In my previous Stanley?s Corner article, I talked about etiquette when using your cell phone, since it appears that with the proliferation of cell phones most of us have gotten out of control. A device that was once only available for the rich, is now so affordable that almost everyone has a cell phone of some sort. We take photos, we record video, you can search the web, get email text messages, if you can name it, and its more than likely it is available on your handy-dandy cell phone. I personally have four separate cell phones with four separate telephone numbers, two of the phones have GPS, one of the others is a blackberry, which notifies me every time someone submits a review or sends me a personal email.
Some people may not realize this, but they may be breaking the law just by carrying a cell phone. Did you know that cameras are not allowed in some courtrooms without the direct written permission of the judge in that particular jurisdiction? Before you can even bring a recording device into almost any courtroom you must submit a camera request to the court clerk, the clerk must then present the request to the judge who can either accept your request or deny it. If you bring a recording device into the courtroom and the judge finds out, he may confiscate your camera and may hold you in contempt of court. Of course, the wireless phone companies will never tell you this when you purchase your phone. And the truth is, most of you reading this will probably never see the inside of a courtroom, at least I hope not. I pity the person who gets caught using their camera phone to record a court case!
There are some places where cell phones should simply not be used. I have been a cameraman/pseudo reporter for more than 15 years and a ringing cell phone has ruined many sound bites which is why I usually keep my phones on vibrate. But a ringing cell phone in a funeral is just simply rude, turn your phone off, better yet leave it in the car. While I am sure your phone ringing will not wake the dead, it will annoy the crap out of everyone in listening range and the will, of course, be sound magnified in a super quiet environment, probably bringing unnecessary attention you. Imagine, the? Gold digger?(Kanye West) theme song, playing right in the middle of the service, that could be a little embarrassing.
Several years ago, I went on the FOX News Channel to debate the use of cell phones in restaurants. I was pitted against Steven Shaw, a restaurant reviewer in New York debating pro or con cell phones in restaurants. I was then and still today against the presence of cell phones in restaurants, I believe the use of cell phones while eating is annoying and rude. I just read that someone has come up with a cell phone jammer. I know, ?you need your cell phone for emergencies? but the truth is, have you ever tried using your mobile phone to call the police? I witnessed an accident, one day while driving in town, so I called 911 on my cell phone and received a recorded message that lasted for more than 10 minutes in English and in Spanish. Thank God, no one was injured, but it turns out the phone call did not go to the local police instead it went to the Highway Patrol, who had to transfer me to the local law enforcement agency. In an emergency 10 minutes can be the difference between life and death.
I will say that cell phones are a necessary evil in our society; I say evil because using a cell phone in the wrong environment, could have devastating results. I don?t mean to be dramatic, but is your life or the life of your family that important that you need to allow your cell phone to distract you from driving safely? My suggestion to you is invest in a hands- free phone and use it. But the most important suggestion that I can make about cell phone use in public is pretty simple. ?USE COMMON SENSE?!