Debate about cell phones in hospitals.

[Daisy and Delilah]

And what do you do or say when ...

The Offending Cell-Yapper is none other than your Doctor!?

I swear I've got one Doc that has NEVER completed an Office Visit nor a Hospital Rounds Visit
without accepting at least one cell call!
And the receipt of that call often "requires" the initiation of a call to someone else!

HEY - Quack Person!
Pay attention to ME, please. ... You can jabber to your Cronies later!

That's just rude, crude, and unacceptable, Phred. But what can we do? After all, they make so much more money than we do, drive a better car than we do, and, their time is so much more valuable than ours is. Right??

sparks; This topic has certainly brought on a spirited discussion. I have learned alot from other people's perspectives. Maybe now I will be more tolerant of some cellphone users or.....maybe not

[ramanth]

Hey is it true that pay phones in the US will only allow you to talk for a few minutes before you have to add more money? I have heard that before....

Where I am from one quarter in the phone and you can talk forever if you wanted to.

I think there is a time limit but honestly can't remember, but I do remember when pay phones were a dime, then they raised the rate to a quarter, then to 35 cents.

While at the mall recently, I noticed they still had two pay phones and it's 50 cents now! And I think there is a time limit.

My parents would use a calling card with the pay phones.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

That's interesting becuase over here they are thinking of doing the opposite.
Up to now mobiles have been banned in hospital because of the possible interference with equipment but nothing has been proven so they are thinking of relaxing the rules

[sparks19]

That's just rude, crude, and unacceptable, Phred. But what can we do? After all, they make so much more money than we do, drive a better car than we do, and, their time is so much more valuable than ours is. Right??

sparks; This topic has certainly brought on a spirited discussion. I have learned alot from other people's perspectives. Maybe now I will be more tolerant of some cellphone users or.....maybe not

LOL you're funny

I have a feeling though that this particular Dr's care might have been less than stellar whether he was on the phone or not.... I mean if that is normal practice for him to be so rude.

:Eek: I was talking to a lady the other day about labour and she was saying that while she was in the final stages of labour she was screaming and making a bunch of noise lol and her mid wife told her to shut up.... :Eek: I think my foot would have "Accidently" slipped off the stirrup and kicked her LOL.

[Karen]

Last I knew it's 50 cents for a pay phone for the first three minutes, then you have to put more money in - I haven't had to use one in years, but that's always how they were here, no matter the "starting fee."

[Edwina's Secretary]

I don't like television. Rarely watch it. The shows all seem to be about Anna Nicole Smith or voting people off islands. Have you been in a waiting room or in a hospital and heard the drone of Bob Barker prattering on about some overpriced washing machine?? The other evening I was trying to eat my dinner in the restaurant/bar of the hotel I was staying in and there was the LOUD tv!

But I am not going to suggest banning tvs from bars or hospitals or waiting rooms -- just because they annoy me.

We share our space in this world with other people. And everyone does not enjoy the same thing. We need to deal with it.

[sparks19]

I don't like television. Rarely watch it. The shows all seem to be about Anna Nicole Smith or voting people off islands. Have you been in a waiting room or in a hospital and heard the drone of Bob Barker prattering on about some overpriced washing machine?? The other evening I was trying to eat my dinner in the restaurant/bar of the hotel I was staying in and there was the LOUD tv!

But I am not going to suggest banning tvs from bars or hospitals or waiting rooms -- just because they annoy me.

We share our space in this world with other people. And everyone does not enjoy the same thing. We need to deal with it.

The only TV's I have experienced in waiting rooms had the sound off and closed captioning on. So NO I can't say I have experienced that.

Even in bars the only time they have the sound up on the TV is for a sports game... and that's because it's a sports bar and that's what people are there to see LOL. Actually we have a REALLY neat place around here called Damon's Grill. At each table it has a little speaker and they have 4 big screens and you can choose which tv you want to listen to. Each table has their own private thing. It's cool.

[Cataholic]

Staci- I wasn't aware of that pending legistlation in OH. But, I am not very into the politics of things, so, no shock, really. I don't have a bluetooth, but, I do use an ear bud (or bug, as my friend calls it) religiously. In fact, I should own stock in the ear bud company that makes the one I like. Gus chews through the cord-All.The.Time. I would estimate I have replaced 10 of them in 18 months. You would think I would learn, eh? Nope. I forget, and within minutes, he has chewed through it.

What else was I going to comment on....hmmm....thinking, thinking....thinking.

