[MR] Pennsic Cell Phones

[Judithsca at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/31/2003 6:05:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
tatsushu at hotmail.com writes:

> I'm not as drawn out by people talking on the phone.  Heck, I've seen 
> people 
> talking to themselves without a phone!  I can ignore that just as I can 
> ignore the little walkie-talkies that, while non-period, are a great way to 
> help a few people coordinate and get things done at large events and large 
> event sites. 


I agree about walkie-talkies.  At an event as large as Pennsic, they are 
necessary.  However, walkie-talkies do not ring in the middle of my classes.  I 
never notice the walkie-talkies, and very few people at Pennsic have them 
compared to the number of people who are at Pennsic.  However, in the middle of a 
class that I am teaching, I do notice that lovely little electronic noise, and 
this last year I would say that easily 50% of the time that I was walking 
about, I heard a cell phone ringing.  And that is a conservative estimate.  There 
are many more cell phones at Pennsic than walkie-talkies...

 Also, I realize that for some people if they cannot have a 
> 
> connection back to work they cannot come.  Yes, this isn't why most people 
> bring their phones, but some people do actually need them and the only way 
> they can come to Pennsic and still have a job when they get back.  Thus, I 
> would be against the banning of cell phones (although encouraging 
> discreetness of use is, imho, a great thing).


I agree.  Banning cell phones at Pennsic is not what I actually meant to 
write.  Banning cell phone that ring is more to the point.  The people talking to 
themselves--- that does not bother me so much as make me look twice to ensure 
what I am seeing
      Of course, what people do within their encampments is a different 
story; I almost consider that their private space, so if they want to have their 
cell phones there, to receive messages and what not, that is fine.  But I still 
see no reason that they have to have it with them 24/7, set to ring outloud, 
wherever they are at the event.


J