et·i·quette n. rules governing socially acceptable behavior

it seems to me that these days people are ruder than in days past. that in itself isn’t surprising to me; what is surprising is that no one seems to care anymore.

technology is supposed to make our lives easier. and as pieces of technology become more prominant in our daily lives society has adjusted to accomodate it: paved roads replaced rut-filled dirt roads, jeans and flip-flops are now common attire for air travel and email is becoming a preferred means of keeping in touch with friends & family. but the one ubiquitous object which gets my goat (so to speak) are cell phones.

with cell phones, etiquette seems to be the last thing on anyone’s minds. people are constantly yakking away on their phones, with no regards to their surroundings. i hear all kinds of personal conversations while on the subway, standing in line at the supermarket and while trying to have a nice dinner out. what’s so important that you need to be on the phone while operating a 2-ton vehicle at 75 mph?

these things in particular (which have all happened in my presence) piss me off:

  • cell phones ringing in church and the movie theaters
  • people taking phone calls in church and the movie theaters
  • people on their phones at the store who won’t pause their conversation when they’re checking out, completely ignoring the poor cashier
  • people playing with their blackberrys while at dinner with other people
  • people taking phone calls while at dinner with other people - i’ve been guilty of this
  • people making phone calls and then disappearing while with other people leaving them alone or with people they hardly know

now most people know that i’m a pretty mellow guy when it comes to things not relating to my beloved NY Mets. but rude people on cell phones are one of those things that gets me visibly annoyed. while i was talking with two friends of mine Sunday night, the topic of cell phones came up and i described an incident where apparently a phone call was more important than my company; i felt really hurt. and when i explained that it bothered me, all i got in return was excuses, instead of an apology. when did this kind of behavoir become socially acceptable?

people are becoming more and more self-isolated. walk through the streets of any city and you see people talking on the cell phones and listening to their iPods trying to shut the world around them out. we live in a “Me First” kind of society where the prevailing attitude is one of self-centeredness. “how will this affect me,” “what will I get out of this,” “how does this affect me,” are questions that seem to be on the forefront of our thinking.

the worst part is that people don’t even notice that they’re doing it…