Sunday Morning News

Cell Phone Users Pushing All the Wrong Buttons in San Francisco

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's nearly impossible to go anywhere these days without witnessing someone talking on a cell phone. The right to talk is not being questioned, it's the "anywhere" that's raising controversy.

CNN's Kim Hunter reports on what officials in San Francisco want to do about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a popular pose, the cell phone to the ear. But it's pushing the wrong buttons of some of San Francisco's top brass. City officials say they're tired of hearing cell phones ring in meetings and are fed up with watching people speak wirelessly in public.

MICHAEL YAKI, SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISOR: There's no good reason why, in any legislative chamber, someone should be talking on a cell phone. You're there to listen to the business of government, not find out what your stock quote is or what movie you want to go see.

HUNTER: So Supervisor Yaki and Mayor Willie Brown have started throwing cell phone gabbers out of meetings and are asking museums, restaurants, theaters, and other public places to ban cell phones.

MAYOR WILLIE BROWN, SAN FRANCISCO: I think that San Francisco will become the standard on the appropriate use of cell telephones.

HUNTER: And some of the city's busiest restaurants are joining the caller crackdown. At Moose's Cafe and Bar, cards on the tables read, "No cellular phones, please." Even people who say they wouldn't be caught dead without their phones are taking calls outside and praising the new policy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been in restaurants where there's two or three people on the phone talking, and it really disturbs other people, you know?

ED MOOSE, MOOSE'S CAFE AND BAR: People around them were looking over and saying, Why is this guy talking to his broker, or his, you know, the tennis partner? Why isn't he enjoying his food? We didn't come here to listen to that.

HUNTER: While some cell phone users refuse to change their ways, others say wireless etiquette is key.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Couple of weeks ago when we went to the ballet, somebody's -- in the middle of this beautiful dance number, somebody's cell phone rang. I mean, you know, I mean, come on, it's very annoying.

HUNTER (on camera): San Francisco isn't the only city urging cell phone users to hang it up. Dozens of cities across the country are considering laws restricting cell phone use while driving. But so far, there have been no outright bans.

Kim Hunter for CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com