New Gesture Needed

**chip anderson** · 11-11-2002, 08:23 PM

In our society we have lots of gestures, many of which we should not use. However we have an urgent need for a new one, your suggestions appreciated.

We need a gesture that tells people (especially those driving or in the chair during examination) exactly what they can do with that damn cell phone!

Chip

I am really tired of gettin floureciene in the the eye and waiting over five minites for the patient to finish telling thier kids to clean their room and what's on the menu.

Am even more tired of people thinking they are doing a good job driving with the phone when they really can't.

**optigoddess** · 11-11-2002, 11:37 PM

Chip - I couldn't agree more about the **** cell phones! I think being accessible in an emergency is "a good thing" but I resent the interruption when it is clearly NOT a matter of critical importance -

I have a million other things to keep me busy - I do not have time to WAIT while you talk to your friend about "xyz" (blither blather) - and DON'T get ****** at me if I go assist someone else who WANTS my attention! :finger:

Karen :angry:

**John R** · 11-12-2002, 01:00 AM

A picture with a mobile phone with a red cross on it then a big boot above stamping down....
Just put a sign up saying please turn all mobiles off in this surgery, Failure to do so could result in losing your appointment..If they are keeping you wainting just usher in the next paitent in front of them...

In the Uk we are in the process of or even have done banning using a phone while driving....Still dont stop folks doing it though....

**Pete Hanlin** · 11-12-2002, 06:47 AM

Actually, I think everyone with a driver's license should have a cell phone! Furthermore, everyone should be required to have personalized license plates!

The license plates will contain the number of the cell phone, so I can "reach out and touch someone" when they cut me off!
;)

In front of the office I worked at in Tallahassee, I actually saw someone run right up on the sidewalk with their SUV (going, like, 45 mph) and drive for about 100 ft or so before managing to get the vehicle back on the road. Unbelievably, this lady was chatting on a cell phone and never even paused her conversation!!! I was too stunned to do much more than stare, but I wish I would have thought quick enough to relay one of the "signals" to which you refer!
:D

Jo · 11-12-2002, 07:30 AM

I no the feeling. You just walk up to someone and ask how you can help them - ring. You are told just one minute. Ten minutes later you are looking at frames with them - ring. Fifteen minutes later you are fitting them and about to take a fitting height - ring. Another ten minutes later you are taking their deposit - ring. Then they come in to pick up; you almost have the frame on them - ring. Now they sit in your dispensary for fifteen more minutes on the phone.

I think more than a gesture is needed. Perhaps a scarlet letter "I" for idiot should be embroidered on all of their clothing. Or maybe glue their hand to the phone and the phone to their ear. Perhaps we could start charging $1 a minute extra for "our" time.

Lets see 10+15+10+15=50 minutes;
50 minutes = $50 charge for wasting our time.

Yeah, I like that one.

**Jeff Trail** · 11-12-2002, 10:41 AM

Hey you guys are throwing out the baby with the bath water here, I have a cell phone, in fact two :-) I use my phones all the time, I really have no choice since I'm in and out and on the road and need to stay in contact with the lab, specially with all the technical stuff you opticians and OD's love to ask me (over and over :-)
If you show a little common courtesy and place the phone on vibrate before enter an office than it is no problem, shoot the vast majority of C-phones now come with free voice mail and caller ID and when I leave I can hit a button and the phone recalls everyone that called me that I did not take the call.
When I did own a couple of retail locations and someone came in and was rude taking a bunch of calls, when they came back I had someone from the staff go in the back and call about 5 or 10 times and let them see how they liked me taking calls :-) If they were brave enough to tell me how "rude" I was I had no problem telling them about how they did the same thing to me or one of my staff when they came in originally :-) I understand not everyone is in the position to do this but what was I going to do..fire myself? :-)
BTW I have hands free in the car and the phone is built into my radio and this works great and the phone is voice activated and dials by voice..so eyes on the road all the time:-) and I have not even drove on the sidewalk one single time :-) C-phones are not the bane in here in FL. as much as the over 80 crowd who think that blue hair gives them the right of way AT ALL times :-) (that is even if they can see you)

Jeff "how did I get by before c-phones" Trail

**John R** · 11-12-2002, 02:21 PM

Sure Mobiles are very handy....But they have to be used with thought for others... Like you say if you are visiting some place to see someone then turn off or turn off the ringer....
To deal with those folks who answer the phone while you are serving them, When they answer the phone just walk away and deal with someone else...If they start making a scene because you let them...Easy reply, well you wern't interested as you answered your phone....
Or when it rings and they go to answer it...Polity remove it from their hand answer for them saying they are busy and will ring back when you have finished....I bet they will be too gob smacked to say anything....

