Hello!?!? I can hear you!!!!

As I sat in a crowded Doctor's office today, I was privileged(?) to be a part of three different conversations. Not that I was IN the conversations but I was allowed to HEAR one side of three different conversations. Not only was I given this opportunity but the entire room was given the chance to experience all the drama going on in these people lives. Yes, as you guessed, three individual people, on their cell phones, all at the same time.

I think what really puzzled me is, not one of these people whispered! I mean, come one! Why in the world would you allow the entire office to hear how 'Andrae needs to take care of his' or 'You just drive that to show off' or 'Are you not listening to me? I just said she needs to kick her out'. It's not that I wasn't entertained but honestly, do they not care how crazy we all thought they sounded? Hello? Have you not heard of TEXTING?

I pretty much get irritated when anyone is on their cell in a public place talking as if they are sitting on their sofa at home talking to their friends. I was in the grocery store, standing behind a gal who was on her cell, obviously upset with her boyfriend and was sharing it not only with the person on the other end of the phone but with the entire line. As it became her turn to have her groceries checked out, she didn't even have the courtesy of hanging up her phone or at least acknowledge the gal ringing up her groceries. She paid, gathered up her bags and continued to talk about her 'Man' never saying thank you or at least grunting the fact that someone had just said to her 'Thank you and have a nice day'. Have these phones sucked our manners out of our ears?

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my cell phone. I am an avid 'texter'. I know all the cute little symbols, the LOL's, the BRB's, the TTYL's but there is a limit to where I am going to talk, how loud or how long. I want to scream at these people "Use the manners your mama taught you!" There has to be a rule book out there somewhere like, 'Cell Phone Manner's for Dummies'. 

So, the next time you're on a cell in a quiet doctor's office, standing in line somewhere with people in front and behind you or walking around a store having a conversation on your cell, please I beg you, remember that you are not the only person in the room. Lower your voice, text them instead, hang up the phone or just acknowledge that there is a world around you having to listen. While sharing is nice, some things don't need to be shared.