10 Situations Where You Should Absolutely Put Away Your Cell Phone

We have become far to lax as a society when it comes to when and where we pull out our cell phones. Funerals should be a no-brainer when it comes to the 'no phone zone' but resorting to our smart devices have become so second nature, most people don't even realize they are doing anything wrong. When you're at a funeral, remember that you are there to offer comfort to the grieving family and your focus should be on them instead of your next move on Words With Friends. If you insist on having your phone with you, at least make sure the ringer is turned off and your phone is completely silenced. No one wants to hear the obnoxiously distorted hook of your favorite Top 40 jam. Oh, and under NO circumstances should you be taking pictures, of ANYTHING. As a matter of fact, just leave your phone in the car.

A first date is all about first impressions. Unless you want that impression to be that you are rude, inconsiderate and addicted to your cell phone, then make sure it doesn't make an appearance. "Oh you like rom-coms? So do I! That's so crazy because just the other day .... oh ... wait, hold on .. one sec .... omg, my friend just posted the craziest picture to Instagram, LOL" - Focus on your date, or the boat will sink before it leaves the dock. If it's an absolute emergency type of situation, then politely excuse yourself and take the call outside. We'll revisit cell phones and relationships again later on in this list.

The day that cell phone use is allowed and encouraged in movie theaters, is the day that I will stop going to movie theaters. In addition to the obnoxiously bright screen, the beeps, the clicks, the swooshes and the dings, I have seen people have the audacity to ANSWER phone calls during a movie, and carry on a conversation as if no one else was there trying to enjoy a $9 movie. With movies being so pricey, wouldn't quality time with whoever you are texting be much cheaper? Plus you could communicate in person and not ruin the movie for everyone else. Speaking of hanging out with people in 'real life'.. that brings me to my next item.

Nothing screams "I don't give a *$#% about what you're saying right now" more than pulling out your cell phone in the middle of personal communication with another human being. Again, it has become habit, and I for one am extremely guilty of this one. Just because you can carry on two conversations at once doesn't negate the fact that it's extremely rude. Also, this isn't a good idea when the person on the other end of the conversation is a police officer, or even worse, your boss. Take note.

Sometimes texting while walking can be just as dangerous as texting while driving. From face planting into light poles and concrete, to wandering into oncoming traffic - cell phone use on sidewalks are quite the problem. One woman even fell off of a pier due to texting while walking. In addition to the danger, when people aimlessly wander about in slow motion while texting, or even worse, coming to a complete stop just to send a text or make their next purchase on Farmville. If you wanna text on a sidewalk, then pull over, or GET OUT OF THE WAY!

There's a reason why they call it vacation. You are supposed to vacate the hustle and bustle of your everyday normal life. Escape for a spell. By bringing your phone along, it's just a distraction to what you should be focusing on, vacation. I once went on a cruise and had ZERO cell phone/computer access for 7 days. Best vacation I've ever been on. Unless you are completely unreachable, you aren't truly on vacation. Multiply this entry times 1000 if it's a couples vaca or a honeymoon!

Even though cell phones have seemingly replaced magazines and other reading material when it comes to an extended stay in the bathroom, you should really think twice before mixing your cellular life with your bathroom life. Think about all the "almost" moments you have experienced with your phone falling in the tub, toilet or the sink. Also, think about every celebrity nude that has leaked onto the web? Now think about where the majority of those pictures are taken? Exactly. Avoid water damage and reputation damage by keeping your phone out of the restroom. Especially if its a public one! (eww)

As if walking in late wasn't embarrassing enough, now we have cell phones to interrupt the deepest moments of worship in church. There is nothing like hearing "The Mexican Hat Dance" ringtone blaring throughout the high ceilings of a cathedral on any given Sunday. What's even worse, is the majority of church-goers happen to be older people who aren't too tech savvy, so for them, putting their phone on 'silent' is harder than long division. Also, nothing screams 'I don't wanna be here' more than browsing the web while you should be paying attention to the good Word of the Lord. Just leave your phone at home or in the car. Amen

The statistics speak for themselves. Texting while driving, or shifting your focus away from the road to do ANYTHING while driving for that matter, is dangerous. I can personally remember a few close calls that gave me the wake up call I needed. Most vehicles come with speech to text recognition as well as bluetooth capabilities, which does help a bit, but things happen so fast on the roads, that it's always good to have 100% of your focus in one place. The road.

The one place that ANY and ALL cell phone activity should absolutely be outlawed is during those most intimate moments. Trust me when I say your partner won't appreciate you answering text messages while they are trying to get their freak on. It's already awkward enough when your phone obnoxiously rings during the deed (see: "Mexican Hat Dance" ringtone), so don't make it worse by actually picking up the device. Never, and I mean NEVER, pick up the device during sex. Ever. FOREVER. Trust me when I say, it can and should wait.