Mobile Phone Etiquette

I'm generally a live and let live kind of person. As long as you don't step on my foot I won't smack you in the head.

However we need to get a handle on our mobile phone etiquette and do it soon or I might just have to punch someone. Now, don't get me wrong... as most of you know I use a mobile phone as my only phone so I'm not opposed to them just to oppose them. It's how people use them that annoys me. And it's how customer service representatives use them that makes me want to punch someone.

This morning I was buying a BART fast pass at the CalTrain station down the street from the office. The woman who was waiting on me, from behind her 3 inch thick plexiglass, was, shall we say, less than attentive. Not only was she so busy flirting with her co-worker that she barely deigned to even notice me beyond grabbing my credit card to pay for the fast pass, but while she was waiting for my card to be approved she actually picked up her mobile phone and started texting!

WTF.

I've worked in customer service in the past and as far as I'm concerned when I am standing in front of someone who's job it is to serve the public I am to be the sole focus of their attention. Don't fucking flirt with your co-worker and don't write fucking text messages on your goddamned mobile phone while I'm standing in front of you. While I'm thinking about it there is also nothing that will cause you to get a tongue lashing from me faster than actually talking on your mobile phone while you are waiting on me.

Mobile phones are one of the greatest technological advances we've made in personal communications. However we need to learn how to put them down and attend to the things that need attending to. If you've done something like this frankly, you're just not that important. Get over yourself and pay attention to what you're doing. Or, as the bumper sticker says: "Shut up and drive."