The problem is the blurring of the lines between business and pleasure. You want to keep your mobile phone switched on out of work hours so that family and friends can reach you, but you don't want work to call you. Well, I think what we need are mobile phones which can support more than one number. You have a business number for work and you have a personal number which you give out to family and friends. You need to be able to 'switch on/off' either number on the same phone.
Of course, what you can do is use the divert feature on your work phone to send work calls to your mobile. You switch the divert on when you want to be available, and you switch it off when you don't want to be available. Then you just tell work to contact you on the work number and never, ever give out your personal mobile number.
Only problem is that perhaps it's not so easy to switch the divert on and off when you haven't got physical access to the handset at work. Hmmm.
As well as destroying society, Lynn, I think they also make it easier (but more expensive!) to be disorganised. For example, you no longer have to look up the train timetable in advance so that you can tell your hubby what time to pick you up from the station, you just hop on a train and then phone him (at a cost) to let him know what time you'll get to the station. You don't have to prepare a shopping list, you just turn up at the shop and phone your other half at home (at a cost) and ask them what you need to buy. And so on.
Ethnica, I take your point about inherent rudeness, but I can't help thinking of the two guys I give a lift home to twice a week. You couldn't meet two more polite, well-mannered people, yet as soon as their mobile phone goes off in the car, they answer it and conduct a conversation with whoever is on the other end. Makes me feel like a bl***y taxi service!
Yvonne
