Responding to a note from a reader, Michael Bauer is putting his foot down about cell phones in restaurants. Not only does he find people texting and answering phones at table to be “discomforting, depressing and rude,” he likewise would like the phones to be kept off the table completely and in diners’ pockets. As the reader points out, four people with four cell phones on the table creates a spatial challenge for waitstaff trying to lay down glasses and plates. Though a quick check of IMDB is sometimes totally essential to the dinner conversation, we mostly agree with Mr. Bauer on the idea that a dining room is a place for unplugging.
But for those of us who don’t carry purses and keep phones in our back pockets, not pulling them out before sitting could cost us an iPhone screen. (ALSO: Eater rightfully points out that Bauer’s last two blog posts contain a total of three photos he, himself, took with his phone while at the table.)
Put your phone in your pocket and enjoy your dinner [Chron]
Do Cell Phones Belong on Dinner Tables? [Grub Street NY’s take]
