Gib, I had a boss in Canada way back in 1975, Les McNeil [deceased 1976], who said that people liked talking on the phone as "It's easy to be brave on the phone". He wanted sales people "out there" in person. At the time, either way I didn't see that courage is required, so I was more curious about his thought than agreeing with it, but perhaps a lot of people do feel safer on the end of a phone.
I've always found a telephone a great help in getting a lot done in a short time, without wasting my time, or other people's. It's a great way to provide instant service. Waiting for an opportunity the following week to make a physical visit is dopey and useless when immediate solutions are wanted.
My original point about the cellphone fetish was the negative one that anti-cellphone people seem somewhat psychotic. Getting wound up about somebody talking on a phone on a bus, or in a supermarket, or on the street, or in a restaurant, is pathetic. Of course there are situations were having cellphones ringing or having people talking on them is very rude, such as at a funeral, movie, wedding, during a meeting, or elsewhere in a an environment where other people are unable to continue with their business if a phone is ringing or yobbo is yabbering.
The anti-brigade seem like latter day Luddites. Irrationally opposed. They even want people to be not allowed to talk or listen to one in a car, though they can converse with passengers, berate children, tune and listen to a radio and otherwise do all sorts of things other than mindlessly staring at the road ahead.
Mqurice |
