h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What is the etiquette regarding phone/tablet use when dining in company? Is it such a widespread practise now that it's simply the normal thing to do, or is it just plain rude to apparently ignore the other diners?

Its sort of OKish with friends and family but bad form in other company, switch to messages or turn it off. Treat time in company as driving time.

I'm not clear on the actual question. Do you mean talking on the phone while eating at the table? That seems a bad move. Can you not at least get up from the table and move far enough away so that you have privacy for your conversation?

>>I'm not clear on the actual question.

Using the phone for anything it was designed for really, rather than using it to eat your food with.

But mostly, using it for screen-related things like texting (or even checking facts on the internet) rather than using it to take/make calls; I think it's pretty obvious when talking on the phone at the table is rude to your dinner companion/s, but some people are quite happy to fumble with their screens under the same circumstances, which may or may not be considered rude these days.

I think it's a fast changing area though, and so many kids habitually stare at their screens that it will probably become acceptable in the near future, simply because it's the norm for that generation.

I was once called ill-mannered when I was on call for work and took a phone call to say that we'd lost our financial system in Japan. I now excuse myself and leave the room when I take calls during meals.

as with most things it depends where you are and who you're with. I'm fairly flexible about most things, talking on the phone at the dinner table is something I consider rude - to your dining companions and to whoever called you. As Icy said - better to get up and go elsewhere.

At home our family rule is no electronic gadgets at the dinner table

"I think it's pretty obvious when talking on the phone at the table is rude to your dinner companion/s, but some people are quite happy to fumble with their screens under the same circumstances, which may or may not be considered rude these days" [quotes]

I understand your question better now. Thanks for explaining.

If only there was some sort of online encyclopedia, a sort of "guide" say, that had articles on all sorts of subjects. Subjects like phone etiquette, say. Then you could search that "guide" to see if there was an entry covering the subject.

Imagine that.

A74783253

Shame we don't have an entry on sarcasm.

A700958

Unfortunately, Hoovooloo/Twiggster's entry on Phone Etiquette does not cover the original question - fiddling with your phone, looking up stuff on the internet etc during meals.

What goes around, comes around. Bringing your phone to the table exponentially increases the chance that you'll get food or beverage on it, hopefully ruining it

I was in the checkout aisle of a supermarket once. The woman ahead of me was clueless about her toddler and her phone. She repeatedly put the phone within easy reach of the kid, who knocked it on the cart every single time. I was praying that he would break it!

>> ...entry on Phone Etiquette does not cover the original question - fiddling with your phone, looking up stuff on the internet etc during meals

Looking at the date, I see the entry is prehistoric WRT general smart-phone use.

Prehistoric? It was still after 9/11, which continues to be one of the hobgoblins of little minds.

getting back to table manners & phones - actually phones are only the latest manifestation of this.

I was always in trouble, especially on a Sunday, for reading at breakfast. The matron used to intercept me and confiscate whatever I had in my hand

(because we were supposed to be learning how to make polite dinner conversation. At freaking breakfast!)

I can remember that in the past, it was much more common for (older) people to admonish kids for reading books in general, usually stating something like "you should be outside, not burying your head in a book."

Its rude, bad mannered. full stop, if its an emergncy call; work, family etc; talke it and leave the table. or risk legitimatially opening yourself up to physical attack from other diners, for being so rude, as to use it for unnecessary activities; twitter, FB, looking things up, etc, checking E-mails, all being unnecessary.

Simularly if you use your phone whilst walking down the street, as far as I'm concerned your not only being rude, your declairing agression at any one else on the street, by performing actions designed to injur others; thereby legitimising anyone else, of reasonable behavior and decorum, to have the ability to take preventative action, and E.G., smash the phone/device from your hand, or punch your face out. its unnecwssary, dangerous, and rude and interfering to other more well-behaved individuals going about their everyday activities like normal humans.

>>if you use your phone whilst walking down the street../your declairing agression at any one else on the street, by performing actions designed to injur others


In what way?

"we were supposed to be learning how to make polite dinner conversation. At freaking breakfast!" [Sho]

That's a contradiction in terms. Your mouth can only do one thing at a time: eat, or breath, or vocalize. Trying to do all three at once creates all kinds of problems!

Nice pacifist reply there 2legs