Is it OK to text at the dinner table or while at a restaurant?

[Martin Duffy]

As others have said, its completely unacceptable and bad manners. Even if you're rung as an emergency you should really excuse yourself from the table and conduct the call in private away from the table.

My partner once invited an old college friend of his over for dinner, and she kept texting through the meal, which I read as showing a complete lack of consideration for the amount of time we'd been cooking for. She might have well as said, "I don't really find you very interesting so I'm going to talk to someone else". As I hadn't invited her and she wasn't my guest I politely bit my tongue, and then when she left I told my partner I didn't ever want her to step foot in our house again (not that he did either after that)!

I just think its symptomatic of how people have become increasingly self-absorbed and selfish over the years!

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Aaah....Mrs C I have missed you :Love:

I have no idea how young you are Izzidoll, but maybe we are ageist:smack: . My girls tell me I was born in the Victorian era !

 

[dandelionpoppy]

Imagine if your dinner companion got up and went to talk to someone at another table, without involving or introducing you. Then they went to another table....and so on....

I have to say my hubby checks his business phone; we have no signal where we live (bliss!) and he sees it as an opportunity. I understand but still HATE it!

 

[linzi]

The dinner table - either at home or in a restaurant - is no place for electronics!

I think it's the height of rudeness and I wouldn't be impressed if someone started texting away while we were out.

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[Mobile Manicure]

I'd love to be a mystery shopper it seems interesting haha x

You wouldn't say that if you'd just had the meal I just had! It took 32 mins for our food to arrive, the staff were not interested in us, mother in law found a hair in her roast, the mash was powdered and runny, one of the carrots looked like it had a large ugly brown green wart. My so called "greens" looked like something you would cough up and I'm guessing maybe that's what the cook (not chef) did.

It ain't all glamour. In fact, it's NEVER glamour. I only have to shop places that need it unfortunately.

 

[Biljana]

Not allowed at the table, not allowed during family time, work related stuff goes onto the voicemail until the kids are in bed.
Michael and I were out on a date a while back at a nice casual restaurant, a young couple came in after us and was seated across from us. Let me tell you, this young woman was so fricking stunning it was hard not to stare and everyone seen her BUT her date. He wasn't even That good looking, instead he spent the entire dinner staring at his phone while she sat there quietly eating her food. As we were leaving, Michael politely told him, he was being rude to his date and that others may appreciate her more. He was stunned lol

 

[tonicj]

If my husband spent his time on the phone while in a restaurant I would get up and leave and that's for sure and he is a business man! He knows it's turn phone off or turn wife off !

 

[lydia c]

I never text at the dinner table and neither does my other half , I find it sooooo annoying when people do this !
Also I hate it when you are trying to have a conversation with someone and you may as well talk to a brick wall as they are just glued to their phone !
Says me on the app in my phone lol xxx

 

[LocksOfLove]

my boyfriend does it and it annoys the living daylights out of me!

So does mine! Eurgh I just want to chuck his phone! Always on car forums! Really really irritates me... Saying that I always lie in bed on salon geek xx

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

As we were leaving, Michael politely told him, he was being rude to his date and that others may appreciate her more. He was stunned lol

Haha, good for Michael. That must have taken the wind out of the other guys sails.

 

[virtues2011]

For my partner and I who both eat out five nights out of seven and generally entails lunch and dinner (work related) .I'm more than happy to be excused from the table to answer phone calls. I find people who sniff, belch and produce other bodily noises at the table far more intrusive.

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[tonicj]

Oh the bodily noises is definitely a huge irritation of mine also!

 

[AcidPerm]

Michael and I were out on a date a while back at a nice casual restaurant, a young couple came in after us and was seated across from us. Let me tell you, this young woman was so fricking stunning it was hard not to stare and everyone seen her BUT her date. He wasn't even That good looking, instead he spent the entire dinner staring at his phone while she sat there quietly eating her food. As we were leaving, Michael politely told him, he was being rude to his date and that others may appreciate her more. He was stunned lol

Maybe he was paying for her company?

 

[Kle]

It's pointless going to dinner with someone to catch up if all your going to do is catch up with someone else.
My OH is a nightmare with his phone really winds me up,with his private customers he will take a call pretty much anytime of day e.g 10.30pm the other nite when he only got in at 9!!i tell him till I'm blue in the face.i even made him a deal if he came in from work and put his phone away on silent we could be spending time doing other things haha but that lasted about a week. I came from a family no tv no phones and always had dinner at the table and I really miss having a table!!!i hate it

 

[Biljana]

Maybe he was paying for her company?

Even if he was, still rude. However it seemed unlikely as she did ask him to talk to his buddy a bit later when they were first seated, she was quiet because I really think she was fuming

 

[skingeek78]

I was out for a meal last week with my husband and a young couple at a table beside us couldn't seem to put their phones down. They were constantly texting which I thought was awful. In my own home texting does not happen while we are eating together. What thoughts do you all have on this?

I agree! No phones at the table. It is rude, my husband will take his phone to a restaurant and occasionally answer it if it's important, this winds me up enough. I cannot imagine sitting with someone at the table and them texting away.

 

[tonicj]

My husband and I were in a lovely restaurant tonight. It was expensive, but that shouldn't matter! Anyway, there were 8 couples seated and I couldn't help noticing 4 men, 3 of them texting and 1 of them actually talking and laughing with a friend and 1 woman also talking to someone! Unbelievable! We always leave our phones in the car when we are dining.

 

[Lady Murasaki]

I'm not a rude or ignorant person (I have a degree, im very cultured and went to finishing school!) however I have no problem with clients or other people texting or doing whatever with their phones during a treatment or at dinner.

Why .. Because I choose not to upset myself or be offend by it, I've learnt over the years there are some things worth getting upset and by and some are not..

 

[tonicj]

I'm not a rude or ignorant person (I have a degree, im very cultured and went to finishing school!) however I have no problem with clients or other people texting or doing whatever with their phones during a treatment or at dinner.

Why .. Because I choose not to upset myself or be offend by it, I've learnt over the years there are some things worth getting upset and by and some are not..

Mmm. We weren't upset or offended! If it weren't for the guy laughing so loud while talking on his phone, we probably wouldn't have noticed! It was an observation.

 

[PaulineM-Mobile]

I think it's awfully rude too. Bad manners indeed.

If I'm out, my phone generally stays in my bag.