Cell phones at Philly

[Elianna]

I understand that cell phones will not be permitted into the playing areas. Fine, not here to debate that.

 

What I want to know is if there will be a cell phone check area similar to that at US nationals.

 

I'm not staying at the host hotel, so leaving it in the room is not an option on a particular day when I might be trying to meet someone right after the session.

[TheoKole]

Perhaps turn the cell phone off?

 

Good luck in the tournament

 

Theo

[Elianna]

As they are not physically permitted in the playing area, I'm not willing to bring one even in off mode.

[Siegmund]

I go one step better than that: I'm not willing to have one at all, even on days I don't play bridge. It's worked great for me for years :)

[awm]

I go one step better than that: I'm not willing to have one at all, even on days I don't play bridge. It's worked great for me for years :)

Luddite. :)

 

Seriously, cell phones are incredibly useful when traveling. The ability to stay in touch with friends/family/coworkers is really useful, especially for those who travel a lot or cannot afford to be totally out of contact with the real world while "on vacation."

 

Modern phones have GPS and Google Maps built in, which is a huge help in navigating an unfamiliar city, finding good restaurants and evening activities, etc.

 

Really I wouldn't want to travel without my phone. Obviously there's no need to use it during a bridge session, but lacking the phone after a session makes dinner plans a lot tougher to orchestrate.

[billw55]

I often play with my spouse, and we have school age children. During our games, they are usually staying with and/or being supervised by others. In this case, we absoultely must have our phones with us and on, and we do so even at tournaments. Of course we set it to vibrate, and do not answer calls from others, but still there it is.

[hanp]

I recommend you don't do this when you play in the world championships.

[TimG]

I often play with my spouse, and we have school age children. During our games, they are usually staying with and/or being supervised by others. In this case, we absoultely must have our phones with us and on, and we do so even at tournaments.

I think "absolutely must" is hyperbole. Surely you can go for a few hours without the possibility of being reached by cellphone. It may be your strong preference, but I don't think it is an absolute necessity.

 

And, of course, a phone set to vibrate leaves open the possibility of illicit communication.

[jillybean]

I often play with my spouse, and we have school age children. During our games, they are usually staying with and/or being supervised by others. In this case, we absoultely must have our phones with us and on, and we do so even at tournaments. Of course we set it to vibrate, and do not answer calls from others, but still there it is.

Give the child minder the number of the playing location and in case of a dire emergency, have them deliver a message to you. You can then whip out your cell phone, turn it on and call. Duing breaks you can sneak it into the dunny, turn it on and make a call to check on your kids.

[gwnn]

Firefighter and multinational bank CEO are among the more interesting cases but school age children sounds dubious, if not WTP. Just my 2 cents, I have never been a parent but I have been a school age child, admittedly never eating poison or drinking dangerous explosives (I hope you don't delete me from your signature :D ).

[JanM]

I checked with the organizers and there will be someplace in the tournament area where you can check your cell phones during play. They don't know exactly where yet, although the registration desk is likely, so you'll have to look when you get there.

[TimG]

Firefighter and multinational bank CEO are among the more interesting cases but school age children sounds dubious, if not WTP. Just my 2 cents, I have never been a parent but I have been a school age child, admittedly never eating poison or drinking dangerous explosives.

I think in the case of eating poison perhaps the first call should be to someone other than the parents.

 

I can't see a case for firefighter or multinational bank CEO.

[Cyberyeti]

Only man I ever knew who had to have a phone with him at all times was a psychiatrist/psychologist and would get calls from the authorities along the lines of "This dangerous psychopath's escaped, what's he likely to do ?". He was on call 24/7, but VERY rarely got phoned.

[Elianna]

I checked with the organizers and there will be someplace in the tournament area where you can check your cell phones during play. They don't know exactly where yet, although the registration desk is likely, so you'll have to look when you get there.

Thank you. This won't likely be a problem the first day, so I can investigate then and worry about it the second day.

[NickRW]

I can't see a case for firefighter or multinational bank CEO.

Well I know a firefighter. He has a pager - not a phone - and he couldn't possibly think of playing serious cards when he is on call.

[TimG]

I can't see a case for firefighter or multinational bank CEO.

