That was a priceless read GG!! I just loved..."She suggests waiting for a violation, at which point you can rise and get the violator’s attention to say, “Please take that in the other room. We wouldn’t want to annoy you by holding conversation while you are busy.” 
Miss Manners
While I certainly agree with you in theory, Americans tend to be a bit more practical with reality in matters like this. Case in point is this quote by the author Robert Heinlein: “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”
While I certainly agree with you in theory, Americans tend to be a bit more practical with reality in matters like this. Case in point is this quote by the author Robert Heinlein: “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”
My daughter has a list of where she will not answer or call on her phone.
In her car while driving (It could cost her, her job if she is stopped for using her cell phone while driving.)
At work
In a restaurant
At home after 9 p.m.
In a hospital
And when visiting someone in their home.
She got so sick of her daughter calling her at the most inopportune times, for the most stupid reasons, that she had to set rules. We liked the idea, so we all agreed to practice them ourselves. Except for me, talking to long distance friends.
Don't bother to try and call her during these times. She won't respond. If you know her, then you know the rules. So you don't call. When she has a chance, she will peek at who called. Then return the call at her convenience. If she doesn't know you, you may never hear from her.
On the other hand, my youngest is in medicine. He works in the ER. He answers his phone for every medical call. Also all his emails go to his phone and alerts him. I am quite often awake late into the evening when I know he is sleeping. I will send him an email. I have told him to never answer my call immediately. In fact, sometimes I get no response to my email. Since he is my medical proxy he knows I am not in any danger and if I was the hospital would be calling him, not me.
I resisted for a long time before I decided to get a cell phone. And then it was only to cut my phone bill down. I opted for the free one. I get 250 minutes a month with 250 something for texting. I have yet to text anyone in my life. Most of my minutes and all of my text things go back unused. This whole family knows what the rules are between us. We don't break them because we know we won't get a response.
They were doing that at movie theatres here for a while. But, doctors on call need to get their calls. There can be other emergencies.
I have to confess that I rather like the text facility on my phone. All my friends know that except in very rare circumstances my mobile is turned off so they leave text messages and I reply when I'm next connected. They know I'll receive the message and they don't have the irritation of making land-line phone calls which aren't picked up. And it means I don't have to spoil coffee with a friend or some important meeting with a ringing mobile.My daughter has a list of where she will not answer or call on her phone.
In her car while driving (It could cost her, her job if she is stopped for using her cell phone while driving.)
At work
In a restaurant
At home after 9 p.m.
In a hospital
And when visiting someone in their home.
She got so sick of her daughter calling her at the most inopportune times, for the most stupid reasons, that she had to set rules. We liked the idea, so we all agreed to practice them ourselves. Except for me, talking to long distance friends.
Don't bother to try and call her during these times. She won't respond. If you know her, then you know the rules. So you don't call. When she has a chance, she will peek at who called. Then return the call at her convenience. If she doesn't know you, you may never hear from her.
On the other hand, my youngest is in medicine. He works in the ER. He answers his phone for every medical call. Also all his emails go to his phone and alerts him. I am quite often awake late into the evening when I know he is sleeping. I will send him an email. I have told him to never answer my call immediately. In fact, sometimes I get no response to my email. Since he is my medical proxy he knows I am not in any danger and if I was the hospital would be calling him, not me.
I resisted for a long time before I decided to get a cell phone. And then it was only to cut my phone bill down. I opted for the free one. I get 250 minutes a month with 250 something for texting. I have yet to text anyone in my life. Most of my minutes and all of my text things go back unused. This whole family knows what the rules are between us. We don't break them because we know we won't get a response.
Love it.
In retrospect, there was only one time I wished I had a cell phone. Because we were at our daughter's basketball game, we did not know my Dad had been rushed to the hospital until we got home hours later and heard my aunt's answering machine message. Had we been called immediately I might have gotten to the hospital while he was still alive.
When my Mom was in her end-days I made sure that cellphone was with me everywhere, all the time. But on mute/vibrate setting when appropriate (church, dining out, etc). I'll admit to taking a quick snap of my plate on a special occasion or at a once-in-a-lifetime restaurant, but I then eat and wait with uploading my photo until we're done eating. If there is time while waiting for the check I'll do it then. If we're getting ready to leave I'll stop just outside the restaurant so that I can tag the picture with where we're at. BUT dining at those special places take place so infrequently it's practically non-existent. On those rare occasions I just gotta brag a bit. 
