TripAdvisor: Cell phone yakker lets manners fly away
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Question: I totally understand that people occasionally have to make or answer a phone call while they're waiting near an airport gate. But don't you think it's kind of inconsiderate to sit there talking on your cell phone for 30 minutes or more? This woman sitting behind me yesterday first called some store to complain about bad service, then called a friend to talk about a blind date she went on last weekend. I couldn't help hearing every single word. The gate was crowded, and I had a good seat near the door, so I didn't want to move, but I just couldn't believe someone would sit there and talk on and on like that.
Answer: How annoying. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it. Knowing when to exercise personal restraint is one of the fundamental principles of etiquette. Yes, it's rude to make long, nonessential cellphone calls when others are in earshot. The woman sitting behind you should have moved to an empty gate to make those calls. Or she should have done the old-fashioned thing and waited until she was in the privacy of her own home or office. Short calls at the gate (or on the plane before takeoff or after landing, for that matter)? Fine, as long as you're not cursing a blue streak or discussing something nasty, like your recent bout with stomach flu. But if you know you're going to be on the phone for a while, don't force everyone around you to listen in.
That said, I understand not wanting to move out of your seat, but did you turn around and give Chatty Cathy a "Hey, you're bugging me" look? This also would have been a good time to break out some headphones and drown her out with music.
Question: Is it wrong to swipe an uneaten roll from someone else's room-service tray? I got to my hotel very late last night, and wanted to order room service, but the kitchen had closed for the day. Someone across the hall had left a tray out, and the bread basket seemed completely untouched. It was quite tempting. I felt like Oliver Twist.
Answer: Yeah, those rolls might look untouched, but how do you know the person across the hall didn't sneeze on them or something? And furthermore, if you're staying in a hotel nice enough to offer room service, you are hardly a Dickensian orphan. Just call the front desk for advice. Most hotels have vending machines, a gift shop, a nearby convenience store or, at the very least, the phone number of a pizza shop that delivers.
First Published January 29, 2012 12:00 am
