Microsoft Survey Shows Prevalence Of Obnoxious Mobile Phone Behavior

Continuing its marketing campaign against what it calls "bad mobile phone behavior," Microsoft Monday released the results of a survey illustrating how often people trip or walk into something while talking or texting, use their phones while on a romantic date, and even drop their phones in the toilet.

Microsoft debuted the results the day its Windows Phone 7 went on sale in the U.S. through AT&T and T-Mobile USA stores. The vendor has been touting Windows Phone 7's design as an antidote to bad behavior, saying it makes it easier to do more with fewer steps.

Recently Microsoft has been running television advertisements that depict clueless consumers using their mobile devices while oblivious to events around them.

Microsoft said it commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct the telephone phone survey "that shows how the mobile phone has infiltrated people's lives." The survey of 2,024 people age 18 and older was conducted Oct. 6-17 and Microsoft posted the results Monday.

The survey found that 72 percent of those surveyed consider bad mobile phone behavior to be one of their top 10 pet peeves, but only 18 percent admitted to engaging in such behavior themselves.

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So when is it inappropriate to use a mobile phone? Ninety percent said using a mobile device during a religious service, funeral wake or graveside service was a no-no and 82 percent said it was verboten at a wedding.

But using a mobile device in a public restroom apparently doesn't carry such a negative stigma. Only 48 percent said talking on a mobile device there was inappropriate and only 43 percent believed texting, e-mailing or Web surfing in a public restroom was a faux pas.

Almost two-in-five (38 percent) of those surveyed have used their mobile phones at the table while having dinner with family or friends. And while 85 percent said using their phone while on a romantic date was inappropriate, 24 percent admitted that they had done so (meaning there's a hint of hypocrisy among 9 percent of the survey respondents).

The survey found that phone owners between the ages of 18 and 24 were more likely than older users to engage in inappropriate behavior. Twenty-four percent in that age group have had their phone ring and disrupt a wedding, religious service or play. Almost half (49 percent) have tripped or walked into something while using their phone. And 19 percent of respondents between 18 and 24 have dropped their mobile phone in the toilet while using it in a restroom (only 6 percent of those age 25 and older have done so).