Not a cell phone user or an owner of one, but would like an honest answer............

[Wise Old Owl]

Use a cell phone like going to the bathroom: Step off the trail and be discreet about it.

An easy compromise I think.

Round here folks use a phone while sittin in the men's room... sounds great when you are the recipient of a full flush... some folk just don't care.... rude huh?

[coach lou]

Round here folks use a phone while sittin in the men's room... sounds great when you are the recipient of a full flush... some folk just don't care.... rude huh?

WOO is this a drift?

[atmilkman]

If you are gonna stay at a shelter or a popular campsite thats crowded and you think all the cell phones are gonna bother you, why not try taking a jammer and having some fun. Turn it on as soon as someone is connected then jam them. Turn it off and when they get connected again - jam em'. You could say to yourself I'm having a little jam session. Or, I be jammin'.

[tscoffey]

If you are gonna stay at a shelter or a popular campsite thats crowded and you think all the cell phones are gonna bother you, why not try taking a jammer and having some fun. Turn it on as soon as someone is connected then jam them. Turn it off and when they get connected again - jam em'. You could say to yourself I'm having a little jam session. Or, I be jammin'.

This would be what the adults in the room call a felony.

[atmilkman]

This would be what the adults in the room call a felony.

This might be true but we're in the playroom.

[hikerboy57]

There's a give and take with all things in life. It just seems like the tolerence level for most peeps is at an all time low, no matter what the topic. If someone is doing something that you don't approve of or/ agree with, then, there's no tolerence, for them at all. It goes the other way as well. If someone is "doing their own thing" there just doesn't seem like there's any thought of others around them and the impact if might have on them either. Soooo... that's the way things seem to be going.... It's fun isn't it? NOT!!! It's all good tho, somehow we'll get through it..... Bada bada bing!!

tolerance on the trail is lot higher than it is here online.ive been out here in miane the past 2 weeks, drugs alcohol, phones, none of it has been an issue. noone has asked anyone to move away from them to use phones, etc. a few of us just laugh when we see how dependant some are on their phones, especially when they whine they cant get a signal. its funny."can you hear me now?"

[HikerMom58]

tolerance on the trail is lot higher than it is here online.ive been out here in miane the past 2 weeks, drugs alcohol, phones, none of it has been an issue. noone has asked anyone to move away from them to use phones, etc. a few of us just laugh when we see how dependant some are on their phones, especially when they whine they cant get a signal. its funny."can you hear me now?"

Cool HB! Good to know. Sounds like you are a pretty laid back dude. I think you make a really good point about tolerance being higher when you are actually on the trail. We were out in PA hiking when we had to listen to an entire VERY LONG (one sided) cell phone convo. I'm sure she would have been embarassed if she knew we heard every word she said, not that she said anything embarassing, but I really don't think she realized how much the sound of her voice "carried", in the still of the night. While it was extremely annoying, at the time, it was "OK". It's so much easier to "go off" about something on here. It's like the Jerry Springer show, live, on the WWW, sometimes. Hope you are enjoying your trip to the fullest in Maine. I LOVE that state!! Safe hiking till you get back home.

[Deadeye]

Personally, I don't see much difference between a person talking to someone else on the phone, or two people talking in the shelter, except I don't have to hear both sides of the story.

I guess it's different in the toilet - hard to fit both conversants in an outhouse.

[Lone Wolf]

y'all go to the I-95 super highway of hiking trails and you don't wanna hear others talking at a crowded shelter area. wierd

[pheldozer]

i keep mine easily accessible for the camera, and to occasionally mark points on a map so I can check out my route on google earth when I return to civilization. the rest of the time it stays in airplane mode to conserve batteries. as someone that has one with them pretty much all the time, they should never have their ringer on in the wilderness. if you can't help but answer every call you get, maybe you should get a secretary or a different hobby.

[bamboo bob]

On the AT this year, from Springer to about Damascus, cell phone rudeness was everywhere that people congregated. At the first shelter north of Gatlinburg, Cold Spring? Anyway there was a young woman who prattles on for an hour straight. It's one thing to arrange a gear or mail drop or book a motel room or a ride but this was annoying and a big bore. Most of the other people just assumed that's the way it was and is normal. Ten years ago it was very unusual and the etiquette that I still follow is to only use phones out of ear shot. Also I never heard one ring because who really leaves it on all the time.

I related issue is the clueless people who's watch alarms go off because they think they can't get out off the sack early enough. Also the clueless people with earbuds in who wont acknowledge my friendly Hello.

You really can solve most of these technology issues by tenting and I usually do.

