DJNeill Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Hi all,To what degree are cell phones allowed at the ACBL Nationals nowadays? Thanks,Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awm Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 As far as I know, the rule remains that cell phones are not allowed in the room of national events, or in the corridor just outside a national event. This is regardless of whether the phone is turned off, and whether you're a player or a kibitzer. This carries a full-board penalty, unless you have the chutzpah to talk the director down (which some pairs apparently do). Of course, there is always the "how would they know" question so in practice this just means draconian penalties for people with ringing phones and insufficient chutzpah. Phones are still allowed in regional-level events, although the (rarely-enforced) penalty against ringing cell-phones remains on the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Don't forget the booth set up outside the playing area, they will hold your phone for a session if you let them steal $2 from you. Apparently raising the entry fees during a terrible recession after consecutive years of making a surplus was not adequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keylime Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I gotta admit, this is one of the most least favorite things now about playing bridge competitively. This does not sit well with me at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Simple solution: Don't go anywhere near a national event with a cell phone in your possession. Note that I'm not saying "leave your cell phone in your room". Maybe when attendance at nationals drops by 75%, Memphis will get the message. How do you assess a "full board penalty" against a kibitzer? Hypothetical scenario: someone is walking by a national event, in the corridor outside. The cell phone in his pocket rings. He is immediately jumped by half a dozen ... what? security persons? directors? other ACBL employees? Hired thugs? He says "what the hell are you doing? Get away from me, or I'll call the cops!" It turns out he doesn't even know how to play bridge. Oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Maybe when attendance at nationals drops by 75%, Memphis will get the message. Has there been any significant drop-off in attendance that can be attributed to the ban? What percentage of attendees at the NABC even play in the national events that are affected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanp Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 In Dutch we call this a storm in a glass of water. Is there an equivalent English expression? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 In Dutch we call this a storm in a glass of water. Is there an equivalent English expression? "Tempest in a teapot." :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMB1 Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 In Dutch we call this a storm in a glass of water. Is there an equivalent English expression? "Tempest in a teapot." :)In English there is more than one equivalent because, in England, the equivalent is "a storm in a teacup". Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I don't speak English, I speak 'Murican. :) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Maybe when attendance at nationals drops by 75%, Memphis will get the message. Has there been any significant drop-off in attendance that can be attributed to the ban? What percentage of attendees at the NABC even play in the national events that are affected? I am not going to Houston for three reasons. I'm very busy, I don't want to pay for it, and the cell phone ban. I don't know how to quantify each one or whether I would go if only two of them were factors, but they are definitely each significant (say at least 5% of the reason). The cell phone ban is a smaller reason than the other two, but still had significance. I am giving significant thought to not even renewing my ACBL membership. I am very unhappy with several things involving the ACBL, in particular the cell phone ban and increasing prices right now. I get all the bridge I want on BBO anyway, so my only motivation to go to tournaments at all is to see and play with my friends. If I do not renew I will write them a very thoughtful email explaining why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awm Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I think there's a sizable set of people who approach this by treating it as just a bigger penalty for ringing phones, since that is the de facto effect of the ban. They continue carrying their phones to events, but are extra careful to turn them off and put them away before playing. As long as none of these people are given actual penalties for carrying their phones, the attendance drop-off will be hardly noticeable. This is especially true because of the larger potential drop-off in attendance due to the bad economy (increased entry fees don't help either, but honestly the entry fees are a small percentage of the cost for most people traveling to nationals, relative to flights and hotels and food and such). Now if ACBL started body searches for phones, or started assessing penalties based on rumors that someone had a phone (without the phone actually going off) then I would expect a much different response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keylime Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I would be ok, if the holding area was free of charge to bridge players. At least that way there would be a little grumbling, versus this approach. I'm with Josh; I have some major concerns about how the ACBL is securing their income. I haven't in earnest thought about letting my membership lapse, but I'm not happy about the potential of having my sweetheart who doesn't know anything about bridge, get hassled by the ACBL officials for inadvertently using a cell phone in the lobby near the restrooms. One instance of that, and you'll see me assume that someone is attacking them, and the response will be immediate. Mark my words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiddity Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 If I do not renew I will write them a very thoughtful email explaining why. This is just silly. Their iPhones will be checked in at the booth, so how can you possibly expect them to receive your email? