Manufacturers Fight for Mobile Manners

Aug. 6 -- San Diego has enlisted the help of an unlikely ally in the effort to quiet the angry backlash against obnoxious cell phone users — the world’s largest mobile phone maker.

Nokia, concerned about the growing demand for cell phone etiquette, has teamed up with San Diego Mayor Susan Golding in an unusual campaign to encourage courteous cell phone use.

The issue of polite phone usage hits home for Golding. At a movie screening last year, the mayor said she repeatedly heard cell phones ringing and was surprised at the lack of consideration her fellow movie goers exhibited by answering the calls.

For a city Golding considers to be among the most advanced in the field of wireless communication, she said she expected people would be more technologically savvy and use better mobile phone etiquette.

Calling on the Public

Curious about what her community thought, the mayor posted an online poll asking whether citizens would support restricting cell phone usage in certain places. The response was overwhelming. “Of the nearly 5,300 responses to the poll, respondents most often voted for cell phone restrictions in movie and performing arts theaters and classrooms,” says Golding.

But it’s not just people in San Diego who are bothered by cell phones. These days it seems virtually everyone has an annoying cell phone story. From people carrying on loud conversations in restaurants, to students taking calls in school, it is hard to find someone who doesn’t have an opinion on when and where it’s appropriate to talk on the phone.

And the issue has garnered national attention. As cellular phone use continues to grow — there are currently more than 100 million users in the United States alone, with 46,000 new ones daily — so do the outcries for mobile manners.

With that in mind, Golding decided that wireless phone usage was a problem that could not be ignored.

Teaching Mobile Manners

Back in San Diego, an unlikely partnership between Nokia and Mayor Golding began to form. The phone manufacturer decided to shoulder the responsibility of informing the public on how to be more considerate when using a mobile phone.