Resist the
Ring:
Itıs Common
Courtesy
Stacy
Stieren
It
is a typical night out for a group of high school students. Suddenly, ringing
cuts through the shouts of laughter. All hands fly to nearby purses as the girls
frantically fumble through pink lip-gloss and old movie stubs to reach the
source of the incessant sound of ringing. Triumphantly, the owner of the
ringing phone flips it open while shushing the group around her.
With
the growing number of individuals owning cell phones, most people have probably
experienced the dreaded cell phone blow-off. One minute I may be talking to my
friend, and the next, the ring of a cell phone has beckoned my fellow
conversationalist to an often-lengthy call while I wait, impatiently, to resume
talking where we had left off.
It
is rude to abruptly end a conversation that you are in the middle of every time
the cell phone rings. No matter how exciting it is to hear your newly installed
Harry Potter ring, there is no reason to disregard common courtesy. It is
common sense to stick to what you committed to first. I really see no
difference when it comes to conversations.
You
may be thinking, ³Isnıt it rude to ignore the person calling?² No, because all cell phones have a
caller ID, in which it is possible to see the number that called. Check the ID
and call the person back when finished with the face-to-face conversation. It is rude to ignore the person right
in front of you when it is simple to call back later.
Each
situation is different. In some circumstances it is perfectly acceptable to
answer a cell phone even if already engaged in a conversation. One example is
large group conversations where no one would be left high and dry. It is also
understandable if the call is from a family member and it may be an emergency.
Next time, resist the ring, and think twice before cutting a conversation short
to answer the cell phone.
The
girl finishes her conversation and tosses her phone into the black hole that is
her purse. She turns back to the group and slowly eases back into the lively
conversation going on. Shouts of
laughter again fill the air, waiting inevitably to be interrupted by the next
phone call.