The problem with cell phones...

This is in response to John's weekend assignment, in which he refers to the YouTube video of an angry professor reacting to a student answering a cell phone during his lecture class.

Weekend Assignment #132: Was that professor justified in doing what he did? Have people completely lost all sense of courtesy when it comes to their cell phones?

                         

 

I don't think people in general have forgotten their courtesy when it comes to their cell phones. I think, for many of us, having a cell phone is something new and we may forget to turn the ring off. Forget is the key word. Not intentional.

I haven't gotten into a familiar routine myself in regard to my cell phone. My husband and I take turns carrying it around. We determine who should keep it by which one of us is on the road, or which one of us will need the phone to make long distance phone calls, or which one of us is away from the house while the other is at the house.

Sometimes I take it to school with me, to church, shopping, a trip to a distant locale ... anytime I'm going to be away from home. So, there is no routine established, no habits about where I keep it. As a result, sometimes when I'm supposed to have it with me, I forget to bring it. Likewise, when I have it with me, I may forget I have it and forget to turn the ring off. I have found myself remembering to turn the ring off just as church service starts, or just as the kids come into class, or just as I sit down for a staff meeting or workshop. I have never had the phone ring during a workshop, class, or church service... yet. I dread the embarrassment I will feel if it rings in church or at a workshop.

Most speakers I've seen have been very patient about the annoying ring during their presentations. Most will announce a gentle reminder before they begin speaking to turn off all pagers and phones. When the ring is heard, and usually at least one phone will ring, most speakers will ignore it. I've seen only one education speaker from out of state, at my teacher orientation in 1999, actually go anywhere near ballistic... and he simply stared with effective disdain after the person who meekly left the room to answer her phone.

Sure I sympathize with the speaker, but I also sympathize with the woman who may have had to take that call, may have had kids at home, or someone in the hospital, or any number of stressful emergencies that required her to tend to the ringing phone. Maybe her phone was new and she didn't know how to cut the ringer off. There are a lot of ifs.

I don't think people are blatantly rude in these situations.

If this video is not staged, and if the professor had previously warned his students about the cell phone, his reaction may be not entirely appropriate, but perhaps understandable. I think taking the phone away was enough, but throwing it on the floor with such a display of anger was a bit over the top. The man had lost it. I understand his anger, but not his response. 

Of course, we don't know the circumstances of the situation. How many times had the professor had to deal with that same student taking phone calls before this incident? I'd say he was justified in throwing it to the floor if the student had blatantly disregarded previous requests to turn off the cell phones.

Extra credit: One time I answered my phone while I was driving. This was early in my days as a new cell phone owner. I nearly ran into the back of another car because I had taken my eyes off the road trying to figure out how to answer the call. I kept pressing the wrong buttons. Fortunately, good brake technology in the car prevented the accident.

How do you respond to the weekend assignment question? 

Comment here, make an entry in your journal, or leave a comment in Scalzi's journal, By The Way.

Thanks for visiting!

Bea

Tags: Angry Professor, cell phones, Weekend Assignment #132