Do you get mad when someone is always texting in front of you?

For the most part, the people who get all snippy about texting or long conversations in public are people who generally don't use their phones much, in fact, they may even not have a cell or mobile. At least this is the general consensus I have been able to make about it. People like this seem to be unable to understand the people who are on or using the phone all the time. I have days when I barely touch mine, then I have days when it is ringing off the hook and texting for 10 minutes straight. In my opinion, it is a tool AND entertainment, and I do pay for it - unlimited airtime and text/data, so I figure why not make and get good use out of it? I can say I DO understand people who rarely or never use a cell, if that's how you feel and that's how you are, it doesn't bother me, because I don't care what you do. However, it does offend me when YOU care what *I* do lol. I feel the same way about people who are very environmentally friendly and frown on me for not recycling or driving an SUV or whatever I do that they don't. It's almost like they feel put-upon because I don't do what they do. Same thing with vegetarians who have an issue with my steak or burger. Not all environmentalist or vegetarians are like this, but some are, just like some non-cell-users are like this. Therein lies the issue. I think all people like that should just do what they do and let me do what I do and not make any comment, because what I do has nothing to do with them lol. I don't tell them to get on their phones! I just don't want them telling me not to get on mine. Make sense? As far as having a phone on vibrate in places where you don't want it ringing and interrupting something, that's a safety net for people who use a phone for business, people who have children, or people who are caretakers of some sort and need to be reachable all the time. I have my phone on vibrate at least no matter where I am, so if I get a message or a call that NEEDS to be dealt with, I can go deal with it without interrupting anything yet still be reached.

Girl... you use yahoo... instant messenger. Texting is just like that! Just as addicting! In fact, you know that I use messenger on my phone occasionally like when I'm not home. I've chatted with you for quite awhile via mobile yahoo messenger lol. Just pretend it's texting

My best friend used to make fun of me for texting and now she has an iPhone so I just make fun of the iPhone. She has told me that now it's easy for her to text, so she knows why I did it all the time lol. Granted she does text a lot for work so it's not all entertainment like it is for me.

I do agree that constant texting when you are with someone is disrespectful, the only times I can think of that I have had to do something like that is if there is some issue with my kids or an emergency of some type and I don't happen to be somewhere where I want people overhearing a conversation. Texting is also helpful for directions so you don't have to write anything down, someone can text you an address and you can store it, a phone number and you can store it, or you can make a comment to someone else in the room without people near you hearing it.... I know that sounds odd but my best friend and I have done that before because we did not want our kids hearing something or we did not want to embarrass someone else or have a friend who tends to repeat things she hears overhear what we were talking about.

I use text for that a LOT... to let people know I'm there, on way, late, lost, hungry... etc etc. LOL! I also use it for quick 'how are you' keeping in touch type messages because sometimes I don't have time to call. I have a few friends who are very technologically stunted, so although they HAVE cell phones, one of them barely even knows how to turn it on, and once she gets it turned on, she has no idea how to make a call lol. I have the feeling if I called her and actually reached her on it, she'd tell me that the phone made a racket as if it was going to eat her and now that she found a way to get it to shut up, now she couldn't figure out how to turn it off. As far as cell phones at school, there are rules about them. The kids are supposed to have them out of sight, and if not off at least on vibrate only. I know that teachers, proctors, and admin staff are allowed to and DO take cell phones, ipods, and other things from kids if they are out being played with and distracting to anybody. They require a parent to pick up things like this from the office and they will NOT release them to the kids no matter what sort of fit the kid has. I had to pick up my son's cell phone before, and also his ipod... and a hat he wasn't supposed to wear on campus! Now I am actually glad he has the phone because it's a way for me to reach him if I need him to come straight home, or if he's late and wasn't supposed to be, or if I'M not home and he needs something etc etc. I have told him that I expect him to be responsible and respectful with it, and reliably earn the amount that texting costs each month. It's just easy to become dependent on having that easy-reach communication with kids, it's something I will likely do with my daughter when she gets older. Sooner or later they WANT to be independent and you cannot follow them around breathing down their necks until they are 18. At least the phone gives you a flexible way to keep tabs. I try to keep it down in a crowd, restaurant, or whatever, but that doesn't mean I hang up either. It really depends on the conversation lol. I hear some people's conversations and I want to laugh, really LAUGH, at the content, but I have to keep it under control because some people even if they are loud get totally bent out of shape once they realize 15 other people heard them talking about their hangover....

