Comon...give me a break...that is like invading into your personal life. That is BS!!! What is you had a dang emergency and someone was trying to reach you and could'nt because you were in a movie and they turned your phone off. I mean someone could get rich through this if someone died because their phone was off. I mean i always keep my phone on in movies i just put it on vibrator out of courtesy of the other people. This is a matter that should not even be discussed...it should not happen...EVER!!!

I guess you missed the dozens of responses before; thanks for contributing nothing.

Reading below just proves my own opinion of Americans.
They are: unresponsible, money-grabbing, big-headed people.

This question goes out to Canadians! then you have the Americans flying the flag and threatening with lawyers and the first ammendment! I live in Europe where you get what you pay for, with every purchase made there is a "Terms of Use" and a Goverment regulated body, if it is made illegal to use a cell-phone in a hospital, people simply abide by that, here in Holland it IS illegal, and there are plenty of public phones and phone desk's to support the "needy"

I agree with the one posting (with exception to hospitals) where a person would have to enter a code to place an emergency call if located in a jammed area, but like all things, if such a technology was put in place, there will also be a cost. Canadians need to vote for what they feel is right. Ringing cell-phones in public places is unfortunately the most technological anti-social behavior ever concieved. I turn off my cell-phone when in the movies (or EVEN shopping) I think it is highly embarrasing to spoil someone else's evening out in that manner. I do not need to feel as important as Uncle sam who can run through my backyard fall over and sue me for it. Americans are like small schoolboys, they have this massive pile of sweets (America) but do not know how to use it properly, they just stuff themselves full and blame someone else for the belly ache.

I wont go into previous Americans Battles of war, or Gulf war mis-haps or coffee spilling lawsuits.. look at yourselves first USA and good luck Canada with a solution that can accomadate everyone..

And Yes, I cant stand the french, Lloyd
"Harry - Dumb & Dumber"

It does appear as somebody said that you have missed all the valid points BELOW.

In Summary ..so what if you have vibrate on in the theatre???

When it does vibrate what are your options?

1) Answer it (Yeah we like to hear you talking in the middle of the movie NOT)

2) Ignore and try to get out of theatre as quick as possible...yeah thanks for moving in front of me..hitting my legs and #@$#@$@# spoiling the movie at the good bit.

3) Whip it out ..see whos calling and call back later ..if you are going to do that why the #$@$ dont you just turn the phone off anyway?

Steve,
As an American, I am ashamed to say that you are right on target! The level of individual arrogance of the average American is at an extreme and continues to escalate. You should see it from the inside!
The people that are striking out in anger about the idea of jamming their cell phones in hospitals and movie theaters are the same ones that rally against photo-radar, red light runner cameras & get mad at police officers for pulling them over for speeding or failing to signal a lane change.
The attitude of the average American is basically simple: "Rules are fine, as long as you don't enforce them against me."

Personally, I am very much in favor of jamming cell phones in hospitals & movie theaters. I also think that any restaurant or other business should have the right to block it if they wish. From an emergency standpoint, I do agree that they be required to post a sign at the entrance. This protects their right to block and lets the consumer make an informed decision as to whether they want to patronize that business or not. I would also like to see a ban on using cell phones while driving. We drove for a century without a phone in the car, so obviously it is not absolutely necessary!

It's not a real bad idea...
Specially in schools it would be great because some a**hole is always talking to someone about something really stupid...

Anyone remember the little signs in hospitals that USED to read "Please do not use cell phones inside the hospital" ?
And now they read along the lines of "Use of cell phones inside the hospital is a criminal offence" ? (An exageration but not much)

Same thing is now happening with cell phones in the rest of the places we visit. Some wingnut is ALWAYS convinced he (most often he) is SO MUCH more important than the rest of us, that he HAS to have his cell phone with him EVERYWHERE, and someone how it is his inalienable right to to use it there. Jamming is a good thing.

Does anyone know how annoying people with cell phones are? Talking in the movie theater, talking about sex on the bus, and talking on them when being served in a store, in class at school, it's just plain stupid. I realize not everyone is like this but is it really THAT important for emergency calls? Everyone seemed to be fine before cell phones, how can we be so dependant on them now? It would be nice if everyone had an IQ of at least 60 and would actually think 'Hey, it's not that important for my friends to call me in public to talk about private matters'. If your not sure when it's appropriate, take off every zig.

I find it quite usefull..and needed... to have a cellphone on, in a theater, restraunt, or where ever. I have 2 kids, and if my wife and I want to go out by ourselves, and leave the kids with the babysitter, we need to at least have one of our cellphones on, and working. A babysitter does not have power of attorney to deal with medical issues with our children, and I doubt any other sitter does. If cellphones were blocked in a theater, and there was an emergency, you know what would happen? The sitter would call the theater. The theater would send someone into each theater and either yell "Is so and so here?" or... they'd stop the movie all together and go in and ask for us. Which do you think would be more annoying? A few seconds of phone ringing, or a loud yelling and/or stopping the movie?

Not wanting to take away the usefulness of cell phones your argument with emergencies is certainly very lame (see below all the points against your case).

IF you are in a restaurant, there is nothing stopping the restaurant from receiving a call, a waiter coming up to you and discretly informing you of your childrens situation.

If you happen to be at the opera/live theatre they request mobiles be turned off anyway.

Should you be at the pictures then speaking PERSONALLY i would much rather the usher came in stopped the movie and shouted out your name. That way WE know it must be a life or death situation and not because your kid has spilled spaghetti all over their head again.

See THOSE are termed PUBLIC places. We (I) have paid to enjoy those places and WE in the end determine what spoils our enjoyment of those paid entertainment.

I have said it below and I say it again ...
Regulate yourselves or regulation will come in to block phones (it can be done)...look what happened to smoking in restaurants. The needs of the MANY outweigh the needs of the one or the few.

Exactly how many times have you recieved one of these life-or-death calls in a theater?

How many times have they been other random calls?

How did previous generations of parents make do without a cellphone in the theater? Clearly we survived to grow up (well, some of us - others seem stuck on their toys and that childish it's-all-about-me stage...)

Going further how many times have you ever had a film interupted when an usher comes in with an emergency call?

How often has a film been stopped for an emergency call in proportion to the number of times there've been phones ringing in the theater? (Is the answer 0/n?)

When you're out for the evening do you monitor your cellphone for signal? Do you check to make sure you're getting reception in theaters already? Do you leave if there's no signal? Do you do the same for dinner, or perhaps you select your routes to avoid tunnels / valleys / dead-spots?

If you're not doing these things already what's the functional difference between existing dead-spots and Canada's proposed allowence of artificial ones?

Do you know of a case where a child has not recieved emergency care because the parents were unreachable? (Not "it could happen" - have you ever HEARD of it happening, have any references?)

Why isn't someone else empowered to make decisions on your behalf? What would happen if you & your partner were together in an accident? Surely there is some mechanism for seeing your children get medical care without your explicit approval (or are they just doomed if you two get hit by a bus?)

Finally, what prevents you from going to a theater that does NOT block cellphones? Why shouldn't the theater be allowed to have "No Cellphones" ? You can always take your business somewhere else.

Frankly your argument is so strained & full of holes it's laughable.

Reality: It's a viable alternative, consider it.

What did you before cell phones? Left the restaurant/theater you were going to be at, that's what. I think they should be jammed. They're DAMN annoying when I'm in a $50/plate restaurant and Joe Dork is next to me selling stocks. PLEASE---JAM THEM!

first, id like to say that I am Canadian.

The need for emergency-cell's is very important. however, since it would appear that many people can no longer keep their decency, even in Canada (or.. at least the "Stereotypical Canada ;) ).. id suggest an "Emergency Channel" to go along with the banning in Theaters, Resturants, Medical Facilities (cell phones are dangerous to many medical intruments) and schools, both pre-secondary and post secondary.