Oh, that's right! Taking my screaming child someplace, medical or not. Sometimes, you just don't have a choice. Screaming children, like cell phones, loud, ignorant people, long lines...well, just one of life's many inconveniences.

[sparks19]

My husband got one of those bluetooth things from his work.... he FIANLLY got it working... but it was so quiet even with the volume all the way up. Maybe it's just because his hearing is bad but it was terrible... he couldn't hear anything with it... It has been int he box ever since lol

Anyone had any success with those things?

[Cinder & Smoke]

Our local phone company came in one day and RIPPED out both of our PAY PHONES
without telling anyone about it b/c they didn't have enough charges on it ...

... walked up to the Ranger Station to use the pay phone and were surprised to find them gone.
... to the local marina. THEIR phone was also gone.
... got in the truck and drove for hours looking for a payphone.

Sadly, Pay Phones are a dying breed - soon to be come extinct.

Many years ago, Pay Phones were a source of considerable profit to the major
telephone companies - the ONLY folks who were allowed to "own" a pay phone
and connect it to the national phone network. No competition and no competing technologies.
Life was good - Pay Phones on every corner of most intersections - 5 or 10 cents a call.

Enter "deregulation" - the change that was going to revolutionize communications ...
It did ...
* 1-800 numbers became affordable and everyone got one.
* "Calling Cards" ate into the cash that used to pile up in Pay Phone hoppers.
* Any Tom, Dick, or Harriett could buy a Pay Phone - and Ma Bell HAD to let
. . the owner connect it to the network and "make some money".

Net results >>>
* NObody found many coins in their Pay Phones any more
* The Baby Bells spent tons of money servicing Pay Phones and providing network services
. . to all the "private pay phone owners" that were now getting a piece of the revenue pie.
* Vandalism of the remote phones increased - what little money fell into the hopper
. . was stolen, and the damage cost more than 3 years "revenue" to repair.
* Rates went up; phones became Really Scarce; the "dial tone" cost you an initial
. . 50 cents ... more due if you "connected"; NO "free" 1-800 calls - everybody "pays"!

And THAT resulted in ...
* The Bells and the Privates started pulling out phones left & right
* "Operator Service" has deteriorated - you can wait for 5-10 minutes to "talk" to a human!
** More & more CELL PHONES to kill what little business remains for the Old Antique Pay Phone!

Progress ...

[Logan]

I think of hospital phones as I do pay phones and hotel phones. EXPENSIVE!!!
Can't even remember the last time I used a pay phone.

Ever pay for a bill at a hotel, after making a long distance call? This is money maker for the hotel. Good for them! I'm sure that the hospitals and pay phone companies have the same attitude. In my business, I have made a lot of hotel loans. And for a long time, there was a specific line item for income from the phones in the rooms, and it was pretty significant. I see it less frequently, now, and I'm sure it is because more and more people use their cell phones, which offer free long distance, rather than the alternative of making those long distance calls from the hotel phone.

Even now, at our home, we choose to use our cell phone for calling family, rather than our home phone. Although we have the capability to make long distance calls from our home phone, we don't. My daughter and I have unlimited calling from our cell phones to anywhere in the US. Why would we not use them? And if we, or any member of our family, were in the hospital, we would be so grateful to be able to do that. Good manners are a given, and some folks just don't have good manners, especially in regards to the use of their cell phones. Shame on them.

I'm thinking, at this point, that life must be pretty darned good for a thread on this particular topic to get so much attention! Maybe, if we have so much time, we need to go love on our pets or pay attention to our family!! LOL!!

[Cataholic]

Maybe, if we have so much time, we need to go love on our pets or pay attention to our family!! LOL!!

Uh, hello? Two hands! One for the cell phone, one to pet the feline.

[lizbud]

I'm thinking, at this point, that life must be pretty darned good for a thread on this particular topic to get so much attention! Maybe, if we have so much time, we need to go love on our pets or pay attention to our family!! LOL!!

Logan, if you didn't work outside the house & threaded beads all day,
you would need a distraction like this too.

[joycenalex]

Uh, hello? Two hands! One for the cell phone, one to pet the feline.

or one hand to hold the leash, second hand to pick up the dropping( yes that hand is recycled bad covered ), ear 'bug' to talk to my 73 yr old mom as we 'walk the dog, together'. she hasn't been able to walk with me and the dogs for years

[sparks19]

Logan, if you didn't work outside the house & threaded beads all day,
you would need a distraction like this too.

I actually do work outside the house thank you very much

I don't run a bead shop out of my home. Beading is just a hobby. But there is an ACTUAL store

And hubby had hockey last night so it gets lonely at home all alone