The "cell phones banned at the courthouse" story has been in the news for weeks now, and some people were still caught unawares:
At the Bud Meeks Justice Center, where misdemeanor and traffic ticket cases generally are taken care of, it seemed to be a different story. The center was packed after a long weekend, and officials said “a whole lot” of people were turned away. Some said it could have been 50 to 100 people in the morning. When asked how many people had tried to come into the building with cell phones, despite a large sign notifying everyone they were not allowed, a security guard said, “A lot.”
People would walk up to the building, see the sign, dig in their pockets, notice they had their phone and either curse or shake their head before turning around and going back to wherever they came from. Others had to decide what to do with their phones if they didn't have cars to put them in.
Of course, many people who carry cell phones don't exactly pay attention to the world around them, so maybe that's the explanation.
Isn't it amazing how fast we've gone from not even having cell-phone technology to feeling like we just can't cope if we don't have them? Once in a while, I forget and leave mine on the charger when I head out to work in the morning. If I realize it before I'm halfway to work, I'll turn around to retrieve it, though chances are good I won't even use it during the day. Just feel naked and unprepared without it.
But I was one of the first in my circle of acquaintances to get one, out of desperation. I had a Jeep Cherokee at the time, which was nearing the end of its useful life and kept stranding me in the middle of nowhere. As soon as I got the phone, however, I also got rid of the Jeep, so I never had to call a cab or a tow truck with it. My best use of it is still to call Pizza King from the car when I leave work.