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcw Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Maybe pitchers can have a time out and take a call on the mound.Tiger could call his wife while lining up his putt.How did we ever manage pre cell phones!If you need a phone 24/7 go play millionaire and call a friend. Sensible decision by the ACBL. End of story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 End of story. You heard him, no need to discuss this anymore. Anyone who disagrees is being unreasonable. Move along to some other issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwery_hi Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 End of story. You heard him, no need to discuss this anymore. Anyone who disagrees is being unreasonable. Move along to some other issue. All bow down to the wisdom of TimG. The Gods have spoken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 End of story. You heard him, no need to discuss this anymore. Anyone who disagrees is being unreasonable. Move along to some other issue. All bow down to the wisdom of TimG. The Gods have spoken. If you're going to pick on me, at least have the decency to do it at a site where I am not a member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwery_hi Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 End of story. You heard him, no need to discuss this anymore. Anyone who disagrees is being unreasonable. Move along to some other issue. All bow down to the wisdom of TimG. The Gods have spoken. If you're going to pick on me, at least have the decency to do it at a site where I am not a member. Your remark would have been funny if I had called you a cheat! Want some cheese with that whine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Maybe pitchers can have a time out and take a call on the mound.Tiger could call his wife while lining up his putt.How did we ever manage pre cell phones!If you need a phone 24/7 go play millionaire and call a friend. Sensible decision by the ACBL. End of story. Very fair analogy. Obviously what everyone is suggesting is stopping play in the middle of the hand to take some calls. We used to manage without prenatal care and electricity too. Want to play bridge with the lights out, assuming you survive being born? Your story's ending sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcw Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Maybe pitchers can have a time out and take a call on the mound.Tiger could call his wife while lining up his putt.How did we ever manage pre cell phones!If you need a phone 24/7 go play millionaire and call a friend. Sensible decision by the ACBL. End of story. Very fair analogy. Obviously what everyone is suggesting is stopping play in the middle of the hand to take some calls. We used to manage without prenatal care and electricity too. Want to play bridge with the lights out, assuming you survive being born? Your story's ending sucks.Cleary, prenatal care has not been a total success Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Maybe pitchers can have a time out and take a call on the mound.Tiger could call his wife while lining up his putt.How did we ever manage pre cell phones!If you need a phone 24/7 go play millionaire and call a friend. Sensible decision by the ACBL. End of story. Very fair analogy. Obviously what everyone is suggesting is stopping play in the middle of the hand to take some calls. We used to manage without prenatal care and electricity too. Want to play bridge with the lights out, assuming you survive being born? Your story's ending sucks.Cleary, prenatal care has not been a total success we've been through this before. It's one thing to be completely focused during a session, it is quite another to not have access to your phone during the short lunch break to get in touch with friends, or to check in on an ill relative etc. I guess, though, that some people don't have lives outside of bridge. I feel sorry for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdonn Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Maybe pitchers can have a time out and take a call on the mound.Tiger could call his wife while lining up his putt.How did we ever manage pre cell phones!If you need a phone 24/7 go play millionaire and call a friend. Sensible decision by the ACBL. End of story. Very fair analogy. Obviously what everyone is suggesting is stopping play in the middle of the hand to take some calls. We used to manage without prenatal care and electricity too. Want to play bridge with the lights out, assuming you survive being born? Your story's ending sucks.Cleary, prenatal care has not been a total success I disagree. An unhealthy baby could never have grown up to learn to so smoothly use sarcasm to distract from his terrible reasoning and inapplicable analogies. I think you should consider yourself very lucky that we have some of the things people used to live without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awm Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 People survived for millenia (and still survive) without caffeine or nicotine. And yet not only are my opponents allowed to consume caffeine and nicotine during the session (even though both are potentially performance enhancing drugs and the time they spend outside smoking during "break round" could allow them to illegally exchange information) but the ACBL subsidizes the coffee drinking and provides breaks for the convenience of the smokers. Not to mention that hearing aids are allowed. I see ads on TV pretty regularly for a hearing aid that "lets you hear everything" and specifically advertises to people who don't have a hearing problem. It even shows people playing bridge! Seems tailor-made for cheating, yet it's allowed. But my totally innocuous cell phone, which is always off during play and which I carry only so that I can contact friends and family between sessions, is not only taken away from me but I am charged for the "service" of having my $200 phone left sitting out on a counter for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
655321 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Yes, this is getting more like it. I was worried that we would have a thread on this topic that would get just a few mild responses then die a natural death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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