Tuesday, July 27, 2004

I would like to bring up the subject of cell phone etiquette. I know...it's a sensitive subject. Anyone who knows me knows that I will probably have a tumor in my ear from all the cell phone usage. Honestly, it's what helps me juggle two full time gigs and keep up with people in my ministry at the same time. However, there are certain things about cell phone usage I feel compelled to call into question.

First, why do people need to have their cell phones on during church? OK--let me re-phrase that. In the event that someone is deathly ill, a wife is extremely pregnant, or the world is coming to an end, there's this thing I like to call "vibrate". Some phones may have a "silence" function. Either way, can we all agree to turn our phones off for one little hour on Sunday mornings, or at the very least, turn it on silence?? How many Sundays have we endured sitting and listening to some phone go off for what seems like minutes playing either some classical tune or some loud obnoxious ring? In St. Louis at the ZOE conference, during one of the main sessions, a phone rang. and rang. and rang. I prefer to think that the person was so lost in worship that they didn't notice...either that or they thought it was someone else's.

When we did the live recording at OC, phones and babies were in abundance (as were a couple of folks who seized the opportunity to sing a solo into an audience mic). So, when we did the RE-recording in Abilene at the Paramount Theatre, John Mays, my co-producer went out on stage and went through this hilarious routine about cell phones. He took his out and held it up and had everyone hold theirs up and together turn them off. Guess what we heard half way through the night? Yep...ring-a-ling-a-ling! Unbelievable.

Secondly, when at lunch with someone, leave your cell phone in the car, OR on silence. Am I the only one who feels dumb sitting at a table with someone jabbering away on their cell phone? I admit, I usually have mine with me and usually only Sheryl can get through. But even at that, when I answer, I'll tell her I am at lunch with someone and she knows what that means. We have a pretty good system worked out there. She knows she can almost always get through to me, but she's also great about respecting that time.

Thirdly, when on your cell phone in public...grocery store, airport, mall, restaurant, etc...remember that you are only talking to the person on the other line. How many of us have encountered the "loud talkers" out there who like everyone to know that they indeed are talking on a cell phone. It's nothing short of a one act play...peels of laughter, dramatic "NO's!", etc.

Finally, when in a meeting, all of the above applies. This scenario is what prompted me writing about this today. (Sorry for the soap box!) I went to a meeting yesterday with my mom's real estate agent, the contractor of the subdivision and the builder of her new house. It was one of those tedious meetings where we had to go over plans to make sure all the specs had made it into the floor plan and electrical plan. Both the contractor and the builder got calls about every 5 minutes...and took them. The builder had one of those completely annoying phones--the walkie-talkie kind. After about the 8th call, and that's no overstatement, Jerry (Mom's agent) and I looked at each other and just shook our heads and laughed. It was ridiculous. It was about 45 minutes into the meeting before we even got to doing what we were there to do.

Yes, cells phones are amazing. I am personally thankful for mine and for the way it helps me stay in touch and get things done along the way. I am thankful that if anything happens to Sheryl or the kids or my mom that I can be found and can rush to help. However, cell phones have taken multi-tasking to an all new annoying level. It's ridiculous to have to make announcements or power point slides in church begging people to silence or turn off cell phones. It's insane to sit at a lunch with someone jabbering away to someone else on his or her cell phone. It's rude to be called to a meeting where 70% of the time is spent waiting while others answer and talk on cell phones.

My plea is for simple common sense and courtesy. While this blog is written with a little tongue in cheek sarcasm, I'm sure you can agree with me about the need for some cell phone sensitivity and courtesy out there. And, if you see me doing any of these things, please slap me.

14 comments:

John Owens said...

Great post, Brandon. It's amazing how if a person walks up and interrupts a conversation, it is considered rude. But if a person calls on a cell phone, the same type of interruption is considered acceptable. Yes, there are emergencies, and cell phones are a blessing in those situations. Everybody listen to Brandon and turn your ringers off during worship. God wants to speak to us during worship, but I doubt He's going to call your cell.

CL said...

Amen brother, you got a witness!

Anonymous said...

BST,

To steal some words from the movie Jerry McGuire... "Finally, someone said it!" I mean come on, is there possibly anything more rude, wrong, and unrighteous than feasting at the table with Jesus and interrupting the dinner to take a call! Maybe, as funny, situational, and honest as your post is...maybe this is a reflection of the way some view worship, i.e., that we are there to check off the list of 5 (if this is the case then who cares if the phone rings) rather than encounter the ever-present living GOD!

Is it possible that our theology....oh wait, just got a call on my cell, gotta go!

