Cell Phone - Help or Hindrance?

What do you find annoying? Have you ever been in a nice restaurant having a quite dinner when someone’s cell phone rings? It's bad enough that the phone rings, but then the person holds a long and somewhat loud conversation, complete with loud laughs at some joke the person on the other end of the line has told him. The same thing happens in the theater, lecture hall, concert and other places where people are trying to listen.

Cell phones are annoying and distracting. If you sit or stand at busy corner and watch the traffic go by you will see 70% to 80% of the drivers passing by are talking on a cell phone. Most of them are unaware of the traffic condition around them. There have been times when a distracted driver has narrowly missed a pedestrian in a cross walk, and on occasion almost hitting someone on the sidewalk simply because they were to interested in their phone conversation to pay attention to their driving.

Ok, I know that the cell phone has done many great things, they have been used to call in emergencies. If it had not been for the cell phone the ambulance would not have gotten there in time to save someones life. So I do see some of the advantages of owning and using a mobile phone. The convenience is fantastic. You can call anyone, anywhere, and at any time, from any place, provided the person you are calling has a phone.

But what does this convenience cost? It usually comes with a very hefty price tag attached, if you are to ask me. I don't necessarily mean in dollars. When you stop and think about it, you can never be without someone being able to reach out and get a hold of you...you are never alone, no solitude. You can't do any meditation, you can't contemplate the world and all of its meanings. You have come to the age of the cell phone.

In the not to distant past you thought nothing about striking out across country without a phone. You didn't even know where the nearest pay phone was located. Now you won't drive two blocks to the 7-11 without your cell phone.

Earlier I alluded to having dinner in a nice restaurant and having it spoiled by someone at the next table receiving a call on their cell phone. But what about when you're having that romantic moment and its your cell phone that goes off. Most people are not going to ignore it. They are going to answer it, and in many cases they are going to hold a fairly long conversation, basically ignoring the person they are with. All I can say is...That is rude, and besides, now how are you going get back into the moment?

I also said that cell phones are annoying and distracting, besides being annoying, distracting and sometimes dangerous, you have some people that also use the cell phone to invade your privacy. With the new camera phones you may have someone taking candid pictures of you and your family, or your children. With all of the predators in our society you don't want people snapping pictures of your children.

We can only hope that the person sitting next to you will use some discretion and be somewhat courteous with the use of his cell phone, and of course, you don't want to meet that person coming down the road, chatting on the cell phone, you know their mind isn't 100% on their driving. Maybe the "Golden Rule" would apply well here when we are using our cell phone.