Manners Matter: Silence Phones during Public Meetings

Dear Mary Pat,

I was sitting in a town meeting at the auditorium regarding the purchase of some property. I won’t get into that subject because it’s more complicated. My complaint is easier to explain: people in the audience not silencing their phones. It is so rude and such a distraction to hear repetitive dings and ringtones. Can you imagine the collective sounds of 500 or 600 cell phones going off at once? That would be unacceptable. Well, so are 15 to 20 cell phones at once.

Signed,

Too Much Noise

Fish Creek, Wisconsin

Dear Too Much Noise,

This is one of my biggest pet peeves as well. If you are going to use a cell phone, you must also learn how to silence that cell phone. If this is something you haven’t mastered yet, then drive to your cell phone store and have them show you. If, on the other hand, you do know how to silence your phone in public and choose not to, you are being inconsiderate to those around you.

Let’s all try to limit the noise pollution, shall we?

Good luck,

Mary Pat