Tales of the Wireless Samaritan

A while ago, I wrote about Cingular wireless and their quasi-subliminal cell phone messages. Well, I've done a little research about this, and apparently it's a pretty popular program. An award-winning program. Since when did common sense start winning awards? What's next? Picture the "Blow Your Nose With Tissue Paper" campaign. Obviously, I'm getting over-excited about this, but I really do think it's nonsense.

Cingular Wireless shouldn't have much of a say over what I do with their phones. If I want to be obnoxious on my phone, then it's not Cingular Wireless' responsibility to stop me, but rather that of whatever venue I may be in. If it were Cingular's job to keep me courteous, what would they do? Follow me around and make sure my phone is on vibrate when I pop into a theatre?

The joy continues. On the website, they are actually writing out instructions on what to do if your phone rings. Things like: "Excuse yourself. It’s perfectly OK to step away from the table or go into another room to take an important call." Man, I wouldn't have figured it out without you, AT & T.

Now I'm not promulgating loud cell phone conversations in the middle of movie theatres. I'm just stressing that this isn't Cingular's area of expertise. Picture your car starting and a symbol lighting up with an x through a beer can. People should already know when they can and can't use their phone. Safety is not your number one concern, AT & T, it's making money. Do you know why? Because you are a business. If we are concerned about cell phones being a danger on the road, then work on making it illegal to use them (as it is in some places). Don't tell me to be safe and courteous. I value ethics in the business world, but I think this is window-dressing nonsense.

Perhaps the best instruction on the site is this one: "Be A Wireless Samaritan." This is outstanding. Perhaps if cell phone technology had existed in Jesus' time, there would have been five calls already placed and an emergency vehicle on-scene before the actual Good Samaritan reached the injured man (for those that don't know what I'm taking about, read up on your scripture). Of course, in Jesus' time, you didn't have to pay the ambulance a "courtesy" fee becuase you weren't being safe enough.