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 
I think there is a time and place for technology. Neither the time nor the place is during a meal.
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Talking on the phone in an elevator.
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My peeve is driving behind a person who just has to make/pick up that call while on the entrance ramp to the highway. WTF?!
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I am guilty of A LOT of people’s pet peeves. Let’s face it… we live in a mobile age and technology allows us to be able to do all these naughty things.
My biggest pet peeve are people who wear headsets or earpieces. It’s annoying when they are not on a call and even more annoying when they are. Like they are so super important that they have to wear it everyone.
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I’ve gotten over the phone on the table when eating out at a restaurant, since it seems to be the norm now. ugh. So my current pet peeves are texting while driving (natural selection in action?), texting while we’re having a conversation, and people that leave unnecessary voicemails.
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Whoa. None of those people would be able to be friends with me. During dinner I’ll totally take a picture of my meal and instagram it. And maybe read the comments/replies on twitter/facebook.
However, I don’t talk on the phone while I’m buying groceries or in the bathroom. That’s awful.
True pet peeve is people texting during a movie. My favorite theater here has a screen at the beginning that says, “NO TALKING, THAT INCLUDES TEXTING.” Seriously. Light is more distracting than whispering.
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When people have cell phone conversations in the stall next to me in a public restroom. Also? When friends sign up for silly apps on facebook. I don’t care where you went for dinner, what movie you’re seeing, or how your damn fish are. It’s annoying to take the time to hide that from my feed.
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I’m a mental health therapist for children and it drives me nuts when parents text while we are in session. Gah.
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Watching the person driving in the car next to me texting with both hands. Yikes.
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I cannot stand when ladies answer their cell phones while in a public restroom stall! (I guess this would apply to guys too, but I don’t go in their restroom…). Enough said.
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I can’t stand when someone doesn’t give me their full attention and wants to text or take phone calls when it’s not an emergency. I’ve started walking away and they can come find me.
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Texting and driving: rude and dangerous.
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I can’t stand when you get a voice mail the caller does not say the number more than once and it is quickly, then it is only at the end of a really really long voice mail.
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I strongly dislike when people talk on the phone for a loooooong time when they are the only other person in the car.
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It’s been almost 5 years and I’m still annoyed at some woman I saw having a conversation on her cell phone while she was standing waist-deep in the Pacific Ocean.
I would have been oh-so-happy if a wave had knocked her down.
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People talking on their mobile phone on the train and saying “I’m on the train” – everyone complains about it, we all do it!
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I hate it when someone is driving me and texting at the same time. Or typing diretions on the gps.
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Lovely bag.
My husband, who is extremely tech savy, has never owned a cell phone. That fact is the pet peeve of all his friends & family, but I find it pretty charming. I try (and sometimes fail) to be extra aware on my iPad/bberry so that I am present with him.
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I CANT stand when people, in a professional setting, will ONLY text message. I am an attorney and it is not appropriate for my client’s to be texting me! Important, legal matters, SHOULD BE DONE over the email, telephone, in person, etc.
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As many have said, it’s people who have to answer their phones when they are talking in person with me. Even if it’s just to say “I’ll call you back later,” why didn’t you let it go to voicemail?
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Talking on the phone while interacting with someone else. Like people who are on the phone while ordering food, purchasing something, etc.
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I really hate that a phone-call trumphs an actual conversation in every day life. If I asked a customer at work to wait so I could answer the phone, it would not be acceptable, but my friends (and myself) do it to eachother all the time.
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Oh, the cell-phone-in-theaters thing kills me. That blinding spot of light that pops up every few minutes in a pitch-black room makes me think very unkind things about you.
(Hooray for giveaways and first-world problems!)
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People talking really loud on their phones while shopping, especially if they are ranting about some personal dilemma and my kids have to hear it!
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Well without even thinking too much about it my number one would be ppl testing while driving. It’s already scary enough out there on the streets!
I also get quite annoyed at ring tones… Don’t know why but I do. I would love it if everyone just set their to vibrate mode 😉 wishful thinking hehe
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It really bothers me when someone initiates a conversation and then proceeds to check their email and text messages while they are “supposedly” listening to what I have to say!!!
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It bothers me when I am having a conversation with someone and they take out their phone to text or e-mail.
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My pet peeve is when my husband continually checks his work email when we are on vacation!
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I become displeased when I see someone texting at a dinner party.
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I have a two doozies:
1) Annoying, loud ring tones. A coworker of mine always leaves her phone on her desk, and inevitably, the minute she is out of earshot the phone starts ringing some weird spooky howling noise.
