Speed Bump by Dave Coverly for February 02, 2021

Given that she’s gotten half-way through before you even noticed, no.

I have (back when you could go in to eat) watched more than one couple sharing a table, both with their phones as their main focus. My grandson does it… and he’s now engaged to the young woman. I asked her about it, and she explained that they were sending interesting tidbits off the internet to each other. I guess it’s in lieu of actually having to say something.

“I insist you Kindle our relationship!”

If this were real life, instead of a comic, he’d probably be texting her the question.

Well… OK… I guess if it were real life…. he wouldn’t be doing either until restaurants are open again.

She did get him to at least look up from his phone and actually talk to her. (Hmm … How should she respond?)

She’s reading a book … Cancel Her!

Just shows that putting your nose into your reading while ignoring your companion predates phones. At least if both are using the phones they can still be sharing per the comments under @Concretionist, above.

and your dumb phone is any better?

Would he object if she were reading a book on her Kindle? How about the Kindle app on her phone? Where do laptops figure into this?

When our family has gatherings, pre pandemic, we are all told to put away the phones. It works till after dinner and slowly they surface during dessert….mostly the younger ones….it’s a game changer….the worst thing is when someone is talking loud in a restaurant, store or in public and it’s rude and annoying.

I guess I’m old fashioned. My wife and I never look at our phones when we’re together. We talk to one another.

Years back my oldest brother and his wife came to visit and they spent most of the time on their phones.

Our daughter in law came to our house on Mother’s Day for dinner. I cooked for everyone. She had that dang phone in her hand the whole time. I was going to tell her how rude she was but bit my tongue instead. Didn’t want to ruin the day for my wife.

Will this pre-sipitate a change in behavior?

How to go back in time, to when people actually talked to each other – have a dumb phone! You can use to to ring or text people, but it doesn’t scream for your attention all day …

Years ago I used to travel for work, and I hated eating alone. So, I’d take a book with me to read and other people in the restaurant would stare. Now, if I were to read the same book on my phone, no one would notice.

when my wife and I dated and even early in our marriage when we went out we ALWAYS left our phones at home………. attached to the wall …….. rofl ….. yet once in a while we did snuggle with a book – using the same book so we had to sit close to read it to each other which was the whole point of bringing the book ………. we were soooo devious

My husband tried to make me “enjoy” a live baseball. He had good seats! I brought a book. He said it was rude, but never asked me to go to a game again.

Says the guy who’s looking at his phone!

(Also before the pandemic), My wife and I have a standing rule… No cell phones at the table when we go out to eat.

I can see their wedding now…

Beautiful commentary Well done

Oh yes. Today’s society summed up succinctly.Better to be rude and literate than bbe an “unrude”, “illtwitterate” obliviot.