Such an "Emergency Channel" could be used by any cell phone and could work around jammed frequencies, especially if the jamming technology was in the cellphone itself.

The next logical argument to this case, is to simply use the emergency channel to talk about the recent purcahse of WCW by WWF for example. However, we could simply limit its use for such trival matters by imposing a high per-minute cost to the call.

Since "Emergency" calls tend to be short and needed, I am confident that most people will see a $10 charge / minute reasonable to let bob know his wife is in labour. Certainly any recipient of such a call would be enraged if the subject of the call ended up being one of a trivial nature.

By Using a system that allows such a channel the community gets both an insurance that an Emergency call will go through, while still enforcing manners on people who should know better.

And for the few that would consider even an Emergency Call distastful and rude, should grow up and be thankful that it wasn't your cell ringing.

What a GREAT IDEA! And while we're add it lets include teleporters and personal jetpacks!

Oh - I'm sorry, you were being *serious*.

OK - well unless you've got some space-alien technology your $10.00 phone call isn't going to work. Y'see, folks ALREADY have cellphones so it's a leetle late to go retrofitting them all with your imaginary gee-whiz technology. As to tomorrow's phones there's already plans for handling be-quiet situations. The problem is the phones & folks out there NOW with REAL technology.

So we've got two choices: Nothing or selective blocking (and "jamming" means something different then what's being discussed, much cruder & higher powered.) The blocking is already out there, already availiable, already used in some environments. No there's no way to qualify certain calls or add special tolls to them or anything - it's go or no-go.

So the qestion comes down to does one have the right to block certain radio-transmissions on one's own property? Historically most nationial radio-frequency commissions have felt not, it would lead to chaos & confusion.

Canada is re-evaluating this. It is now trivial to ensure that the blocked area is limited to specific property. It's also trivial to assure that only specific frequences are blocked and that all others remain unnaffected. These are not frequencies dedicated to emergency services or other high-priority transmissions. Indeed it's expected that landlines would be availiable in all areas otherwise blocked for use in an emergency. Finally entering private property so blocked would be entirely voluntary - if one required cellphone service one would simply not enter places so blocked. How could one identify such places? Your phone would show a loss of signal, generally informing it's holder with a beep or a jiggle or a notice on it's screen.

Those are your choices, going dreaming up imaginary third & fourth ones does no good (well it's an interesting intellectual exercise but has no real-world application.)

As to those folks who virtously extoll how responsable they are with their cellphones - that's nice. 80% of car drivers don't speed, should we therefore declare the roads open season?

The fact is that cellphones are an increasing presence in our lives and in an increasingly rude world they're becoming a problem. Historically social pressure would have quickly resolved the situation (folks used to actually worry about things like being polite to strangers) but this is not that era. Now many consider anything fair game as long as they're being served, let everyone else be damned. This coarsening of public behaviour has led to legislating what used to be considered simply civilized behaviour.

Of course we've already mandated smoke-free places, no-spitting, baby-changing & feeding facilities, realistic distribution of toilet facilties, and accesability guidelines for physically challenged folks; all things that used to be left to social conscience (or lack thereof.)

Sadly debates about whether or not one should use a cellphone in a crowded public place invariably ignore the fact that this is an irritant to most folks sharing the space & on that basis alone (that of being respectful of others) should not be done. Why folks are annoyed there are a variety of answers but most folks find it an unwelcome intrusion.

To justify one's behaviour on the basis of need or convenience is of course specious, perfectly good alternatives exist & have for 60 years. Indeed truly how many folks really honestly can-not be out of reach for and hour or two at times of their choosing in places they're in of their own free will? I'm reading lots of messages from people with over-active imaginations & bloated ego's.

(By the way, I used to be a Sr. IS person for one of the most prominant hospitals in the world - neither our medical nor our IS staff ever showed the arrogance some of the posters here have & trust me, Harvard medical folks are usually comfortable being arrogant! I never heard one of our staff unable to go places where their phones wouldn't work for fear of a kidney suddenly becoming available or a critical system being compromised and wreaking havoc for lack of an appriate staffer. Indeed any Manager allowing such a situation to happen where there was a single key person required would have been fired immediatly upon discovery of this incompetence!)

Frankly I look forward to cellphone-free areas. I'm a Sr. IS Manager type, I always carry my cellphone (invariably on vibrate) and yes I often need to be availiable to my staff. I haven't had a landline for years and yes, I depend on my phone for email & fax management & paging & web-browsing & yes I even check managed-system's stutus with it, not to mention calls from family & friends & my lover (matching StarTacs.)

On the other hand I also have a life & an appreciation for meals uninterrupted and theatre without distraction & see no problem with setting & enforcing standards of behaviour in such places. That some folks may not be able to recieve their phone calls in these places seems a small price to pay for quality-of-life. These persons have voluntarily placed themselves in communications bondage & I see no reason for the rest of use to indulge them at our own discomfort.

idiot ----v

He made it all up! It doesn't exist! Canada isn't doing this! There is no place in Canada where there is any 'public comment period' going on. This story was just posted to test your gullability! Did you believe it? Sucker!

A possible source :

Ottawa may OK cellphone jammers
Industry Canada launching 3 months of public discussion

Tim Naumetz
For Southam Newspapers

The federal government is considering proposals to license the private use of cell phone jamming systems in Canada.

Industry Canada is launching three months of public consultations after widespread objections about cellphones that disturb the peace in such locations as restaurants and theatres, said David Warnes, a senior adviser in the Industry Department.

The government is also responding to requests from two security firms who want to use them to sell protection for boardroom secrets and other corporate confidences.

A spokesperson for the national association representing 15,000 restaurants, caterers and food-service suppliers says the group hasn't heard a peep about the issue.

"It's not something our members have brought to our attention," said Jill Holroyd, director of media relations for the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association.

But in Edmonton, the Citadel Theatre loves the idea of ending the annoyance of cellphone calls during performances.

"It's a great idea," said Bob Baker, Citadel artistic director. He said the theatre consistently has cellphone interruptions.

People who need to take emergency calls can leave their cells with box-office or front-of-house managers, Baker said. "If a call comes in, we can locate a person within seconds."

Steve Buick, speaking for Capital Health and its on-call doctors, said he sees no problems with cellphone blocking.

"Our guys use pagers, not cells." partly because they can't use cellphones where they can interfere with monitoring equipment.

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, which represents major cell-phone suppliers and information technology giants such as Nortel, is lobbying fiercely against the proposal.

Association spokesperson Marc Choma said the use of jammers could interfere with urgent calls by cellphone users.

"People are purchasing their wireless phones for the safety it provides," said Choma. "You're leaving word with babysitters or sick relatives that you can be contacted, and then you would find out that your phone didn't work. If there was a fire and they could not use their communications devices, that could be tragic."

Another industry association, the Radio Advisory Board of Canada, has warned that denial of emergency cellphone service could make either the government, the jammer-provider or the cellphone provider liable if lives are lost or other damage occurs because emergency calls could not be made, the board said in a paper released last November.

Also :

http://info.ic.gc.ca/cmb...0a004da08f!OpenDocument

for the 'real' release.

Basic points:

Canada is not the USA. Things are fundamentally different. Yes it looks to casual vistors like Canada is USA-North but it's not: Legal systems are different (sometimes widely so as in Quebec) cultural values are different and social good is a strong counterweight to the USA's singleminded pursuit of individual rights.

May be better, may be worse, *that's not the point here*: The point is it's *different*. Applying your own hazy interpretation of US law is useless; it's not relevant.

