Mobile phones in schools.

'What's new pussy cat? Can I join the ginger club?"
'Well I dunno Tom, you're kind of inky black there. Say what colour do you call that anyway?"
'You can call it Ebony Dream, for that's what I am.'
'Aren't you white? And of even lesser importance, Welsh?
'On the outside sugar- WOAH WOAH WHOAHYEAH- inside I'm the heart of darkness, watch me jiggle.'
'I dunno Tom, here on Ginger day we're pretty much booked up what with Carrot Top and now Scott who -under all that peroxide- is most surely a ginger.'
'Well sure honey-pie I dig-COME ONOWAH! but the skin, check out the skin. I need to slip you some...skin.'
'Humm, that does have a ginger glow to it.'
'OWA COME ON give it to me. I think I wanna dance now.'
'Argh, your hip just popped out of its socket.'
'DOn't worry sugar, with a quick bump and grind that baby'll pop straight back into my MY MY DELILAH-'
'Okay! if I make you a fully fledged member of the Ginger club will you bugger off. You're getting some sort of residue on my walls. What is that gunk?'
'That's my love aura. Once that baby envelops you your fires are lit Baby, and when The TOM lights fires they stay LIT!'
'Oh for the love of marmalade.'
'Ah yeah you know it. That right-ah!'


Happy Ginger day Chumlies!
Urgh, what a long week this turned out to be. But Avast! Ginger day is upon us and the weather appears to be brightening up-although it is drizzling right this second. Either way, yay to spring. Mr Blackbird has a new missus and I expect they'll be getting busy any day now and producing a new crop of birdies, my field/lawn appears to be growing again and there are buds on my bushes- which sound faintly smutty to me, but there you go.
Now, it's probably no secret to anyone here that I dislike mobile phones. Truthfully I dislike all phones, but even a dullard like me understands they are a necessary evil, my cats would eat carrier pigeons, plus I'm not sure I like pigeon any more than phones.
(My preferred contact is via email. I find this to be very civilized. Like letter writing but swift- and in my case legible, unlike my handwriting)
I'm not a complete wally, I know having a mobile in the car might be very useful should you break down miles from home or witness an accident, so it''s not like I"m against them completely. But in general I think they are the most hideous invention of this century.
My dislike of mobiles is due to many factors. Firstly I don't think anyone unless they are assassins or surgeons or heavily pregnant or waiting for an organ transplant, needs to be in constant contact with the world 24/7. I can think of nothing more ghastly.
Secondly there is the noise. Every bus ride, every gym, every restaurant, every public place is now populated by various utterly idiotic ringtones and bleeps and tinny songs and it's just so fucking annoying. I hate it, I really do, and because I hate it so it's the only sodding thing I notice.
Then there is the utter disrespect mobile users display to all and sundry, which leads me cheerily into today's hissy.
Observe, from the Irish Examiner.

"Gardaí in Croom, Co Limerick, declined to get involved in the matter after parent David Docherty contacted the local station.

Mr Docherty claimed school rules do not supersede the law and demanded the return of his son’s phone. He claimed the phone was confiscated after it “beeped” during class.
Mr Docherty also failed in his attempt to get the County Limerick Vocational Education Committee, which has overall responsibility for Coláiste Chiaráin, to get involved in his campaign.

School principal Noel Malone said the rule about mobile phones was implemented after detailed consultation between teachers, parents and management.

“With this rule there are no exceptions. There are a number of issues with regard to mobile phones in schools. There is the issue of integrity and staff need to be protected as phones can be used to take pictures.”

He also said the school has a very fair and reasonable policy on the matter.

Students can bring mobiles to school but must place them in lockers before going to class and can access them during breaks. If a student is found in breach of the rule, the phone is confiscated.

A sum of €26 has to be paid for its return that day. Otherwise it will be held by the school for four weeks.

Mr Malone said the phone confiscated from Mr Docherty’s son did not bleep, but gave off a full, loud ring in class.

“I have been principal for nine years and this is the first time there has been an effort to challenge the rule. Parents and students all sign up to the rules before coming to the college. Everybody is aware of them.”

Clap-clap! Take a bow Mister Docherty. Instead of telling your boy he shouldn't have brought his mobile into class-as per the rules- and serves him right, you try bring the law and VEC in. What a delightful sense of entitlement you and -naturally-your son must have, rules for thee but not for me. Golly, he will be a delight when he gets older, I"m sure. A real chip off the old block.

The school is absolutely right. In this day and age every single teenager seems to have a mobile, can you imagine trying to teach a class with bleeps and ring and vibrations going off every five seconds? Nightmare. I'd confiscate everyone of them too. Then I'd blunderbuss them into the next country. Which is probably why I'd never be a good teacher, what with carrying a blunderbuss around a lot.
Mobile phones, unless used sparingly and with GOOD REASON- I"m against them!
(also parents who are stupid gobshites, I"m against them too)