fyi For Cell Phone Etiquette, West is Best; New Survey From Samsung Explores Attitudes of U.S. Cell Phone Users

All:

Found content: "For Cell Phone Etiquette, West is Best; New Survey From Samsung Explores Attitudes of U.S. Cell Phone Users"

My take:

Much of cellphone etiquette is in the ringer volume/mode. Since we got cellphones, I've been careful to put my phone in "vibrate" mode in most quiet indoor public environments. Then, when it vibrates with an incoming call, quickly glancing at the identity of the caller and making a snap decision to walk outside to take the call immediately (or not).

If I happen to be speaking with someone in person when a call comes in, once again, I quickly excuse myself to glance at the name/number of the incomer. If it's important enough, I excuse myself again and take it. If it's not, I put it back in my pocket and attempt to reconnect with the face-to-face, apologizing for the momentary distraction.

Generally, while taking a call in a public place, I try to turn my back from others and keep my voice reasonably low (I've got a loud voice naturally, so that's not always something I do consistently) to not make it appear like I'm "cellphoning in their faces."

I hate those invisible cellphones that consist of an ear/mouthpiece that allows someone to auto-accept an incoming call just by starting to speak. Those are unnerving if you're someone else trying to carry on a conversation with a person, or simply in the presence of a person, who's using those devices. One minute, they're seemingly talking to you or just remaining quiet. The next second, inexplicably, they start talking to themselves--no physical cellphone in their hand tips you off to the fact that they're on a call. Those devices skirt the boundaries of rudeness, just by their very design.

Cellphones should be semi-conspicuous to others.

Jim