[section8joe]

Do they make a product that blocks cell phone signals? My family own's a pizza shop and people come in all the time on their cell phones. They order pizza and pick up while talking on the phone. It's extremely rude and annoying. I"m looking for something that will block out a cell signal for about a 15 foot radius. We also have wifi in the shop I don't want it to block the wifi? If anyone knows of such a product I would love to buy it.

[Fahrenheit]

Wow, why are people coming on here to find ways to get rid of business?

[section8joe]

I'm not trying to get rid of business. We sell 800 pizzas on a friday night. When someone comes in to pick up OR order and they're on a cell phone it slows production.

[Luca]

I agree that it's rude, but it's not their problem. It's your problem.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by section8joe Do they make a product that blocks cell phone signals? My family own's a pizza shop and people come in all the time on their cell phones. They order pizza and pick up while talking on the phone. It's extremely rude and annoying. I"m looking for something that will block out a cell signal for about a 15 foot radius. We also have wifi in the shop I don't want it to block the wifi? If anyone knows of such a product I would love to buy it.

Faraday cage. Of course, that means putting up a copper wire mesh across your windows, but...

WiFi stays in, cell signals stay out. Win/win. Added benefit: no one outside can leech off your WiFi.

"Sorry, we're in a dead zone... but if you step just outside..."

[PB PM]

From the sounds of the last post, it is his problem.

"When someone comes in to pick up OR order and they're on a cell phone it slows production."

[colivigan]

It's almost certainly illegal, if your pizza place is in the United States. The FCC tends to frown on such activities.

That said, if you Google "cell phone jammer", you'll find some interesting stuff.

[Kickaha]

Active jammers are illegal.

Passive blockers (faraday cages) are not.

[pscates2.0]

If by "slowing down production" you mean that people are standing there, holding up the line by not ordering quickly (or responding to questions by employees), then yeah...that's annoying and rude. I can sympathize with the o.p. because if you've got a bunch of people standing around, and 2/3 of them are jibber-jabbering on cell phones (like people do these days, everywhere they go), it could indeed result in a bottleneck, and employees having to ask questions multiple times or people not hearing their name called (and grabbing their order and getting the hell out of the way).

I wouldn't go so far as to try and block any signals, but maybe just a simple, polite sign by the register prohibiting cell phone use while placing/picking up orders? I've actually seen this somewhere here locally (a seafood/fish 'n' chips place, I believe) and it didn't strike me as jerky. It means people are getting in an out in an orderly, efficient manner. And anyone who can't go five minutes without yammering on his (or her) cell phone for everyone else to hear has bigger problems then missing a pizza order.



I'm sick of these clowns, and I'm pretty much for anything that cuts down on cell phone usage in public, period.



What's "jerky" is standing there and holding up others while you're too engrossed in a boneheaded conversation to quickly place (or pick up) your pizza and move along. Plus, I hate hearing people's loud, rude one-sided conversations in public anyway (often complete with intimate details, excessive swearing and general asshattery)...and have for a long time. It's annoying as can be, and makes me feel like some sort of aural voyeur, which I've not asked to be.

Let customers know it's a "cell-free" joint. I'm pretty sure they'll live. I wish the places I went to would do that.

[section8joe]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 If by "slowing down production" you mean that people are standing there, holding up the line by not ordering quickly (or responding to questions by employees), then yeah...that's annoying and rude. I can sympathize with the o.p. because if you've got a bunch of people standing around, and 2/3 of them are jibber-jabbering on cell phones (like people do these days, everywhere they go), it could indeed result in a bottleneck, and employees having to ask questions multiple times or people not hearing their name called (and grabbing their order and getting the hell out of the way).

That's exactly the problem! I don't want to cut phone out completely. Just where you pick up and order. I have tried the signs and they don't really work. I guess the jammers out illegal so I'll have to just deal with it.
Thanks for the help!
Joe

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by section8joe That's exactly the problem! I don't want to cut phone out completely. Just where you pick up and order. I have tried the signs and they don't really work. I guess the jammers out illegal so I'll have to just deal with it. Thanks for the help! Joe

Maybe make the signs sarcastic? People might respond better to humor. It's not 100%, but maybe it'll work better than just a "no phones" sign.

[curiousuburb]

Charge a 'phone tax'... or offer a discount if you're not on the mobile in line.

"Hey how come that guy got an extra doughball?"
Nokia-free freebie.

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Active jammers are illegal. Passive blockers (faraday cages) are not.

Correct although I have heard theater operators use them since it is bad for business.

If you find a good small cheap one, let me know. I want to carry one on the trains so that I can zap others and sleep.

[Luca]

You could always just kick people to the back of the line if they're chatting on their phone and won't put it down. I wish people would do that. I had someone in front of me at Subway talking on the phone while ordering and it took him about three times as long as usual because he kept not hearing what the guy was saying and not paying attention, and the Subway employee couldn't tell when he was saying something to the phone or to him.

You could become the "Pizza Nazi!"

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by Luca You could become the "Pizza Nazi!"

I am one of the few people that tells people to go use he vestibule on the train (as required by our train policy) and usually most just hang up. (I never say anything to anyone way bigger than me, though!)

[pscates2.0]

Originally Posted by Luca You could always just kick people to the back of the line if they're chatting on their phone and won't put it down. I wish people would do that. I had someone in front of me at Subway talking on the phone while ordering and it took him about three times as long as usual because he kept not hearing what the guy was saying and not paying attention, and the Subway employee couldn't tell when he was saying something to the phone or to him.

