Cell Phone Etiquette Reminder

Someone asked me today if I wrote the book on slug etiquette. Why, of course I did! And so has every slug who has politely helped establish the norms of conduct that keep out little society happily functioning.

But sometimes, rudeinconsiderateselfishloudmouth morons need the rest of us to gently remind them of the rules, or to share the benefits of our knowledge if they are sadly ignorant of our ways.

And when we say to these fellow creatures, quietly, "Excuse me, but it's not considered polite to hold a cell phone conversation when you're slugging," we should not then suffer a torrent of abuse.

Alas, such did happen to me today.

A particularly loud female launched into a cell conversation this morning before we had even made it out of the Potomac Mills parking lot. Although the extremely nice driver, also female, made obvious attempts to raise the volume of her radio, the backseat talker simply raised her own volume past conversational to irritating. Nor was the conversation short or important.

When it reached the "chit-chat" stage, and you know what I mean, I turned around, mentioned the etiquette of slugging, and got a loud, aggressive, two-minute tirade about not giving her respect. As if she had been respecting the driver or me! Then it sounded like she was going to cry. Amazing! I've seen nothing like it in ten years of slugging.

Well, the Sponge is nothing if not resilient (absorbent, more like,) so I wasn't really put off by her rudeness, but the driver was clearly shocked and even scared. She didn't say a word, ever, and I apologized, sotto voce, for stirring up trouble. I only hope she won't give up driving. Though I wouldn't blame her.

My feeling is that we slugs have to police our own behavior, and when someone steps clearly out of the bounds of good slugging etiquette, then we have a responsibility to inform them, nicely, of how our game is played. Some people are new to it, so we help them.

But really, the cell phone thing is just too much.

WOW...my first posting! I read the postings on this web-site rather frequently, but have never felt the need to respond (well, yeah...I felt the need, but didn't previously do it) until now.

I happen to be a driver (been doing it for 5 years now) and pick up 2 slugs each evening in Rosslyn on my way home. The cell phone issue is a BIG one for me. I also have a cell phone, but it would be a rarity for any of my riders to ever see me use it or hear it ring (I don't talk on it and drive, the only people that have that number know it). It really unnerves me to have my riders treat my vehicle as though it was their own personal phone booth. I don't mind the short calls to let someone know you're on your way, or to briefly check on the kids, etc., but too many people abuse the ride by yakking on the phone the entire trip.

I make mental notes of who they are and if I see them coming, I put down my destination sign while they find another ride. I don't want to have to be rude and say something impolite to one of my riders, but I fear that day is coming (it's either that, or drop them off in the middle of the mixing bowl as I've been tempted to do many times).

Thanks for letting me vent!

ShipM8s

I actually thought slugs and the drivers that picked them up where nuts for many years...my Mom always taught me never hitchhike, and when I started driving, never pick up hitchhikers. A friend turned me on to this website when I was exploring other commuting options to help me get home faster. One of the first things I read was the etiquette page. Then I thought to myself "ok, there are some reasonable rules, gotcha". Next day I tried it and have been doing it ever since.

I've tried turning up the radio, I've even tried staring at them with a scowl on my face, alas to no avail. Rude people just don't understand common courtesy. Bob's berating his fellow slug for being rude wouldn't have bothered me one bit (atta boy Bob!).

And I could change my sign, but wouldn't that just make me look like a b*tch they don't want to ride with anyway? Besides, my sign already says HORNER ROAD in bold red letters (on both sides), yet almost everyday as they get in, they ask if that's where I'm going. Think the inconsiderate ones would actually read the part about the cell phones?

ShipM8s

Wow, Mirangus, that is GROSS! Another sign of the times we live in. You showed too much restraint, IMO. We live in a gross society because we have confused the issue of human rights with the day-to-day business of social etiquette. People think it is a "right" to act any way they want in public, which it is not.


Me, I don't care if I piss off slugs when I'm the driver, though it embarrasses my wife. For example, unless they are really fat, I ask them nicely to buckle up (if they show no signs of doing so.) If someone started a conversation like you just described, I'd choose one of two options...

A: Crank the volume on my radio up to where they can't hear themselves. If they whine, you say in a Kojak voice: "This ain't public transportation, baby."

or

B: Get out my phone and make a call of my own (real or fake) and begin loudly commenting on how SOME people just do not understand the etiquette of slugging, that one does not make cell calls as a slug except to arrange a pick up at the lot, and then only after asking.

BUT, if they ask nicely, I let them make a call. It's all about being polite.

quote:

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Originally posted by PattiJ
[br]Drivers need to take back control of their vehicles about the cellphone thing. I suggest Option 1: Mention your cellphone rule when your slugs get in the car--no calls unless it is a family emergency, or Option 2: Threaten to dump the cellphone abuser out of your car on the HOV if they don't get off their phone and then follow through with the threat. It would be worth the fine just to see the stunned look on the face of the dumpee as you wave "bye" and they're left standing by the side of the road.[:D]

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Dumping someone on the side of the road is a great idea but it opens the driver up for a couple of offenses. The first of which you have already listed is a ticket for HOV violation [:I] and the second would be for illegally discharging passengers on a public highway [}:)].

Just my $.02 worth...

John