The mobile phone is without a doubt a great thing. It saves you time and, in many cases, nerves. On the negative side, it can also generate nervousness, especially when the human factor fails. And as is well known, it does fail from time to time. When a phone rings in a coffee shop where most patrons, hidden behind their favorite dailies, enjoy the quiet atmosphere of a rainy day, it is only an unpleasant distraction. The person called usually gets some irritable looks from the others, whose expressions often border on pity - what a poor creature who must be reachable at all times. There are places, however, where it would not be only a minor nuisance but an embarrassment, and there are even places where only a real bum leaves his mobile phone switched on. Let's go back to the first example. It applies first of all to places of public catering, restaurants, cafés, or confectioneries. Particularly unsuitable is the phone ringing during a business lunch with a business partner. If you are awaiting an urgent call, and cannot switch your mobile phone off, it is appropriate to apologize for the possible call to your companion in advance. Your companion has most probably been in a similar situation himself, and hence will be understanding. In their eyes you will be not only a well-behaved man, but also somebody who, despite a heavy work load, is not a slave of his work. Not a bad label, don't you think? Meetings at your office are another story. The best thing is not to take your mobile phone with you to the meeting at all, after all you have to concentrate on something else. If you are, however, expecting an urgent call and have to have your phone with you, at least sit close to the door, so that when the phone rings, you can quickly leave the room. It is very embarrassing to see your colleague who, in a slightly bent-forward position, not unlike a person hit by a sudden stomach indisposition, leaves the room shouting into his phone "Oh, am happy to hear from you!" A dignified departure from the room, quickly finishing the call and returning back with a brief apology, is the best way not to make of yourself a person with no manners, and at the same time not to miss an important call. Your are in a different situation, however, when you are the boss. Then you usually have your own place at the table and can hardly take a place at the corner near the door. In that case, it is advisable to follow the same rules as in a restaurant, i.e. apologize to your subordinates in advance that you might be disturbed by an important call. In their eyes, you will look as a decent person, whereas if you removed your telephone from your belt without a warning and started talking into it in the middle of an unfinished sentence, you would only earn sarcastic smiles. So far we were dealing with situations in which it is better not to phone, but if you have to, you can. Now let's get to those situations in which telephoning is undesirable. Impolite - and this is an understatement - is telephoning at weddings, christenings and funerals (unless you are a businessman who feeds the whole family relations,who will forgive you the call with pleasure) and at cultural and entertainment events. A call which will disturb Hamlet in his monologue can not only completely confuse your favorite actor, but it will without a doubt earn you the scorn of everyone around. Similar attacks can be expected in cinemas, at seminars, lectures, etc. One last remark hopefully goes without saying - phoning is not done at airports, filling stations and in hospitals.