Thread: Servers Strike Back -- Cell Phone Usage

On Jun 21, 9:25*am, "The Ranger" <cuhulain...@yahoo.moc> wrote:
> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?
>
> The Ranger

walk out of the joint.

harriet & critters (j j who is still sleeping; and faddy tabby catty
who demands her breakfast every morning beginning at 6:30 AM)

The Ranger wrote:

> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?
>


Go ahead and order the food. Then call him every 3 minutes asking
where your food is.

On Jun 21, 11:25*am, "The Ranger" <cuhulain...@yahoo.moc> wrote:
> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?
>
> The Ranger

I've seen people that have what I call "cell phone twitch", where they
have their hand up along side their face and don't even have a cell
phone in their hand!! But it looks like they are using their cell
phone. It's just a nervous habit.

And don't even get me STARTED about those Blue Tooth earpiece devices!
Borg, each and every last one of 'em!! "Resistance is futile, you will
be assimilated!"

John Kuthe...

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:53:19 -0700 (PDT), John Kuthe
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Jun 21, 11:25*am, "The Ranger" <cuhulain...@yahoo.moc> wrote:
>> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
>> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
>> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
>> your order?
>>
>> The Ranger
>
>I've seen people that have what I call "cell phone twitch", where they
>have their hand up along side their face and don't even have a cell
>phone in their hand!! But it looks like they are using their cell
>phone. It's just a nervous habit.
>
>And don't even get me STARTED about those Blue Tooth earpiece devices!
>Borg, each and every last one of 'em!! "Resistance is futile, you will
>be assimilated!"
>
>John Kuthe...

I usually shut my phone off entering a restaurant, just as I do when
at a theatre. Nothing worse than being in a nice restaurant having a
conversation and some assholes phone rings, and rings, and rings.
I'd like to see someone take the offenders phone and drop it in their
soup (just once)
In the car I have a hands free that slides on my rear view mirror,
as the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
no one is ready). This allows me to keep my eyes peeled for fools on
their phones wandering in and out of my lane.

The Ranger wrote:
> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?
>
> The Ranger
>
>
Walk out but be sure to let the manager know why I did.

On Jun 21, 12:25*pm, "The Ranger" <cuhulain...@yahoo.moc> wrote:
> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?


Get up and find Le Manager.

On Jun 21, 1:08*pm, "--> Stu" <reci...@foodforu.ca> wrote:

the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
> no one is ready).

I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.

--> Stu wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:53:19 -0700 (PDT), John Kuthe
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Jun 21, 11:25 am, "The Ranger" <cuhulain...@yahoo.moc> wrote:
>>> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
>>> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
>>> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
>>> your order?
>>>
>>> The Ranger
>> I've seen people that have what I call "cell phone twitch", where they
>> have their hand up along side their face and don't even have a cell
>> phone in their hand!! But it looks like they are using their cell
>> phone. It's just a nervous habit.
>>
>> And don't even get me STARTED about those Blue Tooth earpiece devices!
>> Borg, each and every last one of 'em!! "Resistance is futile, you will
>> be assimilated!"
>>
>> John Kuthe...
>
> I usually shut my phone off entering a restaurant, just as I do when
> at a theatre. Nothing worse than being in a nice restaurant having a
> conversation and some assholes phone rings, and rings, and rings.
> I'd like to see someone take the offenders phone and drop it in their
> soup (just once)

Exactly, I am a heavy cellphone user but I know what voicemail is for. I
shut the phone off or at least put it in manner mode.
Part of the reason of going to a restaurant is to get away. Those
attention seeking folks with the loud annoying ringtones are just plain
rude and crude.

> In the car I have a hands free that slides on my rear view mirror,
> as the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
> no one is ready). This allows me to keep my eyes peeled for fools on
> their phones wandering in and out of my lane.

Kalmia wrote:
> On Jun 21, 1:08 pm, "--> Stu" <reci...@foodforu.ca> wrote:
>
> the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
>> no one is ready).
>
> I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.
>
Naw, we are turning into nanny states with feel good laws. The three
neighboring states have "hands free" laws and ours is supposed to be
next. But police can already cite you without any additional laws if
they observe you weaving etc. Should we also have laws that we can't
change the station on the radio or talk to a vehicle occupant too?

