I recently got into a discussion with family about cell phones, and everyone was comparing their providers and models and so on. My uncle had a Nextel, and he was raving about the ‘Direct Connect‘, and how easy it was to communicate with co-workers while he was working on a contracting job.

While I was able to acknowledge his Nextel usage as necessary for his profession, nevertheless I had to confess my pet peeve— hearing that double beep in a public place makes me cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. It has got to be stopped. I can’t stand it when people use the DC on public transportation, in elevators, or anywhere else I have to be subjected to its annoying shrill. It’s like going camping with a cicada playing its greatest hits next to your sleeping bag.

So my creed is this: If you’re a contractor, messenger, delivery worker, or similar occupation, then it’s okay— you need the DC because it makes your job more efficient.

However, if you’re just talking to your homie on the train about your evening plans, or talking to your wife in the supermarket about which cereal to buy, then do us all a favor— make a phone call instead, okay? That’s why they made it a phone. Thanks.