Forget Ringing- Now They're Playing Videos

by Maddi Frick


I went out for lunch today, a pizza and salad buffet.  The restaurant was particularly busy, surprising us because we thought the insane construction in Grand Rapids would have deterred people.  I sat down after dodging my way through the buffet line (impatiently waiting behind a woman cherry-picking certain pieces lettuce from the salad bin).  


Ready to delve into my waiting crust pieces, I was disturbed by the sound of a cellphone.  It wasn't ringing, but was displaying a video to its owner.  And it didn't stop.  The restaurant was loud, so the phone's owner had turned up the volume to a jaw-clenching level to make it audible.  I know I'm particularly annoyed with noise pollution- just ask my parents about eating potato chips while I'm in the house.  However, I can imagine I wasn't the only one aghast as the phone's owner played the 30-second clip for the second time so her dining companion could watch.  


At one point, someone's cell phone actually rang at a different booth.  I felt no annoyance at the beeping sound.  Can you imagine?  It's 2012 and I'm not concerned with an interrupting cell phone ring as the early 2000's had predicted- because the cell phones can do things far worse now.  People with no phone etiquette can subject the rest of us to their personal choice of YouTube video, but only the audio bit.