More Range Stupidity: Cell Phones

[Rick O'Shea]

On more than one occasion I have seen people in the hot area of an indoor range talking on cell phones.

Yes, they had removed their hearing protection to try to talk...

This is an indoor range, mind you, and in the case of the first guy, he was standing right behind his buddy who was blasting away with some kind of rent-a-cannon.

Most of the conversation on his end was along the lines of, "WHAT?..SAY THAT AGAIN! I'M AT THE GUN RANGE! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!...WHAT?", etc...

I just stared at him in utter disbelief.

I have kind of a bug up my butt about cell phones in public, anyway, but this to me represented the final nail in the coffin of common sense.

 

[Devonai]

I might do it just to say, "I'M A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW, CAN I CALL YOU BACK?"

 

[gunsmith]

I onced called a guy I didn't like

and kept my ears on and kept on shooting while he was either on the phone or getting a message....he got the message and never bothered me again

 

[Ala Dan]

Rick My Friend

Welcome to The High Road, and what a wonderful topic too begin with~! Nothing is more annoying than a person talk'in on a
dad blasted cell phone while in a "hot zone" of a firing range; or
at the sales counter of a gun store. I guess they just throw the
"safety aspect" of gun handling right out the door; to talk to their
latest squeeze, or someone that is more important to them than a
range/safety officer, or a firearms salesperson. I know I get really
ticked off when trying to sell a firearm, and the potential customer's
cell phone sounds off during the sale. As a courtesy, please give me
(and the range/safety officer) your undivided attention, unless of
course its an emergency call~!

 

[Stiletto Null]

Well, when I get called, I silence the phone, make safe, and pop out of the range area to return the call. *shrug*

Places where I shoot, there aren't very many dumbasses afoot.

 

[kirby]

Sometimes people surprise you...in a good way.

I was at a store last week and saw what looked like two friends, one a gun newbie (even more than me!) and his more experienced friend. Eavesdropping and watching a bit (I had to wait while the found my gun), I decided the friend was helping the newbie buy his first gun. They were being kinda young-kid-ish, goofing around, laughing, etc. But he was buying something, not just taking up time. So, the coutner guy is explaining a bunch of stuff, asking DROS questions when this guy's cellphone "rings". No so much a "ring". It played some song in obnoxious cellphone/videogame tones. Really loud. For a long time. The kid whips out the phone and starts yapping on it. No wait....he says "Stop calling, I'm doing something important! Shut up!" then hangs up and hands the phone to his friend and tells him "Turn this ???? off!" He then turns back the counter guy and apologizes again and again, hoping he didn't just ruin his chance to buy a gun.

 

[Mooseman]

At my range there's a big sign on the door "no cell phones allowed, the range is for shooting not talking". Good sign, shame that people can't rely more on their common sense though.

 

[ID_shooting]

even though there is MONSTER cell tower right next to the public range I shoot at, surprisingly, my cell phone is out of range there. Or at least it used to till my wife came out to the range with me one day.

 

[garrett1955]

kbyrd thats cool what the guy did, at least he cared enough to listen and learn something. mostly he apoligized the the person behind the counter.

and for cellphones in public humm I don't care, unless I'm in a class I'm paying for.

last semester I was in a Bio lecture. this girl's cell goes off.... SHE ANSWERED IT!!! LOL the bio prof. just stopped. lecture hall went quiet and listened the her convo. she then cought on and hung up.

and most of the time mine is on silent. I don't want to be bothered. lol

 

[kjeff50cal]

I usually put mine on silent but of late I leave it in the van..... In November 05 I had a call and it was a telemarketer. I walked away from the range and instead of hanging up on him I went close to the firing line (outdoors range) and said to him excuse me, I have to take someone out now . Shooters on the range fired a couple of shots and I got back on the cell said hello and wonder of wonders he had hung-up .

kjeff50cal

 

[Fire4Effect]

I have gotten to where I just leave my phone off as much as possible. I don't like people having access to me 24/7 kind of an invasion of privacy. And yes the cell phone disease has spread like the black plague... people are addicted to them...junkies. I actually saw a guy trying to shoot what appeared to be a Tec-9 or some such gun at the range while trying to talk on his phone. I think he may have hit the target 2 or 3 times... If this isn't dangerous enough I would like to see the stats on how many car wrecks are caused every year by cell phone usage... I suspect this will eventually overtake alcohol as the #1 cause of vehicle accidents... :banghead:

 

[hksw]

Most of the conversation on his end was along the lines of, "WHAT?..SAY THAT AGAIN! I'M AT THE GUN RANGE! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!...WHAT?", etc...

It's pretty obvious that the guy was simply trying to impress whoever is on the other end. One bad dude.

Friend of mine answers his phone on occassion at the range (outdoors) as he's relatively high up in management at where he works and stays in touch constantly with his company (that he helped build up). Steps way back of the firing line to handle his calls, though.

 

[hillbilly]

Don't get me started on cell phones.

I think the only proper uses for a cell phone at a firing range are as follows

1) A nice target

2) To call EMS to assist the bleeding idiot who was, just a second ago, using his cell phone on the range and who mysteriously got a nasty lump the same size and shape of a rifle butt on the back the of his head right in the middle of his call.


I kid you not, the absolutely most idiotic cell phone call I've ever overheard was in the men's room at the college where I teach.

A cell phone rang in a stall.

Somebody answered, and said, "Hello?.........Aw, not much.......tryin' to take a dump."

I'm not making this crap up, either.

hillbilly

 

[Cliff47]

I leave my cell phone off the majority of the time. I got the blasted thing for MY convenience, not somebody elses. Where I work, there are a number of people who cannot take a step (literally, a step) without the thing to their ear, and sharing the conversation with an elevator-full of coworkers. Had one of those addicts do that the other day, and after they got off, I said 'Thank you for sharing that with all of us', the company president was on the elevator, and I fully expect a corporate policy to come down on the subject. As an aside, I wonder what some of the monthly bills look like after they have the phone surgically removed from their ear each month.

 

[DragonRider]

If it is my kids, I pick up and say is it important and they say yes or no. No I say how long till I will call them back, yes I go out the door. Wife calls I pick up and head out cause she knows I'm at the range and it must be important.

Friends can wait/voicemail.

Anti's that call I pick up just to annoy them for a min and say hold on while I step outside

John

 

[Lupinus]

range I go to is strict on no cell phones, they catch you with on the line hot or cold like you are getting yelled at to get off the line with it

In fact they are pretty strict on all their rules, not stupid rules though, all their rules are good but the ones they have are strict. I'd rather have a few simple basic rules that are really needed and strictly enforced then a bunch of lax rules that keep you from having fun or that cause grief even if enforced only half the time.

 

[gezzer]

I would never know my cell phone had rung, I have a hard enough time hearing it without my ear protection. Also I have no idea how to make it vibrate.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Call me old fashioned, but I think cell phone calls and sex should both be done in private unless there is an emergency--for the cell phone call that is.

I agree that cell phones are good target material. I did in one pager and am just waiting for a chance at a cell phone.

I do not carry a cell phone except where required for work and have the lowest telephone bill of anyone on the payroll. Some people carry plastic warts on their ears and I have to wonder how they can generate enough phone time to warrant those POSes.

 

[rbernie]

my cell phone is out of range there. Or at least it used to till my wife came out to the range with me one day.

BUSTED!!!!

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm still squeaking by without one. Life is tough.

 

[Bill2k1]

Mine is on vibrate almost all the time. slightly off topic, but tonight I was sitting in night school spanish and we had a guest speaker and two phones rang. To me it is common sense to have your phone on non audio alert when you are somewhere formal. Are that many people that stupid that they don't know to turn it off, or did their parents just fail them?

 

[Eleven Mike]

To me it is common sense to have your phone on non audio alert when you are somewhere formal. Are that many people that stupid that they don't know to turn it off, or did their parents just fail them?

Or maybe people just don't think about it.

 

[LiquidTension]

My phone is always on vibrate, but I answer it at the range sometimes. I shoot at an outdoor range, either by myself or with friends, so it's not an issue if I answer. If it's one of my friends calling, I answer with, "There was a firefight!" and then crank off a few rounds and hang up. That lets them know where I am, what I'm doing, and to call back if it's important.

I do get annoyed with people's ringtones. Why do I care if your phone is ringing? I don't. That's why there's a vibrate function.

 

[STW]

unless I'm in a class I'm paying for

I occasionally teach a night class and have one simple cell phone rule - "If they ring there had better be blood (injury or birth) involved."

It seems effective. Then again, control of grades may have something to do with it.

 

[wallysparx]

FUNNY, i was just about to make a post along similar lines!

so i was at the local indoor range over the weekend. guy in the stall next to me gets his hearing protection off to take a call, so my first reaction is to let loose a cylinder of .357mag as soon as i can. best part is he stops to yell something about having common courtesy! i ignore and keep shooting.

after a couple minutes, he gets another call; this is where it gets really fun. he walks away from the booth, but does so with phone in one hand, and gun waving around in the other! range officer was sweeping up brass and gets on his case with the quickness. a yelling match ensues, and the guy rambles about how he's not a child and that the only person he takes orders from is his father (dude looks about 30 or so) and that it was unloaded, etc etc. yet when you sign all the various safety disclaimer papers, it even says YOU WILL FOLLOW THE RANGE OFFICER'S ORDERS AT ALL TIMES. some people just don't get it. at least they kicked him out, and didn't even bother taking his money just so they could get him off their premises asap.