They stand beside you on the bus, sit behind you at the restaurant, drive by you on the expressway.
They are in the movie theater, the supermarket, the bathroom stall at work.
They are the bearers of cell phones, talking and texting now more than ever before.
And they–OK, we–are driving lots of people crazy.
Bad cell-phone manners consistently top lists of people’s pet peeves, mostly because they’ve become ubiquitous, experts say.
Those seeking a respite from loud talkers, annoying ringtones and distracted text messagers shouldn’t hold their breath. Cell-phone usage continues to climb.
More than 219 million people subscribed to U.S. wireless services this year–25 million more than last year, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, a non-profit representing the wireless industry.
People are talking longer, too, as competition has spurred providers to offer more anytime minutes, said Tamara Gaffney, product director and media analyst at Telephia, a consumer market research company. The average number of voice minutes used per month rose 9 percent during the past year, and text messaging increased a whopping 147 percent, Gaffney said.
Many Chicago establishments are responding to the surge by banning cell phones outright or relegating them to designated areas. Individuals, meanwhile, are writing their own rules on cell-phone etiquette.
There are obvious no-no’s, like using your phone in a theater or library or during a funeral.
But how about in the bathroom? Or in your cubicle? Or in bed–with another person? Fifteen percent of American cell-phone users have interrupted sex to answer their phones, according to a 2005 survey by advertising agency BBDO.
Arturo Monroy, 33, of West Rogers Park said it weirds him out to hear a chatting voice echoing in a bathroom stall.
“It’s gross,” Monroy said. “Not only to the person who has to listen to them talk, but to the person on the line.”
Ben Mjolsness, 26, said he can’t stand people who have loud cell-phone conversations in crowded spaces.
“It shows a complete lack of respect for everyone around you,” said Mjolsness, of Logan Square. “You hear conversations about who had sex with who last night and whose ex-boyfriend is on crack.”
People do tend to talk louder into their cell phones–“cell yell,” it’s called–because they can’t hear themselves as well, background noise and imperfect connections. Though that’s becoming less of a problem as people become accustomed to their phones, bystanders still get frustrated hearing just one side of a conversation because they feel compelled to try to fill in the blanks, said Jo Mackiewicz, assistant professor of technical communication at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
For every grumbler, there are those who think complaints about cell phones are overblown.
“Who cares?” said Brett Levy, 26, of Lakeview. “What’s the difference if you’re talking to somebody next to you or somebody on the phone?”
Enza Maddex said she couldn’t live without her cell phone, and people should be allowed to talk and let talk.
“They were created for a reason,” said Maddex, 26, who lives in Norwood Park. “I could care less what people do with their cell phones.”
For some listeners, the shift of phone conversations from the private to the public sphere can be entertaining.
“If they’re talking about something interesting, that’s not so bad,” said Rachael Timothy, 23, of Riverside.
But Timothy and her friend, Jackie Wisniewski, 26, also of Riverside, say they hate the self-important air of people who can’t tear themselves from their cell phones or BlackBerrys–or worse, who permanently sport a Bluetooth on their ear like a piece of jewelry.
“You’re not so important that you have to be on your cell phone all the time,” Wisniewski said.
Text messaging is a good alternative, Timothy said, though people overdo it when it replaces all forms of communication. It’s also disturbing to see people texting on the go.
“I’ve seen people in their cars texting,” Timothy said. “That’s just scary.”
Experts say talking on cell phones while driving is distraction enough, with cell-phone users five times more likely to get in an accident than undistracted drivers, according to some statistics. A University of Utah study found that drivers on cell phones are as impaired as drivers with a .08 blood alcohol content–the minimum level of illegal drunken driving in most states, including Illinois.
That’s not stopping people. A Harris poll published this summer found that 73 percent of people talk on their cells while driving, though that proportion dips to 45 percent in places that ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones. Chicago police had issued 10,937 citations related to the city’s hands-free law as of July 2006, a year after the law went into effect.
Cell-phone users aren’t blind to their own irritating behavior.
Mark Franklin, 28, of Maywood said he missed his train stop recently because he was distractedly jabbering on his phone.
Laura Buhr, 37, who lives in East Village, said she sometimes reads her e-mail as she walks down the street. While she doesn’t think she’s ever bumped into anyone or received dirty looks, she admits, “Maybe I’m just oblivious.”
The more we depend on cell phones, the more important it will become to mind our mobile manners, said P.M. Forni, co-founder of the Civility Project at Johns Hopkins University.
“If you use cell phones in a moderate way, you can make a person’s day or week by sending your voice through this miraculous tool that annihilates distance,” said Forni, author of “Choosing Civility.” “But when you use it for trivial calls, often made in public and disturbing the quiet of others, the use of cell phones becomes problematic and a source of noise pollution.”
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aelejalderuiz@tribune.com
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BEHAVE YOURSELF
Indispensable and inescapable, cell phones have become the most annoying devices we can’t live without. In a University of Michigan study published last year, 83 percent of cell-phone users said their phones have made their lives easier–surpassing the Internet–while 60 percent said cell phones are irritating.
To manage this love-hate relationship, experts say people should understand the boundaries of acceptable cell-phone use. Here are some tips from LetsTalk, an online wireless retailer, and etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of “The Jerk with a Cell Phone” and “New Rules at Work.”
— Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, RedEye
Don’t text and drive. It’s far more distracting than talking on a cell phone and driving, which is illegal in Chicago unless you use a hands-free device. If you need to text while walking, make sure you’re not in danger of running into people–or traffic.
Remember to mute. Whenever you’re in a situation where a ringing phone might bother people, turn off the phone’s ringer or put it on vibrate.
Put the phone away. If you’re sitting down for a meal or meeting with someone, don’t have the phone sitting on the table in front of you. It looks like you’re waiting for someone better to come along. And take that Bluetooth off your ear when you’re not using it.
Avoid a tell-all. If people are within earshot, limit your conversation to the bare essentials, and save the juicy details for a time when you’re alone.
Watch the ringtone. People expect a phone to ring, but they don’t expect OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” to suddenly come bleating out of your back pocket. Pick a ringtone that’s appropriate for your environment.
Check your volume. People on cell phones, and particularly with hands-free devices, tend to yell into the air in front of them. Lower your voice or move to a quieter place to make your call.
Prioritize the person you’re with. If your cell phone rings while you are talking to someone in person, do not answer. Also, don’t text message or make a call when you’re with someone who expects your attention, be it a co-worker or a grocery store clerk.
