*strangle*

[arethinn]

If there is in fact, as one of the Mercury columnists pet-peeved about this morning, a special circle of Hell reserved for those whose cell phones ring in movie theaters, there is also one reserved for those whose phones ring in libraries. Especially loud/tinny-piercing enough to go through the wall of the North Reading Room (and through the significant separating airspace as well) into the Technical Services area where I am. How I wish that devices which block cell-phone signals were not illegal, or that we could search everyone as they entered and confiscate their phones to be held in a "coat check" area until they left. Feh.

Comments

[twopiearr.livejournal.com]

maybe you need a new coat of paint (http://www.forcefieldwireless.com/products.html)?

(i won't tell if you won't...)

[arethinn]

Never mind legality, at $70 a gallon I shudder to think how much one would need to paint the whole entire library.

[twopiearr.livejournal.com]

i'm sure you could get a volume discount...

[digitalsidhe.livejournal.com]

Cell-phone blockers are illegal? The last I heard, lots of movie theaters and even some restaurants were thinking about installing them. When did they get outlawed? And how?!? You'd think voting against any such ban would be a no-brainer for any legislator.

Are you sure they're illegal, and not just too expensive?

[arethinn]

I was pretty sure there was federal legislation against it (it would block, for example, needed emergency calls), but I can't quote chapter and verse.

[arethinn]

It's not authoritative, but see this in Google Answers for a start: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=413500

[ihlathi.livejournal.com]

I totally hear you on this. I want to strangle people who chat away on their cellphones in study rooms or labs.