Toilet etiquette...

Why do some men stand over a urinal and feel it necessary to check their mobile phones at the same time? I was standing over the porcelain focussing on the job at hand (so-to-speak) and this guy takes up position next to me and proceeds to haul out his Samsung Galaxy smart phone (which is the size of a tablet) mid flow! What could possibly be that important? He didn’t look like Barack Obama who is probably the only person on the planet who might need to make – or take a call – mid flow (unless it’s ViP; they’re not talking at the moment. Barack is still hurt about how their last call ended.) Maybe he was on a critical Candy Crush level that couldn’t wait? (Apparently the game is addictive.) But really has the use of mobile phones become so pervasive that nothing - even simple acts of nature - is sacrosanct? Thankfully he didn’t take a “selfie”!

My other personal favourite is during the rush hour and the stairs leading up to the platform at Clapham Junction are rama-jammed as people scurry to catch their trains and invariably there is somebody ambling up the stairs with seemingly all the time in the world - why? Because something apparently uber interesting is holding their attention – yes, you guessed it, their mobile phone. It’s much easier to check one’s calendar when there are a thousand people behind you all trying to get to work with the minimal amount of fuss and bother (okay not possible on British public transport) than doing it once you are actually at your desk.

Mobile phones are stopping people from engaging with the world that is immediately around them. I know I am guilty of it – my phone is like a crutch; it’s sitting right next to me as I type – and I bet that I will check it at least twice before I go to bed, just in case I get an email or a whatsapp message. (If anything it will be from my spam filter telling me somebody from Taiwan is trying to sell me inflatable...let's go with, beach balls).

Here's a little experiment for you. Next time you meet somebody for lunch and they leave the table for a pit-stop (preferably without their mobile phone) try and not immediately reach for yours. Twiddle your thumbs, read the menu, surreptitiously eye up that blonde in the corner (guy or girl!), take a drink – anything but check that little box of miniature circuit boards.

It’s the way the world’s going – I get that. I don’t deny the digital revolution. I don’t begrudge those who like to stay “connected” 24-7, but sometimes just catching a moment to embrace the here-and-now is more rewarding than a thousand whatsapp messages.

Out.