And it pisses me right off. As a Customer Service person, there’s literally no horror like that of someone enslaved to their phone. They ask for help, the phone rings and they answer it and launch into a 10 minute conversation. What’s the service person to do? It’s actually a tough choice. You can wait for the conversation to finish, and possibly ignore anyone else who may be needing help. The other option is to walk away and come back when they hang up the phone (which, can I just add, is very rarely a vital or important conversation. When you hear as many full volume calls as I do, you know it’s almost always about curtains or meeting for lunch in three weeks).

That second option is the tricky one, because you never know how the person with the phone will react when you come back. Some are nice, understanding that they were at fault for answering a phone in the middle of the conversation.  Others will rip shreds off you for daring to walk away from them. Hello?

Mobile phones are, without question, important tools these days. I hate leaving the house without one, not because I get a lot of calls but because if my car explodes it’s nice to know I can call someone and say “Um. Bugger”.  At work I’m a slave to the phone, I can’t stand it ringing for more than5 rings. That’s more because the sound annoys me, to be honest, than any kind of excellence in customer service. However, my mobile phone is set to silent ring and loud SMS alert. I’m weird like that.

The other time mobile phones should be jumped at and pounced on is if you’re waiting for actual news (not what colour curtains so and so picked, but perhaps that someone’s had the baby). Being 100% contactable in the case of family or friend emergency is important, and mobiles are excellent in these cases. I would say vital.

While I’m on the subject (ooh this is getting long) what’s with the driving and talking? Can you really not stand to be in constant contact with someone? I love my car time, I can sing off key, pluck my eyebrows (not while moving) and basically just let the belly hang out and relax. I don’t want a phone clamped to my ear in my me time, thanks.  Hang the thing up, concentrate on the road and call them when you get to where you’re going. Got a call you need to take? Pull over. People do it. Sane people do it. They find a spot to pull over and take the call or ring the person back. It’s really not complicated.

Finally, try this. You’re having a conversation, your phone rings. Try pulling it out of your pocket, answering it and saying “Hi, can I call you back?”.