The wireless age

I've held my tongue long enough. What is it with our mobile society that makes it ok to do things previously unthought of? I'm talking about mobile phone etiquette.

I am not a regular mobile phone user. I used to be when work required it of me, but even then, I kept it under control. We now have a prepaid phone that stays in the glove compartment for emergencies like calling a tow truck when our car breaks down on a country road, calling 911 if we come upon an accident and for calling home from the grocery store to see if my wallet might be there because I just spent 30 minutes grocery shopping only to get to the register without means to pay for my stuff.

Question #1: Does anyone seriously believe it's alright to have a phone conversation in a public restroom? Yes, I've heard of, and am very good at, multi-tasking, but good grief! On almost a daily basis I find myself sharing restroom time with another man who thought that was the perfect time to "close the deal." Do you know what I do? I purposely start flushing so that it becomes apparent to the person on the other end that the seemingly very important call is being conducted FROM THE TOILET. There's a reason phone jacks are installed near desks and not in public restrooms.

Question #2 (and one I'll probably catch flack over): What's the deal with those Bluetooth wireless receiver things? Let me preface this by saying that I know several people who use them for legitimate reasons, and for the reason I understand the devices were created - hands-free communication while driving (and apparently, for some, while using the restroom - refer to Question #1). What I don't get, and may need some help on, is this: did I miss the issue of GQ and Cosmo where it was announced to the world that they are now a fashion accessory in addition to a hands-free device? ...because that's what it looks like to me. I just don't get the people that have them on their ear but don't look like they even have a cell phone.

Two cases in point: I was refilling a drink at the soda fountain at McDonald's recently when the man next to me said "Dude, where is that guitar store at again?" I didn't think anything of it because I thought he was surely talking to someone via his jumbo earring (Bluetooth). Again he asked, but this time grabbing my shoulder "Dude, where is that guitar store at?" Apparently he was talking to me, a stranger, the whole time. How silly of me to assume he was carrying on a phone conversation. Another time I saw a young couple at the store looking at furniture, both wearing one. I half expected them to call each other to discuss which fabric would best match their curtains at home.

Sorry to cut this short, but a carrier pigeon just landed on my car with a message to call my wife.