Can You Hear Me Now?
| Published 10/08/04

 


Graphic by: Tim Tuley

On my way to class, I encountered one of the numerous "cell phone drivers." I proceeded with caution towards the passing lane, only to slam on my brakes as the "cell phone driver" cut me off to make a left turn with no signal light.  Reflexively, I put one hand on my horn and the other flew out the window.

After driving around for 15 minutes to find a parking place (rather elusive, aren't they?) in the front of Radford University, I gathered my belongings and headed to class. All of a sudden, a black SUV zoomed past, and I barely made it to safety on the sidewalk. As the driver made a rolling stop at the top of the hill and an illegal left turn, I saw the culprit -- yet another "cell phone driver."

I thought to myself, "Surely, this day will get better." I was beginning to sort through my mental to-do list when someone behind me started talking extremely loud. When I didn't hear any responses, I turned around to see if the poor soul was talking to herself, but no.

"Oh my God, Becky, like, last night I went to this party and there was, like, this really hot guy there. Like, totally! Like, I just went over and, like, started to talk to him. Like, I had already drank sooooo much, I was like, falling over so like, he held me up!  And, like, then, Ashley, like she and her boyfriend Drew, they went back to his place, and you know that Amanda went home over the weekend so she could like, get some extra cash from her parents, so like I realized I had the room to myself! Like, I totally made this guy walk me back to my room, and like it was amazing! His name is Nick! When I woke up with him this morning..."

Well, you get the point. It ruined my concentration. As she clicked her cell phone off and slid it into her fake Gucci purse, I shook my head in amazement as she screamed some guys name and ran over to give him a hug and proceeded to go on about some guy named Tyrone.

I sat down in my first class and welcomed the relative silence after the professor began his speech and the lights dimmed in the auditorium. Then there was the unmistakable ring of a cell phone. My professor halted his speech and gave an odd look into the audience. "Strange noises," he remarked.  Strange, indeed.

After class I walked to the fountain to meet a friend for lunch. On the way, at any given point, I could count at least five people on a cell phone. Oddly enough, all conversations were extremely loud and I could hear the word "like," "hung over" or the words "drunken party" used repeatedly.

If I were to make a generalization of cell phone users from what is heard on campus, they'd all be ditzy and/or alcoholics. It makes me wonder if these people even know the real meaning of "like" anymore.

After lunch, I decided to head to the library and type this article while my frustrations were still fresh in my head. Sitting down at my computer, I heard the girl beside me say, "Hello?"  She proceeded into a conversation about buying a dress to wear to somewhere important, discussing the size, and then asking if she could return it. This was the epitome or rudeness within a library.

After my last class, I will be heading off to work as a cashier and stocker at the Dollar Tree. I enjoy my work. I am always nice to my customers, and I expect the same respect back. However, I do have those rude individuals who do not grace me with a "Hello," but instead have their cell phones glued to the side of their heads as they talk away about where they've been, where they're at now and where they are going.

Now, I am not a cell phone prude, but I do believe in respectful cell phone use. When I'm on the highway, I don't want to have to watch out for those of you on your cell phones make rash decisions while trying to do two things at once. In other activities during my day, I do not need to hear about the guy or girl you met last night, the drunken party you went to or what you're going to be doing after you get off of the phone. Doesn't anyone believe in privacy anymore?

The girl beside me is on her phone again. It's time for me to go. 

 

Responses:
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Name: Leigh Anne
Comments:
Oh, I'm not blaming the inanimate objects... I said I believe in respectful cell phone use. And, of course, in the case of an emergency such as yours, a cell phone can be a life saver. I'm all for the invention of a cell phone with a one-time fee (say $50 or so) with about a 2 or 3-hour limit on it, no expiration, just for emergency's such as that. Enlighten me if this has already been marketed. I own a TracPhone that I used maybe twice, then the phone number expired (as well as my expensive phone card), so it sits alone in my room collecting dust.

Name: jenny
Comments:
Cell phone users may be irritating, but the last time I was on my cell phone in my car was last night, as I reported the license number of a car that was driving erratically and nearly ran me off the road in the thick fog. I wouldn't be so quick to blame the phones - people can be morons with or without "free nights and weekends."

Comments:
I am SOOOOO with you on this one. I'm figuring that eventually, cell phone users will be dealt with like smokers were dealt with: when enough people get fed up enough with it, they'll banish them to small rooms or designated areas outside of all public buildings. Many churches (outside the US...Mexico in particular) are installing jammers to prevent cell phone interuptions during sermons, so the technology to do this, while a little expensive now, is available. While it's currently illegal to block radio transmissions in this manner in the US, I'm sure enough public support could lead to changes in the laws. Imagine how nice it would be to sit in the library for more than 5 minutes without hearing a cell phone....mmmm....silence....