In Europe, a push to silence cellphones in public

VIENNA -- The world has never been more connected, but in some corners, it's developing a real hang-up over the ubiquitous cellphone.

Taking a cue from France's national railway, which offers phone-free "zen zones" on high-speed trains, Austria's second-largest city this week began ordering public transit commuters to keep their phones on silent mode.

The crackdown in the southern city of Graz has triggered a noisy debate between advocates of free speech and people who say they're simply fed up with having to listen to annoying ring tones and intrusive cellphone chatter.

"I know I insulted the cellphone goddess a little," Graz Mayor Siegfried Nagl said.

"But people need to know they don't have the right to be on the telephone permanently and constantly," he told Austrian television. "It's just not healthy to never be able to get any peace and quiet."

Graz's response to the proliferation of cellphones reflects a growing backlash against their abuse around the world, where mobiles and other portable communication devices outnumber people by a margin of 2-to-1 in many countries:

• This week, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio filed pre-emptive legislation aimed at ensuring Americans won't be subjected to cellphone chitchat on airliners. DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced his bill after the European Union scrapped a longtime ban on the use of cellphones on flights and Air France-KLM launched trial on-board cellular service.

• Last month, police in New Jersey started slapping drivers with a $100 fine for talking on a handheld device or sending a text message. Across the U.S. this year, at least 21 state legislatures are considering some kind of ban on texting while driving.

• France's SNCF rail company, determined to spare travelers cellphone cacophony, now operates "zen zones" in select compartments aboard intercity TGV bullet trains. The railway asks passengers seated in those areas to turn off their phones so everyone can "travel in a totally relaxing environment."