A number of years ago, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis spoke to a packed audience in my neighborhood. Before her speech, a woman introduced her and asked the women in the audience to turn off their cell phones.
The rebbetzin started speaking and, wouldn't you know, she was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. She asked the members of the audience to turn off their phones. A few minutes later, the next ring tone interrupted her once again.
Where is the derech eretz? Where is the kavod for davening when the cell phone goes off in the middle of shemoneh esrei?
If this is not enough to stir you to be sparing with your use of cell phones, maybe the following article will spur you to action.
"Walking while texting can be dangerous — especially when an uncovered manhole is in your path. A Staten Island teenager — who was walking and text-messaging at the same time — fell into an uncovered manhole yesterday and now officials are looking into why the sewer was left unattended. Alexa Longueira, 15, was texting while she walked along Victory Boulevard at about 5 p.m. Thursday when she plunged five feet into the open manhole.City workers standing nearby helped to pull her out and she was taken to a local hospital, but only suffered minor injuries and checked out last night."
http://matzav.com/staten-island-girl-falls-into-uncovered-manhole-while-text-messaging/
It's not funny, but I'm laughing because I'm so fed up with people walking and texting, crossing the road and texting, driving and texting.... (even though there is a $200 fine for doing just that). Perhaps they need to fall into a manhole just once, and learn the lesson. If you're texting.. you should NOT be moving.
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