Mobile phones - Love 'em/Hate 'em?

I don't remember when exactly that we got a house phone but I do remember using telephone boxes and having to make arrangements with my cousin so that she could be in the call box near her home when I rang her.  I think she probably rang me and then I called her back from our house phone.

It was exciting when we got the phone.  Especially as we had two!  One in the hall and an extension in my parents' bedroom.  I think this was enabled because my Dad was a mechanical engineer at a chemical factory and was often on call for emergencies.

Of course house phones have moved on.  We now have four extensions in our home and an answerphone.  Those are portable too so we can move around with them as we please.  Not like that first hallway phone where you would sit on the stairs, freezing in the winter months, and have no privacy from anyone wandering past.  Especially brothers who would do so on purpose, often!  Thankfully both my brothers had moved out before I was having boyfriend conversations.

Then mobile phones were invented! 

I resisted for a long time but of course, like so many others, I gave in and now I wouldn't be without it.  I currently have an i-phone (not the latest model) and I do love it.  But I hate feeling I have to have it as an appendage.  Especially when at home.  Hubby, when ringing from work, will often call my mobile rather than the landline.  Which is annoying.  If my mobile is sitting in the bedroom and I'm in the kitchen we are separated by 3 flights of stairs!  No chance of making it.

Right now I've come down to have breakfast and I've remembered to bring my phone with me but chances are when I've finished and go up to get showered or whatever I'll probably leave my phone behind.  Getting the picture?  Plus not all my clothes have pockets!

Hubby's answer to this predicament is the clue is in the name of the phone.  Not helpful.

Unlike Hubby,  my phone is incredibly helpful.  It makes me get up.  (Well it's intended to do that but the snooze override sometimes defeats it.)  It reminds me of so many things and holds lots of useful information.  It even stops me getting lost as so far we have resisted the urge to add a SATNAV to the car.

I do wonder how I would cope without it but I worry about how intrusive mobiles can sometimes be and how detrimental to our manners.

We were in the supermarket on Monday waiting at the checkout.  One woman was being served.  Then there was another woman and then Hubby and me.  I became aware that the woman in front of us was becoming a bit agitated and then I noticed the customer being served was using her mobile.  It was clearly distracting her and slowing the whole checkout process down.  She continued on her call, which was clearly important to her, while struggling to get her card out to pay and deal with the card machine.  The woman in front of us was becoming more agitated.

Eventually the first woman was done and did apologise for causing a delay.  Fair enough I thought, until the second woman preceded to tell us (after the first woman had gone) that it hadn't been an incoming call.  The first woman had made that call just before she started to get served.

I'm sure we've all been in situations where we've received a call at an inconvenient time but it's been important or urgent and we've had to deal with it.  But to make a call when you know you should be giving your attention to something else?  Like packing and paying for your shopping at the checkout?  Bad manners in my book. 

What's your view on mobiles? Love 'em or hate 'em?