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Thubbing - are you guilty?

(29 Posts)
dorsetpennt Mon 05-Aug-13 09:08:47

Thubbing is the name given to those people who constantly check their mobile phones for texts and e-mails during social occasions. Like weddings, dinner parties and so forth. Brought to mind a story told to me by a colleague at work.
Her lawyer daughter [lives in London] went on a first-time date with another lawyer she worked with in town. He took her to an extremely good restaurant and she was prepared to enjoy herself. She did not. He constantly received and made calls and texts during the meal, he also 'table-hopped' throughout . During this table-hopping he actually sat down with some friends and shared a glass of wine with them leaving the young lady stranded. She rose and gestured she was going to the loo but instead she caught a cab and went home.
The next morning he tackled her about this and accused her of being rude leaving after HE had treated her to a lovely meal. He was incredulous when she told him the reason why.

merlotgran Mon 05-Aug-13 09:11:43

I'm just the opposite. I usually notice a text or voicemail about four days after it was sent and is completely out of date.

shysal Mon 05-Aug-13 09:18:36

Height of bad manners in my opinon! Members of my family are guilty of this passtime. I have a basic mobile phone which stays firmly in my pocket when in company.

petallus Mon 05-Aug-13 09:22:14

I have a lovely Blackberry which gets my e-mails as well as texts and also allows internet access.

I do check it quite often when I'm out but not when having lunch/dinner with friends.

I also forget all about it for a day or two every now and then.

Nelliemoser Mon 05-Aug-13 09:22:15

Not me either. My sister and DD complain I don't look at my phone enough.
I hope the woman really told her colleague/date exactly where he went wrong! It sounds as if he is too full of his own importance.

LizG Mon 05-Aug-13 09:28:39

We have had a number of family crises recently so I have become guilty of 'thrubbing' recently although I hate it. I think I should have thrown his mobile 'phone into his Pavlova Dorsetpennt

sunseeker Mon 05-Aug-13 09:58:58

I always have my mobile phone on me but very rarely check it and on several occasions have arrived home and when taking the phone out of my bag notice I have several missed calls or messages.

Bags Mon 05-Aug-13 10:03:23

Or drowned it in his wine, liz? grin Like your style!

Ana Mon 05-Aug-13 10:10:30

No I am not. Like sunseeker, I regularly forget about mine and miss messages - sometimes the battery's run out altogether...blush

merlotgran Mon 05-Aug-13 10:13:40

Who came up with the word, Thubbing?? hmm

Nonu Mon 05-Aug-13 10:29:08

Australia ? anyway there has been a campaign imported from there to try and stamp it out.

Thrubbing is a wee bit rude really !!!

Ariadne Mon 05-Aug-13 13:51:05

It shows complete and utter bad manners! I love my phone, iPod, iPad etc, but hope I know when to put them away. She is well rid of him.

ginny Mon 05-Aug-13 14:00:52

Certainly bad manners. I have a rule that no 'phones are allowed at the meal table , at home or in resturants. Of course mobiles can be very usefull but much of the time they are a great intrusion.

ninathenana Mon 05-Aug-13 15:04:44

According to BBC breakfast the word is phubbing.
DD is guilty of this. I don't think I am. I certainly don't use mine at meal times, and tend to have it on silent when with friends.

glammanana Mon 05-Aug-13 15:10:51

The height of bad manners and I can't believe the chap concerned was surprised at the outcome.I never have my mobile switched on now I am not that important that people need to get in touch every few minutes,if they want me they know where I live.

wisewoman Mon 05-Aug-13 17:26:59

We were recently having a lovely meal in a very nice hotel and noticed the couple at the next table had their iPhones placed opposite each other. Every so often throughout the meal they checked and responded to messages. I couldn't believe they could spoil a lovely dinner like that. Instead of looking into each others eyes they constantly scanned their phones. What a world!

henetha Mon 05-Aug-13 17:39:31

Mostly I'm not guilty.... only occasionally! But I know a couple of people, -no names!- who definitely are and it's darned annoying after a while.

nanaej Mon 05-Aug-13 18:08:05

Only have my mobile sound on if expecting a call. Otherwise I check it at set times and most people I know well are aware of this. Never have mobile out when eating! How rude!!

Ariadne Mon 05-Aug-13 19:05:07

I don't think there is any great virtue in switching your phone of etc. the virtue is to use it appropriately and effectively. Adapting to the times is essential.

nanaej Mon 05-Aug-13 19:10:48

Policy at work was not to access phone except at break times..I have kept that up unless I am out and about rendevous-ing with people, someone is ill or expecting a baby to arrive!

Ariadne Mon 05-Aug-13 19:18:07

I just don't want to be the sort of older person who thinks it clever not acknowledge the advantages of modern technology - I meet so many who smugly say they don't really know how to turn the computer on, they don't understand this or that - and they disapprove of Facebook even if they have no idea what it's about and have never looked at it. (OK, so that's another issue, and just used for illustration)

Most of us on GN are au fait with technology to various extents, otherwise we wouldn't be doing this, of course. And we are intelligent enough to use it to our own advantages, I hope.

I suppose it's to do with not getting stuck in a rut. "Choose your rut carefully, you may be in it for a long time."

absent Mon 05-Aug-13 20:47:48

I am au fait with technology but I don't want to be accessible every minute of every day so I don't have a mobile phone. I also dislike their little keypads. Mr absent has one and that does for both of us.

Judthepud2 Mon 05-Aug-13 22:10:38

My (soon to be ex) SIL 3 is the worst I have ever encountered at this. It is really aggravating and has contributed to the breakdown of the marriage. He is always texting or speaking on the phone but can't be bothered communicating with DD. When she complains, it is all her fault! She is doing his head in. Pah!

janeainsworth Mon 05-Aug-13 22:20:32

Absent having a mobile doesn't make you accessible every minute of every day.
DD2 has a mobile, but it is usually lost, switched off, run out of charge, or she simply chooses not to answer it. She is rarely accessible, but finds her mobile useful for summoning assistance in her various crises.
They can be jolly handy too when someone finds they have inadvertently got on the wrong trainwink
Ariadne Quite agree about the elderly luddites!

Butty Mon 05-Aug-13 22:21:05

I'm fairly up to speed with technology, and own a basic mobile, but have no connection where I live. Consequently, I rarely take it out with me because I forget that I might go to an area where there is a connection. I simply don't see it as a part of my life.