Cell phone use in walk-in clinics

[waynetyea]

i recently had to use the walkin clinic in rutland. it was real busy. there were two posters on the wall saying to please turn off your cell phones. i looked around and saw 6 females and one male all on the phone. most the other people there were too old to have one or too young. now my question is why must they turn it off? and why will the female receptionist not enforce this request? i thought that they were so busy on the phones that they had no time to look around, especially no time to read all the requests, or just dont give a eff? take your pick. sincirley some one who did turn it off. the only one. ps the drivers doing this are far more dangerous than anyone at .08 why is this not being enforced on our roads? as i see this almost every time i go out on the road.

[fvkasm2x]

1) it could interfere with some machinery'

2) courtesy. With 10 people in a small room all on the phone, it can get loud.

[Hmmm]

They're talking about talking on phones not texting, playing a game or other quite things. Seriously, get a life.

[janalta]

They're talking about talking on phones not texting, playing a game or other quite things. Seriously, get a life.

Not true actually.
Most medical clinics have signs that clearly say - Please turn OFF cell phones.
They don't say...don't talk on your phone but you can keep it on and play with it.

It boggles my mind that people can't go an hour without being glued to their cell phones...while shopping, while at the doctor, during lunch ( which is annoying and rude )...seriously....turn the stupid thing off. The world won't end.

[grammafreddy]

It boggles my mind that people can't go an hour without being glued to their cell phones...while shopping, while at the doctor, during lunch ( which is annoying and rude )...seriously....turn the stupid thing off. The world won't end.

[Hmmm]

They are not talking about what I previously stated. They don't want people talking on them, ringing, making any noise at all. Thats it. Trust me I know. I could tell you how I know but then I'd have to &%$ you.

[LoneWolf_53]

Most medical clinics have signs that clearly say - Please turn OFF cell phones.
They don't say...don't talk on your phone but you can keep it on and play with it.

It boggles my mind that people can't go an hour without being glued to their cell phones...while shopping, while at the doctor, during lunch ( which is annoying and rude )...seriously....turn the stupid thing off. The world won't end.

I agree and it boggles my mind that some don't grasp what "OFF" means. Seems quite straight forward to me.

I've also noted that I'm perfectly capable of going to a bathroom, without a cell phone in my hand, and it works.

No one is so important, that half an hour out of phone contact, will stop the world from turning.

[Hmmm]

Why does it bother you? Its not interfering with you is it? Putting your life in danger? Costing you money? What? Oh, yeah, you just like to whine.

[janalta]

Why does it bother you? Its not interfering with you is it? Putting your life in danger? Costing you money? What? Oh, yeah, you just like to whine.

Maybe because we actually follow rules...and when we are asked to turn our phones off...we turn them off. Actually, I don't even bother bringing mine in with me.
Common courtesy.
Consideration for others.

It is annoying and a rather pathetic statement of society today when you look around a waiting room and 80% of the people are sitting there texting or updating their FB to let their 400 friends know they're sitting in a waiting room..

[Hmmm]

Maybe because we actually follow rules...and when we are asked to turn our phones off...we turn them off.

Why don't you ask what is meant by not using your phone? Using an electronic device is acceptable, ask. Now that, that is covered move on to something that matters.

[fvkasm2x]

Why don't you ask what is meant by not using your phone? Using an electronic device is acceptable, ask. Now that, that is covered move on to something that matters.

You keep missing the key point though.

The signs clearly say "Please turn OFF your phones."

It doesn't say "Please don't talk on your phone" or "Please don't use your phone." The word OFF is clearly spelled out in every sign I've ever seen.

[Captain Awesome]

May be they feel very bad for all the old magazines nobody reads, and they hope if cell phones are banned somebody will pick them up for a second. I swear to god, one day I was waiting for my appointment, and started reading a story about Berlin wall coming down.

[ohgeeze]

Here is some confusion...in my doctor's office it says "please turn your cell phones off" and right beside it a sign that says "wi fi available here" ?

[Woodenhead]

Here is some confusion...in my doctor's office it says "please turn your cell phones off" and right beside it a sign that says "wi fi available here" ?

Leads me to believe they mean "mute" and/or "no talking on your phone". I don't see how playing some solitaire on a muted phone hurts anything.

[Scadam]

I always took that sign to mean don't yak away on your phone, don't have it ringing or beeping, and put it on silent mode. There's no machinery that cares. I've probably been in that same waiting room, reading a book on my phone. I'm not going to bring the physical book and keep my phone in my pocket just to satisfy someone who is worked up about perceived rules.

The sign says 'OFF' simply because that's easier than trying to define a common sense boundary. A sign with an itemized list would be ridiculous - put your phone on silent, go outside if you have to talk on it, don't have anything innapropriate on your screen, etc... Inevitably you'd get some dummy arguing that what he was doing isn't on the sign, so he shouldn't be getting asked to stop.

My observation is that most people do have common sense and know to keep the phones silent, and step outside if it rings. The sign is a reminder not to disturb the other people in the waiting room - and it does it's job just fine. There was a guy in there last time I had to wait who was annoying, his phone wasn't on silent so it was making a bloody tap-tapping noise as he texted. Those are the people who aggravate me.