“Dear Gabbie” is written with the simple hope of bringing a few smiles to your day and is not meant to replace the advice of professionals…especially your mom!

Dear Gabbie:

Grrrr. Again I’m in the grocery store, and it seems that everywhere I look, people are on their phones. I needed a box of Rice Krispies and someone was planted right in front of them with their back to me gabbing on the phone. I was ready to Snap! Crackle! Pop! that phone right out of their hands. Why can’t people wait to talk until they’re out of the store?

Signed,

Cereal Killer

Dear Cereal Killer,

First, can I suggest you take a breath! We definitely don’t want to see you on the local news as they cart you away for fingerprinting (not that we know what you look like).

Of course you are not alone in your frustration with people using phones in the store. While I agree it’s already a challenge to keep out of the way of other shoppers when you’re not on the phone, I do believe cellphone use in the store is only going to get more prevalent, not less.

I’m not sure this is the best time to confess this, but I keep my grocery list in a phone app, so I am one of those phone users you see in the store. Before you stop reading, bear with me. I am a very considerate shopping-app user. Whenever I stop to consult my e-list, I pull my cart into an empty area where I won’t disturb other shoppers as I tick the items off my list and decide what else I need.

And isn’t that all we’re asking—for phone users to be considerate? If you get a call while in the store, first ask yourself, “Do I really need to take this call?” If the answer is “yes,” move well away from other shoppers to take the call. No matter how much you pride yourself on your situational awareness, gabbing as you are going up and down the aisles is not courteous to other shoppers, and you are bound to get in someone’s way.

Lastly, if it was up to me to write “The Ultimate Book of Cellphone Etiquette,” one rule I would absolutely mandate would be no phone calls when you’re next in line at the checkout. And for that matter, even if you’re not next in line, remember that all those around you are bound to be listening to your call. So if you’re comfortable discussing the pros and cons of hemorrhoid cream with your significant other on the phone, just know that others in line are probably uncomfortable for you! 

Gabbie