Please Turn Off Your Cell Phones at The Scott

Before every draw at the 2006 Scott Tournament of Hearts, the master of ceremonies asks everyone in the crowd to turn off their cell phones.

I have considerable sympathy with asking people not to use their cell phones in any public place. I hate listening to people talking on the phone, especially on buses or trains or in restaurants or other public places where I can't easily avoid listening to them. People with cell phones simply should not subject others to their arrogance and self-centeredness. In economics jargon, we refer to this as a negative externality

But if the m.c. announced that (courtesy toward others) as the reason for asking people to turn off their cell phones, my guess is that fewer people would comply. Instead, the m.c. asks people turn off their cell phones so as not to disturb the curlers.

Hogwash.

There are hoots, yells, cowbells, and cheers going off all the time that would be much more distracting to someone coming out of the hack, especially when there are four games at the same time, as during most of the round robin.

• The m.c. doesn't ask people to hold their applause or cheers until there is nobody in the hack;
  
• The m.c. doesn't ask people not to cheer, lest they make it difficult for skips to be heard by the sweepers down at the other end of the ice.
  
• The m.c. doesn't ask people not to do the wave, even though the noise level during the wave makes it impossible for the sweepers to hear the skips' sweeping calls.

This request that people turn off their cell phones is just a rant from some control freak(s). I agree that people should not be intrusive with their cell phones, but why doesn't the arena management just announce,

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you feel you must leave your cell phone turned on, please reduce its volume; and should you receive a call, please go to the lobby to carry on your conversation -- the others around you do not want to hear what you have to say.

Either that or ask everyone to programme the ringers on their cell phone rings to sound like cowbells, airhorns, cheers, or people doing the wave...