Public Phone Calls, part 1

I hear a lot of people talking on their cell phones every day. Some of it's harmless, some of it's things I'd rather not hear, and some of it I really shouldn't be hearing. I've decided to describe overheard conversations that should not be public. Maybe someone will notice and get the hint that ignoring people while you chat doesn't make them nonexistent or even deaf.

A few days ago, I was riding on a crowded city bus. There was a man sitting near me, juggling his cell phone and his PDA. He was a psychologist, setting up a first appointment for a new patient. I can tell you his name, the names that are really on the office door and buzzer (he's not), the precise location of his office as well as directions to get there from east of town where this patient was coming from, and the time and date of the appointment. He charges $120 an hour (he says), but he schedules his own appointments rather than having a receptionist, gives out his cell number as an office number, is not listed as being in the office, and clearly has no awareness of HIPAA or other privacy-related legislation. This is not someone I would even consider trusting as a mental health professional.

Just because you can talk on the phone everywhere, that doesn't make it a guaranteed good idea.