I think I am getting old and grouchy. On a recent trip I was struck by how intrusive into one’s own zone of privacy cell phones can be. I know this is not something unique for me and is probably overly sensitive on my part, but for some reason it was particularly bothersome on this trip. It started the evening before I left, when a woman decided to use some kind of cell phone with a two way communication device. Like an old style walkie talkie, this woman spoke loudly into the instrument and then you could clearly hear, as if through a loud speaker, the other person’s response. Back and forth it went for anyone to listen to whether they wanted to or not. If this had happened at a construction site I’d understand, but it happened in a restaurant. The next day at the airport I was trying to read a book while waiting for my flight to leave. About ten feet away a young woman with a brief case and dressed in a business outfit sat down. She began using her cell phone. But, instead of dialing, she used voice commands. She would say loudly "call Joe brown." When the phone didn’t function, which happened often, she would repeat the command. There followed a long conversation or left message. On the other side of me, a man apparently felt he had to talk really loud to be heard. He carried on a long conversation for all to hear. At the same time this was going on, someone behind me topped it all. She called a friend to report her whereabouts and after telling her she was at the airport waiting, her end of the conversation consisted entirely of "yep, uh huh, yep, uh huh, yep uh huh" delivered in rapid fire over and over for a very long time like finger nails on a chalk board. It was an entire monologue on the other end. Forget the person who gets on the elevator and continues talking on their cell phone dominating the small space without regard to the others. I want you to know that "Yep uh huh" is impossible to ignore.

Cell phones are wonderful and very essential in many cases, but I wish the conversations weren’t inflicted on unwilling by standers who are just trying to read a book while waiting. So that’s my gripe for today which shows you how little of importance I have to complain about in life.