[atmilkman]

On the AT this year, from Springer to about Damascus, cell phone rudeness was everywhere that people congregated. At the first shelter north of Gatlinburg, Cold Spring? Anyway there was a young woman who prattles on for an hour straight. It's one thing to arrange a gear or mail drop or book a motel room or a ride but this was annoying and a big bore. Most of the other people just assumed that's the way it was and is normal. Ten years ago it was very unusual and the etiquette that I still follow is to only use phones out of ear shot. Also I never heard one ring because who really leaves it on all the time.

I related issue is the clueless people who's watch alarms go off because they think they can't get out off the sack early enough. Also the clueless people with earbuds in who wont acknowledge my friendly Hello.

You really can solve most of these technology issues by tenting and I usually do.

I keep on tellin' everbody it's that dang MTV.

[scree]

Also the clueless people with earbuds in who wont acknowledge my friendly Hello.

Headphones are often a sign that someone doesn't want to be bothered. I can respect that, especially if it's a stranger... it is, however, behavior more appropriate to the metro than a trail. When I put the headphones it it's my time - sometimes I don't even play music or whatever, I just use it as a sign that I don't want to interact with anyone.

What strikes me most are people who *don't* have headphones and don't seem to know how to respond to a simple greeting. I get it everywhere and it seems particularly symptomatic of teens / early 20somethings who haven't learned any real world social graces. I'm always amused when I say a polite Hello / how ya doing and receive only an astonished, open-mouthed vacant stare back in return.

[atmilkman]

What strikes me most are people who *don't* have headphones and don't seem to know how to respond to a simple greeting. I get it everywhere and it seems particularly symptomatic of teens / early 20somethings who haven't learned any real world social graces. I'm always amused when I say a polite Hello / how ya doing and receive only an astonished, open-mouthed vacant stare back in return.

You gotta text them. It's the only way you're gonna get through.

[veteran]

If you don't like the people that use cell phones near you, buy a cell phone Jammer. Works great.

[Montana AT05]

Yes, cell phones are annoying. If I use one on trail I try to use it where I would uhh, umm, squat--well away from others.

Didn't have one on my thru hike, had one (iphone) on many subsequent long hikes (200-800 miles or so each). In retrospect, I think they detract from a hike, even though they are VERY useful for many other things.

Most annoying thing I've seen is a person on a bike, riding through town oblivious to traffic, yakking away on a cell phone.

And I do not stop for pedestrians crossing the street if they are yakking away on a phone and if they didn't bother even looking for traffic (and yes I know not stopping is illegal). They get the horn, a close up horn, and lot's of it.

[weary]

Cell phones have changed the nature of long distance trails. They used to be places where one could experience nature and wildness without such constant intrusions of civilization as phones and instant communication with everyday life. That no longer is possible. The trails are still great places, but something important to a few of us, at least, has been lost.

[mudhead]

t its funny."can you hear me now?"

Not funny after about the 4000th time. Not just the long trails either. Was headed up a trail here and thought a bunch of kids were headed downhill, they can be boisterous.

Was a gal yapping on a phone.

[scree]

Cell phones have changed the nature of long distance trails. They used to be places where one could experience nature and wildness without such constant intrusions of civilization as phones and instant communication with everyday life. That no longer is possible. The trails are still great places, but something important to a few of us, at least, has been lost.

I disagree. If you want true wilderness you can still find it. While it's true that the popular long distance trails are closer to civilization than they used to be, you can still find plenty of places in the world where you can play Davy Crockett if you want to. If you're really looking to get away, why not head out to Alaska? Check this out - there's a lot of wide-open land without any coverage at all: http://www.alaskacommunications.com/...-Coverage.aspx True, you won't find many places to resupply, but aren't you looking for a true wilderness experience? If you're going to find nature, shouldn't you also go without other modern conveniences like grocery stores, shuttles, and roadways? Couldn't you say that modern synthetic lightweight materials, quartz watches, and shoes detract from the natural experience? Where does it end?

[weary]

I disagree. If you want true wilderness you can still find it. While it's true that the popular long distance trails are closer to civilization than they used to be, you can still find plenty of places in the world where you can play Davy Crockett if you want to. If you're really looking to get away, why not head out to Alaska? Check this out - there's a lot of wide-open land without any coverage at all: http://www.alaskacommunications.com/...-Coverage.aspx True, you won't find many places to resupply, but aren't you looking for a true wilderness experience? If you're going to find nature, shouldn't you also go without other modern conveniences like grocery stores, shuttles, and roadways? Couldn't you say that modern synthetic lightweight materials, quartz watches, and shoes detract from the natural experience? Where does it end?

I didn't say anything about "true wilderness." The AT did use to be a place where one could walk without constantly facing regular instantaneous communication with the outside world. As i said, this changes the fundamental nature of the trail. And no, I "couldn't say modern synthetic lightweight materials, quartz watches, and shoes" have a similar impact. Mostly because they don't.