What's next, folks banning cell phones in bars? In one UK Pub, yes.

[The Straight Story]

Landlord bans mobiles in his pub

Mr Walker says customers' meals should not be interrupted by phones

Landlord Harry Walker has banned the use of mobile phones in his pub and ordered people using them to go outside with the smokers, whatever the weather.

He said it was anti-social and he will refuse to serve anyone who breaks his rule in the Court Inn in Durham.

His customers said they welcomed the peace and quiet the ban brought.

"When a group of four or six people come in here for a meal they don't want to be disturbed by phones ringing," he said. "It is as bad as smoking."

Mr Walker added: "It's just bad manners. It's disrespectful to others to make them listen to your conversations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/8232798.stm

Don't like it don't go to....oh wait, people are forced to go to certain bars, we should make a law against pub owners doing such things.

[Eric J in MN]

1. I don't care if people around me are talking on the phone.

And I don't get people who think it's rude.

Why should I care if a guy at another table in a restaurant is talking to a friend sitting near him or talking to a friend on a phone?

[Ron Green]

2. In my experience it's very different.

Just as a cell phone-using driver's mind is not on the road or even in his own car, a mobile-talker is shouting into a device, heedless of those around him. Compare that to a conversation in a restaurant in which both parties are within the environment and (presumably) aware of the appropriateness of their volume.

[Eric J in MN]

8. It hasn't been my experience that people talking on a cellphone near me...

...usually shout.

[Darth_Kitten]

16. Because they are always SHOUTING, and it's plain rude.....

I'm not paying 50 bucks to hear some guy say "huh, what, etc" on his phone, or some women yelling at her kids for the 10,000 time that day.

You try digesting properly with a headache.

[Orsino]

17. Yeah. If someone's being loud to the point of rudeness...

...why should I care whether there was a cell phone involved? If someone's considerate enough to keep the volume civil, why shouldn't he keep using his cell?

Zero tolerance is an excuse to stop thinking and interacting with others.

[enlightenment]

3. Good for him!

It's the ringing as much as the talking, though the talking is bad enough.

[kestrel91316]

7. The problem is, people conversing in public tend to LOWER their voices.

People on cell phones generally RAISE theirs.

[enlightenment]

14. I agree.

I despise the damned things, myself . . . the phones, not the people. Well, sometimes I intensely dislike the people on the phones . . .

Whatever. You get the gist of it, I'm sure. :)

[el_bryanto]

4. Cell phones are evil!

In my opinion.

But mostly in cars; in restaurants they can be annoying, particularly when the person has a bad connection and just keeps talking louder and louder until you want to go over and deep fry his cellphone.

Bryant

[xchrom]

5. i wish more restaurants would do that.

it's really bad when at a table of two or more -- everyone is their phone yakking away -- turned away from the people at the table -- sometimes i feel like their talking to me when their turned in my direction.

it gets creepy.

[kestrel91316]

6. I applaud Mr. Walker. I can't stand clueless twits who have no idea how

disruptive their personal conversations, shouted into a device of any sort, are to those around them.

It's just rude.

I don't allow cell phones or pagers to be on in my exam rooms. I got tired of clients with no manners taking a call when I was mid-sentence, discussing their cat's medical issues.

[Creena]

13. Ugh, I hated when that happened!

One of my first experiences as a vet assistant was two rambunctious kittens and a chatty owner. There was me...trying to take temperatures, weigh the furballs, and get a history with one kitten climbing on my head and the other hanging off my leg, while the owner screeched away about the wait.

The veterinarian finally banned cell phones when he gave a very long speech to a dog owner about vaccinations, dental care, nail trimming, etc., and the guy missed it all because he was on his Bluetooth the whole time.

[marybourg]

9. I've pretty much stopped eating lunch out due to thoughtless

people using restaurants as their office at lunchtime, including the UPS driver who reviews his whole delivery list (with his supervisor?) in the local breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, yelling the whole time.

[MISSDem]

10. I wish they would ban cell phones in public, period.

How tedious they are.

[Vidar]

11. I have no problem with this. When calling from a a bar, I always walked away from the

crowd, usually near the exit.

[malaise]

12. I find it unbelievably rude

I don't want to hear people's conversations.

[Darth_Kitten]

15. Good, it's about TIME

:D If people yakking on cellphones knew how irritating and annoying they really are, they would shut the #$@#$# up.

Yes, restaurants are for eating......people have to learn consideration and shut up once in a while. :)

[johnnie]

18. People on cells don't bother me

I learned a long time ago that the world doesn't spin around my ass. Sometimes you have to let people be people even if it gets on your nerves.

Cell phone users, smokers (I'm one), babies crying, heavily perfumed people, bratty kids, noisy crap music coming out of cars next to me, stupid TV shows, self-absorbed people who think the world spins around their ass etc.. are just part of life.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

19. Why don't he jam the single like walmart does?

Every time I go inside walmart/sam's club, I have to go outside to get a single.

[Touchdown]

21. Wal*Mart only allows couples?

Are you talking about single people or single dollars?;)

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

22. HA!!!!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

20. I support this. (n/t)