TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: USATODAY.com - Airborne Cell-Phone Ban Likely to Remain For Now

Re: USATODAY.com - Airborne Cell-Phone Ban Likely to Remain For Now

Mark Crispin (mrc@CAC.Washington.EDU)
Sat, 18 Dec 2004 17:07:08 -0800

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004, AES/newspost wrote:

> * And of course finally the "Charles Bronson response": Bring a large
> battery-powered "boombox" tape deck with a really annoying musical
> selection as your carryon, and if the cellphone noise pollution around
> you gets too annoying just turn it on LOUD and decline to turn it off,
> pointing out politely to neighbors and cabin crew that if the cellphone
> guys can noise pollute, so can you.

There's a better way. It's what I do with excessively long/personal
cell phone conversations on the ferries.

I start mocking their conversation, in a loud enough tone of voice
that they can hear me. Be it lawyers plotting or trophy wives
babbling, I have the appropriate offensive comments at hand to offend
them enough to tone down their conversation, terminate it, or move
away from my vicinity.

A short and/or obviously necessary phone conversation does not elicit
this response. After all, I use a cell phone myself. I would not
think of harassing someone arranging to be picked up, or learning
errands to do on the way home, etc.

It's only when they drag it out long beyond what is necessary (and
worse, use the walkie-talkie mode), to the point that it disturbs
others; and especially when the topic is inappropriate for a public
setting.

It's quite effective.

-- Mark --

http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

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