In article <[email protected]>,
"The Ranger" <[email protected]> wrote:

> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to put down their phone,
> let alone turn it off, while dining out. What would you do if a server
> walked up to your table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
> your order?
>
> The Ranger

I think you're reaching. Has it ever happened to you?
(I'd be tempted to call the restaurant after getting the server's name
and explain why I was leaving.)

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - good news 4-6-2009
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:24:34 -0400, George <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Kalmia wrote:
>> On Jun 21, 1:08 pm, "--> Stu" <reci...@foodforu.ca> wrote:
>>
>> the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
>>> no one is ready).
>>
>> I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.
>>
>Naw, we are turning into nanny states with feel good laws. The three
>neighboring states have "hands free" laws and ours is supposed to be
>next. But police can already cite you without any additional laws if
>they observe you weaving etc. Should we also have laws that we can't
>change the station on the radio or talk to a vehicle occupant too?


No, but if you're driving with undue care and caution while engrossed
in your cell phone conversation, you need someone to step in with
either a hefty fine or a more serious charge affecting your privilege
to drive before more are killed.

Imagine you are coming home and the cell phone rings, it's your wife
wanting you to stop at the market. You and her get into a heated
arguement, you are distracted and run someone down at a crosswalk.
Not just their life is over but your's as well.

I think it's a good law.

In article <[email protected]>,
"--> Stu" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I usually shut my phone off entering a restaurant, just as I do when
> at a theatre.

Not me. I carry it in my, uh, cleavage, on 'vibrate' mode. And hope
like hell someone calls. "-) The ringtone is so annoying.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - good news 4-6-2009
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria

Melba's Jammin' <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> In article <[email protected]>, "The
> Ranger" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> We've all seen those customers that just can't seem to
>> put down their phone, let alone turn it off, while dining
>> out. What would you do if a server walked up to your
>> table talking on his or her cell phone and offered to take
>> your order?
>>
> I think you're reaching. Has it ever happened to you?

"It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable,
vomitous mass [..] But, then again..."



> (I'd be tempted to call the restaurant after getting the server's name
> and explain why I was leaving.)

As you removed it from its hiding place in front of said manager or server?

The Ranger

Kalmia <[email protected]> wrote in news:01b5211e-cc31-43ac-ae41-
[email protected]:

> I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.

California has such a law. It's a joke - never enforced.

George <[email protected]> wrote in news:h1lqcl$ef$1@news.eternal-
september.org:

> Should we also have laws that we can't
> change the station on the radio or talk to a vehicle occupant too?
>

That is a completely different thing. The brain is capable of multitasking
in it's normal environment. We are surrounded by sounds that do not
distract us from what we are doing. Most people are able to drive while
talking to a passenger, changing the radio, etc.

A cellphone is completely different - the cellphone conversation demands
most of the brain's attention. I cannot count the number of times I've seen
cellphone impaired drivers do absolutely mindnumbingly stupid things.

And, yes, they are impaired. A University of Utah study found that the
average person when talking on a cellphone is as impaired as if they have
had three drinks. That will put you over the limit in most states.

elaich <[email protected]> wrote in message news:h1lt2k$5a7$[email protected]..
> Kalmia <[email protected]> wrote in news:01b5211e-cc31-43ac-ae41-
> [email protected]:
>
>> I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.
>
> California has such a law. It's a joke - never enforced.

Oh. Yes. It. Is.

If you don't believe it, give the CHP a chance to enlighten you by driving
down 101 during the afternoon commute. Those that think they're above the
law and that abuse the commuter lane are also a favorite target.

The Ranger

"The Ranger" <[email protected]> writes:

> What would you do if a server walked up to your table talking on his
> or her cell phone....

