While we were at SxSW, Laura and I threw a Mobile Manners brunch with Intel. We gathered a group of very smart women to eat quiche and text one other about the irritating things people do with their gadgets.
Genevieve Bell, an Intel Fellow who studies how different cultures use technology, presented some of their mobile etiquette research.
During Genevieve’s presentation, I tweeted while she was talking (event hashtag, FTW), checked in to Foursquare, and texted with a person sitting two tables away from me. Afterward, I drove around town looking for a funeral parlor, because I’ve heard those are nice quiet places to make phone calls.
Everyone else was the picture of civility, even when the gift bags came out.
Now that’s some good home training.
The bags were a team effort amongst attendees, and as always we saved one for you. Maile brought her gorgeous Epiphanie Bags, and I set aside the Clover Laptop and Camera Bag in grey, which is the one I carry. Everywhere. And sometimes I spoon with it. It looks like this:
Elizabeth works for Twitter, but also has a letterpress business called Paperwheel Press. She brought everyone a couple of geeky letterpress thank you notes:
And finally, Intel threw in a copy of Emily Post’s Great Get Togethers:
To win, please leave your pinky out when you sip your tea, and leave your most profound mobile etiquette peeve in comments.
Please only enter once; I’ll leave comments open until Monday when I’ll announce the winner. I hope it’s you.
Mighty Girl 
First of all, I vote for Emily because I’m so charmed that she put clipping one’s nails as her pet peeve. 🙂 (Seriously-I am charmed!) As for an electro gadgety pet peeve of my own, Im annoyed by a few. Cell phone holders on pants (just STOP IT!) and answering calls in a library. I’m a librarian and yes, the library is evolving, blah blah blah but it’s still a damn library and no one wants to hear your dumbass ring tone or your trivial business. Not me, not the other staff-no one. I would make an exception, however, if someone were to come in and answer a call on one of those big ass phones circa 1987 that came with their own diaper bag. That would be supreme! 🙂
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When the cashier is texting while ringing your order up!.. they are not permitted to do this but they still do!.. wait on the customers….. and text on your break honey!!
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I love technology but believe it has a time and a place – just like everything else in the world. I can’t stand it when you are talking to someone and they answer their cell phone or check texts, emails, etc. Pay attention to the one you are with! The rest will still be there when our time together is over.
Awesome giveaway, by the way! 🙂
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When you ask someone (or a table full of people) a question they don’t know the answer to and they immediately pull out their phone to Google it – and then the next half hour looking up variations of the answer and spouting them off as if they are know-it-alls.
WHEW, that felt good…thank you, Maggie!
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people using their smart phones during meetings. a quick check every 30 minutes doesn’t bother me, but some individuals get really into answering emails, etc and it’s very distracting.
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Biggest peeve is when people are on the phone while making a purchase. At least hang up and call the person back after you’ve left the store.
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I can’t stand when people text in church or forget to turn their volume off. The buzzing vibrate is bad enough, but really, it’s just an hour. Disconnect!
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Top two pet peeves:
1: when people text or check their email or whatever while walking in a big crowd, are going up the subway stairs, etc
2: this one I personally find to be the rudest: when someone uses their phone while eating a meal with someone
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When people text/talk while driving! It is illegal here, but I still see people doing it ALL THE TIME. Honestly folks, concentrate on your driving… the call/text can wait.
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When people are talking to you, but are having a text conversation at the same time! Ugh! Pick me or your text conversation, but not both!
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I HATE going to dinner with friends or family and trying to have a conversation while 90% of the people are texting/facebooking etc. and not enjoying face to face time that is so precious! You can play on your phone when you get home!
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Leaving a chat conversation without saying “goodbye” or “thank you”. Technology aside, it’s still a conversation — you don’t just get up and walk away!
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I find it really peeves me off when someone calls your mobile phone and doesnt leave a voice mail, a minute later they try calling again, 2 minutes later they try again, 30seconds later they try and just keep calling and calling again and again, to the point you have have like 50 missed calls, if its so important you contact me, leave me the important message so i know whats going on, gives me the erits.
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OMGosh…I really dint want to hear your mobile conversation while you are in a public restroom! And then u leave and don’t wash ur hands! No, no, no!
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Ok, I really don’t think it’s possible to listen and text at the same time!
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At the end of your blog post, which I loved BTW, I was struggling with what my biggest mobile etiquette peeve was….so I read a few comments and sure enough it all came back to me. Amongst many others, I find that when I am having an important meeting with my boss and he begins texting as I am speaking directly to him, I begin to see red.
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I think being on a smart phone in any capacity while eating dinner with family/date is a big no no. Unless it’s while they are in the bathroom.
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People texting/calling/generally not paying attention to what they are doing while in line for coffee 🙂 As my break in the day it is VERY distracting!
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My biggest pet peeves with mobile phones is when someone texts while driving…or texts while in the middle of a conversation. The first is dangerous & the second is just rude.
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I can’t stand when people let their phone ring no matter where they are or what they are doing. They make silent and vibrating modes for a reason. I can understand leaving it on when there is a specific call one might be waiting for, but I think we all know someone who blatantly leaves their ringer on and always answers their phone. Ugh.
