By Heather Matthews
Staff Writer

The masked hero of the movie rides in on his horse, ready to sweep the beautiful princess off her feet. He hops off his horse and bends down to whisper his true identity and feelings to the princess. But before the audience can hear the name, a loud ringing echoes through the theater and a poorly whispered “Hello” ruins the climactic moment of the film.

Rude cell phone use ­ it’s happened to all of us, and it’s happening more often. Most people don’t even notice they are doing it, said Megan Panicucci, the area sales manager for U.S. Cellular.

According to a recent Associated Press-American Online-Pew Poll, almost 90 percent of all cell phone users say they have encountered others using cell phones in an annoying or rude way. But, as the poll pointed out, only 8 percent of cell phone users acknowledge that their own cell phone usage is sometimes rude.

Panicucci, who manages New Hampshire and Southern Maine, said more people in the area are becoming “technology savvy and more confident in the abilities of cell phones.”

“Couple this with the fact that cell phones and their services are becoming more affordable, allowing people to spend more time using their phones,” Paniccuci said, and you have a lot of unaware rude cell phone users.

Randy Magoon, 25, of Manchester, said he uses his cell phone for everything. He has even given up his landline in favor of only having one phone bill and being able to be reached wherever he is. While Magoon said he appreciates the cell phone’s convenience and ease, he does not enjoy the annoyances they can lead to.

“People use them when they are driving and don’t pay attention,” he said. “There are always those loud cell phone talkers that use them in the wrong situations and the wrong places. They’re in the movie theaters, the library, but they should leave those places to answer the phone and talk on it.”

Cell phones aren’t just causing a ruckus in places that should be quiet. People are answering their phone in public places, holding private conversations at volumes that can be heard several feet away.

Maria Corpuz of Concord said while she stood in line at the DMV, a cell phone user answered a call with the phone’s speaker on, allowing everyone in the room to listen to herconversation.

“I think that when you are in line, near strangers or a generally quiet place, it’s annoying and inappropriate to hear someone yak,” she said.

In order to combat the growing number of obnoxious cell phone callers, etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore of the Protocol School of Palm Beach in Florida teamed up with cell phone companies in 2001 to name July as Cell Phone Courtesy Month.

Now, five years later, Cell Phone Courtesy Month is even more important, Paniccuci said.

“(Cell phone use) has really evolved in the course of the last few years,” she said. “Cell phones are being used more for personal, business and safety reasons . . . That makes cell phone courtesy even more important now.”

But not all cell phone owners are offenders. Ken Wolfe, co-owner of Concord’s Nathan Wechsler and Company, said he always makes it a point to be courteous on his cell phone.

“Sometimes I put it on vibrate instead of ring,” he said. “But more often, I just turn it off. When I’m with other people, I’m with other people. It’s not fair to the other person to be on the phone while you’re supposed to be with them. It’s just discourteous to be constantly interrupted with phone calls.”

It doesn’t take much to keep cell phone use courteous, Paniccuci said. It’s simple things such as setting a phone to vibrate that U.S. Cellular is trying to promote during Cell Phone Courtesy Month.

“Our primary message to customers during Cell Phone Courtesy Month is to consider their surroundings and others in the area,” she said. “It’s just that simple and easy.”