Cup O’ Joe: Should we take that call?

Cell phones. They have become an integral part of everyday life. But have we become less considerate because of them?
That was a question posed to me by Lou Laney. Lou is the store manager for the Houlton Food Trend store on Military Street and was in our office recently when the subject of cell phones came up. He’s noticed an increasing trend of customers talking on their phones or texting while not only standing in line, but also as they approach the counter, causing delays in completing transactions.
    It got me thinking on the subject, so I started watching other people while in the grocery or department stores or at gas stations. And you know what? He’s right.
The number of people standing in line, or just shopping the aisles, who are gabbing away on cell phones is astounding. It got me to wondering, was I too guilty of the transgression of being inconsiderate to others?
What is so vitally important that requires talking on a cell phone while shopping anyway? I can understand if it’s an emergency or my wife calling to remind me to bring home some juice. I’m terrible at that by the way. If I don’t go to a store with a list, I somehow instantly forget what I needed to pick up the moment I walk through the door.
And even when I do have a list, I don’t always follow it. My wife will send me to the store with a list saying something along the lines of “Please pick up these items, bread, juice, etc.” And somehow, I always manage to add completely unnecessary items, usually because of some great sale the store is having.
“Why did you buy Hot Pockets?” she will ask.
“They were on sale,” is my standard reply. “It was a really good deal.”
Do we really need to be on the phone as much as we are? I think not. But that’s the beauty of a cell phone. If someone you know is calling you, you can make the conscious decision whether or not to take the call or send it to voicemail.
For many, since incoming calls are “free” the urge to answer is almost overwhelming, at least for me. But do I really want others overhearing my conversations while I am going through the aisles of County Yankee or Andy’s IGA? Not really, so I keep my conversations as short as possible.
Some people, apparently, have no such qualms of others hearing about their cousin’s medical condition or the fact that “so-and-so” was found doing “such-and-such” with “you know who” the other night. It’s nearly impossible to ignore the conversations, since people are often speaking loudly so the person on the other end can hear them.
We’ve become so desensitized to technology that even in movie theaters, while there is a promo telling you to please turn off your phones, I have witnessed people chatting away or texting (probably to the person sitting two seats down from them.)
Here’s a crazy idea. How about instead of talking on the phone, you actually smile and say hello to the person standing next to you while shopping? It is the holidays after all.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish .com or 532-2281.