was going on or what exactly it was that I was agreeing to. I can’t be held responsible for what I agree to in my sleep. No more phones in the bedroom after that one. :-)