There's not much that annoys me more when I'm in the middle of eating dinner at my favorite restaurant and someone has their cell phone ring off with whatever tune that identifies them as a person. This happened to me today at lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant. I was about to down another bite of calamari when a cell phone went off very close by. I told my friend that you would think people would be considerate enough to turn off their cell in a restaurant by now. My old friend, Mac, said, "Um...David, you might want to consider taking your own advice since it is your cell phone ringing." Astounded and embarrassed, I couldn't do anything but nod my head in agreement. I took the cell from my coat pocket and watched Mac laugh with glee.

I was hoping he would choke on the antipasta.I'm a johnny-come-lately to the cell phone phenomenon since I have only had one about three years. I saw no need for one until I had a flat tire in town about three years ago, ironically enough. My spare was flat also, much to my displeasure. I looked around for a pay phone and lo and behold, not a one in sight. I had to go in a dry cleaning business to ask if they would send a wrecker for my car. About 2 1/2 hours later, it arrived and I had to sit with a guy right out of Deliverance. Everytime someone would do something he felt was a traffic violation he would go "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek, did you see dat? DAMN!"

I decided after that delightful encounter that a cell phone and AAA membership would be in order. It is amazing to me how quickly pay phones have disappeared from the American landscape. I'm not complaining, mind you. But, I'm just thinking how one can get by without a cell phone now. I'm so dependant on that thing. It keeps my appointments and bill paying schedule, alarm clock, music and it even connects me to someone else who has a cell phone or someone living in the Stone Age with a landline. Still, if you don't remember to turn them off (as Nurse Ratched told me to do at a local hospital), they can be brutal. Another worry with cell phone are if you lose track of them at home or, God forbid, at a restaurant or supermarket, you have hundreds of mini-heart attacks. That is a constant worry of mine. But, even just after three years, I am hooked on them after laughing at people for even bothering with the things. How did I get along without one for so long?