On mobile phones

On mobile phones

I would like to comment on Mrs. or Mr. Roestenburg's letter Lunch with a mobile phone dated Feb. 10, 1995, in The Jakarta Post.

The use of mobile phones in public places such as restaurants is getting more and more common. However, users have to be directed into three categories: 1. business people, who have to be reached at any place and time during the day; 2. yuppies (young urban professionals) using a mobile phone as their first carrier indication in the public; 3. Mr./Mrs./Ms. "Important," using a mobile phone only in public in order to indicate their social standard and their importance.

Most disgusting and disturbing are members of group three, who can be observed and studied in restaurants, pubs and even cinemas. Mostly well dressed, consuming expensive drinks, but asking their servants to call them every five minutes in order to keep their mobile phones ringing. Especially in noisy places such as pubs, situations as described by Mrs. or Mr. Roestenburg are occurring all the time.

Recently, I saw four well-dressed women sitting at a table in a bar of one of Jakarta's five-star hotels. The table was covered with drinks, cigarettes and four mobile phones. One mobile phone was ringing, all four took their phones, but one lady, with a glimmer in her eyes, said that it was her phone. No need to say that the other ladies looked quite disappointed, because their phones didn't ring. Anyway, the lady took the phone, yelled an obligatory "Hello" into it and then keep quiet for ten minutes. Her eyes, still shining with pride and importance, went around to catch any sign of recognition from others in the pub who were so unfortunate of having no mobile phone or having a mobile phone which was not ringing. After 10 minutes of one-sided conversation (I guess she was listening to the latest weather forecast), she hung up, and her shining eyes transformed to a satisfied smile.

CHRISTIAN WILHELMI

Jakarta