Cell Phones Turn People Into Idiots

My friend calls. Terrific. I haven't heard from her in a while.

"Hi there!" I say.

"Hold a sec . . . "

TWO TACOS. HOLD THE LETTUCE. UHM. YEAH. LARGE DRINK.

"So, how've you been doing?" I ask.

YEAH. HOT SAUCE.

"OK. Yeah. Things have been going great. How about you?"

By this time, I'm thinking about hanging up. I do, however, stick it out as the conversation continues down the road with my friend driving, changing the radio channel, and crunching on a taco. This is, after all, someone I care about.

I'm thinking . . . "If you don't have five minutes to call other than while ordering drive through food and driving and eating, then why bother?"

I can only imagine how it feels to be the cashier at the fast food joint who gets to listen to part of the private conversation at the speaker and then at the window along with the yelled order and extra requests.

It never ceases to amaze me when I stop by the BP to get gas or quick items and the person in front of me spends the entire transaction on the cell phone gabbing with a friend as though the person processing the order does not exist. Seriously now, it would take a couple of minutes to pay for an item and GASP to say "Hello" and "Thanks" to the cashier. Then again, the cashier may be lucky that he or she does not have to interact with an idiot who considers such behavior appropriate.

Cell phones are great. You can call if an emergency comes up. You can check to see that a loved one made it safely to his or her destination. If you need to double check to find out if you need to get milk at the grocery, you can call from the parking lot and check about that.

Unfortunately, many people must think that having a cell phone conversation takes place in some personal little private bubble. They tune out the rest of the world, so perhaps they think the rest of us can do so too.

Frankly, I'm tired of hearing someone carry on an argument with a girlfriend or boyfriend in the check out line, gossip in the waiting room at the doctor's office, or gush about who knows what at the park.