As to "They'll block my my signal over my cold dead transmitter" & "I've a contract": Big whoop. The CRTC is considering the view that an establishment *does* have the right to block certain classes of private transmissions within it's own property. That you've signed a contract with BigTelecomCorp for a signal is irrelevant, the idea is that they WON'T have a permanent easement on the aether in private property. The same as they couldn't guarentee you free-passage walking across my property ('cause they don't own it) they can't sell you cellphone transmission across it either. Contract be damned you can't sell what you don't own.

(Again: CANADA, change of laws, CRTC, *NOT* USA & US law & FCC!)

Now, this is not saying that it will be legal to jam signals willy nilly. Only certain types of private transmissions (cell phone transmissions) and only within defined areas will be permitted. One won't be able to block the public park or the local streets (unless the local community did so); only the property one has legal title to and NOT outside of that. So yes boardrooms, cinemas, theatres, churches, resturaunts, private homes whatever could block THEIR property but folks OUTSIDE of that property should be largely unaffected (I'm not going to write an essay on the operation of cellular radio transmisson - suffice to say it the effects outside of the blocked property should be on the order of that created by a large maple tree if done properly.)

Yes this will require a bit of finessing. Will it require cladding the building in grounded copper? No. There already exist blockers that disrupt the low-power "sign-in" from your phone to the local cell site (India makes a lot of these.) One need simply squelch that with a low power transmitter. A few units in the ceiling of an establishment should do this rather easily and if deployed properly won't affect surrounding areas. Of course there will be "live spots" within the property where there are gaps in blocking but it's that or spilling over into the larger area & that won't be permitted.

There will likely arise businesses that specialize in selling & installing blockers and it'll be easy enough to walk the perimiter with a signal meter to determine if there's a range problem.

Again, one will only be allowed to block on one's own property.

As to the silly argument "What if an emergency etc." the answer is simple and won't change: Don't go where your cell phone doesn't work. It currently doesn't work in many parts of cities & the countryside, now there will be *intentionial* areas where there is no service. If you must remain reachable via cellphone then don't go where it doesn't work. (I'm repeating but it seems many posters can't grasp this remarkably simple axiom.)

Every phone has a bleep or a vibrate or a symbol on the screen to let you know when it's out of contact, just pay attention to it. It's really no different then what exists now but it's on purpose. There's no point in large signs with flashing red lights going "Warning Warning no cell coverage!" just paying attention to one's own phone will suffice.

As to "Folks should set their phones on vibrate" well YES but they're not doing so. Thank you Captains Obvious but while it would be great it seems that some folks will insist on driving 200KPH on roads if they're not explictly marked max-speed-whatever, some folks will park in the middle of a busy street unless there's an enforcable law saying they can't & some folks will insist on taking calls as the rest of us paying CA$12.00 strain to hear just who did it in the movie we're all at. There's a big gap between what people SHOULDN'T do and what they DO, welcome to Earth & why we have laws in our civilizations.

As to phones that automatically go to vibrate in a cinema / church / whatever yes that's in the future (this is a sales feature promised for phones with Bluetooth technology) but that does nothing for the millions pf phones already in distribution. It would be nice if we could wave a magic wand & upgrade all cell phones but we can't; same as we don't have the wand to make folks use phones responsably & courtiously (see prev. paragraph.) The only options we currently have are blocking or not blocking, wishful thinking won't make it otherwise.

So, the upshot is it's entirely possible that sometime in the future in Canada it will be legal to block cell phones in some areas (I'm not saying "on private property" because it's likely that some government buildings will do so also.) This will be legal under Canadian law & folks who MUST stay in touch will simply begin avoiding these areas or make other arrangements.

Eventually the marketplace will decide much of this: Some folks will prefer cellphone-free cafés, cinemas, etc. & others will only patronize those that allow them to use their phones. For those that are complaining so vociferously I expect you won't be attending as many nice resturaunts or first run films. This debate will likely become the same as the no-smoking-in-resturaunts type debates: companies with vested interests will scream it's the end of the personal liberty & try to claim some sort of moral high ground (not!) After the policies go in place they won't be nearly the problem predicted. (Indeed contrary to many smoking-arguments resturaunts & bars saw business GO UP after these social-grace laws went into effect.) In a few years folks will simply adjust and Canada will remain a place where one can enjoy a bit of peace without some rude lout ringing nearby & yelling into their phone.

The real reason that they are thinking of doing this is because of the people driving down the freeway on their cell phones. Its been proven that talking on a cell phone is the equivilent to drinking and driving. I mean, how many times have you been going down the freeway and either slowed down, cut off, or nearly killed by some lame a** on a cell phone. Im sure that there are people out there that "can" drive and talk on a cell at the same time. But, there are thsoe that cant. Those that cause accidents. Those that are killing people because they were not paying attention. Face it, cell phones are not a right. they "are" a priviledge. Just because you pay for it doesn't mean jack.

The other reasons of common courtesy are prolly minor reasons in their minds.

And for those of you who are talkin, What if there's an emergency and I cant be found.... what did the world do before cell phones. Oh my, what if your kid is in an accident because he was talkin on his cell phone and wasnt paying attention?

Thats the real reason that they are doing it. Cuz there are people out there who ruin it for the others. But I would rather give up my coverage in area's that get people killed. I dont wanna die because some old lady just had to tell her gossip to her neighbor before she got home. I dont think you do either,,, or do you?

As far as you can see, Im for the cell phone blocking. I hope its a huge success.

What article did you read? This article has nothing to do with banning cell phones will driving. It's not driving while on the phone that is a problem. It is driving with the phone in your hand. This is already illegal in many counties. They encourage you to use handfree options such as speaker phones or headsets.

Why don't they ban freedom of speech too, real brilliant.

YEAH!!!! And why dont they ban rape, child abuse, drugs, drinking and driving and selling ju-ju bees at the show (those things can really fuc* up your teeth you know.)

This is Canada, not the US... I don't know what the 'free speech' rules are there, but we need to remember that the bill of rights is just an old piece of paper to the Canadians.

Also, this isn't a freedom of speech issue. It's about morons who decide that a call from their best friend Billy about what happend during Monday Night RAW is important enough to disturb EVERYONE in the theater (for example) while they let their phone ring 16 times before they realize that it's their phone...

Haven't you ever noticed that the people who DO receive emergency calls (doctors, etc) mute their phone or pager; and those who just have the burning desire to feel important turn the volume up to the 'rock-concert' setting?

I think this is a great idea, and would be fully for having this instituted in the US as well...

*pfft* some of you americans live with your heads in your ass.
you guys know NOTHING about international countries sometimes.
i bet you think we all live in igloos here.

Canada is 'freer' in some aspects, ie drinking age here is 19, as opposed to 21 in the states, or how everybody is entitled to public health care. Yet in other aspects it is a little bit more government controlled, ie education and sorts. Canada is less business driven, if Microsoft moved to Canada, there probably wouldn't be an anti-trust violation...

anyways, lets get back on topic, how does this impact free speech what so ever?
I can claim (using your argument) that Non-Smoking buildings/places invade on my security, and invades my life, liberty and pursuit of happyness (or life liberty and security for canada) clause in the constitution. Your freedom ends where somebody elses begins, by somebody ELSE having to interrupt your education, the movie that YOU paid for, or by you having to inhale somebody elses 2nd hand smoke etc.. that invades on your freedom. I'm sorry mister, i think you lost this argument.
take it somewhere else.

~DaNi~

This must be a direct result of having my head up my ass, but I really don't have any idea what your ramblings were about.

And as far as I recall, I specifically stated that I don't know how things work in Canada. I'm sorry I'm such a stupid american.

There's no need to be rude here, buddy.

oh.... maybe you weren't replying to my message. That just occured to me. If that's the case, sorry. I'm too tired to think right now...

