If the woman needed her privacy why would she be "shouting" to start with?

Way to call people on their behavior. Amy you've got balls. I hope you take that as the compliment it is intended to be.

My wife works in customer service at a soon-to-be-defunct grocery chain. Her management wouldn't even let them put up a no cell phone sign for fear of offending the boors. Never sticking up for your employees, even when they are right, must not be a recipe for success.

The world is not short of morons who cash checks while carrying on a really important cell phone conversation and walk away without bothering to count their change. I don't have that much confidence in the math skills of those who staff our service businesses, but I seem to be a minority.

I would like to see them legalize cell hone jammers for private industry. Those who used them would get my business.

I wonder if people would be more polite if they realized they'd be featured on the #1 blog among advice-giving deities. No, probably not.

At my daughters daycare they used to teach the kids to use their "inside voices."

Maybe a nice sign at a place of business asking cell-phone users to use their inside voices would resonate with some of the troglodytes.

What's really obnoxious is when cell phone talkers/shouters lose their connection and start yelling "Hello? HELLO???" Don't you just want to give them a nice, big cup of STFU?

I wonder if people would be more polite if they realized they'd be featured on the #1 blog among advice-giving deities. No, probably not.

Unfortunately, she dashed out before I could tell her she was a blog item for today or get her picture (which I would only take as she's outside the place).

That term "rudewad" - I do love it so.

Unfortunately, she dashed out before I could tell her she was a blog item for today or get her picture

Why would you post her picture if she quieted down when asked?

1) What does the woman's size have to do with this?

2) The most effective technique is to comment/join in on the discussion. If they say something, I smile wanly and say "you think I'm the only one who heard all that?"

The advantage of this technique is it gets them thinking about their behavior - and the obvious laws of physics - rather than writing you off as a crank.

Why would you post her picture if she quieted down when asked?

She actually was really rude and quite nasty, but probably realized I was right. I cut the details of her nasty response because it was boring.

And her size is a description of her. If she doesn't want to be described as big, loud, and purple-wearing, she should lose weight and wear off-white.

Austin has "turn your phone off for service" type signs literally everywhere. I like it. I like the idea of joining in the conversation-I'm going to try that!

"(I flirt with everyone -- man, woman, or dog.)"

I dub thee an honorary Southern Belle.

I went to Disneyland this past weekend. I took my daughters and my grandson for his second birthday. Since I just had spinal fusion surgery about 6 weeks ago I opted to go in a wheelchair because 1) I knew it would be extremely crowded; and 2) I was worried someone might push me in the back. The upside to this was going to the front of the line on most of the attractions, the downside was the fact that people are completely oblivious to people in wheelchairs. I was shocked! They would look directly at me and still cross in front of me, or even worse, just stop to wait for their group, or point and converse about something. We were there for 3 days, by the second day I was calling people on their behavior. I have always been cognizant of people in wheelchairs because my mom has spent so many years in and out of one. It was surprising to me to be on the receiving end of that type of behavior.

What annoys me more are the morons who drink their Starbucks coffee (or soda) in their car, and then pour out the unused portion on the drivers side of a parking space somewhere else for the next person to step in as they exit their car (and countless people after that until the rain washes the sticky mess away).

I'd like to track one of these jerks down and pour some stale coffee/soda on their doorstep.

Many of these rudesters are in fact simpletons who think they need to "help" their cellphones by talking loudly -- like they were holding a can with a string through the bottom, or something.

I flirt with babies, whose smiles I consider public property!

I'm 6'4" and still retain my ex-bodybuilder lines. People could be intimidated, but because I'm very friendly and, like Amy, flirt with and engage everyone I see...man, woman, kids, pets, etc...I get smiles and interaction. I've met lotsa great people this way, have been given many free things like restaurant meals from servers, hotel upgrades, airline upgrades, and more.

I don't ask for or expect these things, they're just a side effect of doing the right thing. It's easier on yourself and on the people you cross paths with to be courteous and kind. Giving rude people the beat down, either directly or by example, goes along with that.

Point of all this is Amy's crusade has direct benefits for everyone on an individual and group level. We'll never get rid of rudeness, but it's worth pushing the rude-o-meter back toward courtesy...with carrot AND stick.

I'm 6'4" and still retain my ex-bodybuilder lines.

It's amazing, the way things turn out to be with people. I had a couple friends in college who could look very intimidating, but who turned out to be two of the nicest people that I met.