I'd have to agree with you, while at the sametime being one of those annoying people. I wouldn't say I talk on it all the time while I'm out, and certainly never in the theatre, but it seems I feel lost, or lose a sense of control, when I don't have it on my person. A strange but true story from the trenches. Hope you are well.

I don't mind cell phones or any other gadget, I mind rude people.

The same goes for cell phones and driving. I don't care whether or not a driver is applying makeup, speaking on the phone and having kinky sex involving multipler partners and a veggie platter while driving, it's poor driving that annoys me.

Someone who plays a game on their cell phone, with the sound turned off during the advertisements in a movie theatre doesn't bug me, the rude person who chats with their friend during the trailers with or without a phone leaves me steaming.

Obnoxious people with poor manners, that annoys me, the props they use to do so are secondary.

Just a thought.

PS
I love the vibrate feature, I only wish my phone was waterproof so I could use it in the tub.

I think before cell phones people were just as rude and self involved -- there just wasn't a universal indicator.

I dig my cell phone but I have gone days without using it ... hell I have gone days without using any phone. = )

for some odd reason, all that comes to mind is the gun control arguments - "a gun isn't dangerous - it is the person using it that makes it dangerous." Is it me, or are others noticing the absolute lack of focus in peoples minds lately - where a large percentage of folks are just walking around like zombies in their digital word - unaware that others are around them? i have people walking into me constantly - some blabbing on cell phones. people driving and not paying attention, seem to be on cell phones. Am i attracting people walking around in a fog? or have i invented my human stealth suit?

face it - america has fallen a long way from the day when people actually respected each other in public spaces. you can still find pockets of that existing - but they seem to be shrinking.

i wonder if perhaps we could invent a cell phone, that had a bullet in it, hmm....yes, the anti-rude device. it only fires if the person usiing it is rude. maybe the people in the room get to hit *99 and if more than 10 phones in the proximity of the user hit it - it goes off?

i wonder what people would think of that? i imagine someone has put that idea on the drawing board in some lab in the world already.

What I'd like to see is two of the following advancements:

1) the ability to "push" a ringtone to another person's cell phone when you call them. Perhaps a more calming tone or an mp3 of you yelling "HEY, S*%t-for -brains, answer now or I'll tell the people around you what you did in Mexico!!!" Maybe sending that butch guy a ring tone of "I enjoy being a girl"....

2) a broadcasted IP-like ID from nearby cell phones that you could hack to contact cell phone strangers to critique their driving, warn them you are about to ram the side of their car with yours or warn them about the full bottle of Poland Springs you've just launched at their head from across the cafe.

Too violent? Too obtrusive? Too cartoony? Maybe they could try to cover their mouths like a girl with bad teeth or a person using a toothpick...

Restraint seems to be something taught by parents or mentors.Have we dropped the ball? I really enjoy seeing all those cell phone screens at the movies when the interpretation of turning off your phone means just the ringer; but text messaging all throughout a movie you paid $10 for seems not only rude but wasteful.

Lock yourself in a closet with great cell reception and have a blast. Oh, and pay the bill yourself, Mom and Dad are trying to earn enough to send you to a good school so you don't have to work at Arby's into your 40's and are sleeping on the sofa...

Aron - what's wrong with Arby's? (she says, giggling.) I like the idea of #2 without flinging the water bottle. A good book for you to read: "Sick Puppy" by Carl Hiaasen. It's right up your alley.

Mr. Tan - I can see how folks could bump into you accidentally. In case you hadn't noticed,
you're not exactly a small man. Heck, I've bumped into you on more than one occasion. :-)

Loup - so true.

Blue - you're so right in bringing up folks who drive and yap at the same time. I forgot that
part in my post.

Rob, as a family man, I'm assuming that's your reason -- nevermind your business reason :-)

I don't have a cell phone, but my wife and daughters do - mostly for safety's sake.

Recent conversation:

Daughter: Dad can carry my cell phone, I don't need it today.

Mom: Don't bother, he won't turn it on.

:D I *like* not being contactable every second of the day. Call me at home or at the office, and if it's important, leave a message.