While I find that jamming phones would silence all the irresponsible/unrespectable cell phone users, it would in turn take away from those of us w/ the manners to put it on vibrate when in a theater, restaurant, etc. Perhaps a punishment system should be instated for those unable to turn their ringers off? ;P

From what I have read in these posts makes me sick! personal rights are at stake here. But not the rights of the cell user. it is the rights of those who want to go out and have a nice time. Leisure is quickly becoming a thing of the past. I say this becaise of the inability of people to exercise common decency and a little restraint. I have soloutions for you people. Don't want to miss an emergency call about your kid? Don't have kids!!!! don't take kids to upscale resteraunts and allow them to act like they are at McDonalds! and for those of you that go to movies with cell phones, I am out there and I will not think twice about smashing your precious piece of techno-junk and then your face!!! This is not just with cell phones , it applies to all types of common courtesy like loudmouthed kids, driving while on a cell phone, listening to your car audio system so loud that it rattles the fillings out of my teeth, it's with people who lack the common decency to be a valid part of the human race! And for those of you out there that are as fed up with this crap as I am take action kick some ass!!! just be sure to take thier identification after you do it....they can't swaer out a warrant if they have no ID!!! oh yeah...I keep a jammer in my car and I will jam you if i see you on the road i even take it with me to a resterant and movies... after all this rambling, I only have this to say...if you personally don't like to be interrupted...then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! TAKE ACTION!!! the longer people are allowed to get away with this behavior the worse off we all are.

You've got a jammer in your car?? I want one!! Where'd you find that??

I heard they are already doing this (jamming cell phones) in places like Hong Kong where it has already gotten out of hand. So I think it's going to happen here sooner or later. I just wonder if they have the technology to automatically make cell phones vibrate (if ringer is turned on) instead of completely jamming them.

Yes, that technology is easily available, and I think it's about time they let theaters... use this technology

Well the govnt already does this in secure work environments without informing you..I dont see what the difference is. The DIAC Dock has cell phones jammed...The pentagon Jams a variety of stuff but some cell phones do work even though your not allowed to use them..They keep the cell phones operational mainly cause of the large amount of pagers used in the pentagon..I was thinking also what if someone is in a restaurant or something and theres an emergency? They wouldnt be able to get ahold of them for however long they are in the blocked area...I think instead of blocking they should intercept the signals route them to a switch board give the caller a message like "Sorry but the person you have called is currently dining at TGI Fridays and is not allowed to accept cell phone calls? Press 9# if it is an emergency and we will route you to an available host." You know something like that would be more efficient and much safer than an all out block....Just in mho...

ok ok, so you din't read other people's comments before writing your own.

No biggie. :)

Maybe I have the right to post my own opinion even though it was already stated..Ever think of that?

What I think they should use is a technology that forces the phone to vibrate instead of ring. That way, all the I-think-I'm-so-important pricks won't miss their precious calls. I also agree that it should be made legal to beat the living sh*t out of the a**holes who use their phones while watching a movie.

Also, by purchasing a ticket for a show, you are entering a contract with the theatre stating that you will abide by their rules and regulations.

There's a lot of complaining going around, but not much reasoning.

Cell Phone blocking came about because cellular phones are excellent bugging devices that are frequently used in espionage (industrial or otherwise); they are also used by terrorists and other criminals. That is precisely why cellular jamming technology was first developed in the mid 1990s, as a weapon against terrorists who use cellular phones to organize strikes or to activate weapons by remote control.

You can get a portable cell phone blocker (kit) for about $90.00. Companies sell kits to spare themselves litigation problems. You can get them outside of the U.S. though. They will work off of AC or batteries and block up to about 15 meters without modification. So take one with you to the theater and sit in the middle. :)

There are a few things you should know about this technology before you yeay or nay say it. You have to do one of two things to block a transmission. Absorb the signal before it reaches it's destination or broadcast an interrupt signal on the same frequency with greater signal strength. (Closer is stronger too)

To absorb the signal, a facility would have to install shielding around the entire building. If this is done as an after-thought, it would be expensive. Most places would opt for active signal blocking. This requires the installation of transmitters throughout their facility. A typical setup would require at least 3 transmission modules totaling around 30Watts of power. (A cell phone is about a half a watt)

My point to all this is that cell phones use Microwaves. Yes, just like in the kitchen. So if you were worried about long-term exposure to your .5-watt cell phone, how do you fell about a 30-watt jammer?

So now this facility will become a wall to transmissions around it. It will have the same effect as the radar grocery-store door detectors messing with your radar detector. You will drive past a theater, which is now a solid transmission free zone and your connection drops. You call your boss back and just as you begin to apologize you pass a fancy transmission-free restaurant.

This shouldn’t happen. Get the point?

Due respect to everyone who replied to my thread, but I think some of you missed the point. I have a contract with a provider that gets me service for 2 years... standard stuff.

It is, in my opinion, ILLEGAL for anyone to block that signal WITHOUT the written permission of my provider. The situation is aggrivated by the idea that I may receive an emergency call that may or may not be blocked.

I wear my cell phone every day. I'm a corporate director of QA. I'm in meetings all the time. It's ALWAYS on vibrate. the only time it rings is when its charging, and on AC power. I ALWAYS take calls outside of important meetins or where ever they are appropriate so that I don't rudely interrupt people with my phone conversations. I frequent a restaurant in town that requires cell phone users to take call calls outside, rain or shine, or to turn them off completly. It works...

Its not about courtesy. Its about a third party intentionally interrupting my contracted cell phone service and imposing a policy that I may or may not agree with, without contacting me or my service provider prior to jamming. For it to be contractually legal (i am not a lawyer; but this makes sense to me...) the business that jams my phone would have to strike up a contract with my provider, and my provider would have to amend my service contract.

Without these amendments, jamming services here in the States will come under fire. I'd hate to be the restaurant or theatre DM that gets hit with a law suite because they jammed a signal that prevented a call from a hospital or baby sitter requesting permission for emergency medical treatment. See my point? If my service contract is amended to permit that, then businesses that have jamming agreements with my provider can do that without fear of reprisal by patrons.

THAT'S MY POINT.

Sheesh!

Have you never found yourself in a dead zone? The basement of a parking garage, the valley between 2 hills, etc. I know they happen, that is why I have VM on my cellphone. You going to sue your provider over that? At least here you know you are entering a dead zone. Not saying I disagree with you. It does not seem right to block a signal. But when do MY rights supersede everyone else’s? Hopefully the answer here is NEVER!!

And BTW… this occurs in the USA now. Many hospital use this type technology on cardiology floors to prevent people from interfering with cardiac monitoring. I can see the silly lawsuit over someone dying because a cellphone user interfered with routine monitoring and the patient arrested and died.

Now **THAT'S** a good point!

and yeah, i've been in dead zones before; but with my StarTAC, they're few and far between. However, while hospitals are public places, they are sorta an exception. They've had that restriction against cell phone use for years. Restaurants and movie theatres are different, IMHO.

Thanks for the clarification, but there's one great mechanism for dealing with people who *might* stop your signal.

DON"T GO THERE -- yes, that's right, Capitalism in action!

The balance I'd propose:
1) Yes, people can block the signal.
2) It must be VISIBLY posted at all entrances.
(Just like they do with microwaves and pace-makers.)
3) A place to register your complaint

Then, we let the market sort it out. You'll see just how quickly it takes hold or not. Remember the cash discount over credit cards? Fizzle.

'Nuf said.

The point of this technology is that not every one is as polite or thoughtful as you. If I owned a business I could establish a policy that for not allow you to even bring a cell phone into the place. This would impact you in the same way as jamming technology. It would all be perfectly legal. If a customer or patron does not like the policies of the establishment they can take there business elswhere.

I rarely go in theaters that I hear someone's cell go off. It used to be bad, but people have learned to put them on vib. If you hear someone's cell go off, its your responsibility to tell them to be more considerate next time. Sometimes they won't listen of course, but eventually it will catch on.

