Referendum to ban cell phone in a small BC town.

[Crucial]

You kids get off my lawn!

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Talking in the car is one thing. But I never understood why people get upset about someone having a (reasonably volumed) conversation in a public place. If someone is siting at a restaurant alone on their cell phone, but not talking any louder than if they were talking to someone sitting across from them....how is that worse than if there WAS someone across from them? in essence its less overall noise because you don't hear the response.

Naturally there are douches that have their ringer on in public places, shout into their phone, don't pay attention to what they're doing, etc...I'm talking about those that don't do that.

I think the percentage of people who yell into their cell phone is much (probably 10 times) higher than the percentage of people who yell at the person sitting 2 feet from them. I hate being 6 tables away from someone at a restaurant and still being able to pick up every single word of their conversation. This has happened a couple of times with people yelling to the person at their table and probably 30+ times with someone yelling into their cell phone.

It also frustrates me when people talk on their cell phone at times that they would not talk to that person if they were simply with them. An example would be checking out at a grocery store while talking on a cell phone and not saying (or hearing) one word to the cashier. I find that very rude and is something that I've only witnessed with a cell-phone conversation rather than a face-to-face conversation.

 

[Deeko]

....you've never witnessed someone talking to another person while checking out at a grocery store?

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Deeko
....you've never witnessed someone talking to another person while checking out at a grocery store?

I've never witnessed someone so wrapped up in their conversation with another person that they completely ignore the cashier. i.e. They say hello to the cashier when it's their turn and usually say thank you when they are finished. I've witnessed several people on their cell phone not say a single word to the cashier even if the cashier attempts to talk to them.

Edit: The thing I hate the most about how people use their cell phones is that they give more importance to the person on the phone than the people surrounding them. I've witnessed people speaking on their cell phone for 20 minutes at a restaurant while the one person they're with has to sit there and be quiet.

 

[sandorski]

I've been through New Denver many times years ago. It's a nice mountain town at the edge of a lake in the middle of nowhere. It's their choice, some of their reasons are tinfoil worthy, others are sound.

As for the cost not being worth it, as someone mentioned: The whole area is Tourist country, so Cell coverage has its' advantages from Telus's perspective.

On the flipside of this, the City of Nanaimo British Columbia(the originator of Nanaimo Bars) is now considered to be the most Googlized city on Earth. Using Google Earth a city resident can access all kinds of information from Property Lines, to buried Cables locations, to see City Works schedules, and even to locate where Emergency vehicles are headed.

 

[Parasitic]

Bleh, nothing new. Just another NIMBY community.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: OhSnap688
They better have pay phones around everywhere in case of emergencies.

The world got by for a long time without these electronic leashes known as cell phones. I hate the dammed things, and probably hate the [inconsiderate] users more than the devices themselves.

I hope the town wins, but I also know they won't.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

If my town or state had a vote like this, I'd show up in favor of banning cell phone use. Or atleast ban them in public areas and while driving. I am fed up of having to listen top people talk about things that do not matter while buying tampons at hte grocery store.

 

[Jhill]

It's not the cell phones, it's the fucking idiots that don't have any matters in public places.

 

[imported_Baloo]

Wow that's a lot of bad grammar. Someone re-write the article it with corrections highlighted and email it to the writer.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: FDF12389
What health issues?

radio waves > brain > hordes of stoned pensioner zombies

pretty serious if you ask me.

Yeah, well I happen to own stock in a few companies which manufacture shotguns and pointy garden equipment. A zombie horde would do wonders for their sales. Stop being so selfish.

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: Deeko
....you've never witnessed someone talking to another person while checking out at a grocery store?

I've never witnessed someone so wrapped up in their conversation with another person that they completely ignore the cashier. i.e. They say hello to the cashier when it's their turn and usually say thank you when they are finished. I've witnessed several people on their cell phone not say a single word to the cashier even if the cashier attempts to talk to them.

Edit: The thing I hate the most about how people use their cell phones is that they give more importance to the person on the phone than the people surrounding them. I've witnessed people speaking on their cell phone for 20 minutes at a restaurant while the one person they're with has to sit there and be quiet.

I'm going to guess that you've never been a cashier.
I had people largely ignore me, without even the benefit of having someone else beside them to talk to, even on the rare occasions when I had pants on.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: OhSnap688
They better have pay phones around everywhere in case of emergencies.

The world got by for a long time without these electronic leashes known as cell phones.

The world also got by for a long time without electricity or automobiles. That doesn't negate the benefits that they give us, just like it doesn't negate the benefit of having a cell phone in case of an emergency.

On a side note I remember reading an article in Outside Magazine that made all these complaints about having cell towers in a secluded area of nature. However, at the end of the article, the author used her cell phone to call the helicopter to come and get her. I don't think I've ever read anything so hypocritical.

I bet a lot of the townspeople who voted against the cell tower would have cell phones within a few years of the tower being installed.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: DrPizza

?It's just another of those gizmos that change the way we act as human beings.?

Yep.

like a light bulb?

Great point! The lightbulb certainly affected the way we behaved as human beings. So, let me clarify the difference: while I have lightbulbs and power tools available, I attempt to be considerate to those around me. I don't operate shop tools at 3am and disturb my neighbors. When the lightbulb was invented, people were still rather considerate of those around them. That, in part, shaped how we actually used that invention.

Unfortunately, people today are less considerate of those around them. 15 years ago, hardly anyone had cell phones. Now, it's impossible to go to a movie, see a play, enjoy a nice dinner at a nice restaurant, etc., without that experience being interupted by someone using a cell phone.

So, I'll move away from the quote and post something more accurate:

"It's just another on of those gizmos that result in people being more annoying and less considerate of the people around them."

 

[Deadtrees]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Bleh, nothing new. Just another NIMBY community.

NIMBY doesn't apply in this situation.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
So, I'll move away from the quote and post something more accurate:

"It's just another on of those gizmos that result in people being more annoying and less considerate of the people around them."

A "dickweed amplifier," of sorts.

 

[MotionMan]

Every time they use the term villagers in the article (which may be accurate), I cannot help but picture the opening scene from Shrek with pitch forks and torches.

MotionMan