Issue Date: December 2, 2007

In this article: Tips

Etiquette

Cellphone manners: What should you do?

Expert Peggy Post makes the correct calls on our still questionable tele-behavior.

When presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani took a cellphone call from his wife during a speech to the National Rifle Association, some laughed. Others, myself included, cringed.

Cellphones are ubiquitous. On the other hand, tolerance for impolite usage is, thankfully, still scarce. There is a line between crass and civilized. Here's how to stay on the right side:

Irritated Americans are bolder and more comfortable telling cellphone abusers to keep it down.

-- Focus on your present company. For example, when dining out, the cellphone is not a utensil and shouldn't be placed by the water glass or given a seat at the table. If you expect an unavoidable or emergency phone call, let your companions know in advance. When the call comes, excuse yourself and walk outside of the restaurant to take the call.

--Don't dish. Unless you're in a phone booth (hah!), your cellphone conversation is overheard. Period. If you wear or carry anything with a corporate logo, your name or address, it's not difficult for others to glean potentially embarrassing or confidential information from your one-sided conversation.

--Watch it at work. The occasional cell call at the office is fine, but take it where your chatter won't distract co-workers. What's not OK: making and receiving personal calls on your cellphone all day. You'll alienate your co-workers, and your boss will take notice, too.

-- Shhh! Irritated Americans are bolder and more comfortable telling cellphone abusers to keep it down. If you're chatting away on the train or at the waiting room in the doctor's office, don't be surprised if you're accosted. Expect a public scolding.

Undoubtedly, the boundaries for acceptable cellphone behavior will continue to change, but consideration for those around us still should be paramount.

-- Peggy Post