Cell phones are purchased and paid for to make one available anywhere at any given instant. We've gotten used to relying on this convenience just as we've gotten used to ATMs, e-commerce, etc. As such, it's far too late in my opinion to backtrack on these sorts of issues, as it affects quite a few peoples lifestyles.

Sure, we'd live if we didn't have cell phones, but thats not the point. We'd live without cars as well. Negating their purpose altogether simply because a few people haven't any common sense is ridiculous.

A perfect example was a post regarding a parent leaving their child with a babysitter. Cell phones are great because it lets parents feel more comfortable and take a break once in a while (parents are people too, having kids doesnt mean you abandon having fun or time to yourself for 18 years).

As per the comments on suing, I would sue if I missed an emergency call as well. Yeah we Americans tend to sue a lot, however this is what keeps companies on their toes and makes life better for the general whole. Companies don't go to great lengths to make things like cars safe because they're just nice people, they do this because they could be sued if they didn't.

Suing does not make the world better on the whole. It makes it worse. It drives the cost of everything up. The fact that a person can go through a McDonalds drive-thru order a HOT coffee, place it in front of their crotch and then sue McDonalds when they spill it get burned is ridiculous.

You obviously don't know all of the details of the case. Here is a brief recap:

In 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79 year old woman and a passenger in her grandson's car, orders coffee at the drive-through window of an Albuquerque, New Mexico, McDonalds. The order is received; her grandson pulls the car forward and stops so that Liebeck can add cream and sugar to her coffee. Liebeck places the cup - made of styrofoam - between her knees, and attempts to remove the plastic lid. The entire contents of the cup spill into her lap.

She suffers third-degree burns over 6 percent of her body. The corrective surgery involves removal of dead tissue from her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genitals. She is hospitalized for eight days, and seeks to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonalds refuses.

During the trial, it is revealed that over 700 people had been similarly burned by McDonald's coffee (between 1982 and 1992), so they know the extent and nature of the hazard.

McDonalds keeps it coffee at between 180 and 190 degrees fahrenheit to
maintain taste. Their quality assurance manager admits that, at this temperature, the coffee is not safe to drink. Liquids at 180 degrees will cause third-degree burns in two to seven seconds. Coffee served at home is generally at 135 to 140 degrees.

The judge calls McDonalds' conduct reckless, callous and willful.

The jury awards Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages, equal to two days of McDonalds' coffee sales. The reward is later reduced to $480,000, but the actual amount will never be known, as the parties finally entered into a secret settlement.

These details are an abridgement of those given at http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm, and other places.

I don't know about you, but my grandmother is certainly worth $480,000.

How can you put a dollar value on your grandmother?? Are you ****ed?!
I mean, she put the coffee between her knees...is she stupid? Styrofoam is not exactly the strongest thing and expecting pressure on two sides in a relatively pinpointed way...just foolish.

NOW, I admit McDonalds was wreckless. Callus...I dunno. Makes it sound like they dilliberately went to hurt somebody. Which I am sure they didn't. Also, suing is the lazy mans way of getting money. $480,000 for a non-life threatening, non-longterm debiliating injury...little steep. It raises the question of how can you truly put a dollar value on pain and suffering...or your grandmother for that matter. I slipped and fell and ****ed up my wrist on a city sidewalk...to this day I suffer from pain (sometimes rather extreme). Should I sue the city for nice salting the sidewalk?? It has been six years now...so chances are I will never get over it. It limits some of the things I can do...but I got on with my life. Cause I am not a ****ing p**** looking for a meal ticket or a retirement plan, just working my way through life like everyone else.

Now back on topic. These people who are whining about the jammers, I agree with the guys that say if you don't like it, go somewhere else. I got caller id on my phone...i turn the ringer off so even if i miss a call I can see it when I get out of the theatre. People think they can sue...sue who?! The gov't gives the cell phone carriers the right to provide you service. Contracts with the provider mean s*** since the gov't ultimately decides if you get access or not. And the people are right in saying that the few ruin it for the many. Why do school aged kids need cell phones. I can understand parents having one. I can understand people having one in case of an emergency when travelling on the highway. Like a breakdown etc...but we got those oadside blue box phones every few kilometers here now so that takes away some of that excuse (Canadian weather here still leaves SOME of it though). Ultimately, it is a degradation of society based on the capitalist regime of the US where the thought of "I got the right to do this" and "I got the right to do that" ultimately supercedes common decency and morality. You ever stop and think when people have to quote some ****ing ancient document about freedom of speech that maybe, just maybe, since in this technological age, it should be revamped? I mean, like people were saying, your rights stop when they impede someone elses. Maybe people were given TOO MANY rights.

How can you put a dollar value on your grandmother?? Are you ****ed?!

The question above demonstrates a willful misreading of the statement which spawned it, plus a large amount of insensitivity and ignorance. I won't bother to give an explanation of your error, as anyone with half a wit would not require one, and this you obviously already lack.

I don't know why I respond to non-subtle trolls and flames... it displays naïveté (or perhaps unfounded optimism?) on my part, but certainly no wisdom. I think that this time I will stop before I proceed, and bid you adieu.

I cand understand for place that we canot talk like Theaters, but in restaurant, what's the diffence of talking with someone or with a cell ? I have a cell and i don't talk louder because I'm talking with a cell.

What did doctors do before cell phones?

They had pagers.

Yea, but it would beep (or vibrate) and then they'd go find a phone.

Dont block the cells, just make it legal to beat the shi* out of the rude fuc*ing as*holes who answer their phones and carry out conversations in movie theatres. I have a cell phone and when I am in a restaurant or in a movie, I put it on vib. Then if I get a call, I hit the button to answer the call and get up and walk out of the theatre or restaurant before saying a word.

I do the same I think should be legal to be the hell outta of the idiots that were raised in barns and act like nobody else matters. I put my cell and pager on vibrate almost everywhere I go except the house since I am not going to wear them there. People that show no common courtesy should be fined or beaten or both.

Not the most original reponse here nor the most intelligent one either but people understand what I mean

-Ainvar

Its almost as bad as people that let their children cry during the movie. I know my parents always took me outside when I started crying, whether it be in the movies, church, or a restaurant. I don't mind the people that get one call at a restarant and make it quick, but those people that call after call after call then speak loudly into the phone as if to show off to everyone...Hey I have a cell phone! Well I have one too and I turn it off in movies, etc.

Well, then maybe they should make it legal to beat the shi* out of the children too. That would be cool.

with an attitude like that, i wish i was your father WHAP WHAP WHAP

lol :)

As long as the Restaurant/Church/Theater lets the patron know that this technology is in use in the facility there should be no problem. If I as a cell phone user don't like the fact that the place I'm going blocks cell phone activity then I can just go some place else. As some one else stated...It's just a matter of common courtesy. If you live the kind of life that requires you be available 24/7 to handle life and death decisions then adjust you’re your life style to your life. Most people who need to get emergency calls don't spend the next 10, 15, 20 or 25 minutes talking on their cell phone. They get the call and go to handle the emergency. Any one who gets an "emergency" call and discusses it for 20 minutes well….lets just say it wasn't that important if instead of getting up from dinner, Mass or the show to deal with it you did it from your seat.

People who agree with these jammers are stupid.

Imagine you're a medic or a firefighter or other such job, there are alot of call-on-demand jobs. And if you put jammers in your building, you're also going to jam the surroundings, unless you isolate you building extremely well.

And let us saturate the air with some more radio-waves, as if we don't have enough of those.

Then get a alpha numeric pager!!!

In something like that they can have multiple pagers attached in a "block" which would make it a helluva lot easier than calling individual by individual.

the MINUTE I find out that I missed an emergency call because a restaurant or movie theatre blocked the call is the moment I sue the ever-lovin' s*** out of the site proprieter, the manager on duty, the corporation/ franchise, etc.