Well I know a firefighter. He has a pager - not a phone - and he couldn't possibly think of playing serious cards when he is on call.

Right, if he's on call he wouldn't be entered in a World Championship much less a regional or even sectional (or whatever the equivalent in other parts of the world).

 

Maybe the local club owner would agree to fill in for him in the club game if he got called away mid-game.

[matmat]

There was a huge, giant thread on the cell phone ban a while ago. i am sure Csaba can find it. My take on the issue hasn't changed :). Glad Eli actually got a useful answer from someone.

[billw55]

Firefighter and multinational bank CEO are among the more interesting cases but school age children sounds dubious, if not WTP. Just my 2 cents, I have never been a parent but I have been a school age child, admittedly never eating poison or drinking dangerous explosives (I hope you don't delete me from your signature :( ).

No worries gwnn :) but being a parent yourself changes so many things so fundamentally, it is hard to explain.

 

Careful with those explosives :)

[JoAnneM]

When you leave your child in the care of someone else they should have a letter at least authorizing emergency life-saving treatment. I can't think of much else that would require instant communication.

 

At the recent Reno NABC we received a message at the Info Desk that a player had an unexpected death in the family (brother), and he wasn't answering his phone. We used those cards you have to fill out to track down where he was staying and he didn't answer messages there either. So finally the next day we had the directors figure out where he was playing and we went and gave him the message. He didn't want to hear it, and went on playing.

 

So what is important to some people, is not to others.

[gwnn]

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30768

or

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=24291

 

?

[Vampyr]

I went to quite a few Nationals during the 1990s. I didn't have a mobile, and neither did anyone else. No one was troubled by this. What has changed so that it is now impossible for people to be without their mobiles?

[barmar]

I went to quite a few Nationals during the 1990s. I didn't have a mobile, and neither did anyone else. No one was troubled by this. What has changed so that it is now impossible for people to be without their mobiles?

Not impossible, just less preferable. Cell phones have made life at tournaments much easier.

 

I went to nationals for many years before getting a cellphone. If your partner was running late, you'd get very nervous wondering where he was; now you can call him and find out, and even tell him where your home table is so you don't have to hunt for each other when he finally arrives.

 

Between sessions, you had to wander around the hotel looking for your friends, to make arrangements for dinner, midnight games, the next day, etc. Now you just call them.

 

None of these situations requires having a cell phone during the session itself, though, just up to and immediately after it. As others have pointed out, you shouldn't enter a tournament if you need to be immediately reachable.

[Elianna]

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30768

or

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=24291

 

?

I specifically did not wish to refight the question of whether they are allowed or not, I just wanted the information of where to look for where to place them.

 

And those are related to Nationals, not something run by WBF/USBF, so I just wanted to confirm that they, too, are providing a check-in place.

[Elianna]

I went to quite a few Nationals during the 1990s. I didn't have a mobile, and neither did anyone else. No one was troubled by this. What has changed so that it is now impossible for people to be without their mobiles?

1) There are a lot less pay phones now then there used to be, making it harder to do things like meeting up with nonbridge playing local friends or calling a taxi after the game unless you have your cell phone on you. So you bring your cell phone to do this, and so you need a place to put it if you are not allowed to have it on your person.

 

2) Because everyone has cell phones, there is now a much higher level of expectation of being available then there used to be. For example, 20 years ago if my principal called me with a question while I was away, she would have expected to wait until I came back for an answer. Now she expects a response within a few hours (ie after the session is over). It's not that anwer is ESSENTIAL, it's just that employers have an expectation of a timely response, and their expectation has changed over the years. And telling them to change their expectation is not an option.

 

3) Jdonn had a very good response in one of the other threads but I forgot exactly what he said and he's too talkative for me to find it easily right now. Maybe gwnn can or Josh can repost.

[gwnn]

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=30768

or

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=24291

 

?

I specifically did not wish to refight the question of whether they are allowed or not, I just wanted the information of where to look for where to place them.

 

And those are related to Nationals, not something run by WBF/USBF, so I just wanted to confirm that they, too, are providing a check-in place.

I know, this was not meant for you, but as a reply to matmat's allusion. Maybe I shouldn't have. sorry