Mind your manners on mobiles

If you’re well into the Internet and electronic mail, you would have come across an essay on how the average Filipino can bring the much-needed reforms to the Philippines: "Behave like a Filipino in a foreign country." It’s a strange but true phenomenon.

The Filipino is one of the most thoughtful, cooperative, law-abiding, civil and decent persons in the world outside his own country. He’d never light a cigarette in an enclosed area and if he can’t help it, he’d go to a properly-designated smoking or tobacco room where he’d immediately look for an ashtray and a waste can. If he were in Singapore, he’d never chew a gum in public, jaywalk or let his car block an intersection. If in America, he’d pay the exact toll fee and never run away with the soap or a roll of toilet paper! If he were in the beaches of Malibu or Waikiki, he’d collect his popcorn, snacks and soda or beer cans and deposit them in the garbage bin. If he were in Australia, he’d check his watch to make sure his car doesn’t go past the allotted time on his parking meter and he’d never cheat on his income tax, much less run away from it. If he were in a rock concert, he’d find his seat and stay there instead of jump from one seat to the other blocking and annoying other patrons. If he were in church, in a movie house or inside a restaurant, he’d switch his mobile phone to silent or vibrating mode. But here’s the catch, he has to be a foreigner, a stranger in a foreign country in order to be at his best behavior. Once he returns to the Philippines, he turns into the mean "Mr. Hyde."

Last night, it happened again. My daughter and I were in a cinema of a Makati shopping mall when the ringing of a cell phone broke the dead silence of a classic suspense film. This woman dug out her cellphone from her purse and carried on a conversation without any regard to the viewing public. At that point, it was easy to turn into a "Jack the Ripper" with that woman as the first and only victim!

Thanks to an article written by Leila Jason "The New Rules of Etiquette for Cellphone Use" at the Asian Wall Street Journal (September 17 issue), there is now a book on proper cell phone behavior that maintains a simple guideline: "Be sensitive to the effect of your actions on others." In short – follow the golden rule.

Treat the cell phone like a portable public phone. Miss Jason says that the phone booth has not been outmoded because it still serves a purpose – it gives the caller the privacy but also protects the outside world from the caller and his phone call.

Warn people if you’re expecting a call at parties or social functions. This is especially true for doctors or those who are expecting a very important call. "When you dine in a restaurant and know you will need to receive a call, explain that to people at your table at the beginning of the meal." Leave the table also to take the call in a more private area of the restaurant to keep your conversation personal.

Speak normally. "Talk in a normal speaking voice and remember that you are only carrying a conversation with just one person."

Turn off your cell phone. All etiquette experts agree that the use of the cell phone is inappropriate in concert halls, movie theatres, funerals and churches. Miss Jason explains that even before the cell phone became the most "valuable" tool of communication, theaters and symphony halls had done a pretty good job in tracking down patrons when necessary.

In our parish newspaper, I was surprised to read a "reminder" from the parish priest to refrain from using the cell phone inside the Meditation or Prayer Room. There have been instances where some parishioners have actually used their cell phones to call or text someone while praying or meditating! It defeats the whole purpose of why you are there to begin with.

Life would indeed be dull and insipid without the cell phone. It has many good uses but like other modern inventions, we ought to set guidelines and observe them. Let us not forget that a cell phone is for convenience and expediency. It should not turn us into rude, loud and abominable monsters, er, users.

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For comments, e-mail the author at momtazz@hotmail.com.