Nothing to even remotely annoy the server. That only invites
food-based retaliation. The 2 cent tip is brilliantly simple and
devastatingly effective in relaying your feelings.

nb

> Stu wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:24:34 -0400, George <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Kalmia wrote:
>>> On Jun 21, 1:08 pm, "--> Stu" <reci...@foodforu.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>> the law ( no talking on handheld cell phone) is coming soon ( and
>>>> no one is ready).
>>> I envy you. You have some legislators with b--ls.
>>>
>> Naw, we are turning into nanny states with feel good laws. The three
>> neighboring states have "hands free" laws and ours is supposed to be
>> next. But police can already cite you without any additional laws if
>> they observe you weaving etc. Should we also have laws that we can't
>> change the station on the radio or talk to a vehicle occupant too?
>
>
> No, but if you're driving with undue care and caution while engrossed
> in your cell phone conversation, you need someone to step in with
> either a hefty fine or a more serious charge affecting your privilege
> to drive before more are killed.
>

Why? It's already against the law to drive recklessly. Should there be a
law for every single reason you might drive recklessly? No driving with
an annoying two-year-old in the car? No driving while you're worried
about being laid off? No driving while your foot hurts?

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue is here!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

elaich wrote:
> George <[email protected]> wrote in news:h1lqcl$ef$1@news.eternal-
> september.org:
>
>> Should we also have laws that we can't
>> change the station on the radio or talk to a vehicle occupant too?
>>
>
> That is a completely different thing. The brain is capable of multitasking
> in it's normal environment. We are surrounded by sounds that do not
> distract us from what we are doing. Most people are able to drive while
> talking to a passenger, changing the radio, etc.

Not true, and it's also not true that the hands-free option is safer.

Below are some exerpts from
http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/i...ce/cellphones/
(I'll let folks read the rest for themselves). Those who want their
ObFood can read the next paragraph and skip the OT stuff that follows.

ObFood: Today, I need to bake bread, and I want to do something
different. Thinking of adding caramelized onions to my regular loaf, but
might go searching for something fun. Any ideas?

Serene



# Motorists who use cellphones while driving are four times as likely to
get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to a
study of drivers in Perth, Australia, conducted by the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety. The results, published in July 2005,
suggest that banning hand-held phone use will not necessarily improve
safety if drivers simply switch to hand-free phones. The study found
that injury crash risk didn't vary with type of phone.

# Many studies have shown that using hand-held cellphones while driving
can constitute a hazardous distraction. However, the theory that
hands-free sets are safer has been challenged by the findings of several
studies. A study from researchers at the University of Utah, published
in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors, the quarterly journal of the
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, concludes that talking on a
cellphone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, even if the
phone is a hands-free model. An earlier study by researchers at the
university found that motorists who talked on hands-free cellphones were
18 percent slower in braking and took 17 percent longer to regain the
speed they lost when they braked.

# A September 2004 study from the NHTSA found that drivers using
hand-free cellphones had to redial calls 40 percent of the time,
compared with 18 percent for drivers using hand-held sets, suggesting
that hands-free sets may provide drivers with a false sense of ease.

# A study released in April 2006 found that almost 80 percent of crashes
and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention
within three seconds of the event. The study, The 100-Car Naturalistic
Driving Study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), breaks
new ground. (Earlier research found that driver inattention was
responsible for 25 to 30 percent of crashes.) The new study found that
the most common distraction is the use of cellphones, followed by
drowsiness. However, cellphone use is far less likely to be the cause of
a crash or near-miss than other distractions, according to the study.
For example, while reaching for a moving object such as a falling cup
increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times, talking or
listening on a hand-held cellphone only increased the risk by 1.3 times.
The study tracked the behavior of the 241 drivers of 100 vehicles for
more than one year. The drivers were involved in 82 crashes, 761
near-crashes and 8,295 critical incidents.

# These findings confirm an August 2003 report from the AAA Foundation
for Traffic Safety that concluded that drivers are far less distracted
by their cellphones than by other common activities, such as reaching
for items on the seat or glove compartment or talking to passengers.
That study was based on the analysis of videotapes from cameras
installed in the vehicles of 70 drivers in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue is here!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory