Lovelyish

I like it.

Why not! I like it. I’d love to sit through a meal with friends without someone texting constantly -_-

I think it’s a great idea. Just like there are those of us who don’t want to deal with screaming brats at a restaurant (hence brat bans, which I’m also in favor of), there are people who don’t want to deal with people screaming into their cell phones. If enough places institute this policy, I can guarantee you there will be plenty of repeat customers and these businesses will boom. 

I don’t think its anyone’s business but your own if you have your phone when you dine.

i think it’s a fabulous idea

@MK_A_Chick@xanga - I agree completely!

Why do restaurants care if you are on your phone or not? As long as you eat and pay, who cares? Maybe you’ll even be so distracted by your phone that you’ll tip too much?? (hey, it’s possible).

Leave your phones at the door? So that means trust someone else with it? No, thanks. I don’t have a problem leaving my phone at home or in the car.. or even in my purse. But I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.

Sure it’s nice to have a conversation and connect with someone without phones, but that doesn’t involved the restaurant.

I think a company has the right to do whatever they want to their buisness whether it will gain, or loose buisness. If people dont like it, dont go there?

I like the idea. They aren’t forcing you to, but giving an incentive to not use your phone. And I can see why they would want to give an incentive to do so. I’d imagine waiting on someone glued to their phone is a pain.

@lttlegel - As a former waitress, I can say from experience how annoying it is to try and approach a table – even to introduce yourself and get everything started – and have two people barely glancing up from their phones to talk to you. I can see people who are a little too attached to their phones not going for the discount, but I would. Shit, I don’t need my phone when I’m eating anyway. Plus, I don’t want it going off bugging others or have myself checking it and not giving my full attention to the person with whom I’m dining. I just don’t care.

Plus,  if the business wants to offer the discount, why not? They have the right to. Just like when I see businesses with signs saying, “We don’t want to be rude. So we will not disturb you while you are on the phone.” as a way of saying, don’t get in line yammering away on your phone and expect them to process your transaction all the while you are more concerned with talking on your phone. I like it.

@blackspiders@xanga - I suppose. Of course I acknowledge the waitress/waiter and am polite, but it’s not like it takes a whole lot of effort to put my phone down at least while they’re talking. That doesn’t mean I want to leave my phone at the door.

And I didn’t say it wasn’t their right, or that I had a problem that they are offering it, just that I don’t see how it is their business and therefore would not take advantage of it, like clearly less than half of customers have.

There have been plenty of times on my lunch break when I call a family member or friend, whether I’m out to eat at a restaurant or eating a lunch I brought. I work 12 hour days, am exhausted when I get home and my hour lunch break is the perfect time for me to talk to someone I care about and break up the day a bit.. however, I also like to eat during that time. If I happen to choose to go to a restaurant, so be it. I will still pay attention to the server, I will still be polite, I will still pay and tip, etc.. but other than that, it’s not really anyone’s business what I’m doing.

I like it. It would benefit everyone, I think. No diner likes to hear another diner’s conversation on their phone, and no diner wants to hear the constant alert tone of text messages. Some people don’t have the courtesy to turn the phones to silent when in an intimate setting liking a nice restaurant, movie theater, or even a doctor’s office (it’s so unusually quiet in there that even the quiet click of a keyboard is unnerving). 

Servers don’t have to stand there and wait for people to get off their phones (texting or talking).
It also encourages SOCIAL interaction with the people they’re sitting with rather than ignoring them. My husband and I turn off our phones when we are eating together. We talk, we laugh, we joke, we flirt – we find it enjoyable. 

they should have a loudass section and a soundproof quiet section for diners, who want their peace and quiet to relax. different people like different things. however, just dine at a place that is known to be a quiet lounge place and the loud or cell phone yapping people can dine at those fastfood places or other places where a majority of the people are loud and talking over each other, so it is their norm and they don’t mind it. dine accordingly. a second however is if it is a place that is expected to be loud, such as fastfood places with screaming babies,etc, then don’t complain. if the place is a nice restaurant and most people are being courteous and acting decent while the odd one out is obnoxious and loud or has an uncontrollable baby disturbing a couple’s date for example or other people, who prefer a toned down noise level, then get a clue and leave or charge them an extra fee. if that’s harsh, then give the rest of the diners’, who aren’t disrupting the peace, a complimentary appetizer with drinks

that is one of the best things i’ve heard recently.

Cool idea

@lttlegel - “So that means trust someone else with it?” you could always take the battery out before you give it to them. that’s what my classmates in high school did when their phones were confiscated.

i think it’s a good idea. it’s not like the restaurant is charging you extra for using your phone; it’s just a small discount to encourage you not to.