A recent trip to the airport sat me right in a mess of a certain type of people that I don’t run into very often. As soon as I stepped into the threshold of the airport I was surrounded by them, crazy people walking around talking to themselves. They appeared to be having full conversations, hand gestures and all. Even at the counter these people continued to talk to thin air, getting bad looks from the airline ticket agent.

“Excuse me?” the ticket agent would say. And as quick as the question was asked, a single ‘one sec’ finger extended in the air to the dismay of the attendant.

Then the crazy person would start talking in a stronger tone of voice about some big contract. The ticket agent didn’t have the time with the line growing longer, so she grabs the woman’s id from her hand, and pulls her bag up over the counter. She hands the woman a ticket and she walks away, still talking to the air, not seeming to even notice what went on around her. The agent could have checked the woman’s purse if she wanted to.

After a few strange run ins I figured out what the hell was wrong with these people. They were on their phones talking to someone else at another airport going through the same type of stuff I just saw in front of me. These lost souls were zombies walking around connected to an electronic universe none of us can see.

This makes me kind of sad. I’m not that old but I remember a day when people looked forward to good service, when they would look those who were helping them along their way in the eyes and be grateful. I recall people striking up conversations in line, and joking about lifes problems. This has all gone out the window to be replaced by screen lit faces all saying random words that mean nothing while typing with one hand and sipping latte with the other.

I am as tech savvy as anyone, and I love gadgets. I have a cell phone and I use it, but I practice retraint so that I may also experience the world around me. It is important to have human interaction face to face or you lose your personality to the bland communications of faceless cell phone and countless email messages. The communication network has its place, but its place is not everywhere all the time.

So, to do my part against this lame phenomenon, I refuse to do business with anyone who I see using any type of BlueTooth device. You have every right to own and use one, but not in my presence, or anywhere I happen to be. You may be thinking, “I have no business with this fool, I will talk to the air!” but I assure you that one day, you will have business with me. And if you give me the ’shh’ finger, I will break it right off your hand.

Pleasure doing business with you.