2) People assume that if they have sent you a text or message, you will read it RIGHT AWAY! Sometimes I look away from my phone for minutes on end. Crazy, I know, but my husband thinks that if he texts me I should be communicating with him in real time. That is what the telephone is for, remember how phones work?
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If I don’t pick up the phone, do not call me back, because I still won’t pick up. Text me – I’ll actually read that and likely respond.
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I can’t stand being out for dinner or drinks and the other person leaves their phone on the table so they can answer any call, text or email. It drives me crazy when it happens in the middle of our conversation!
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Texting on the blackberry while “playing” with your kids at the children’s museum…
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People who don’t turn their ringers off during live theatre performances. Also, those who believe that the only way to get in touch with someone is to email or text them.
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Damn, people have a lot of mobile etiquette peeves!! Did this post beat the blow job post for “most commented on”??
I am the loud talker, forgot to turn my phone off, talk while ordering bich that you all hate – it has to do with age people – I am half deaf, forgetful, and scatterbrained – don’t be ageist!!
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I really don’t like if somebody answers their cellphone or texts while at the dinner table in a restaurant. Even worst if they do it at the time we are talking, what a horrible manner!
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I LOVE that bag. May have to buy one anyway if I don’t win it.
I can’t stand it when a friend is in the car with me but chatting on the phone. Hello??!?! I’m stuck here with just you. Get off the phone already and freaking talk to me. The person who is actually here. In person. 12 inches away from you. Driving you somewhere. On my expensive tank of gas. Or maybe just don’t talk at all – I like the song that just came on the radio.
Also, people with earpieces that suddenly start talking next to you in the store or whatever. I always think they are talking to me at first. Completely freaks me out.
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I hate it when people text me in normal prose rather than haiku.
Just kidding. Ditto to pretty much all of the above!
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So pretty! So useful!
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Darn it! So hit return before I meant to. And now I’m double-posting, which is the ultimate in bad manners. Sigh.
I most hate (aside from people like me double posting by accident) watching kids get ignored while moms text and talk on their iphones. And I do it myself, but I’m trying not to. Ergh.
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Being in the car with another person who is on the phone. I think that is so rude!
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To me there are so MANY of them — and a lot of them carry over from back when we all had land lines.
Here’s one that I find annoying — but others must not, because it’s sooooo common: talking on the phone while you’re in the rest room, especially a public rest room. If I’m in a public restroom and I hear a question from the next stall, it seems like it’s for me (well, sometimes it does). And in any event, I do NOT want to hear your side of the conversation. How many hands to you have? Isn’t this a job that requires both hands, at least at some point?
If I’m on the other end of the phone and you’re calling me from a rest room, I do NOT want to hear whatever grunts and groans, splashes and whooshes are coming from you or the room you’re in — GROSS! If you have to go that bad, call me back!
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I’m guilty of this too, but it drives me nuts that no matter where I am (dinner with friends, meeting with coworkers, etc.) we all have our mobiles on the table…like the phones are actual people sitting there with us. Except they often demand the most attention, and usually get it, too. I hate that.
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How about when I get a phone call from a friend to ask, “Did you get my text?” …. no, you sent it 5 minutes ago, and I’m busy living! I will answer your very important question (“Are you going to yoga tomorrow?”) in good time, dear friend!
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Someone texting while having a meal with someone. How annoying — can’t you just let it go for a few minutes and look at the person sitting across from you?
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I actually really dislike when people refer to whoever is there in person as “real people” and use no etiquette with the online people. they’re still people, they’re just reaching me in a different way. and yes, i will be polite to the person i am with in person, but often someone i randomly run into on the street is in fact interrupting a previous online/cell phone exchange. just because you’re in person doesn’t mean you’re more important, or even that you take precedence/came first.
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I hate getting together with friends, colleagues etc for a meal and all of the phones are on the table and are constantly checked and used. The world can wait for a few minutes!!!
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Okay, this is more IDIOT than etiquette, but that thing in California, where people hold their phones in front of their faces, talking on speaker phone instead of holding it to their ears? Now rampant since the hands-free legislation passed? What part of “hands-free” don’t you people understand? And how is this in any way safer?
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At the gym – please don’t bring your phone into the sauna where I am relaxing. You do not need to call your mother at 6:30 a.m., nor text your friends. It can wait 15 minutes. And really is 210 degrees that good for your device anyway?
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I hate when people at work use their phone while in a meeting. While in a business meeting there is no phone usage allowed in my book.
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