Those Crazy “Day Talkers”.

A funny thing happened the other day while I was out and about.  “How are you doing?” said the large man approaching me. “Fine” I cheerily replied ..as he walked right-on-by.  Besides feeling like a goose I realised he was one of those, you know who I mean, ….a “Day Talker”.   Day Talkers are those folk who merrily conduct loud conversations, seemly with themselves, but in fact are wired to the world and talking to some equally stupid looking Day Talker via the magic of the mobile phone. And I see them, they’re everywhere and some of them don’t even know how stupid they look. Maybe I’m old fashion but I just find it strange to walk down a street talking to yourself.  Mind you when I do lose my mind (yes its bound to happen soon) all I need to do is stick an earpiece in and I’m good to go. The men in white coats wont even look my way. “Just another pretentious tosser” they’ll mutter.  At least they don’t have those huge Mr Spock bluetooth earpieces now.  

I put it down to this weird condition we all suffer from – the almost pathological need to answer a ringing phone. We all rush around the house trying to find that handset that, of course, has never been put back (at least in my house).  And if we miss it how many dial *69 to see who it was?  And don’t get me started on folk who are talking to you and their mobile rings..and they answer it clearly indicating this unknown entity is more important than the person right in front of you.  Why is that? 

I say this is all weird because I don’t know where it came from. Where in our history were we suddenly conditioned to answer phones no matter what.  I think its because we think it’s the same as if someone said “How are you doing” on the street – we feel its rude not to answer, a social conditioning.  It actually upsets some folk when I’m talking to them and my office phone rings and I don’t pick it up.  To me that’s like someone interrupting your conversation – its rude.  So some face-to-face social conventions transfer across technologies.  Except those people who answer mobiles when talking to you…they’re just rude.  And why is it *69……