People who text all the time.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Am I alone in being annoyed by people who text at the same time as they are having a conversation with me? Young females are the worst; the ones I know never stop. I've got to the point of telling them that it's bad manners, but they think I'm joking. The worst side of this is people visiting to me at my home, presumably because they want to see me, and then texting all the time.

Texters make snorting noises or faint amused ejaculations from time to time which oblige you to ask who they're talking to or what about, and then, if you're not careful you are dragged into the action and end up making suggestions for things to text by way of retort. You lapse into a semi-unrelaxed state like disturbed sleep. I say that women are the worst because they seem to be so good with their thumbs, and being multi-taskers can hold a real and a text conversation simultaneously; it never ceases to amaze me how much they can type in a short space of time.

What is the etiquette? I do not like this development, but don't quite know how to do anythingn about it. Click, click, click, bloody clickety click?

I am the sort of person who if someone rings me when I am talking to someone will tell them I will ring them back. Love the one you're with, and all that.

― R t V (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 15 January 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Click, click, click, bloody clickety click?

You are Victor Meldrew and I claim my five pounds.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 15 January 2004 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmmmm i was thinking about getting a mobile yesterday but now i seem to have lost the urge again

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 15 January 2004 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Cellphones have thrown etiquette out the window... there will soon be an entire generation of people who are far more concerned about what's going on somewhere else (with someone else) that the place and people they're actually stuck with.

"Look, you're a good friend, so I want you to know I have terminal lymphom----"

"Hold on, I gotta take this call..." (Answers mobile.) "What's up?!!"

― andy, Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim: get one, you luddite, I can never bloody get onto you! ;P

Although, having one might make it hard for you to avoid *coff* certain persons...

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree btw - it is SO rude when people txt incessantly in company. I mean I'll do it on the odd occasion when its relevant to what I'm doing already (eg to say "yes, we're here, come join us" etc).

What gets my goat is people at work who are on the phone to a client, and then their mobile goes off (loudly and obviously mind you) and they PUT THE CLIENT ON HOLD to answer a personal call on the mobile. FFS, they should ban the things at work. If I hear one more loud polyphonic ringtone tune I'll go postal, I swear.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Although, having one might make it hard for you to avoid *coff* certain persons...

that doesn't worry me, i'd just break the knees of anyone who gave them the number :)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

there will soon be an entire generation of people who are far more concerned about what's going on somewhere else (with someone else) that the place and people they're actually stuck with.

when they're in that other place though, with those other people, do they still tap away at their phones?
maybe it's the actual texting process, and not the content of the message, that's interesting.

― Slump Man (Slump Man), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

your multitasking theory is shite mate. i don't know any women who can multitask with ease, and no, talking while knitting does not count cos knitting requires next to no concentration. fortunately i don't know many people with cellphones, so i don't have to worried about compulsive texters.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

thankfully texting is a habit that the vast majority of american's haven't picked up yet. it's not nearly as annoying as actually talking on the mobile while still having conversations with people present. As far as only being concerned with what's going on somewhere else: yes, my sister in law is like this. She may as well not even be present for all the checking in on other places she does. She's consequently always preparing to go somewhere, getting there, and leaving immediately to go elsewhere, all to do nothing.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I am thrilled to say I don't have the problem of young females constantly texting and calling my phone.

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 15 January 2004 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's awful. I agree that cellphones have added to decreasing ettiquite. Having a conversation with someone who's always checking on their cellphone, looking for messages, etc., is the pits.

― Sean (Sean), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

"She may as well not even be present for all the checking in on other places she does. She's consequently always preparing to go somewhere, getting there, and leaving immediately to go elsewhere, all to do nothing."

OTM seems like most people are obsessed with whats happening where they are not.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a type of neuroticism I think.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

OTM seems like most people are obsessed with whats happening where they are not.

uh, so what's the weather like over there?

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno i'm to busy wondering what it's like where you are.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

obv: too

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Having a conversation with someone who's always checking on their cellphone, looking for messages, etc., is the pits.

Amen. Any one that does that clearly needs a swift kick; if you're that lonely, use the phone to CALL someone.....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i just think we should complain about the issue without FEMINIZING it cos thats sort of sexist don't you think. arrrrgh why do i bother? young women are neurotic. yeah okay.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)

at the risk of making a dreadful generalisation, i've only ever really seen girls do it. luckily none of my friends do it.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

a female was referred to anecdotally. nobody--directly or indirectly--said it applied only to women. so chill.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

awful xpost

― oops (Oops), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

why does noting the gender of the compulsive texter matter?

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

well it doesn't really

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Young females are the worst; the ones I know never stop.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe they do it on purpose because they are sick of everyone expecting them to be polite and attentive all the time.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)

not that i'd actually know, i have never owned a cell phone

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)

THEN WHO HAVE I BEEN CALLING?!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

oops

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

he sounds a lot like me

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:24 (twenty-two years ago)

women be talkin'

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

but they're not you see

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

It seems to be the case that mobile phones are more common in Britain than in the US; is that so? I don't know anyone without a mobile, other than my grandmother.

I think the reason people text rather than phone is that it's much cheaper. Also it's easier to say both intimate and dismissive things that way: there's a certain mystery about it, too (what did he mean by that?). I think perhaps that we live in an age where to do only one thing at once feels to some people like a waste.

― R t V (Jake Proudlock), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Even in the states, more competition between operators means that a lot of people get more free minutes than they'll use, so ringing people is cheaper than texting. Or so I understand.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 16 January 2004 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.