"The Phone Call" Topic

You're in the middle of the game, and the phone rings. Do you answer it? Or check for messages later?

Depends on who it is calling but usually I let it go to voice mail.

I'd check to see who was calling as I have family members in various states of ill health, but normally I'd let it go to VM.

There is no phone in the room at our club.

Once. It was a call from my mother, who was in hospice

I would check to see who is calling, then decide whether to answer or not.

Of course not. It's not my phone.

Wife or mother yes, it would probably be important, otherwise no.

I always have my phone on Do Not Disturb but calls on my contacts come through. So yes I would answer it.

I check— it's likely my wife, who won't interrupt without a good reason.
But it will be on vibrate, and typically she texts, so it's unobtrusive.

Just some personal thoughts.
No offence intended to those for whom the phone is a central part of their life.

People who love their phone can be a real problem for me in games.
I would concur with all the above.

However there are many gamers who use their phone throughout games. Such behaviour will stop me inviting them to my house or me going to theirs. Lucky them.

I often meet gamers ( I get around a lot) who "need" to check their phones every 5-8 minutes to see if some world event requires their immediate attention. Others have partners who need to phone them for reassurance " shall I buy cheese at the supermarket?" One peculiar group are those who like to play a game on their tablet whilst playing a game with those actually present. "It's no problem I can do both".

I suspect ( I don't really know) they will gravitate to others who are of the same behavioural type. These folk can sit across the table from each other and be in their own world without needing to hone social skills. They might also find it remarkable and incomprehensible that others object to their behaviour. Each to their own I suppose?

The main warning sign is players who place their phone on the game table. i.e "this is my main focus tonight chaps".

People in my social groupings do not use their phones at the game table or when we are at the movies or eating a meal. I am grateful to them.

martin

Cell phone jammers are still illegal in most countries I assume?
A pity.

Don't use a mobile phone so doesn't affect my behaviour. Others in the group do have vulnerable relatives so we all understand and they do tend to keep it short.

Worst for me is the guy who has a newsfeed that beeps every time one of his subjects comes up. He is so hard of hearing that it is turned up high and he doesn't realise how distracting it is.

I am on call 24/7, so I will answer the phone unless it appears to be a spam call. That said, my phone rarely rings while playing a game.

Really depends upon the caller. In most cases it is a spam call, but I do want to take important calls. They are usually just a few moments and I am back at the table.

Like 79th PA I am on a 24 hour call on my mobile, so would answer if I got a call – but so far (fingers crossed) that have never happened

This is the joy of IGOUGO it gives folk time to check their life meters!

I have a phone but nobody ever calls me…

"I have a phone but nobody ever calls me…"
Yes but that means nobody wants your money!

All of my work life was in emergency services and later a gravely disabled wife. So I had a pager, numeric pager, alpha-numberic pager and very early cell phone since about 1980. I always answered but unless it was important it was a quick call and done.
If it was important I went outside away from the others so as not to disturb them.
Most of the time we gamed at my house and most of the people who would have called me were at the game.
The focus of game day is the game, not the phone.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

Wait…people use their phones for "calls". What madness is this?

Ordinarily, I don't answer my phone during a game.

My wife would text to ask me to call her when I'm free. (If it's an emergency, she'll call, of course.)

There are a few people to whom I would send of the text options that pops up when a call comes in, like "can't talk now".

The last time I answered a phone call during a game it was an alert to a very serious incident that had life-changing consequences, so yes, I would check.

+1 GildasFacit. I can still hear the effing beep tone from a phone set to loudly announce every instagram, facebook, cnn, text, and chumbucket message that came through. Frustrating to say the least.