Your cell phone ring tone

[Doc]

Do you use a cell ring tone in public, or do you use vibrate?

The Coach of Green Bay was holding a press conference today. One of the reporters cell phone rang. The coach stopped, picked up his notes and ended the question answer session. He made a comment about respecting each other (not him) and put your friggin phone on vibrate.

I agree with him. In public all phones should be on vibrate. I can stand to miss a call. In stores / meetings / work my cell stays in the car. I have voice mail and caller ID. I'll see if someone calls and call them back when I'm available. When I'm expecting a call and carry it in public, I do put it on vibrate. It's easy.

How do you all handle your cells?

 

[Melensdad]

I hate cell phones. Most of the time mine is on vibrate. Sometimes I just turn it off completely. It is very common that I will leave it in the car. I never talk on the cell phone in restaurants. If I have to take a call, I will walk out of the room and into a hallway or some other 'common' area so I don't disturb people.



On a similar topic, my cell phone ring tone actually sounds like a phone ringing. It does not play the fight song of some school, play the chorus of a Brittany Spears song, nor does it quack like a duck or bray like one of Johnday's sheep friends. It sounds like a real phone!

 

[Junkman]

I don't own a cell phone, but many of our customers do and they will be talking to you when the phone starts to ring. Without hesitation they take the call and continue to talk to the person on the phone and ignore you. In all instances I walk away and let the person have some privacy. Many times, they will exit the store and not make a purchase since their original train of though has been interrupted. Other times, they see it as if you have lost interest in selling them something, when it in reality it is they that have broken the chain of communication. I now see signs in many places that prohibit cell phones to be used such as in restaurants. I would like to do the same in my store, but don't because many people see their cell phone as much as a right as smokers. I know the veterinary clinics and hospitals have banned cell phones in their buildings since they feel that the radio waves can cause problems with there equipment.

 

[johnday]

Ha! If I knew how to get my cell to sound like a braying sheep, you better believe I would!LOL!

In reality, my cell phone is always off. I use my pager set on vibe. There's nothing much more irratating than to hear a pager or cell go off when you're in an important meeting. Anyone ever watch the pacing many people do when yapping on a cell? Or much worse, their driving? At one time I think, Michigan was thinking about banning cell use while driving.

All in all, it's pretty pathetic that some are so wrapped up in themselves, that they think they should share their "important" call with everyone within earshot. Jan used to get so PO'd at me when I'd say rather loudly, "Look Jan, that's a very important person there" I guess my 210# body may be keeping me from someone kicking me butt, but, I have privacy issues too. And I just can't put up with that brand of rudeness. I've actually broke off, and just walked away, when someone I'm talking with gets on their "lifeline" from nowhere. Obviously, I must have been boring them or something.

 

[Cityboy]

I don't even take my phone out of the truck anymore. When I was actively contracting HVAC/electrical work I carried it daily. Then one day I'm watching my then 11YO daughter hurl 50 mph fastballs in the state fastpitch championship (yeah, I'm bragging a little ) and the damn phone keeps ringing with potential customers, employees and general contractors etc. Between the next inning, the phone went in the truck, and there it stayed from then on, whenever I was engaged with my family. I have enough intrusions in my life as it is without strapping a mobile tracking device to my butt. I'm simplifying my life little by little and cell phones are not part of my simplification process.

 

[JayC]

I hate cell phones. They annoy the crap out of me. I will only use a cell phone unless absolutely necessary. When travelling, I will leave it off. I can't stand talking on the flimsy things. The "normal" ones aren't too bad, but those flip phones are awefule. They feel like they're going to snap on you. I don't like how small they're getting, either. It just feels unnatural talking into something so small. Those song ring tones annoy me, too. What ever happened to the good ol ring, ring? I don't need nor want to hear the latest rendition of a Backstreet Boys song when someone receives a call. Can you tell I just love cell phones?:StickOutT

 

[DaveNay]

My cell phone is set to the loudest, most obnoxious ring tone I can find. Volume all the way up, with simultaneous vibrate and flash the display. I carry it with me 24/7, never turn it off. Movies, restaurants, doctors, factories, offices, while pumping gas....everything.

Oh yeah....I also never give the number out, so I get about three calls per month (from my wife usually).

 

[v8dave]

In my business cell phones are a fact of life. Many folks carry company phones with company e-mail on them too. Almost all of them have the phones on vibrate because the email notification is going off all the time. I try to excerise all the politeness to others, I wish they would exersise toward me when their frigging phone goes off.

I don't have email on my phone. As a consultant, I travel a lot. When I'm away from home, I have the phone with me at all times and it is always on. When I'm at home, it is on the desk or in the car. After I get set up at a client's facility, with one of their phones, my business use of the cell phone drops way off. I then get only several calls a week on my phone. So, interrupting something is rare. My ring is a bell musical tone so I can distinguish it from a neighboring ring. In meetings mine is on vibrate. On the rare occasion when I'm in a hallway conversation and my phone rings, I'll excuse myself saying "just a moment please, let me get rid of this" and push the hang-up button which forces the call to voice mail and I'll continue the in-person conversation. I will not answer the phone when I'm dealing with sales people or cashiers.

