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| As mobile phone use increases in Myanmar, understanding of phone etiquette will become ever more crucial. |
“Hello, I am at the Traders. Hello, can you hear me? … Traders. Ok.”
The audience struggles to pay attention to the speaker, who appears to share their discomfort. Whenever a phone begins ringing – a regular occurrence – he seems to lose his place on the sheets of paper in front of him.
While mobile phones are not as ubiquitous here as in Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, there were more than two million in operation as of January 2011, according to the telecommunications ministry. Recently, the government announced plans to increase that to 30 million lines over the next five years.
With increased mobile phone use, an understanding of mobile phone etiquette will become ever more crucial.
Unfortunately, it seems many have little or no idea about this valuable concept.
A few of its most essential points include:
1) Switch off a mobile phone when there is a “Please turn off your mobile phone” sign present. These are most frequently found in museums, exhibitions and cinemas.
2) Put your mobile phone on silent mode or divert calls to voicemail during a meeting. While working in an office, do not forget to take your mobile phone with you wherever you go. This will allow people to contact you at all times, and your colleagues will not be distracted by your phone ringing when you have left it on your desk.
3) Try to avoid talking on the phone while driving. This is a potential cause of traffic accidents.
4) Choose a ring tone that is pleasant not only for you but other people.
5) When using your phone in a public place, such as a shopping centre, on public transport or in an elevator, try to speak quietly and briefly so as not to disturb others with your conversation.
6) Remember that it’s not polite to use somebody’s phone or give their mobile phone number to a third party without permission.
While some may be deliberately flaunting these rules, it is likely most have no idea that a code of etiquette exists. Nevertheless, it is simple common sense: If it bothers you when someone else answers their phone in a cinema, then surely you should put your own mobile phone on silent.
Ma Thuzar Win, a 29-year-old employee of a Yangon-based pharmaceutical company, said she thought most people had never heard of mobile phone etiquette, and those who have mostly ignore it.
“People do not know they have to put their mobile phone into silent mode in a meeting, seminar or class. It is really disappointing for other people when a mobile phone rings in these situations,” she said.
“It is really inappropriate when people loudly answer their phone in a seminar. We cannot pay attention to the topic. They should keep silent and if they need to answer the phone then they should leave the room.”
Ma Nadi Htike, who works for an advertising company, said the most disturbing example of poor mobile phone etiquette occurs when people answer their phone loudly while watching a movie at the cinema.
“We go to the cinema for entertainment. But because of the phones ringing all the time, I can’t watch the movie pleasantly, in peace and quiet. People should use silent mode.”
In March, the Yangon Region Traffic Rules Enforcement Supervisory Committee announced that motorists were failing to heed warnings that the use of a mobile phone while driving increased the likelihood of traffic accidents occurring.
A committee official said if the driver of a vehicle needed to answer their phone they should pull over to the side of the road and stop the car.
“Sometimes, people get angry or upset when they are told something on the phone,” which can distract them while driving. “So we have warned car drivers not to talk on the phone while driving.”
Figure released by the committee show that in January there were 48 car accidents attributed to careless driving – mostly when a motorist came to grief while using a phone – up from 38 in December 2010.
Source : http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/timeout/576/timeout57601.html
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