Would you check your cell phone for a discount?

http://bites.today.com/_news/2012/08/16 ... ted-dinner

I'm guessing this crew says "yes"- but I'm interested to hear your thoughts.
Deb

My wife and I have gone over to the dark side -- we are getting iPhones soon. I have promised my wife that I will not become one of those people with phone surgically implanted in hand. And we will not be the couple (or foursome) that you see in a restaurant, each focused on his/her phone. So yes, I'll absolutely accept that discount.

On a related note, we attended the Springsteen concert at the Yum! and I was amazed at the number of people around me, young and old, each of whom paid $100+ for a ticket, who were totally focused on their phones, to the exclusion of everything else. What can be that compelling?

Mike,
Not to sound preachy, but we forbid phones (us & teen included) at our dinner table at home. When we go out, the only time we check phones ( text, email or phone call) is to make sure it's not the babysitter with an emergency. We enjoy the experience too much to allow interruptions.
Deb

On a related note, we attended the Springsteen concert at the Yum! and I was amazed at the number of people around me, young and old, each of whom paid $100+ for a ticket, who were totally focused on their phones, to the exclusion of everything else. What can be that compelling?

We must have been seated in the same section...I was borderline ready to bitch slap the couple in front of us as I did NOT appreciate having my retinas burned out by the screens on THEIR phones. How fricking rude.

I'm one of those people who put phone use while (upscale) dining right up there with farting in public...or letting your dog bark for hours on the back porch of your trailer...it's just fricking RUDE to the people near you. One the other hand if one is creative you CAN turn it into entertainment. As an example my lovely bride and I were recently dining at Majids when 9 women were seated at the table next to us. My wife and I set the "over/under" until each of them whipped out their phones at 10 minutes. I took the under....and won...within 6 minutes every one of these bimb...errrr I mean inconsiderate ladies had a phone in hand. Sad.

If I'm at Yang Kee Noodle, then yeah, I'll probably get the phone out and look at this or that. But I'm sure as hell not going to ruin a nice night out somewhere like La Coop with phone usage.

In defense of the concert goers, it was a Springsteen concert...

My answer to the question is probably not, for the following reasons:

1. After having my credit card compromised at a local restaurant, I would wonder what my phone is being used for while it's out of my sight.
2. The main reasons you'll find me in an establishment is because it's clean, I like the food and the service is good. Whether or not they offer a discount doesn't generally play into my decision.
3. With my luck I'll be seated at the table next to the guy who keeps his phone anyway and uses it during his meal.
4. If I don't happen to have a phone, I shouldn't have to pay 5% more than a diner who does.
5. Tribute to Springsteen.

we attended the Springsteen concert at the Yum! and I was amazed at the number of people around me...who were totally focused on their phones, to the exclusion of everything else. What can be that compelling?

Maybe the concert was streaming live?

The discount is a nice idea but the data security concern outweighs it for me.

Shows you how trusting I am - the legitimate security issue never occurred to me. Many people have passwords to protect their phone, though, so it wouldn't be an issue for them....

Deb

[Robin Garr]

This article is nominally more about politics than dining out, but it's worth a serious read for its analysis of how the world is changing.

The short version: If you think that thing that has all those people so fascinated is a "phone," you are showing your age and had probably better figure it out or move aside and get out of the way.

Social and Anti-social media

Mike,
Not to sound preachy, but we forbid phones (us & teen included) at our dinner table at home. When we go out, the only time we check phones ( text, email or phone call) is to make sure it's not the babysitter with an emergency. We enjoy the experience too much to allow interruptions.
Deb

Correction to my own post: I realized we do use our phones at restaurants on occasion to take pictures of Food Porn, and when dining alone, I frequent use my iPhone to read while eating.

Deb

The security thing doesn't bother me to much. My iPhone is a company device. They have them set up with a PIN and set to erase everything and reset to factory default settings if an incorrect PIN is entered too many times. I know it works, because my kids have gotten a hold of my phone and reset it twice.

Slightly off topic, but this is what some of my friends and I do when they are out socially. All phones are placed on silent and placed in the middle of the table. First person to take their phone pays the tab, if everyone is polite and no one touches their phone the bill is split. Adjust as required to fit the bill and circumstances (loser buys the split app whatever). It turns out when there is a chance of saving money and sticking the bill to each other, we can all be remarkably well behaved with phones at the table.

Aaron that game has been around for a while and with a good natured bunch it tends to go over well

Cell phone hate makes you seem old.

I love my cell phone, and play with it whenever I want. How do you think this message is getting here?

I can't wait til they can just install it right into my brain.

I'll be keeping the phone, save the discounts for the needy. Who knows I may find a groupon online during dessert.

[Robin Garr]

Who knows I may find a groupon online during dessert.