 

[OkeeDon]

My cell phone is my phone. We still have a land line because we have DSL, and because some types of applications and such require it, but it has an answering machine that we check every 2 or 3 days when we think about it. I might answer it when I'm home, but Betsy just let's it ring. Anyone she wants to talk to knows to call her cell phone; same with me.

We have Nextel service, with the direct connect -- what I call "beep beep". If you've been around someone that has it, you'll immediately recognize the chirp. We have it because around here, everyone has it. When you're in a crowd, it's hilarious -- you hear the chirp, and everyone looks at their phone. We don't pass phone numbers; we pass direct connect numbers, which have a totally different format -- like 159*57376*2. All the contractors have it (which is how I got started when I was constructing custom outdoor kitchens). All the ranchers have it (which is how my daughter got started; all the kids in her high school band have it because their Dad's have it). In an area like this, everyone is either a contractor or a rancher or is close friends to someone who is a contractor or a rancher, so everyone has Nextel.

We also have the care of my 101-year-old M-i-l, so when we're away from home, it's pretty important that the caregiver be able to reach us immediately. So, I got her a Nextel phone and pay the bill, so it will never be turned off for non-payment. When we go out to a quiet environment, like a play or concert, or a restaurant, or a seminar, etc., I put it on vibrate. If I get a call, I discreetly look to see who it is (through the built-in caller ID), and ignore them if it's not important. If it's an emergency, I quietly leave the area before taking the call.

But, if we're having a conversation, and someone calles me, I'll take the call and make you wait a moment. Most of my calls are over in a few seconds; especially with direct connect, we tend to say what we have to say quickly and get off. If we were sitting in your office and someone called you on your business phone, you'd do the same.

Direct connect is instantaneous; we can call quickly, any time something occurs to us, and get back off. Heck, out here on our combined 7-1/2 acres, we use it like an intercom. I've been known to chirp Betsy when she's on the other side of the house and I don't feel like getting up.

In other words, we love our cell phones. It's turned on 24 hours a day; it sits beside the bed, turned on, while it's charging and I'm sleeping. If something happens to my grandkids, or something happens at home when I'm staying in Okeechobee, I'm instantly available no matter where I am and what I'm doing.

 

[BadAttitude]

Ever hear a cell go off during a burial ceremony? Pathetic...
Cell phone use is now banned in CT when driving. If caught, $100 fine. They cut you some slack though. First offense...bring proof of purchase for an ear piece and they lose the fine. Been in effect for a month and I guess half the motoring public around here could give a shid...they still do it.

 

[Dargo]

I am likely one of the heavier cell phone users because of my business, and because it allows me to have a mobile office. That way, I am not be trapped in my brick and mortar office. I generally use 7k to 9k minutes per month. My cell bill looks like someone's sales catalogue. That being said, very few people ever hear my phone ring. I personally think that is very rude. My wife still can't understand this other part though; I almost always have my phone with me, and it appears that I screen my calls. The fact is I really don't.

First off, using as many minutes a month as I do, you can imagine how much my phone rings. Any ring tone annoys the crap out of me when it goes off that much!! So, the phone lives on vibrate. I used to not even take my phone out of my car, but in the last year I've lost several elderly family members, and I do have 5 kids of my own I worry about. That means that I need to be able to be reached in an emergency at all times. So that leaves the tricky part.

If I can, without causing an interruption, I'll take a peek at the caller ID to see if it is an emergency call. I actually don't even really have to do that much because I have the ring tone for specific numbers set to be a different pattern of vibrating. Mostly, I end up just reaching in my pocket to press one of the outside keys to stop the vibrating before anyone notices. Since I do take a peek at the number at times, my wife thinks I'm screening my calls and won't answer if it is someone I don't want to speak with. That is not true. Time is important to me, and if it is someone I don't want to speak with, I'd rather get it over immediately than have to call to get the number, and then call them back, go through the "sorry I missed your call" stuff etc. I return all calls, so it is more efficient to grab it immediately if I can. However, I do not answer "non-emergency" calls if I'm in the middle of a conversation with someone. That is also something I think is rude. If I'm talking with someone, I do try to give them my true attention, and answering a call during that time just isn't something I want to do.

Does that make any sense? I guess that's the long version of saying "vibrate".

 

[Doc]

Yeah, that makes sense Dargo. WOW 7k a month!!!! That is the most I've ever heard anyone use a cell. Even my kids can't match that.

 

[PineRidge]

Most of the time we keep ours off in public places. Let the voice mail get the message until we are in a quieter atmosphere, no need pissing other folks off.

 

[bczoom]

Yeah, that makes sense Dargo. WOW 7k a month!!!! That is the most I've ever heard anyone use a cell.

Doc,

I think Dargo keeps it in his front pocket and just likes the vibration
He puts his office phone on redial to his cell. :StickOutT

 

[Junkman]

7,000 minutes is about 5 24 hour days on the phone. Is one ear flatter than the other or do you switch sides?