One of my tech writer friends posted this today on a list we both frequent
“…if we are out enjoying a lovely dinner and someone’s phone rings, that person will check the caller ID and then immediately silence the phone. We all show respect towards one another….”
My response:
Ummm… Am I the only one who sees something wrong in this? Personally, I’d turn OFF the phone as soon as I got to the restaurant and all the parties had arrived. I *may* leave it on if someone in the group hadn’t turned up or was running late, just in case I needed to call them or vice versa (“Where are you?”). But as soon as everyone is there, the phone goes OFF. Period. Is that just me?
What do you think?
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 
I would keep my phone on. Not just because I’d potentially have the 10mth old rug rat at home and any manner of emergencies could happen, but also because I rarely get called on it. It’d be pretty odd for me to actually get a call during the dinner, and if I did, and didn’t know the caller, I’d press the Cancel button. I think that hangs up on them, but if they are really desperate to talk to me, they’d call back (and I might’ve put my phone on silent by then).