To think people should not be checking their BlackBerry's all night, at the table, when you have invited them for dinner?

[strandedatseasonsgreetings]

We had some good friends - a couple - over for dinner last night. I cooked up a storm, made a curry and a side dish, we had some wine, it was all lovely. Except the male half of the couple kept reading messages on his Blackberry all night.

Now he has a very senior job in a large company so I assumed it was work and thought nothing of it. My dh also had his Blackberry on the table as he is always on call. But he had it there for important calls only.

However, towards the end of the night, Mr I'm Very Important confessed he had been checking messages about the (American) football results all night. I was fuming (inside - I didn't say anything except to take the piss a bit).

That's rude isn't it? They are really good friends of ours but not sure I would invite them again.

Mind you, you gave them a curry. Surely that gives anyone reasonable reason for bad behaviour?

harvalp no matter what you are served if you are a guest at someones table then you should have the manners to eat and not text - it's only for half an hour or so. Sure no one would object too violently if it was between courses and host was elsewhere but still it should be an emergency even then.

We run a business from home but between 5pm and 5.30pm when we eat as a family so then we leave the phone to go to answer machine. When i call them back i appologise for not answering but i was having dinner with my family, they then appologise for disturbing us as they quite understand the need for family time and we then procede with the phonecall - never been a problem.

harvalp - I did check they liked curry before cooking it.

I can't understand anyone who doesn't like curry!

I'm glad you did. I remember the first time I went to dinner with my senior boss. Who had not asked me about curry. Halfway through the meal, my stomach started erupting with the most embarrassingly loud and continuous noises. At that point, vigorous mobile conversations would at least have relieved the difficult silences...!

Rude. Shame that as his wife is also a regular phone user, she presumably sees no wrong.

If he had been checking on some major problem that was work-related, as in getting report from someone at HQ, that'd be understandable, but sports results, definitely rude.

Have to say BunnyLebowski reaction - making it plain it is bloody rude - is the one I'd be tempted to make.

If they were truly 'good friends' then they should know that it is not the done thing, so wife who accepts it is just as much to blame, and however much one wishes (*) to follow something, it surely does not need to impact on a meal in that way.

(*) as in not "because my job is on the line to see this is working ASAP"

Serendippy " we can always check the results after dinner "

that implies OP's DH was similarly interacting with his phone, which, as I understand it was on table in case of some work related call, and was not fiddling with it during the evening.

Either have coffee with me, or fuck off and look at your phone.

Excellent. Several phones, but if I have company then priority given to visitor(s) and no phone will be allowed to interrupt (same when I am asleep, have no worry about not being reachable).

Gracie123 - change the password on your wi-fi and say "you can use your laptops after meal / family time" (and change it to something else after they leave, so next time they arrive they cannot simply 'connect' once again... eventually they will learn).

If you have no password on your wi-fi I would set one tonight!

Rude. I have had this problem in the past too and have told my guests, hey put the phone away, you are being anti social.Its not fair.

i think its rude- unless you are a heart surgeon on call, its rude surely? i hate being out with friends or people come round and check constantly with their phone-even if its not beeping- that drives me crazy. not sure if this is rude, but i usually say one of the following with a nice smile...

who are you expecting a call from, anyone nice?

does he/ she (to the partner) do that all the time, doesn't it annoy you?

next time they come, say, please no mobiles, my partner isn;t so...

or text him TURN YOUR PHONE OFF NOW

I had a boyfriend once who used to put his phone on the table and watch it out of the corner of his eye. used to drive me NUTS. one day it drowned in a sea of water when i slipped with the jug:)

Ha ha! Network Guy I don't really mind that much, I think it's odd more than offensive really.

I also don't know how to change the password!