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We get together every few weeks to catch up and sometimes take a weekend or day trip also.
If we are together all day I don't expect her to stay off the phone all day but when we are eating out it seems so rude. I have mentioned it enough that she knows how I feel about it. I can tell she is irritated that this bothers me. Last week we had 4 gals at the table and after she texted a few minutes I asked if she could do that later so we could enjoy the meal. She asked the 2 other gals if they minded and they said they didn't so she continued. Sometimes she will tell me what so & so is texting and what she is texting back. urgggg
It is at the point that I either need to decline plans to go eat and tell her why or try one more time to explain
the problem. Should I just tell her I don't want to eat out with her unless she is willing to put her phone away. That leaves it up to her.
I think your friend needs a new friend. How does your friend texting make you not enjoy your meal? I could see talking on the phone being a distraction and rude at the table but texting? Its 2017 its called multitasking and its probably best to get used to this sort of thing or not have any friends.
Why be passive-aggressive? Just stop going out with them.
I was joking, but seriously, people who can't put their phones away for five minutes really are a serious pet peeve of mine. I'm not talking about an occasional brief call or text, I'm talking about those who literally never turn them off, and I suspect the OP was, as well.
OP, you could meet this friend at a restaurant and if she starts texting ask her not to.
If she continues to text, stand up, tell her you are leaving and why, pay your check, leave the tip and move on with your day.
This might sound sexist but I am going to say it anyways. This is one more example why guys get along better as friends than women do. If it was a group of 4 guys not one of them would care about something like this. Women in a group always have this jealousy / competition thing among them. How they look, how they dress etc. Texting at the table makes the OP jealous that their friends attention is somewhere else and not on them.
This might sound sexist but I am going to say it anyways. This is one more example why guys get along better as friends than women do. If it was a group of 4 guys not one of them would care about something like this. Women in a group always have this jealousy / competition thing among them. How they look, how they dress etc. Texting at the table make the OP jealous that their friends attention is somewhere else and not on them.
That's very interesting. When I was a kid, we had a rule at our house: no phone calls during meals. It was my dad's idea. We answered the phone, of course, in case it was an emergency, but always told the caller we would call them back after dinner.
Inappropriate texting during a meal with others is NOT WHO YOU ARE.
It's the rude and inconsiderate BEHAVIOR that you choose to exhibit and impose on everyone else at the table.
Who you are vs. your behavior are two VERY different things. Who you are is not likely to change over a lifetime. But behavior is chosen, and can change with just one decision.
Your behavior stems from your nature which is "who you are". I guess you're an absolutist "just say no" type that thinks you can just decide to not get impatient in traffic or not get mad when things go wrong or not be bored with someone's conversation or not have attention deficit disorder. As you said, who you are is not likely to change over a lifetime, and in my observations those people who are always texting in the company of others do it their whole life. Has anyone known a person to just "decide" to change their typical social behaviour?
And maybe they just don't agree with your arbitrary definition of "inappropriate"?
That's very interesting. When I was a kid, we had a rule at our house: no phone calls during meals. It was my dad's idea. We answered the phone, of course, in case it was an emergency, but always told the caller we would call them back after dinner.
I did say phone calls are rude. Texting is different. I don't know how many families with you are around now but texting or looking at face book at the table is pretty much the norm at least in my world. But usually the older and less tech friendly people are the less they like this sort of thing.
I was joking, but seriously, people who can't put their phones away for five minutes really are a serious pet peeve of mine. I'm not talking about an occasional brief call or text, I'm talking about those who literally never turn them off, and I suspect the OP was, as well.
Like idiot drivers, I think it is just something you are going to have to get over. You aren't going to change the world and the only one you're pet peeve is affecting is you.
Like idiot drivers, I think it is just something you are going to have to get over. You aren't going to change the world and the only one you're pet peeve is affecting is you.
I was watching this video of John McAfee, the eccentric tech guru. He likes the concept of grace. That no matter what comes your way deal with it in a graceful manner. Whether its a driving and dealing with a bad driver next to you or a friend texting neither is actually doing anything to you its ones personal decision to allow the behavior to bother them. Case in point, the two other friends of the OP were not bothered by the texts.
Lighten up don't be so self absorbed and these silly things won't matter.
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