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By grounded - This FML is from back in 2011 but it's good stuff - United States

Today, I went to dinner to meet my boyfriend's parents for the first time. I received a text message, so I pulled out my phone to check. Apparently, his parents have a "No phones at the table rule" and took my phone away until I could learn "proper table manners." FML
I agree, your life sucks 19 579
You deserved it 48 080
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Top comments

AeonForce 0

Are they one of those crazy families that sit in dead silence while they eat, too?

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Comments

theonlysweetpea 10

Besides OP only checked the damn text! I do that in church. You never know what might happen

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yellowzinnias 20

It IS rude to check your messages at the table, but it isn't the job of your boyfriend's parents to try to teach you that. Far too many people these days think they have a right to parent other people's children. What they should have done was POLITELY explain at the end of the evening that they had a rule about it so that you would know in the future. They had NO right to take your phone. If you paid for it, tell them you will press charges if they do not return it. If your parents paid for it, have them contact your boyfriend's parents and tell them the same thing. You may have been slightly rude, but they were WAY out of line.

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demonwolfmaster 26

ok where does it say she was texting she took her phone out to see who the text was fomr for heavens sake it could have been her dad saying mom was in a car wreck we have the rule in my house no phones but they should understand checking a text since i might be imortant

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HumanWiki 8

**** them. They can have my phone when they pull it from my cold dead hands.

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mintypoison 22

On the one hand, I have to agree with the parents. You are at THEIR home, and it's your boyfriends parents. I don't think my boyfriends parents have even seen my phone. But on the other hand, that's pretty messed up to take your phone. If you checked it multiple times, then yes, but not, it's not their place to take it from you.

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AmbrosiaWriter 17

Not everyone finds pulling out a phone to see who is texting/calling (basically checking to see if it is important) as rude, therefore it is unreasonable to assume everyone considers it as such. The parents should've informed her of the rule (actually her bf should've, but that's besides the point) the first time that she pulled it out, and then if she did it again they should've asked her to leave. Taking her phone away is theft, which, as far as I'm aware, is against the law - and considered really rude by a good number of people.

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megatherium 4

Every family has different rules, and if she was raised in an environment where texting at the table was acceptable, she would have had no way of knowing not to. Those parents were way out of line, and they should have simply informed her of the rule so that she would be aware of what to do in the future. Personally, I would have ignored the message, but I don't consider it to be rude to check, as long as she doesn't then ignore the conversation at the table to type out a lengthy response.

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mbrooks5110 0

It's rude anyway!!! You're at dinner with someone don't ignore then to use a damn phone.

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causticgirl 6

When you are in a new situation - with a group of people you don't know - you should always defer to what is accepted as good manners in polite society. IF you have extenuating circumstance, i.e. sick loved one, Dr. on call then simply explain yourself, excuse yourself and answer the text. If they are okay with your texting in their presence they will tell you. In this situation you should be more worried about a good impression, not chatting up your friends

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AmbrosiaWriter 17

Except there is no universal rule as what is considered "good manners in polite society." This isn't the Victorian Era where there were long books written about the subject and people went to school for it. In today's age, there are many different ideas of what is considered "polite" or "impolite." As far as I'm concerned, I'd prefer to be able to quick pull out my phone to see if it was important, then excuse myself after if I find that it was important. Sure, you have to be polite to the people you are with, but you also have to consider if the person who is trying to get in contact with you needs your attention immediately. For example, if my friend texted me (my phone gives me the first part of the text right on the screen before opening it) and I see "Emily: Shit! My car broke down and I..." I would then excuse myself from the table to read the entire text and then text/call her back. If that same friend texted me "Emily: Hey, what'cha up to?" I would stuff the phone back into my pocket and reply later. Not everyone texts for "casual" and calls for "emergency." I don't assume that they will, so I will quick glance at the screen then make the decision to excuse or ignore.

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causticgirl 6

Ever hear of Emily Post? Cotillion? Common sense? We use technology as an excuse for bad behavior all the time now days. I guess we are so self important that our friends couldn't possibly wait an hour until dinner is finished or MAYBE call someone else if there is an emergency????

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ArielTheMermaid 17

While you shouldn't have been checking your phone, they aren't your parents. Demand your phone back. :)

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linnie_wesker 20

Uh YDI without a doubt. You were meeting them for the first time and you were seriously going to sit there and text? Is that how sad the world is now?

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