Cell Phones and Smokers

College is an interesting place. Most instructors don't allow cell phones in class. I did have one instructor (my Norse God math instructor) who didn't care if you brought your phone to class, and encouraged the rest of the class to listen in on the conversation. I think this was more of a deterrent than anything else. Students either turn off their phones or switch them to silent mode for class, but the second they're away from the building, the phones come out and the cigarettes are lit. People are so attached to their phones it's kind of sad. I have my cell phone, but I really don't use it that much. I use it to call long distance, and to call someone to let them know where I am (if I'm meeting them somewhere). There are people out there who use their phones as life-lines, desperately trying to stay connected to something.

Unfortunately people don't have the same courtesy in the libraries around here. At school, you can count on having at least five separate cell phones go off at any given time. The public libraries have a new policy that prohibits the use of cell phones while in the building, but people look past the rather large sign and answer their cell phone anyway. If people bring their attention to the sign, they hang up the phone and say something like 'whoops, wasn't supposed to do that, was I?'. I have one word for those people: Duh.

Washington State has passed a new(ish) law that states that people can't smoke within 25 feet of doorways in public places. My college has marked these spots (or posted signs telling people that they can smoke next to the garbage cans, rain or shine), and as soon as people get into these areas, they light up, talking and smoking at the same time. I'm surprised that some of the people I go to school with can accomplish this. Some of them will just stand in the middle of the walkway, smoking, talking, and drinking their coffee (that has got to be a funky taste), but most of them will go with the flow or move off to the sides. I have nothing against smokers (if they choose a premature death, then so be it) even though I think it's a disgusting habit (although I can think of far worse habits to have), and I even have no problems with cell phone users (but they are getting out of hand). It's the people attached to the cigarette and cell phone I have the problem with. We get parents coming in at work, yakking away on their phone, trying to give us information and talk to their friend about their crazy, drunken weekend at the same time. They're talking to their friend at the top of their voice because we play music in the lobby and it gets pretty loud in there when there are a lot of people. There have been times when my co-workers and I will ignore a customer on their phone and help the next person. If someone raised a stink about it, we just smile and tell them that we didn't want to interrupt their conversation.

The look on their faces is priceless.

M