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In the city of Norwich, in Britain’s Norfolk region, a plucky cafe owner has demanded that customers not engage in cell-phonery whilst ordering their beveragables. No big whoop, right? We see “get off your phone” signs all the time here in the Colonies. But according to the BBC, this is quite possibly the very first time ANY cafe in the UK has EVER done this, from Ipswich to Swindon, Leeds to London. That means that so far as Auntie Beeb’s concerned, your tax dollars are well-spent on making this headline news. They even ask an etiquette expert (!) for here sound opinion:

Darren Groom, 36, said he was “fed up” with people expecting him to “lip read” their order at his shop in Norwich.

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He has now put up signs telling customers they will not be served while using a mobile phone.

Liz Wyse, of etiquette experts Debrett’s, praised the “brave stand” taken by Mr Groom.

“This is one man battling against something that’s happening everywhere,” she said, “he is making quite a brave stand and I think he’s performing a public service in teaching people about manners.”

“Basic manners”, “One man’s battle”, and more starched-shirt outrage here via the BBC online. Learn more about the cafe in question, Little Red Roaster, by making friends with them here on Facebook.

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