Cell Phone Talkers

I've been spending more time than usual at the reference desk lately. Long story why, and since that gets into work stuff, I won't get into it. But, if the fifteen hours I put in last week are any indication of the health of the reference desk, it is on its last breath. But, since libraries are the slowest thing to change (but not as slow as higher ed in general), our desk isn't going away anytime soon. I have mixed feelings about that. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about cell phone talkers.

Since I've been sitting at a counter, bored out of my mind, I have a lot of time to watch students on their cell phones. This is what I have seen over the last week:

Circle Walkers: They walk in repetitive circles while talking non stop. And they don't just walk in a circle in the middle of nowhere. They walk around something: A pole, a fountain, a desk. Whatever it is serves as the nucleus to their electron. I find these the most annoying... yet mesmerizing. 

Sulkers: They try to get out of the way, but they tend to sulk in corners that also serve as echo chambers.

Pacers: They just as annoying as circle walkers, but still not as mesmerizing. 

Leaners: They lean on counters, tables, etc. The world is their hangout space. To me, they are the cockiest of the cell phone talkers. 

Losters: They have no clue where they are or where they're supposed to be. They either wander aimlessly or stand in one place while looking in all directions. They're the ones who call someone and say. "Where are you? Me? I'm in the library. No, the library. By the, uh, let's see... ref-er-ence desk. By the computers. You are? Wave."

Stage Whisperers: They're the ones who whisper, louder than they would talk: "I'm in the library" or "I already told you I didn't love you anymore. Leave me alone. Stop crying."

Confessors: Thy call their doctor from the bus and talk, in a far too loud voice, about their health problems. 

Oversharers: Just that. They Overshare.

It's not uncommon for Stage Whisperers to also be a Confessor or an Oversharer. Confessors don't seem to realize what they're doing. Oversharers seem to do it to show those around them how popular/cool they are.

Actually, I would say that most people having public cell phone conversations to be more than one type of cell phone talker. 

Thing is, at some point, I have been all of these people, but I usually default to being either a Circle Walker or a Sulker.