If I EVER find out that I missed a call like that, the retailer that's responsible better hope to hell they have a better lawyer than I do.

I'm a parent. I have a cell phone for a number of reasons. One of them is because I have kids that may require my attention or authorization for emergency medical treatment by a hospital or physician. God forbid something were to happen on one of the rare nights that my wife and I decide to get a sitter and go out for dinner and a flick.

I don't buy it! Under what inane stretch of the law makes you think you could sue? They have rights to the space, and everything--including the EM frequencies--in it. You can set up jammers in your home, for your video screen for example. You have no rights today for any EM, only the transmitters do to pump out the signal. So what will you sue for, inconvenience?

(I suggest that people just act more responsibly with their cells, and then these jammers won't be needed.)

At least in the US, no one has rights to the airspace on or above their property. That includes the EM signals passing through that property. Unless laws are enacted for that location, the property owner cannot legally block those EM signals. I have no idea if the same applies to Canada.

If you're that worried about your kids - don't leave them at home. Hire a responsible baby-sitter. When I was a child, if my parents went out, I had a baby sitter who was responsible. They also taught me not to be an abnoxious kid.
No one else in the theatre is paying their hard earned money to listen to your cell phone ringing.
And by the way - as a Manager of a theatre, I have the right to block any signals in my theatre if I have the means to. A cell phone is not a right - its a privelage, and if people can't use them responsibly - they should not be allowed to use them at all.

Okay, this isn't about baby sitters, it's about your kids or anyone being able to make contact with you. There are better ways to silence phones than to put in jammers. Yes, at times people act inresponsible, but I think that most people just plain forget to turn the things off. As for interupting your all-important movie, there are these neat little cell phones that vibrate when a call comes in, or is that gonna be to noise for ya too.

Gawd what an Ugly American.

Look at your cellphone. See that little signal to show it's working? Good - it's your responsability to see that it's working. Go in a place that's out of range / blocked / whatever it's YOUR problem.

Want to stay in touch? Do takeout from McDonalds & rent Showgirls.

By the way - the lawsuit stuff? That's one of the things Canadians look down on Americans for.

Yes, the mentality that you should be able to sue for anything you don't like is getting out of hand very quick. Every single day, I hear people talk about how if even one little thing happens, they'll own whoever did it (whether they actually did something or not). They're extremely clumsy and they fall down someone's steps, and they call their lawyer. They trespass on someone's property and step on a nail, and they call their lawyer. They go running through someone's yard, and a dog bites them, and they call their lawyer. Someone looks at them the wrong way, and they call their lawyer. It makes me sick the way people in my own country act. They can't take responsibility for their own actions/see an oppurtunity to make a lot of money, and they take everything to court. It's a shame when every person in the US actually has their own lawyer when if they took responsibility for their own stupidity, they would never need that lawyer.

Hey numpty. Leave the phone number of the restaurant with the sitter. Why should folk out for a quiet evening have to sit and listen to all the ignorant twats talking on their mobile phones while we're eating.

Cell phone users are the new smokers, ignorant and uncaring about the comfort of others.

As for sueing the restaurant, MUWAHAHAHAHA.

getting???? it has been, for years now.

If you do not like it then leave the building and do not come back to it. I hate idiots who answer there phones then carry on a conversation like it is there right leave the ****ing premises and if they post it in the building you are at then tuff cookies. You can always go somewhere else. Heh that is all I ever here from people these days I am gonna sue this I am gonna sue that they cant be right I have to sue. SUE MY a** OVER THIS JERKOFF!!!!!

I'd disagree with this idea. Hospitals and others today block the signals in cardiac care units. Did they get special dispensation.

Kinda like the Supreme Court case about the heat scanner? My opinion: if it comes in my house, it's mine. If it goes out of my house, it's public. In between the halls is my domain.

. . . for I protect those that come there, for my name is Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle . . .

By the way - the lawsuit stuff? That's one of the things Canadians look down on Americans for.

Thank god someone has more than a few neurons in their brain! BTW--we aren't all brain-dead here in the US. It's just that the North is saddled with the idiotic South, and so, we tend to have a very troubled society. ;-) (not much different from the Quebecois, non?)

Just to add to that:

I think that because cell phone providers, television stations. etc. pay for the use of their frequency, and that in the case of jamming, the people who jam the signal should also pay for the use of the frequency.

Anyhow, unlicensed radio transmitters in the U.S. are supposed to comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules which prohibits it from causing harmful interference, right?

why use a special jamming device? What would happen lets say if someone where to suffer a heart attack while going out to watch a movie? then if someone who could phone in a emergency call but couldnt that could mean wasted time to get medical attention. Think about it for a minute, If more cell phones have a silent ring known as vibrating mode while recieving calls this would save a load of problems

"I dunno Lloyd. The French are a******s"
-Harry in Dumb & Dumber

Think about this, maybe there was no jammers in public places, and just maybe that poor guy had a heart attack cause some ****ing idiot had his cell phone on in the theatre and his pacemaker ****ed up...ever thought of that??

The Canadian government has opened a 90-day public comment period this week on WEATHER?!?!? Wow. My comment would be..... it's damn cold!
Hehehehe, sorry, don't want to sound like an english teacher.

I think that phones should be forced into Vibrate/Silent Ring. It is the most annoying thing in the world to have a cell phone go off in a movie theatre. I don't care if it is a doctor who is getting an emergency call - turn the darn ringer off, and step out of the theatre to take your call!

I think instead of turing the phone completely off, the phone should be forced to operate in a silent ringer. Then if someone calls you, you will hear a silent beep, and then afterwards you go outside and talk.

Kinda like how they have no smoking in some restaurants and theaters, they shold ahve a policy where you have to talke out side in restuarants and theaters.

ps...
bty....
so i am trying to say that I agree with mzaglin.

Ummmmmm...... how exactly does one hear a "silent beep"?

It's the same sound as one hand clapping . . . ;-)

By silent beep I mean by a small low tone beep that is a discreet sound.....
sorry for my poor diction.

certain places just don't warrant the usage of a cell phone. churchs, fancy restaurants, classrooms, etc.. i can't tell you how annyoing it is to be sitting in a mass-transfer engineering course listening to an instructor (who barely speaks english) and then be interupted by someone's cell phone. i have seen some profs so angered that they told the student to leave the classroom and not bother coming back. jam on.

I pay to use my phone. I expect my phone to work unless there is no coverage (which is very rare). My phone is not just for personal use, I get calls at times that are extreemly urgent and need immedate attention. Jamming such calls would not only loose me money, but could be life threatening. This is the worst IDEA I have ever heard. Whats next, legal phone cloning?

Sounds sensible to me. Certain premises are mobile sensitive and I see no reason why they shouldn't be blocked. In this instance better to inconvenience a few than have a plane or two full of passengers crashing. Factories where pace makers are made are also sensitive, as are blood processing plants.

Everybody has right to have a mobile phone but IF your call is SOOOOO urgent then stay the hell home. If you are expecting a call from your dying mum at the movies ..why the f**k aren't you by her bedside anyway?

Your right to have a mobile phone infringes on my right to enjoy myself when I have PAID to see a movie or I have paid for the peace and quiet of a nice dinner only to have a phone go off.

The phone does have voicemail ..its not necessary to leave it on all the time.

Jam on dudes ..jam on

You don't seem to understand. Here are two prime examples.

Doctors are on call quite a bit. I know several, and I also damn well know that when they are on call they dont sit in the hospital or in their house next to the phone waiting for it to ring. They go out and have a life and get things done. Blocking them from being able to be contacted could cause someone their life.

