A few countries have started blocking cell phones and I can only hope that the US will follow suit.
Last week, the French industry minister approved a decision last week to let theaters (movie and live) and concert halls install cell phone jammers, as long as emergency calls can still be made. Churches in Mexico, the Indian parliament building, Italian universities, and Japanese commuter trains are all quieter thanks to cell phone bans, which can only be a good thing - full story.
I just got my cell phone a couple months ago, and I have to say that I don't see what the big deal is. Yes, it has come in handy on a few occasions - picking people up from the airport, calling my husband to see if he needs anything at the hardware store, etc., but most of the calls I make and receive are unessential. If I didn't have the phone, it would be no big deal. And from what I hear from the cell phone users around me, I'd say I'm not in the minority. During a two-hour train ride, a teenage girl near me called no fewer than 25 people to let them know that she "got the job! Ten bucks an hour!" Was that really necessary?
But I really don't have a problem with cell phones - they are great and handy and in an emergency they'd be a godsend. I just don't want to hear them ringing when I've paid money to see a play or movie, or at a wedding or funeral (yes, I have actually heard them at both). So I think these cell phone bans in other countries are a good idea, especially the French system which allows emergency calls to go through (I don't know if other countries have this as well). I hope the US is looking into them as well.
Laura K. Lawless
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Article comments
1 - Jackie Traw
I will be going out today to purchase your book.
On Nov. 10, 2003, my 21 year old son C.J. was killed in a traffic accident caused by a driver being destracted by his cell phone. He did not notice that rush hour traffic and come to a stop in front of him. My son died at the scene.
I am now advocating a cell phone ban while driving in the state of Arizona.
It is my goal to educate drivers of the dangers while honoring my sons memory. I believe your book may do the same.
2 - LKL
Jackie -
I'm very sorry - what a terrible tragedy.
I agree about driving and talking on the cell phone. I can see why it would be useful at times - asking for directions, etc., but people who just chat for the sake of chatting are risking not only their own lives but those of everyone else on the road. I expect to see a lot of new legislation in the next few years. Cell phones are a big part of life, like it or not, and now they need to be regulated.
3 - Mac Diva
Laura, you are on to something. There is some weird psychological stuff that goes on with cell phones. At first they were symbols of affluence. More than a decade ago I worked at a law firm where one of the senior partners would take this monster of a cell phone every where with him. The catch was he did not know how to use it. Now, I think they have become symbols or being involved or popular. But, when observing people, I sometimes get the feeling that just the opposite is true. The person nattering away on the bus or train seems too talkative for there to be someone on the other end. Those snippet calls you mentioned. I suspect the caller knows that she is intruding and makes it fast before she is told to bug off. Then there is the nature of so much cell phone conversation -- vacuous. I have not checked on research on the psychology of cell phone use, but am curious about it. I have a suspicion that it is different than use of regular phones in a lot of ways.