Feeling important

And the post yesterday reminded me of something from the old mailing list. I think people who expect everyone to accept their tardiness just have an overblown sense of self-importance. Or they're idiots.

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Feeling important
12 February 2003


No sir, you're not that important.

This goes through your mind whenever motorcycle cops escorting some government official or another stop you. It's fine if it's the President or the VP; their positions deserve a modicum of respect and honor, but a city councilor or some other minor official has no right to hold up traffic like an ambulance or a fire truck.

No ma'am, you're not that important.

I was tempted to tell this to the lady behind me at the cinema the other day. Just like the minor official who uses a siren and bike cops, some people just think too highly of themselves. (Or maybe they're just plain dumb)

Before each screening there are reminders in every cinema to TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONES while watching the movie, or at least switch to silent mode. During plays someone even announces this onstage. Yet in the middle of a scene there will be that irritating "incoming text message" beep or worse, a ringing tone (Asereje, ja, de je...).

We're Filipinos, which today almost automatically means we're experts in any form of mobile technology, yet people just inconveniently forget how to switch to silent mode whenever they're in theatres. Some even inconveniently forget that they brought their cellphones with them, keeping that ringing tone ringing until they manage to rummage through their handbags (We are the cheeky girls...)

And after finding the damn phone, they have the gall to answer the call, speaking out loud as if they're talking to someone five feet away!

I was watching "Hero" last Sunday afternoon and just as the film reached its climax (Nameless is deciding whether to kill the king or not) and everyone was silent, a cellphone behind me rings. (The smile on your face lets me know...)

I look behind me, irritated and she pays no heed (probably because it was dark) to my scowl. She rummages through her handbag until she finds her phone. (Nameless was already flying through the air) She then answers the damn thing in a regular conversational tone (Oo. Nandito kami sa sine. Magkita tayo mamaya...).

Would it have killed her to drop the damn call and wait until the movie was over? Or maybe step out to answer it in the lobby? Was the call that important to merit spoiling the movie for everyone around her?

From what I overheard, it wasn't that big a deal. It's not like she was brokering some multi-billion peso contract or dealing with a life and death situation. She was an inconsiderate idiot whose equally inconsiderate (and probably also idiotic) friend called up to ask how she was.

At least those government officials, no matter how minor, serve me in some way or the other and have the traffic cops to warn us beforehand. She, without warning on a lazy Sunday afternoon just spoiled my fun in watching a good movie, all because her friend wants to chat.

No one is that important.