Wednesday, July 04, 2007

The Scourge of Our Generation

Why do we feel the need to be connected all the time? How on earth did we survive up until now? Ever since mobile phones became widely available, we've all become contactable, 24/7. Nowhere to hide, and no excuses. We're all aware of the current introduction of fines for people driving whilst using their phone, and rightly so. I personally believe that they should be banned from being used entirely by people when driving, because they are a distraction, whether using a hands free kit or not. Why answer your phone while in the car anyway?

A friend of mine was telling me a story today about being in the cinema, and how a rather large Polish man sitting behind him decided to conduct a very loud phone conversation during the film. I don't know about you, but if I'm paying to see a film, I want to see it, and not to have to listen to someone doing their best Dom Jolly impersonation. He said he would have confronted him only for he was twice his size. The sooner they bring in something for blocking mobile phone signals in cinemas, the better because unfortunately this has become all too common an occurance in Irish cinemas, all due to our acceptance of the mobile phone culture.

Another thing that bothers me: If you're on the toilet, please don't answer your phone. And especially, please don't ring me while your on the toilet just for a chat. A friend of mine used to do that. Trust me, whatever it is, it can wait until after you've done your business. I've also, on several occasions in work, been in the toilet, only to hear a phone ringing and hear it answered by someone who is in the cubicle beside me. That's what your message minder is for. Use it.

Don't get me wrong, mobile phones have many benefits. I used to fix them for a living, so they provided me with a roof over my head and food in my belly for several years. For many years though, I had my phone on silent because I couldn't stand the sound of ringtones. To this day anytime I hear "Sweet Child of Mine" I feel a spine tingling shudder right down to my toes. Which brings me to my final rant: Music on mobile phones. I was on the bus the other day, and there was a kid behind me with rap (or is that a misprint?) music blaring from his phone. Even though I had headphones in my ears, I could hear it. This isn't the first time that it's happened to me either. Why do people feel they have to impose their musical tastes on people when they're trapped on public transport, minding their own business, trying to get from A to B (and on the weekend, C). Maybe I should become a vigilante character, who hops from bus to bus carrying a large ghettoblaster, and I could play Daniel O'Donnell at full volume to get revenge on those who have used their phones to pollute our ears.

Or then again, maybe not...

7 comments:

  1. Seriously you could get a job as the music police! You could get uniforms....I know someone who'd join you, like the black panthers of good taste, what with this post and the music in cars post I'm starting to think you are striving for a arian race of music lovers who only like "good" music? :-) although anyone who likes Shania Twaine should be exterminated!

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  2. Chief, I experimented with the odd music ring tone but after a short period I realised that it's totally illogical. Using music as a ringtone turns that music into a ringtone. If you hear that song on the radio, you don't think - oh I really like this song, you think - quick, answer it! Now I have an old fashion bell ring on my phone - sensible, functional and aestheically nostalgic.

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  3. Forget about about music ring tones, annoying telly sound effects are worse. Lad I work with has the Countdown bong for a ring town and the Catchphrase buzzer for texts.

    Say what ya see...........

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  4. Why answer your phone in the car Chief? Because no-one has any time anymore so every second counts. Want to know what's even better than that? Texting when driving with the phone perched on the steering wheel. That is in no way worrying at all.

    People even thinking in the cinema bothers me too. They did have a blocker in the Savoy for a while (you'd notice it as you got no bars and your battery would be dead after a couple of hours in there) but had to remove it as they're illegal :)

    As for music being used as ringtones, Milan, I've always been fond of:

    "Over there there's broken bones, there's only music so that there's new ringtones"

    Comedy text alerts should be punishable by beheading.

    Am loving the vigilante idea for the bus though. Could we all help name you and design the costume? Maybe film you and put it on Youtube?

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  5. Ill bring my dv cam and have facilities at hand for editing and doing sound for the above you tube clip count me in.

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  6. I could debut him at the masked ball, so later on we could hit the nitelinks and cause havoc...

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  7. Oh yeah baby. Now we're talking. Me, Chief, Shan. Maybe Midge, Milan and Frank as a cheering chorus. All a bit lairy laying into the public.

    Best idea ever.

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