Cell Phone Manners and the Rich!

I've been asked a lot of questions about how rich people use and relate to their cell phones. So let me spill the beans about how things are around here.

The Missus is apparently attentive to calls and texts and keeps her phone nearby, although she never brings it to the dining table - breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Mister, on the other hand, is completely lackadaisical about his phone. You would think that with his money and involvements he'd be glued to the phone every minute to keep on top of things, right? But not so. We find his phone lying all around the house, and he doesn't seem to care if he leaves it behind when he goes out and about for hours or even days. In fact I think we, the house staff, are the only ones who ever charge it up. Amazing.

I've had other questions about rich people's cell phone manners, and can certainly share some observations:

At all the cocktail parties, receptions and galas in this house there seems to be a code of ethics among the rich that cell phones are turned off before entering the house. Indeed you rarely, if ever, see a cell phone in someone's hand, much less hear it ring. The exception being doctors, of course. (Although we have no idea if the doctor's call is coming from a suffering patient, or his alone-at-home concubine.)

At political fund raising events we all know that politicians love the sound of their own voice and can go on for a solid hour without taking a breath. And at charity fund raisers there's always a rather boring presentation, often with audio visuals, followed by endless and sometimes tearful testimonies from charity recipients.

These mind-numbing events, both political and charity, are of course designed to make rich people shell out money. Which they do indeed. More to shut these people up than anything else, I'm sure of it. Some guests come just for the cocktails, quickly write out a check and hit the road before the speeches start!

But getting back to the topic, during these dreadful events you never, ever hear a cell phone go off. Maybe they've all read the hysterical article in the Huffington Post listing a set of rules when it comes to cell phone use in a public situation. Here's the link, in case you're wondering if you're deficit in this area.

Thanks for dropping in this evening,

Andrew