Second, people like myself who are Internet Service Engineers which are on call or not, and need to be contacted at an undetermined time who knows when 24/7 also need to be able to be contacted. To companies downtime means lost money, and if im in a movie for 2 hours and the company is down then I come out and my phone startes working and I find out about this thats just not going to work. As I said there have been quite a few calls when I am NOT on call and I am urgently needed.

THRIDLY either way, with a jammer in the phone or in the area that will not make it better for airlines. Do you even know the basics of radio communications? One way or another the phone has to recieve a signal of some type to tell it to turn off the transciever. If its an internal device there will have to be a transmission of some type recievable by the phone (so it will have to be on the existing frequencys) to tell it to turn off the transciever, which is the same effect of radio emissions comming from the phone. And if its an external jammer, then it gets even more fun, because you have to not only jam incomming frequencies but outbound ones too because unlike an internal one it cant turn off the transmitter. So you have an even larger problem.

Think about it logically for a minute. Its not a win situation in any aspect. I pay just as much as you to see the movie. No one told you you can not ask me to keep it down, or take it out of the theatre while I am on the phone. That is if it bothers you that much. In a resturaunt whats the difference if I am talking to someone 2 feet away from me or someone on the other side of the continent over my cell phone, either way I am still talking, just when im on the cell phone its quieter because YOU dont hear the other side of the conversation.

What is it about cell phones that bothers you? The noise when it rings?
If they use a silent vibrating ring in a restaurant, is talking on a phone OK? If not, are we going to ban all talking in a restaurant because someone else's speaking may annoy us? Or is it only being able to hear one side of a conversation.

So you can't be out of touch. Or your doctor can't. Or you think your agent might call any second...

DON'T GO WHERE YOUR CELL PHONE WON'T WORK.

How complex is that?

It's not everyone else's reponsibility to provide you with a 24/7 dialtone. If a resturaunt, cinema, church, whatever wishes to establish a cell-free area (which is what the CRTC is taking comments on) then it's their call. If you walk into a dead-spot, be it random (blocked by buildings, out of range, the signal can't get through your fat ass) or intentionial (a private-premises blocker) then IT'S YOUR PROBLEM.

Go somewhere else where your cell phone works, where your business is wanted, where you and your phone are welcome, or at least tolerated. Last I checked nobody was made to eat in a resturaunt, watch the cinema, attend a church with a gun to their head (at least not in Canada.)

Every cell-phone on the market has some simple way to indicate when it looses signal. If you loose signal then take the clue and go where it works if it's so critical.

If you absolutely positively must attend a place where your phone won't work (The horrors! Western Civilization will collapse without you!) then leave a message on your outgoing announcement or with your answering service or with you employer or whatever and give the telephone number of the establishment you'll be in. Then as you enter give someone working the desk / table / whatever your card & a fiver with the request that if a call comes in for you that you be notified. This system has worked for many years before cell phones became common & is still effective. Every Dr., Lawyer, and Sr. Executive over the age of forty is well acquainted with this system and can assure you it is painless & effective.

If it won't work for you then don't go to these places. Same as you can't go deep in the mountains, into the depths of the earth, downtown at the corner of Metcalfe & Ste. Catherine (never been able to figure out why that's a dead-spot) you just won't go the the Paramount Theatre, the café at the Ritz or Notre Dame church.

---------------------------------

For those that feel a need to prattle their opinion w/o bothering to find out what this is all about here it is in a nutshell:

The Canadian (Canada: big country to the north of Continental USA) equivalent of the FCC, the CRTC, is asking for Canadian's opinions on allowing private blocking of cell phone signals. This wouldn't be random zaps, rather it would be allowing businesses and private residences to block the signal of cell phones *within* *their* *premises*.

Oh, and before some junior wiseass makes a comment - I've had cellphones for years, don't have a landline, haven't for years, and support the idea of cell phone blockers. Yes I often need to be on-call but I respect the right of others not to be disturbed by my own situation and feel no need to impose on them. If there are some places I can't go and remain in touch then that is the price of polite society and private property.

No, we won't ban speaking. It's just respect. Something too many people seem to have forgotten. My kid acts up in a movie theatre; I step outside. I get a call on my cell; I step outside (outside a meeting in the hall, where ever, just not in everyone else's face). That's why there's even the need: selfish asses have abused the priviledge of anywhere communcations, disrupting others.

Listen buddy, the main purpose for a cell phone is for people to get ahold of you when you least expect it. It's not like he always knows when that all-important call is gonna come in..no one does. I'm not saying I like someone talking on the phone at the theater, but there are better ways to taking care of a problem than eleminating it completely. The vibrating batteries are a great idea, and will soon become standard on any cell phone, this will solve you little poblem of the once a month movie you go to and have to listen to someone's cell phone go off. Relax, people will evolve with new technologies and a better solution will be found that doesn't render cell phones useless at any time.

No - the point is NOT so we can be reached at any time in any circumstances. I'm in a decent resturaunt, the cinema or at church I DON'T FREEKIN NEED TO HEAR YOUR FREEKIN PHONE RING OR YOUR CONVERSATION.

Newsflash: It's not about you! It's about everyone else.

As to vibrate - how often do folks remember to use it? Uh huh.

Look, nowhere in the Rights & Freedoms is listed "The right to get a phone call anywhere."

You need to get a call go where it's not blocked, trust me the rest of us won't miss you.

So let me get this straight... you don't want to be annoyed by the ringing tone of a phone or the conversation of someone else? So it's OK to talk to you, but not when someone around you talks to someone else? So everyone else around you has to shut up?

"It's not about you! It's about everyone else." - Well, doesn't this "everyone else" include the cellphone user/owner? Cellphone users/owners might not really care that you are beside them talking to someone else. It's all a matter of point of view.

Don't get me wrong. I hate people who's cellphone rings LOUDLY at public places where loud sounds are unwanted (church, hospitals, etc.). But I don't mind when it rings ones or twice, and I don't mind that people are having a conversation beside me using a cellphone (except in theaters, i wanna just punch them). Heck I do mind that the person I am talking to has to answer his or her cellphone. That's annoying as hell.

So, list down what you hate about cellphones and their users.

I hate:
1. LOUD rings.
2. LOUD rings that aren't answered immediately.
3. Talking on the cellphone in theaters.
4. Ringing in churches.
5. Ringing in hospitals. (I believe that they are required to be turned off in hospitals)
6. People who complain with unclear reasons of complaint.
7. People who complain because of envy of people with cellphones.

I don't have a problem with:
1. Cellphone conversations and rings in restaurants
(I can understand an emergency)
2. Cellphone use in any other public place except where quiet is wanted.
3. Cellphones exploding in the hands of those using them in unwanted places (except for emergencies).

What I normally do with those who let their cellphones ring in :
1. Try to embarrass them.
2. Count to 10 to lose the urge to punch them.
3. try to understand that it might be an emergency (which it usually is; doesn't have to be a grave emergency though).

So please, cellphone users: try to understand that people want your cellphones in silent mode. And when you have to talk on the cell or answer it, step outside or someplace where you wouldn't annoy anyone.
Cellphone bashers: please try to understand that there are people that need a cellphone in case of emergencies. I need it when I left my report at home. Or when I need money.

Sorry for the lengthy message. But it's something that I just wanted to let out.

So please, try to get along. It's a few steps closer to world peace. Hehe.

Finally! Someone sees eye to eye with me on this. Why, on the train, do people get mad when I talk on my cell phone? If I was talking to someone sitting next to me, no one would flinch. I think they're mad cause they can't easedrop (sp?) and hear the whole conversation.

Then do not go there is your lifestyle requires you to take urgent calls then rearrange your social life to go with it. I use my cell phone for both buisness and personal use so I also have urgent calls but guess what I respect the people around me enuff that I set it on silent (vibrate mode) and then I leave the resturant or movie theatre I am sitting in to take the call. If more people respected others in this way then there would be no need for this. This is not a perfect world so do not expect a perfect solution. If you do not like it then find a theatre or resturant that will see to your wants and needs.

my phone is always on vibrate. Whats the difference if im talking on my phone or to you across the table? other than ill have tot alk louder to you across the table than i would on my phone.

