Eatiquette

How Do You Feel About Texting at the Table?

Photo: Michael Bauer

San Francisco Chronicle critic Michael Bauer may not have a problem with the smart phone age when it comes to shooting pictures of dishes for his blog, but he has no patience for people texting while they eat. “Is it really any of my business? Probably not, but when I see table after table lit with that distinctive blue glow, I react.” It’s not his own dining experience that is ruined, he says, so much as the texters’ dining experience. He wishes you would all wake up and realize how much of your lives you’re no longer present for, and feel as sad about it as he is! (This recalls a similar rant from last year in which he chided that phones should be put away altogether.) And if you call him a fuddy-duddy, he’s ready with a quote from the Emily Post Institute saying it’s never okay to text while in social company. What say you, dear readers? Are you one of the people in restaurants making Mr. Bauer sad?

What’s wrong with texting in restaurants? [Between Meals/Chron]
Earlier: Do Cell Phones Belong on Dinner Tables? [Grub Street NY via Grub Street SF]

How Do You Feel About Texting at the Table?