The new etiquette?

Wifey and I were having dinner at our local Thai restaurant tonight. This young woman came in with her child (maybe 2-3 y.o.) and sat in the middle of the restaurant. She set up some toys for the kid then set up her phone so she could Facetime with Mom while she ate. The volume was loud enough for everyone in the place to clearly hear the whole conversation. This went on the entire time we were there. "Grandma" was chatting kiddie talk with the child and then discussing whatever with her daughter. She even asked at one point if the food had arrived yet, so she clearly knew they were in a restaurant.

Being an old fart, I grew up well before cell phones were everywhere. And I was always taught to use my "indoor" voice in a restaurant so as not to disturb others. But maybe that sort of consideration for others is a thing of the past now. I guess if Grandma was actually in the restaurant with her daughter and grandchild, we would have heard the same conversation. So maybe the Facetime bit is a moot point.

This restaurant isn't a fancy place with reservations and nice decor and all that. They usually have the evening news or some stupid game show on the TV with the volume up, so there's that to consider as well.

So what say you? Is it the new acceptable etiquette to carry on a Facetime/speakerphone conversation in a restaurant, as the only difference from a face to face conversation is the phone?

...or carrying on a speakerphone conversation from the next stall in a public restroom.

Since they have chosen to sacrifice any expectation of privacy, I would be tempted to stand behind someone and join their conversation just to make a point.....

I see the same thing the OP posted. And lots of other bad behavior.

This afternoon we went for a late lunch, young couple with one boy maybe 5-6 years old. Mom and dad had a nice table outside overlooking the lake, but spent ALL of their time on their cell phones while junior played on and in and around the chair. Well behaved little boy, but quite ignored, sadly. What’s the point of going out together if you won’t enjoy each other’s company?

I will say that around here kids are well behaved and polite, even if the parents are on the cell phones too much (which is at all in a restaurant). In bigger cities I see badly behaving kids a lot more, with no attempt to discipline by the parents. Again, why take them out if you’re not going to teach them public manners?

Cell phone etiquette, don't get me started.
I whole heartedly agree with previous posts. I don't understand the constant phone in your hand thing. Get a life folks, put the phone down and have a bit of respect for the ones around you.

The wife and I turn off our phones in public places and refrain from using them. I get in a real twist with my wife if she forgets to turn hers off and it rings and God forbid she answers it.

In a Chipotle the other day, girl in line in front of me yacking away with someone on the other end. When it was her turn to order, she held the phone up to the burrito dude so that the person on the other end could order. How f**king stupid are you that you can't walk into a Chipotle and order a burrito?

Totally unacceptable IMHO, regardless of the type of restaurant.

2000cs wrote

I see the same thing the OP posted. And lots of other bad behavior.

This afternoon we went for a late lunch, young couple with one boy maybe 5-6 years old. Mom and dad had a nice table outside overlooking the lake, but spent ALL of their time on their cell phones while junior played on and in and around the chair. Well behaved little boy, but quite ignored, sadly. What’s the point of going out together if you won’t enjoy each other’s company?

I will say that around here kids are well behaved and polite, even if the parents are on the cell phones too much (which is at all in a restaurant). In bigger cities I see badly behaving kids a lot more, with no attempt to discipline by the parents. Again, why take them out if you’re not going to teach them public manners?

Years ago, and again before cell phones were everywhere, my ex and I were at a restaurant in Disney World. There were two women sitting at another table who both had a couple kids. The women were chatting to themselves and the kids were running amok, including climbing under everyone else's table, like ours. When I felt one kid pushing my legs out of his way, I ask the mother to control her child. They were both shocked that I would make such a request because, after all, this is Disney World and it's here for kids. Like that excused their behavior.

My story takes place at my doc's office. Small waiting room, and this couple comes in with MacDonald's. They sit down, pull out their phones and start watching videos with the volume turned up and begin having their lunch.

Within a few minutes the office manager comes over and tells them to leave. They said "what about our appointment?" The office manager said "you can come back when you're done eating, and keep your phones off." Everybody in the waiting room started applauding.

People can be so rude and inconsiderate of others.

We were in a nice Indian restaurant once when a woman and her 3 kids came in and sat down. While they waited for their food, they decided it would be a good time to have a little sing-along. Everyone in the place was looking at them like wtf?

Another time we were in a Cracker Barrel when a woman decided to change her kid's nasty smelly diaper right there on the table. Stunk up the whole place. Luckily we were done and on our way out. I couldn't believe the waitstaff and manager didn't tell her to use the restroom for that.

So yes, there is no shortage of rude/inconsiderate people.

A few months back my friend and I were at The Chickenburger, a long standing landmark in our city. It's a crossroad intersection diner famous for, you guessed it... chicken burgers.
We were about midway through our meal when a young "lady" and what turned out to be her photographer came in. They didn't go to the counter to order but just started their own photoshoot around the tables. The place wasn't very busy at the time so I didn't think too much about it.
Now here's where it gets interesting. The young "lady" was pregnant and looked like she could pop at any time. She also thought it would be cool to get some photos of her very large belly... exposed belly, so she took her top off to reveal it along with her overstuffed sports bra. Next she started posing laying on the tables. All this while the three or four couples in the diner were all trying to enjoy their meals. She was disgusting IMO, not because she was pregnant but because she had absolutely no manners whatsoever. The manager finally came over and had a short conversation with her and she left in a huff. Remember, they didn't even order anything, just thought they could use the diner as their private studio. The absolute gall of some people.