Russell

SG said...

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I so agree! I would post your blog on my blog, but I'm not sure that is using my good blog manners. Could we petition the FCC integrate this post into a mandatory cell phone users agreement?

While you are on this "Emily Post" roll, have you given any thought to e-mail FWDs?

Brandon Scott Thomas said...

Steph---don't even get me started! Email forwards are the worst. ESPECIALLY the ones that, subtly or not, threaten you with your everlasting eternal assurance if you don't pass them on to 4 friends. Excuse me...isn't that witchcraft? Well, it oughtta be! LOL!

SG said...

Ha Ha Ha! I just copied your blog post from today and e-mailed it with a note to a few friends! Bet you anything I get it back in a FWD in two or three days! OOPs cell phone is ringing...I'm at home for goodness sakes! Use the home number first people! LOL

Donny - MarketingTwin #2 said...

As an employee for one of the cell phone companies (plug: www.sprint.com), I applaud your blog. While these devices are certainly entertaining and helpful, they are a nuisance too. No offense to my Nextel friends but if I wanted to be a part of your conversation, I would have asked to join the conference call.

And I'll add one more...

If you are in the bathroom at work or a public facility, please DO NOT talk on your phone. Let's be honest here - bathrooms are full of sounds that could violate new FCC laws. If you are on your cell phone and I enter the bathroom, don't say I didn't warn you... of course, I'm talking about flushing!! What were you thinking I was talking about? :)

Amy Anderson Westerman said...

Amen, Brother! I totally agree, but I will always be happy to call your cell so that you can hear it ring in order to locate it! :)

AW

Anonymous said...

BST

Alright I know I already have posted a comment today BUT I feel compelled to post another due to recent events. This evening I had the priveledge of attending a Watershed Worship Experience (which is basically a group consisting of the guys from the old AVB) at the Central Church in Lufkin. Truly an amazing night with gifted vocalists and probably one of the most impactful worship times I have in my life...that is, UNTIL SOMEONE'S CELL PHONE WENT OFF! After an incredible series of praise and worship songs back to back to back,etc, the guys put down the mics, led us in some thoughts on what it means to be in the presence of GOD, invited and initiated a time of prayer and they began to sing "Shine On Us" over us during that prayer. That is when the cell phone went off...playing jingle bells or something like that! Seriously, have we enslaved ourselves...or exalted ourselves to the point that we cannot disconnect from the world long enough to be in the presence of GOD!?

Russell

P.S. You can check Watershed Worship out @ www.watershedworship.com

Jenni said...

It's also really annoying to be on a date and have the other person's phone ring, for them to let it ring rather than silencing the ringer, then for their voicemail notificiation to ring! Come on, what kind of impression does that make on a date? Just silence it all -- or turn it off!

Brandon Scott Thomas said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Brandon Scott Thomas said...

A little background on Any Westerman's comment--I have always lost things. It's in my DNA. My best man and college roommate Stephen Bailey used to follow me when we were on tour with Reflections or Take One or whatever because he KNEW I would stop somewhere, set the van keys down, and walk off. It was ridiculous.

Last weekend when ZOE was in St. Louis, I couldn't find my cell phone so Amy had to call my cell and since it was on VIBRATE everyone had to be deathly still so we could all listen for it. Ahhhh, the thing memories are built on.

Tim Castle said...

I once lost a pager. It belonged to my employer, and I was supposed to be on-call quite often, so it was rather nerve-wracking to have lost it. I tried paging myself, but since I had it on vibrate, I couldn't really locate it unless I was close to it. At the time, I was using it as my alarm clock in the morning, so I figured that if I got up a few minutes before it went off, I'd listen for it, and be able to find it, right?

Well, sort of. For several days, I'd hear it faintly, and not be able to figure out which direction it was coming from. Then I realized it was coming from outside, in our rather large backyard. Now I was really sweating it. What if it got wet from the new sprinkler system we'd just had installed for the lawn that had been put in? What if the battery died before I found it?

So, for the next two mornings, in the pre-dawn darkness, I'd hunt around the backyard for a minute or so, as the alarm was beeping. On the third day, I found it. While looking at our new lawn one afternoon, and staying off of it, since that's what the gardeners had told us to do, I walked around the edge of the yard, and had to push through the side of an English Laurel bush. One small branch had slipped along my belt, under the clip on the pager, and lifted it off. The pager was sitting there on the branch for all that time!

I think of that everytime I have to find my cel phone... which I usually have set on vibrate, as well.

SG said...

Some wonderful mental pictures there Tim! And I don't even know you but I am LOL anyway!