Thanks for giving us a chance to vent AND win a beautiful bag full of fun things 🙂
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I hate that my 20 something step daughter constantly looks at her phone and is texting. We don’t see you every day, please put the phone away and talk to us!
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When I set up a date with a girlfriend I haven’t seen in awhile and while we’re eating, visiting, chatting she gets 10 million calls/texts that she just HAS to answer right then!
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I’m a college prof, so you can just imagine. I have a policy against classroom cellphone use in my syllabi, but it doesn’t really stop my students. I think they don’t believe I’m serious. The worst offense was one day, the first day of class, while reading the syllabus. I had just finished the “Classroom Civility” section when a student’s phone rang. Rather than quickly shutting it off and apologizing, the guy answered it. Then, when I said “Um, excuse me, but…” he did the TALK TO THE HAND thing.
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It’s annoying when out with someone (one and one) and they pull out a phone… but my biggest mobile pet peeve is when someone is talking on the phone while using a public restroom! Rude and gross!
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Where to begin! My latest is when someone calls you back because they see your number in their missed calls list. If it were important, I would have left a message for you to call me back! I’ve had this happen A LOT with vendors. I called a roofing company once from my office phone. His message said to leave a message or try again later. He actually called back, got the receptionist, and asked if anyone called him. The poor receptionist had to walk around the building figuring out who had called.
Thanks for the chance!
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I just read through to #97 and realized I am guilty of 3/4 of the offenses! Eep. So, my peeve? Get an etiquette book out there PRONTO for the well-meanings sinners like me!
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People who use their mobiles while driving and expect me (and other drivers) to drive for them. I have seen some doozies, worst of which from fellow parents leaving daycare after the morning dropoff. It’s like now their children have gone then need to lower the intellectual age of their car again.
Also – two people (who shall remain nameless) sitting on the same sofa and using our mobiles to converse with all our ‘friends’ online without actually speaking to eachother… happened last night and not too proud of it either.
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Voicemails that really could be said in a quick text. Checking voicemail takes minutes, so much rather receive a text.
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I think it must be people talking to me in person while staring lovingly into their phone screen. So unattractive. Everyone’s face looks weird from that bent-over angle.
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Long voicemail greetings when you are just trying to leave someone a quick message
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Call me weird, but I HATE Blackberry phones. Everyone I know that has one, is addicted to it, and will use it while we’re talking, eating or just plain breathing! Other phone users aren’t as bad.
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I hate how my husband comes home from work and spends the entire night texting the guys he just spent 9 hours with!!
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Mobile phones in movie theatres are my worst pet peeve. Even when there is no sound, the bright screen of them texting interferes with my movie. Ugh!
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I’m so persnickety that I even get annoyed when people have their ringer on in a store/place of business. Keep it on vibrate. It it’s important go outside and conduct your business in private. I still have a love/hate relationship with technology.
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I see it almost every time and I hate it every time! People at store checkouts just yapping away on their phones while the clerk is ringing up their products. Whatever happened to being personal with your cashier? Sigh.
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If you need to answer a call when I am teaching, please leave the frickin’ room and then answer. Don’t answer in the middle of class and then talk the whole way out of the classroom.
I love that bag so much–I promise to spoon with mine too.
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Folks who text / check FB / get online while “having a conversation” with me / eating a meal with me or a group. Am I here? Am I not? Stop confusing me!
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I am annoyed with people who have a mobile, yet never have it with them (looking at YOU mom-in-law)…
Thanks for the giveaway!
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I’m always a little (a lot) irked when someone calls me from their car, which is full of child, dog, or husband and then asks me to hang on while they discipline any one of the above. When the are able to devote attention to our conversation, the background noise from the vehicle and occupants is so loud I can’t understand.
I would rather prefer to wait to have the conversation.
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It makes me a little crazy when people answer their cell phone in the middle of having a conversation with me.
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I hate it when people walk around talking into their blue tooth. It is totally awkward when you think they are talking to themselves while they are actually having a two sided conversation.
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I don’t mind when people text during class….I do mind when they TEXT LOUDLY DURING CLASS. “What? I couldn’t hear you over the button clicking….”
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Ok all I can say is BATHROOM!! One of the only places 2 b alone and u have someone on the phone it can’t wait Really!!
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People who don’t want to answer a call when they’re in a public place but let the phone keep ringing and ringing and ringing loudly instead of just turning off the ringer. Also text speak: “i” and “u” drives me nuts especially!
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When you are having an “in-person” conversation please put away your phone.
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when my husband checks his blackberry minutes after checking his blackberry. really? so annoying. I would NEVER do that. ; )
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I was cut off in traffic by a lady in a huge suv talking on her phone (head leaning to hold it) and texting on her blackberry!!!
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Not sure if this is a phone pet peeve or husband pet peeve BUT it has to be when I leave me husband a voicemail and he calls me 10 minutes later wanting to know why I called. So, I get to repeat myself again…and 8 times out of 10 it STILL goes in one ear and out the other. (Love you, honey!)
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When people fight loudly with their significant other on the phone in public! I really do not want to hear about the “skank” your boyfriend slept with, and all the nice colorful descriptions you have for her!
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I cannot stand it even one bit when I’m at a party and I see a group of people gathered at a corner, all checking their BBM’s or Iphones. Also, a table full of people at a restaurant and they’re on their mobile devices… not one person talking to another. What?!
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