Food For Thought: Cell Phones In Restaurants (NAPS)—According to a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association, 42 percent of adults with cell phones said they have madeorreceived a phonecall while dining in a restaurant. However, many people find it hard to enjoy their meals amid the noise of ring- ing cell phones and the conversa- tions that follow. As a result, an estimated 20 percent of fine-dining restaurants have instituted policies on cell phone usage in their dining rooms. The problem is that people are often caught between wanting to Restaurant owner, Sandy Shea’s menu spells out her no cell-phone policy. enjoy a peaceful evening out on the the MSN Hotmail Web-based email service, users can silently for safety reasons. Content such as news, sports, weather and stock updatesalso is of our patrons come in seeking to In addition, users can access horoscopes, lottery numbers and enter- town and wanting to stay in touch, such as with a babysitter at home “In today’s culture, cell phones have become ubiquitous, yet most get away from the workday world, away from the incessant ringing of the phone,” said Sandy Sheaof the exchange information. available to users of MSN Mobile. tainment news;check flight times; get driving directions; and utilize CitySearch to get information Chez Shea restaurant in Seattle. “In an intimate dining-room atmos- about and purchasetickets for local considered obnoxious and rude.” had to makea cell phonecall while I was out to dinner, but it is impor- phere, cell-phone conversations are At the same time, the convenience factor is an important con- tributor to cell phone usage. “Con- sumers seem to have two schools of thought on cell-phone use in restaurants,” said Steven C. Ander- son, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “There are a vast numberof people who want to stay in touch while visiting with friends at a local bar, just as there are individuals who would like to dine without the interruption of a cell phone ringing. That is why each restaurateuris establishing policies that best suit the needsof his or her customers as well as the establishment.” Fortunately, new technology is making it possible for people to enjoy the convenience of having andusing a cell phone withoutdisturbing the people around them. The “wireless Web” lets consumers communicate via the Internet, with the portability of a cell phone. For example, MSN Mobile is a highly customizable service that allows users to receive personal- ized information at specified times. The instant messaging fea- ture lets people receive one-way pages on their cell phone from people including friends, family members, co-workers and babysitters. Plus, with wireless e-mail via events. “People used to stare when I tant for me to stay in touch,” said Ryan DeCurtis, Web systems manager for IKON Office Solutions. “With MSN Mobile, on the other hand, I can check myflight status, get the latest info from myoffice and even check in with mygirlfriend, without a ringing phone, and without saying a word.” Shea agrees that options exist for a solution which satisfies everyone. “Using the wireless Web or even a vibrating alert would keep diners in touch without disturbing others,” Shea said. There are currently more than 1.5 million users of MSN Mobile. Through relationships between Microsoft Corp. and Nextel Com- munications, Sprint PCS and Veri- zon Wireless, the MSN Mobile service is a menu option on moretext- and Web-enabled cell phones than any other wireless portal in the United States and Canada andis available on all Web-enabled phones as well as other handheld devices. Users can personalize the information they receive by visiting the MSN Mobile Web site at http://www.mobile.msn.com from their computer or directly from their mobile device. To learn more,visit the Web site at http://www.mobile.msn.com/.
