Comment Unibombing? (Score 2, Insightful) 992
Having to VPN lately in the afternoons due to a class... I've had to relocate to places like chain book stores and *%'s due to the deal on wireless service i get with my provider.
Over the past month I've noticed a really concentrated culture of people who operate cellphones in public places. And yes, they are annoying at times.
But in more than one particular instance, I've overheard the opposite side of the spectrum... The guy behind the counter of one chain was complaining about how the cafe where he goes has a bright red sign that prohibits the use of cellphones... and how if he had it his way... he'd make sure that this place was the same. This was in a particularly busy *$'s with wi-fi and at around a particularly busy time time of day... that acts as a hub for alot of suit and tie types... some of which keep to themselves and some of which are annoying beyond belief.
The point the general populace has to realize is that anywhere you have wi-fi... you are bound to have virtual commuters... I don't go to the local whole earthy, mom and pop place to do work... I go there to relax and trust me I leave the phone off.
I go to chains because I get a good deal per month and I have the opportunity to change surroundings and do my work away from home... and honestly sometimes I feel more motivated as well.
But its amazing how many people for whatever psychological reasons will project this 'hate your kind' aura... even if you are just checking your voicemail. Its not like I'm whipping out my cellphone in the middle of a library or upscale dining establishment and yelling "BOB get me those TPS reports, STAT."
There are plenty of places where cell phone usage is not courteous... and believe me I try to be as mindful as the next person... but employees and visitors of chains like the aforementioned need to realize there are places where it is a fact of life. You don't like those places... support a place like the mom and pop's that encourage cafe usage for relaxation. Don't go all neo-luddite and get yourself an EMP.
The kind that do that are just as worse... and probably the exact same psychological profile as the people they hate... abrasive, intrustrive, and ego driven... full of opinions on how the world ought to be.
When I moved to this city I learned really quick how much easier and less expensive it was to have a cell... Ameritech when I first moved here took 3 months to install a phone in my apartment... I've moved three times since then and never installed a phone line since.