when the moon hits your eye...

last week we went out for a casual early dinner for 4 at 6p da pasquale in b.h. -- 3 adults and one 4 year old (not my little, but the youngest of my friend L). we picked our venue knowing we would have no problem accommodating our youngest dining companion, and also because it's an easy breezy little italian cafe that doesn't have the after work bar scene going on so it's a little more family friendly. between the salad and pasta portions of our meal, my friend L's phone buzzed when she got a phone call from her mate on her cell phone. she took the call at the table while we entertained her youngest with jokes and tales of field trips to disneyland and the zoo. after she completed her call, she filled us in on how her mate was bummed he couldn't join us for dinner because he got delayed at work, and she also let us know she was expecting some news about her most recent test results and that she was anticipating good news. no worries, all was good, and our pasta was just coming out to the table.

let me back up a bit and add that while my friend was on the phone, though, i noticed the female portion of an older couple next to us lay out a big grimace on her face and overheard her rudely comment about cell phone use at the dinner table. i'm sure the fact that we had a 4 year old off-leash and in a restaurant was what started it rolling for this cranky biatch, and just a little bit earlier we giggled when we overheard this same woman comment to her husband "you know what i like best about this pasta? it's that there's no goddamn red sauce on it". clearly, she was on a roll, but i would have preferred someone to shove one in her mouth to shut her up.

cranky-old-broad was so bothered by this occurrence that after paying for dinner, on her way out she made a special visit to the manager where i could clearly see and hear her talking to him complaining about cell phone use and suggesting that they ban cell phones from the restaurant. he seemed to listen graciously to this customer (perhaps a regular), he pointed to his watch and around the room at the other families eating dinner and said how it's not likely they can make such a request of their other patrons. at the same time i looked around and i saw a young woman dining alone, and she talked on her cell phone briefly as she munched her antipasto.

my friend L is a quiet individual and it's not like she was blabbing loudly on the phone, and her talking (whether on the phone or to me) is not really the business of anyone seated at another table -- talking is talking, and it shouldn't matter if the conversation being had is with another person seated at that table, or if it's on the phone. so, really, while i understand that cell phone use is not particularly appropriate when at the dining table, in this case at the very most my friend L would only potentially have been disrespecting her immediate dining companions (US)... and none of US seemed to mind, so i don't see why someone at the next table has the nerve to mind.

makes me wish i knew when cranky-broad was going back so i could take a whole party of kids for dinner and equip them all with cell phones and just have them all call eachother on the phone instead of talking directly to eachother.