Exactly. That's the very thing I was talking about in my first post above, because I've had the same thing happen to me on quite a few occasions, especially somewhere like Subway where you have to be somewhat involved and "in on the process" (vs. Burger King or Taco Bell).

[adamb]

I was looking into phone jammers the other day when forced to sit through some guy's very loud (and rather personal, if it wasn't so hilarious I may have been even more annoyed) 20 minute long phonecall.

Ironically I googled phone jammer on my iPhone whilst on the train...

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I'd rather be kicked in the shins by a hopped-up, demonic toddler than get behind certain people at a Subway or grocery store.)

Good one. People on cell phones in stores bug me too. For me it is more about how loud they are talking, than anything else.

[SKMDC]

I know of two places in my neighborhood (take out places) that have a large sign on their register, both essentially saying if you are on your mobile we're not going to wait on you.

I don't know how Walgreens are built but until I got an iPhone I couldn't make or receive a call inside Walgreens. Actually the phone WOULD ring, but then lose the connection.

[pscates2.0]

Yeah, the one place here in town I've seen that, I thought it was really great. Not only does ordering and pick-up seem to go really quick and smooth, you simply don't have to hear other people's lives and bullcrap. To me, that counts as high as the "quick and efficient service" aspect.

I am truly, truly sick and tired of being constantly subjected to everyone's private (but they're not) conversations these days. It's a daily, ongoing thing at this point. No one seems to aim for, or respect, privacy and discretion. People talk about the nuttiest or wildest things in the presence of nearby strangers!



The whole world really doesn't need to hear about your entire life every time you step out in public. I'm pretty sure of it.

[Maciej]

I'm not in the service industry, and I don't go out to places with long lines very much, only Starbucks.. I'm not as bothered by people talking in line, as by people on the phone while driving. Its really kinda the same thing tho, because I can't get it through my head why everyone needs to talk on the phone all the time. Is it because they don't wanna miss what's on tv when they get home? Is it because they're really really lonely, like deserted island lonely? It just doesn't make sense.

[pscates2.0]

They're making up for all those years (the 60's, 70's and 80's) when they couldn't talk to everyone they know, 24/7?



I chuckle when I step back and think about it all. How we went for years and years - decades and generations - without this "need" to be constantly connected and always yapping on the phone. But some people wig out now if they forget their cell phone or *gasp* find themselves in a situation where they have to go a whole 15-20 minutes without it.

[Bryson]

True. But do you know how many people I used to fail to meet socially before cellphones? Almost everyone!

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Bryson True. But do you know how many people I used to fail to meet socially before cellphones? Almost everyone!

Exactly. I have some friends who refuse to get a cell phone, claiming that they always make themselves available through their landline phone when they wish to be available. That is true, to some degree (plus he has a VOIP phone and he always checks his voicemail if you leave one), but it has also caused me and my friends to have to adjust how we do things around their lack of a cell phone.

Just last Friday, they were supposed to meet us at a movie theater for Quantum of Solace, but because they didn't have a cell phone, someone had to wait out in the lobby to hand them their tickets instead of being able to wait with the rest of us in the theater and then just going out to the lobby once they showed up (I had bought tickets in advance).

You know, not big things, little things. He's pretty good about figuring out where places are, but he also tends to be late fairly often, and it's impossible to know how late he is. At least he always tells us way in advance if he's not going to make it.

[pscates2.0]

Oh, no doubt. I'm not downplaying, or denying, their convenience (I'd hate to be without mine, even though I use it more for Internet than phone talking). I just try not to abuse it, annoy others or otherwise let it rule my life (I don't talk while driving, I don't sit in darkened movie theaters and constantly text inane messages to friends every six minutes, etc.).



I try to not be one of those "cell phone a-holes" as best I can. There are already plenty to choose from; I don't need to be adding to their numbers.

[artesc]

if you are a DIY kind of guy, this might interest you. You know, as a fun, learning project...

http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/prep.html

[Sauvblanc]

Down in Santa Monica there is a VERY popular Italian grocery store. The deli counter is always a logjam of people waiting to get sandwiches or pancetta or whatever.

In order to ensure things are moving along, they have a sign up which clearly states that if you're on your cell phone when your number is called and you don't hang up or otherwise give them your full and undivided attention, they'll move on to the next person, and you'll have to get another number and start over again.

Seems fair enough to me. Might piss off the odd customer or two, but when the deli counter has 30 people waiting to place an order, something's gotta give.

[pscates2.0]

Good for them. Anyone serious about getting their food in a timely manner can lay off the damn phone for a few minutes. I wish more places did this sort of thing.

It's really getting out of hand...the daily examples I encounter of rudeness, oblivitardation, bad driving, thoughtlessness, encroachment on my "comfort and privacy zone", etc. all tied to people and their cell phones really seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. We've crossed that unspoken, invisible "shithead" line, it seems. And I'm not sure how, or if, we can ever go back.

[digitalprimate]

Originally Posted by Sauvblanc Down in Santa Monica there is a VERY popular Italian grocery store. The deli counter is always a logjam of people waiting to get sandwiches or pancetta or whatever. In order to ensure things are moving along, they have a sign up which clearly states that if you're on your cell phone when your number is called and you don't hang up or otherwise give them your full and undivided attention, they'll move on to the next person, and you'll have to get another number and start over again. Seems fair enough to me. Might piss off the odd customer or two, but when the deli counter has 30 people waiting to place an order, something's gotta give.

This, for me, seems the most reasonable thing to do. If the original poster is so annoyed by the problem, he can actually phase it out by ignoring it.