I have previously posted on the topic of cell phone use during meals, meetings, performances, checkout lines, and funerals. The basic rule is to turn the phone off or to a silence mode when attending any of these events.
However, what should you do if you forget to turn the phone off or you find yourself in conversation with someone when the phone begins to ring?
Turn the phone off immediately. Do not take time to look at the caller ID. When you can, check your voice mail and return the call. That’s what voice mail is for.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a professional luncheon when a cell phone rings and the owner allows it to continue ringing. Do you really think we don’t know who that phone belongs to?