01. Church. Even if your phone plays a song of praise, the congregation, the priest, and even Jesus don’t want to hear your phone! When people are praying and meditating, the last thing they need is the latest Carrie Underwood song blaring from your phone, even if it is “Jesus Take the Wheel.”
02. Doctor’s offices. Most doctor’s offices have signs that say “no cell phones” and for good reason. The ringing can be distracting for sick or upset patients, or even worse, for doctors who are carrying out medical treatments. It’s just one of those places where you don’t really want sudden, unexpected sounds.
03. A plane. It’s not even that they do anything bad on a plane [that’s a myth] but it’s more that you’re in a small, cramped area with a ton of people. Some of these people are nervous, some are tired, and pretty much all of them don’t want to hear your favorite song or you yapping away endlessly.
04. The library. I know we don’t have old sexy or unsexy librarians like we used to, harshly saying “shhhh!” at every little noise, but let’s respect the long-standing traditions of libraries as quiet and nice places to go and relax and read. Talk outside and put your phone on vibrate!
05. At a restaurant. Look, for a lot of people, getting a night out is rare, and they don’t want screaming, ringing, or a lot of noise. That includes your phone. When someone is enjoying a rare treat, it is incredibly rude to step all over their plans and make life harder.
These are just some suggestions. There are many other places one should turn off their cell phone. The common sense rule? Is it somewhere people have a reasonable expectation of quiet and comfort? Okay, then turn your phone off or put it on vibrate. I know, it sounds insane… but really, everyone around you will thank you for the gesture. And be sure you have a cool ringtone while you're at it, for the times your phone does go off! May I suggest some Motorola ringtones? They're the perfect solution to your dilemmas about what to play!