Finding a time and a place for cellular phones

Just over two years ago I made my debut as a 'Prince' columnist with a piece entitled "Calling all cell users: Lose the prop." I argued that Princeton's campus was being overrun by the impersonality and superficiality of cellular telephone usage and users, and in the days that followed I was castigated in the pages of the 'Prince' for my opinions. Well, I'm back, and this time I will proudly admit that, in the words of one respondent to my article in 1999, I am "shamelessly self-promoting." I'm back to cry, "I told you so."

There is no doubt that the teenage obsession with cell phones has amplified the use of the odious devices on this campus. Although I initially questioned whether this was too thoughtless a topic to discuss at our time of national urgency, recent events on campus have incensed me to such a degree that I think it's important to send a clear message to frequent cell phone users: Show a little consideration and respect for those around you.

Consider the appropriateness of a cell phone ring in any, much less all, of the following venues: professor McPherson's Civil War class; President Tilghman's Installation; the outdoor memorial service for the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedies; the terrorism panel hosted by Dean Rothschild on Sept. 11; the economics panel with professors Krugman, Blin-der and Krueger; the Firestone Trustees' Read-ing Room (twice); the third floor reading room at Frist; and on goes the list of events and places where I've been exasperated by the ring of a phone. There is a time and a place for a cell phone to be used. Clearly many people on this campus don't understand that, though.

Most users argue that with the cellular plans available today, it's cheaper to use a cell phone than the University's plan for long distance calls. I respect that reason, but it still escapes me how cell phones ever end up ringing in McCosh 50 while a world-class artist is speaking. Vital attempts to reach you during class or other inaccessible times can be forwarded to voicemail and returned at a more opportune time. And while poor dorm room reception may cause students to use cell phones elsewhere on campus, it's not an excuse for a phone to ring in the middle of a professor's lecture. The trite defense that people forget to turn their phones off is unacceptable. With a cell phone comes a responsibility to use it appropriately and to not disrupt others. It is tactless to shirk that duty.

In the wake of Sept. 11, cell phones can be heralded as heroes. They enabled unaffected parties to inform loved ones of their safety, and they permitted trapped victims to speak with emergency personnel. These uses are signs of an advancing civilization, stories of a human invention being used in the most utilitarian way possible — saving lives. And therein lies my major point: I'm not arguing for the banishment of cellular telephones, but rather contending that those who use them should be more considerate of the locations in which they do so.

So where do we go from here? A good first step would be for freshmen to leave their phones (and lanyards) in their rooms when they come out to the 'Street.' Second, cell phone users should replace those insufferable 'song rings' that only intensify the discourtesy when a phone does ring at an inopportune time. Finally, all users should be extra mindful of when and where they have their phone turned on. This is a very simple problem that can be surmounted with a minimal level of respect from the people prompting it. Ryan Salvatore is a Wilson School major from Stamford, CT. He can be reached at salvatre@princeton.edu.