Long live the Motorola TimePort

Also If my phone goes off, I look at Caller ID and if im in a place where its not appropriate to take a call from the person, I send them to voicemail and return their call later. I know my KEY important numbers, and if its an emergency to the person who calls they will normally call back anyways, and then you can step out for a min to take the call.

Thats not only respecting myself and the caller, but everyoen around me. We do not need people preventing our phones from working, but we needs people to better their cell phone pratices.

OK im not going to say this again, because people are too dense.

I can get an urgent call 24/7 any day of the year. I do not know when this will be. So ill just do what you suggest and stop seeing movies, stop eating at resturunts, stop going to church, and hell mine as well stop leaving my house. I THINK NOT!

Think in the big picture for a minute!

My initial comments were misintrepeted. It was meant to allude that certain areas should be jammed out (refer to my original). Some people got it and some just rambled on about needing to be contactable 24/7.

I also need to be contactable 24/7 and I do have a mobile phone but I dont have a problem with turning it off for weekends.

First of all ask yourself this brandon..when you are watching a movie (on average 1 1/2 hours) you are so important the phone cannot absolutely be turned off for 1 1/2 hours?

Heres an interesting fact for you ...DOCTORs (important ones) all have pagers provided by the hospital. They dont need mobile phones.
The ones who do ..are just kidding themselvs.

Another fact IF you are so important to a company and they MUST absolutely reach you at all times then please tell me the name of your company now so i can sell any shares I have in it. Because a company who relies SOLELY on you is just asking for trouble.

I am not implying you are useless merely saying that for critical systems tere is ALWAYS a TEAM of people to contact and not jst important old you.

The following is dedicated to those out there who despise people with mobile phones who have no courtesy and who view themselves as needing the phone on 24/7:

1) Movies - Please turn off your phone ..nothing worse than watching a thriller to have it go off at the wrong moment spoils the mood.

2) Planes - Need to turn it off here because if I ever ever see one of you mobile lusers on the phone talking I will rip it out and shove it up your arse and I will be clapped for it. I dont need to explain why ..

3) Restaurants - when I say restraunt I mean one like this ...soft music ..candles ..you and your date ..speaking softly ..hints of passion ...RINGING RINGING ...yeah thta pisses everybody off.

4) Trains - People dont CARE if you talk on the trains ..until your conversation goes from "hi george ..oh i'm on the ..TRAIN CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW IT oh okay WHAT " Just like we dont give a f**k about the dirt on your underwear we dont give a hoot to hear about your grandmas baldness. However saying that i view trains as a public communal thing so I dont really care. I just move over to the mobile uuser and fart in their area ..hey if they are making that much noise ..i might as well.

Look my view is if mobile users DONT regulate themselves (show common courtesy) you (me) will all be regulated by the government. Case in point smoking in restaurants ...if the smokers has just regulated themselves those laws wouldn't have come in.

jam on dudes jam on

you say that doctors don't need to have cellphones. that most have pagers. isn't it annoying as well when pagers go off? especially since you can't change the volume other than to vibrate mode. cell phones have this as well. there really is not difference with the two. it's still noise pollution. so the problem is not the device (pagers, cellphones, etc.) but the person. people should always remember to put their phone/pager on silent mode, or just turn it off for a few moments of their lives. if they don't, then just remind them, or beat the crap out of them. hehe.

Naw, it's not that we're dense, it's just your agument is crap.

"I can get an urgent call 24/7 any day of the year. I do not know when this will be. So ill just do what you suggest and stop seeing movies, stop eating at resturunts, stop going to church, and hell mine as well stop leaving my house. I THINK NOT! "

Man - it must be tough to be you. Can't go in a tunnel. Can't go deep inside a building. Can't go out in the countryside. Gotta watch out for those odd little places where for whatever reason your carrier has a dead spot. You must not sleep at night worrying that your cellphone battery might die...

I can imagine what might happen if you were somehow unavailiable. Sirens would go off, population fleeing panicked in the streets, President on TV urging everyone to stay calm while specially trained members of the US Navy SEALS discover why brandonjb's phone was out of range for a little bit. Man, it could all come crashing down without you there to save us all. Hey, you're kinda like a God to us all, huh?

So this idea that Canada might allow some places to selectively block cellphones must really freak you. I mean, oh jeeze, what if you were to go into a theater and not notice your phone wasn't getting a signal. Then, well hell everyone else might watch the movie without you getting a call! OH MY GOD THE WORLD COULD COME TO AND END WITHOUT YOU GETTING THE CALL & SAVING US ALL!

You know what - we were all wrong. I think it should be made an INTERNATIONIAL PRIORITY that we immediately expand cellphone coverage completely & aboslultely so that brandonjb will never again be without cellphone coverage. Forget hunger, poverty, disease THIS MUST BE OUR GOAL! The human race, united, to ensure that brandonjb never ever possibly is out of touch for any possible reason.

It could bring on a golden age!

Think of it. Theater goers would strain for the sound of brandonjb's phone ringing. Folks enjoying a sumptious meal would smile with delight as brandonjb gets a call at the next table and spends his meal yelling into his phone. I'm sure your religious folks wouldn't mind stopping the service so that their talking doesn't interfere with your phone call (it *IS* the Church of Brandonjb isn't it?) Yes, we all look forword with the utmost anticipation of living in a world where brandonjb will never ever possibly have to fear missing that oh-so-important-to-us-all phone call.

What were we thinking imagining places where brandonjb migt not recieve a call? The gall! The utter insensitivity. I mean sure we had manners and common sense in the old days but WE WERE DENSE! Now we've seen the light & all joined together in brandonjb-hood.

Yes brandonjb, it's not that you're a self-centered little jerk with distorted view of the world & his relation to it, WE WERE ALL WRONG.

So THAT'S what the big picture is.

Thank you brandonjb.

Because people on cell phones almost ALWAYS talk louder on them than they would to a person next to them. On the trains their conversations are normally not very important at all. And on the train it is usually a kid talking about stuff that nobody else cares about (their sex life, drugs etc...). I got a cell phone, and I use it in public. However, I get off it as soon as possible. Why do people carry on full fledged conversations on a cell phone. A "get the **** to work we got a problem" or "Johnny was playing on the train tracks and lost his arm!!" I can understand. But again, those will be a few minute conversations...you get in you get out and you address the situation. There is NOTHING that is important enough to warrant a "Hi, how ya doing? haven't talked to you in a while. how is the gf doing? Oh that is good. So what you been up to" type of conversation. That is the kinda s*** to be done at home, in private. THAT is why people get pissy about cell phones on the train and other places like that. And as far as "quiet zones" like theatres and churches, again, caller id and voicemail are great. And if you are that ****ing concerened about missing a call, don't go there. If people had the decency to turn their phones off when appropriate or to turn the ringers off and look at the id or vm or even have vibe etc...none of this would happen. It is just people got too confortable with being a******s that finally when the gov't tries to return some common decency to society through legislation people get pissy. Well get pissy all you want in here, cause unlike phone cell calls in public, I don't have to ****ing hear it (or read it)

A pager is not followed by a "HEY HOW YA DOING? NO s*** EH?? DID YOU WATCH THE GAME LAST NIGHT??!"

Dear parents,

If you visit a place that posted that they use cell phone blocking, maybe you could just avoid that resturant or theatre and go somewhere else. My wife is a doctor, and we avoid certain places when she is on call.

If your family is actually more important than the movie you'll understand and patronize cell phone friendly places. Most of the people in this forum understand how to handle this situation, some of you will just need to plan your lives better.