The Phone Booth. 10 Reasons to Bring it Back

10 reasons to bring them back.

The public is sick and tired of being forced to listen to random conversations.

What would it be like if you could only use your cell phone in designated areas, or phone booth-like stalls?

10 reasons to bring back the phone booth:

You can’t doze off or concentrate on your crossword puzzle on public transportation because of the cell phone chatterbox.
You can’t comfortably shop without bumping into a chatterbox describing the pair of underwear to the person on the other end, who do doubt is scrubbing their toilet or getting something done while enduring the call.
You can’t stand in line at the market without being forced to listen to the trite conversation between husband and wife about whether he remembered to bring along the reusable bags.
You can’t walk through a mall without being on the alert, forced to step aside for the cell phone talker who seems to be in another world.
You’re forced to slow down or slam on your brakes unexpectedly because the person in front of you has slowed down to 54 mpr while in the fast lane because he/she needs to focus on sending their text message. (And, as soon you pass to go around him/her, they speed up; done texting!)
Flushing the toilet in a public restroom becomes awkward. While you don’t want to care, you try to wait for the pause in the conversation of the cell phone talker in the next stall to flush, so that you don’t to “disturb” the conversation. (I don’t care who it is, they don’t need to listen to your bathroom business, or mine for that matter!)
A booth confines the cell phone roamer, who randomly walks into people because of their ever-changing pacing course; huffing when they bump into someone.
Conversations would no doubt be ever-so brief; realizing that you don’t have to give a play by play of our day.
College students can’t continue the tradition of phone booth cramming. (In 2009, students at St. Mary’s College commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Life Magazine cover)
Children will never experience the thrill of sticking their finger in the coin slot and pulling out a quarter.

What would life be like if you didn’t walk around with your face buried in your cell phone?

You’d pay more attention to those around you.
You’d actually notice and say “thank you” to the person who held the door open for you.
You’d have better posture.
You’d do a bit more listening and less blabbing which might allow you to learn something new or see someone or something in a different way.
You’d have privacy and so would the people around you. (FYI, the world does not need to know or care to know about what you’re doing tonight.)
You’d be more helpful to society; you’d be the one holding the elevator door for someone, or assisting an elderly person.

I don’t believe that we should ban public use of cell phones. However, the thought of making eye contact, smiling or saying “hello” to someone as we cross paths, sounds kind of nice.

Final thoughts: Keep your public conversations family-friendly and brief. If someone does save you from looking like a fool as you almost bump into a pole or get run over by a bus, thank them.

Helping Businesses and Individuals Find Success Through Better Communication and Social Skills

Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, Social Skills and Civility Presenter, Media Source, and author of “Don’t Burp in the Boardroom.”

Presentations are available to support HR policies, sales teams, up and coming managers, millennials & new-hire orientation process, service technicians, professional development events, conferences, college/university students, interns. For more information, please contact me, 650.871.6200.