Phones and Crazy People

I have two things to write about after weeks of nothing to say. I'm choosing the topic of phone manners.

Since I work in a large retail store I see lots of people every day. It is typical to see people on their phones. I don't have a problem with that. Even the folks who are rude to who they are talking to can be ignored - mostly. But this conversation happened to me. See what you think.

Man - (on phone throughout this conversation). Where's the _______? (fill in with whatever you want - I hear it all.) I think he is talking to me since I'm walking by and I don't see his phone because it is in the ear that is not facing my way. I stop and ask him to repeat his question because I didn't hear what he said. He waves his hands, scowls and says "I wasn't talking to you." in an irritated voice. OKAAAAAAY. I start to walk away and he yells, "Hey, Lady! I asked you where the __________ is!" I turn and ask him if he is speaking to me and he says "Just leave me alone, *&%**." It doesn't take a train approaching me to make me get off the tracks. I turned to leave and he says, "What is wrong with you? I needs some help here!" I tentatively turn towards him, reasonably sure this man is in need of immediate medical attention - the kind where they lock you behind strong doors and observe you for a couple of weeks while giving you lots of pretty pills. He finally turns enough that I see the phone sticking out of his ear. GIVE ME A BREAK!!

I turn towards customers all the time because they are standing by themselves and talking and I think they are talking to me. Either that or I'm the one in need of the observation and pretty pill party. It's one thing if the phone is handheld, you can see that sometimes. But those itty bitty phones that are stuck in your ears?? Do you think they don't know how stupid they look walking around talking to themselves? The ones that really look stupid are the ones who are yelling and cussing to themselves.

Bathroom stalls are another place that I think folks should refrain from talking on the phone. They have lots of jokes of where someone was carrying on a conversation with the person in the stall next to them until they say, "Look, I've got to go - there's some nut in the stall next to me that's talking to themselves." The other point on bathroom phone manners?? Do you really think the person you are talking to wants to listen to you as you use the bathroom?

I guess what I'm saying is that you should think about what you are doing before you do it.