How Many Times Must the Cell Phones Ring . . .
May 13, 2009
before Gibbs loses his cool?
Actually, I think he’s being completely reasonable. I can’t see how you go into the White House Press Room without turning your cell phone off—or, after another reporter’s rings, you don’t double-check that yours is turned off.
The way I had received the story from the Beltway crowd, Robert Gibbs had flipped out.
But I don’t think his reaction was unreasonable, under the circumstances.
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May 13th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Japan allows the use of cell phone signal jammers.
U.S. federal regulators banned cell phone jamming. Gibbs is either for deregulation and a smidgen of freedom or he hears an occasional ringing cell phone as he instructs the Mainstream Media. His choice.
May 13th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Japan does not forbid cell phone jammers.
U.S. federal regulators do. Maybe Gibbs should complain to his boss about getting the regs changed.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:18 am
It would seem that good manners would be in order. At a White House press briefing, the simple courtesy of turning off your cell phone or even putting it in silent/vibe mode would be appropriate. I don’t like Gibbs or his boss but civilized behaviour is something that should be there regardless of politics.
And from above the Disbursing Office’s Leading Chief Petty Officer’s desk aboard USS Independence many years ago: Tact is the way of telling someone to go to hell and make them feel happy to be on their way.