Peter:
>>> you all seem to assume that mobile phones are a 'bad' thing.
>
BillW wrote:
>No, being noisy in a place where people should be quiet is a bad thing.
>So far, experience seems to indicate that you can't fix this with
>technology enabling them to be quieter (ie mumble mikes and vibrators),
>since there are plenty of annoying beeps and warbles from phones that
>already have vibrators.  Thus the search for "active" technology to
>enforce quiet - to solve those people too careless or inconsiderate
>to hold their own sound level down.
>

Can't help but chime in here.

BillW, possibly a good whack on the side of the head is the best
solution. [BTW, someone recently wrote a book about the unintended
consequences of hi-technology].

<PROBLEM STATEMENT>
It's a cultural thing. Many Americans by nature tend to be extremely
loud and obnoxious. They must figure it's their 1st amendment rights.
And others get aggravated over this - they feel they have a 4th
amendment right to avoid invasion of their privacy (or sanity) by
the 1st amend-iots.
</PROBLEM STATEMENT>

<NON-OBLIGATORY LECTURE>
If you travel widely in europe, as I have, and where you find people
from many countries, the first thing you realize is everybody in the
world can immediately spot an american. In fact, you don't have to
"spot" them, because you can generally "hear" them coming 2 blocks
away. The europeans look at this and quietly shake their heads.
"Americans", they say.

If you sit in a cafe in europe, you "generally" cannot make out
the conversation taking place between 2 europeans at the next
table. In america, you usually have to shout at the person
sitting across from you. Europeans seem to understand something
that too many americans are never taught.

Obviously, america isn't the only place subject to the scourge
of bleeping phones, but most piclisters live here and have to
deal with noisy morons here at home.
</NON-OBLIGATORY LECTURE>

<SOLUTION>
As Peter points out, in Hong Kong, shouting is possibly a way
of life, and everyone adapts to the noise. But, to paraphrase
the NRA (an organization I don't much agree with), "cellular
phones don't aggravate people, people aggravate people".

In a restaurant, my preferred route is to "accidentally" spill
water in the direction of someone who aggravates me - followed
by profuse apologies, so they don't tear my head off, of course.
Important people in fancy clothes generally leave after this.
No one loves a bumbler. In movie theaters, spilling buttered
popcorn works well, along with yelling "shut the f___ up".
</SOLUTION>

<POSTSCRIPT>
Hi-tech isn't the solution to every problem in life.
</POSTSCRIPT>

- Dan Michaels
Oricom Technologies
http://www.sni.net/~oricom
--------------------------
P.S. I once worked in aerospace, inside of those "shielded rooms"
     people have been talking about here. They ain't cheap.
==========================