I know what you mean about overhearing strangers' conversations (because for some reason people think you have to talk into a cell phone like they'd talk to the drive thru clerk at a fast food restaurant)! You know what's horrible about that kind of thing is that my mom is a very rude cell phone user. Whenever I'm out with her, not only is her ring turned on the loudest volume (and it's annoying as none other), but most of the time it's my aunt calling. Between the two of them they have every health problem imaginable: Bipolar, depression, Mitro-Valve Prolapse, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, you get the picture. And they proceed to talk about this kind of thing on the phone. Obviously talking about depression isn't disgusting, but when they start talking about how their IBS is doing, I want to dig a hole and wait in it until they're done. Sitting in a restaurant talking about bowel movements is simply out of place in every way imaginable. Cell phone usage at school is also very hard to keep under control. Back in high school (and college when I went, but going to class isn't even mandatory there), kids would put their backpacks up on their desks and text behind it. Teachers hardly noticed, and when they did, only a small percentage would actually have the nerve to take the phone. But a teacher's job is to teach, not scan everyone to make sure they aren't doing anything wrong, so I can understand that kids get away with it.

Ha ha... now THAT is ridiculous... playing BASKETBALL and trying to text? That's beyond my capabilities lol. Honestly, if I'm busy, the texts can wait. If I start getting a bunch of them and they don't stop, I'll go check and make sure it's not a crisis of epic proportions but usually it only requires a scan thru and a quick return so they stop.

I don't care about it unless the person is completely tuning me out for big blocks of time - which has never actually happened LOL! That's the only stipulation which I would get irritated about.

If I'm with someone I try to be quick about returning a text if it needs a response. If I'm not and am just waiting or something, I am more leisurely and will 'talk' a lot more through messages. I try to get off the phone faster too if I'm visiting with somebody, but I think I have too many long winded friends, and sometimes I cannot get a word in edgewise like 'I'm at so and so's house' so they have no idea and just keep talking lol. Text is easier if I just have one or two things to say or mention and I don't have time for a long conversation. Sooner or later if a text conversation gets long, sometimes it just turns into a phone call eventually.

I do agree that it's not nice to hold up a line or to constantly text text text when you were doing something else initially and then people have to wait on you, but under normal circumstances, I don't understand why people flip out about it. Granted I haven't seen as many people have an issue in real life, mostly here in discussions I have seen people rant about how they don't like people texting. I am trying to bring those people out of the woodwork and find out why they don't just ignore it. I can see if they get irritated at family members or friends they are supposed to be hanging out with, but not at ALL why they get irritated with strangers and think they have the right to say anything to them.

Sounds funny to me. I guess putting it on silent would be a little more apporiate instead of answering a text in the middle of a game. I do feel that is rude. If you are with someone to hang out phones should be off and if not off at least on vibrate and or silent. Take care and happy mylotting to you.

See, I don't see it as any big deal. I can still talk to someone while I scan and answer a text, sometimes it doesn't even need answering, just reading. If someone hijacked my phone, I'd be mad. It's my connection away from home for calls, text, email, instant messenger. My husband commutes an hour each way to work and we stay in touch via email, my kids are at two different schools and that number is my preferred way for the schools to contact me. I have left my phone at home on accident a few times and it has usually proven to be disastrous.

That makes sense, in a meeting that's a formal setting. During something like that, you would expect to have the full attention of the other person, just as they would expect to have your full attention.

kb5000, I used to be a very slow texter. I have a qwerty keyboard phone now though, so it doesn't take me much longer to text than to type, I'm pretty quick. It always seems like a waste of time if you don't enjoy something, and if you're slow. There are plenty of people like you who maybe dislike texting and perhaps think social networking is a waste of time - however, why would you be on mylot, which is in essence a SOCIAL NETWORKING TYPE OF SITE - if it is the waste of time you state it is?

to me personally, texting is a waste of time. so is social networking. when i text it takes me much longer to do it than the common phone user.

yes, my sister is always texting when she comes over my house :( i hate it. once i told she was not too get her cell out too text ever in my house.

hey even my sister does the same. she keeps on texting every second which has also resulted in less scores in her engineering. people should use texting to keep in touch with others but to such extent that leads to negative in our life

Why does it annoy you if someone is texting and walking? I do it, I have not run into anything or anybody, granted I walk slower but if I have to stop, I will stop someplace where I am not right in the way of other people. I still feel that what one person does is not another person's business, especially if the people are strangers. If you start getting into how you should have a say in what others do, then that in turn means others have a say in what you do, and I would NEVER be on board with that. EVER.