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GracePeriod

Gives you extra time to look for your phone - and stops the ringing
  (+1)
(+1)
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You are watching "Snow Falling on Cedars" when right in the middle, your cell phone rings! Oh, no, the embarrassment! You hear it right away, but it will take some time to get to it, since you have conveniently placed it under every other object in your handbag, and carefully folded and stored the handbag in the bottom of a large bag of groceries. You scramble to find it, dumping out all of your personal possessions on the movie theater floor, but it's all for naught. You missed the call.

Solution: A tiny clip-on button you attach to your belt or wristwatch. Pressing it: Picks up the phone, stopping the ringing (so everyone else doesn't have to listen to the complete first movement of Mozart's 40th symphony), and transmits a voice message: "Please Wait While The Owner Looks For The Phone" to the caller. He knows to stay on the line.

Perhaps this feature could be activated simply by a motion sensor in the phone itself. Grab your handbag and it activates. No need for the separate button, then.

phundug, Apr 07 2003

"I'm coming!" http://www.halfbake...2I_27m_20coming!_22
More or less already HalfBaked. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Hang-on-a-minute button http://www.halfbake...n-a-minute_20button
Looks like the categories need some reworking. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

[link]






       + , but you really shouldn't have your phone switched on in the theatre.
Jinbish, Apr 07 2003
  

       Samsung AH200 series features a built in voice mail that can be heard without picking up. It's not a voicemail run by the service provider, it's solid state device built in.
FloridaManatee, Apr 07 2003
  

       "Snow Falling on Cedars" is still in the theatres? It must be raking it in at the box office.
goober, Apr 07 2003
  

       I think my phone does this, without the message - if I press the okay button when a call is coming in, it accepts the call, even if I haven't flipped the lid up yet. Obviously I try not to do this, as a cell call answered by silence is usually taken as a call that has been misconnected.
DrCurry, Apr 07 2003
  

       It's precisely because I'm stuck sitting through "Snow Falling on Cedars" that I left my phone on ^_^
phundug, Apr 07 2003
  

       Why don't you read the original book of 'Snow falling on Cedars' instead - that way you won't miss anything when you go to answer the phone. [[mistaken identity coming up - I'd delete this bit but po asked a question.]] In fact, why don't you not bother with 'Snow falling on Cedars' - that way you won't miss anything. (it's the one with the Danish/Greenland woman with the father in the mysterious expedition with the insurance company etc, right? Yeah, you're not missing much.)
badgers, Apr 07 2003
  

       how does it end? [badgers] I intend giving it a miss now
po, Apr 07 2003
  

       Oh bother, I've found that I'm talking about a different book (Miss Smilla's feeling for snow). well, the ending to that one is actually quite exciting, if you've concentrated enough on the rest of it to understand what they're trying to do. I was just a bit exhausted by the heavy introspection of the writer (Peter Høeg - "Cedars" was David Guterson). I don't know whether it is a common problem but in my limited reading, men trying to write as a female in the first person leads to some really dense pseudo-philosophical rambling.

phundug, I'm sorry for going off topic on your idea, which I think is quite nice by the way but you shouldn't have your phone on in the cinema - perhaps if it was to do with restaurants or trains...?
badgers, Apr 07 2003
  

       I heard that was a good film too but what about this boring one, cocaine falling on large evergreen trees? whoops wrong idea. sorry.
po, Apr 07 2003
  

       Trickja! I never saw Snow Falling on Cedars, and I don't even own a cellphone! I just thought it was a good idea :)
phundug, Apr 08 2003
  

       I'm sometimes an actor. It really miffs me when someone leaves their phone on in the theatre, speshly when i'm not allowed to go into the audience and answer it for them.   

       Not quite sure why not just have it on vibrate and in your pocket. And we'll be having none of your vibrating jokes thank you very much. Chuh, juveniles.   

       I'm half anhalf on this one though, so it's going to have to be my first "Neutral" form me... had to happen eventually.
Seaneeboy, Apr 10 2003
  

       The best way to tackle ringing phones in the audience is to stop the show while the person answers the phone, resulting in maximum embarrassment and universal opprobrium for the idiot with the phone. Of course, not every production is as easily halted as that, although I've seen some comedians and public speakers do it very successfully.
DrCurry, Apr 10 2003
  

       i treat cell phones in my theatre the same way i treat cameras: if i can find the offender, i will go right up to him/her and take the device, telling them they can have it back after the show. letting a phone ring in a theatre is exactly as rude as walking in during the performance and yelling "hey, is jim in here?"   

       i love the easily accessable phone silencer, though. the faster you shut your phone up, the sooner the actors can get back to work and the rest of the audience can return to enojying the play.
urbanmatador, Apr 10 2003
  

       Remote silencer for cell-phone? I have one word for that:
Blue Tooth!
roby, Apr 10 2003
  

       //silencer//

Yes! Excellent idea. I will use a silencer on my “special” and eliminate her. Then she will not have to look for the phone. You see, I am always thinking of others...
pluterday, Apr 10 2003
  

       Ya gotta ask yourself, is my cel-phone feeling lucky?


  

       Well, is it?
Punk.
  

       <mumble> Where's that damned snowshovel? </mumble>
Cedar Park, Apr 11 2003
  
      
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