Use Common Sense in Answering Phone

January 31 2002

In "We Have the Inalienable Right to a Quiet Dinner," (Commentary, Jan. 28), Robert Kuttner calls for the government to regulate something that people can regulate on their own: the use of their own telephone. If people are bothered by calls during a meal, or during a shower, or during lovemaking, or while sleeping at night, they can: Turn off the ringer; or let the machine or the voice mail take the call; or buy caller ID and don't answer unknown calls. So many people are slaves to their telephones. There is absolutely no reason to answer it if you are busy with something else. I don't answer the phone when it's inconvenient, and I doubt I have missed very many important calls. We don't need more government--we just need some common sense.

Ted Brown
Arcadia