How to challenge rude cell phone users...in your face.

People who know me know I am not one to tolerate rudeness. I am willing to play games by the rules established by the other party. My suggestion is to first consider whether the cell phone conversation is just annoying you because it is happening at all, or whether it is truly disrupting you. If it's just observably rude behavior, let it go with a brief praise to God you are not that troglodyte. If it is truly disrupting you, I suggest you respond proportionately and in kind. If there is a seat open at that table, or if you can pull a chair up, do so. Engage the person in the cell phone in vigorous, friendly conversation, at a volume that will disrupt their phone call but trying to keep it down so as not to disturb others. The longer and louder they talk, the closer you get to the person on the cellphone. When they hang up, thank them for doing so and return to your table.

I also use this technique for persons using obscenities or discussing inappropriate matters loudly enough to disturb me (don't get me started on the young lady disrupting my Mongolian Beef by discussing her gynecological health at the next table). I find that seating myself in their booth and politely but firmly asking them to use the same vocabulary in public they would use with their grandmother to be a relatively effective technique. Of course, you may wish to consider the potential risk of the denizens of the other table/that neighborhood before doing so.

Wow, hossman, that's tough.

Hard-core, I mean.

I tend to simply make fun of people on cell phones, by either imitating them (holding a hand to my ear and repeating what they say or saying "Sell, sell, sell" or whatever) or pretending that I think they're addressing me. No, I don't find this to be a successful tactic, but I do find it satisfying. It makes me feel less annoyed, which is as much as I could hope for.

Hossman, I'm surprised that your techniques work -- I'd think you'd make people very, very angry. But they would be fun to try. (And I would like to konw what you said to the woman disrupting your Mongolian Beef.)

You can try staring intensely at them. It freaks people out and they will move away from you.

Very funny but extremely unhelpful. I checked w. cafe owner and he thanked me for belling the cat,saying that he wouldn't dare intervene even tho he thinks behavior very rude. And there is a difference between inappropriate language and intrusive behavior.

There is prob. also a new syndrome, akin to road rage; as Archimedes might have said, "Give me a place to stand and a cell phone and I can break your nose."

Actually, gail, it's not extremely unhelpful because it WORKS.

Hi, Maggie's mom. Which technique are you specifically talking about?

Intense staring, miming, dropping in at booth or table? I would find the latter two daunting and have had a noticeable high rate of failure when asking politely.

Sometimes I join in the conversation since I can't avoid it. In the same loud volumn as the person invading my space, I'll as questions e.g. "why'd she do that?" or " I don't agree. You should,,,," etc. Also, sometimes I stare at the person and start taking notes. Both have been effective.

I've heard that there are business cards you can get that are made for just his kind of thing. You can just hand them to someone, or drop it on their lap, and they say something like "please stop talking on your cellphone"

At varying degrees of aggressiveness

Stare at them like you are an old Grandma, put your INDEX finger to your lips & go SHUSHHHH. Repeat as needed, moving very close to the offender, if needed.