First off, I appreciate Raleigh for telling me to write about this experience. The other day, I’m sitting in the small waiting room while my car was being worked on, and the other guy in the cramped room answers a call with his Bluetooth headset. And he starts talking… loudly. A true gentleman will notice two issues with my scenario. First – when to wear a headset.
Bluetooth headsets while driving? Okay, keeps you safe.
Bluetooth headsets everywhere else? Not at all okay.
In the Wired magazine piece Ditch the Headset, Marin Jinnett delves into the possible reasons a guy would be mistaken into thinking BT headsets “make them look like the King of Coolsville,” but it really just makes guys look like “Count Clueless of Dorkylvania.” (Jinnett, M., Ditch the Headset, Wired, August 2009) The big reason for this probably has to do with Mr. Bluetooth’s insecurities. Throughout history, people of higher status would separate themselves from the commoners with ornate jewelry and other trinkets. Today’s overt gadget users are the manifestation of that same behavior from previous civilizations; self-ascribed people of status trying to put some social distance over the rest of us “plebs.” (Sorry, you’ve got to dig into your history book to get that last one.) See the footnotes for a link…
Problem numéro deux: Now that we know that Bluetooth headsets belong in the car, let’s address the proper way to use a phone around others. When you answer the phone, go somewhere off to the side or in another room. That way you can have a private convo with your pals and not disturb the people near you. Yes, we all have cell phones now and are fully aware of Bluetooth headsets – nobody’s impressed anymore.
Despite my whine-fest, I really do think new innovations are incredibly helpful. Information is at our fingertips and we can connect like never before. It’s an exciting time to be alive! With all of these conveniences and means of communication, it’s easy to forget the fundamental ways we should behave around and with each other. Trust me, there will be more discussion about the “communication best practices” for aspiring gentleman (and decent human being) in a future installment.
Be considerate of others around you, gentlemen. People will appreciate it.