**Chris Ryser** · 11-12-2002, 06:53 PM

John R said:
Sure Mobiles are very handy....But they have to be used with thought for others... Like you say if you are visiting some place to see someone then turn off or turn off the ringer....
To deal with those folks who answer the phone while you are serving them, When they answer the phone just walk away and deal with someone else...If they start making a scene because you let them...Easy reply, well you wern't interested as you answered your phone....
Or when it rings and they go to answer it...Polity remove it from their hand answer for them saying they are busy and will ring back when you have finished....I bet they will be too gob smacked to say anything....

I have one fixed mountyed in the car, voice activated, hear through loud speaker, talk thorugh microphone mounted on side of windshield. I tell em what number to call and he does it. Sometimes the anser is "did not understand, please repeat" so give em the number again and maybe it works.

No problem loosing the traffic this way, but its not a pocket phone and 15 years old.

**chip anderson** · 11-14-2002, 08:02 PM

Unfortunately the problem is not your hand being occupied, it's your mind being in the d___ telephone.

You may think you are so alert that you can handle it as well as you can do without it, you can't.

Chip

**Night Train** · 11-14-2002, 08:58 PM

Here's what the cartalk guys have to say:
Tom and Ray created a slogan they are putting on bumper stickers.
The slogan is "Drive Now, Talk Later," which Tom and Ray declare as their second choice, since National Public Radio vetoed their first choice, "Would You Drive Better If I Crammed That Cell Phone Up Your Keister?"

According to Tom and Ray, "We've all seen it. A moron with a cell phone epoxied to his ear, driving through red lights, obliviously chatting away...while pedestrians dive behind park benches and mailboxes."

Furthermore, they have statistics to back their reasons for being opposed to drivers using cell phones.

1. The odds that you'll slam your jalopy into some other hapless driver--or your local guardrail--increase 400 percent when a cell phone is being used. Those are about the same odds of having an accident as when you're legally drunk.

B. Drivers with a cell phone in the car are 34 percent more likely to be in an accident. Drivers who used their phones for more than 50 minutes per month increased their risk of collision fivefold.

III. And (sorry, cell phone industry apologists) hands-free devices are just as risky as hand-held phones.

www.cartalk.cars.com

**Texas Ranger** · 11-16-2002, 03:40 PM

when i'm serving a client, frame stylin,g taking merasurements, etc; and they answer their cell phone and begin a personal call, I get up from my position, go to the reception area, and ask if I might be of service to another client, while my current client yaks away. in a little while, they "miss me", and I tell them i'll be with them in a moment. if I was in the lane, and this happened, i'd flip on the lights, remove the phoropter nad excuse myself, go to the potty, wash my hands and face, maybe get some water(we'd all be better with a cool drink), of course i'd be sure to shut the door when i left the room, so they'd have the place to themselves, after about ten minutes, go back and ask"would we like to continue with your appointment, or would you like to reschedule?" you should have signage advising that cell use in the exam room or dispensary is highly discouraged.; right next to the one prohiting smoking/spitting.

**Chris Ryser** · 11-16-2002, 04:17 PM

A transmitter on the cellfone range of wavelength. Range of the transmitter only 20 feet. Will block all incoming and outgoing calls from office or store and is not interfering with general cell traffic.

Chris Ryser

**Cindy Hamlin** · 11-17-2002, 06:20 PM

Chip,
At my doctor's office they have a sign in the waiting and the exam rooms that tell you to turn off the cell phone until you leave the office. I asked what they do if they are on the phone when the doctor enters. They told me they show them to the waiting room and "work them back into the patient rotation". So, in essence they lose their place.

It sounds like a winner to me! I can't recall how many times someone has kept me waiting while they discuss the most intimate aspects of their lives!:hammer: