If you’re one of those people who can’t put their smartphone down, you may be guilty of distracted dining. It’s a habit that more and more local bars and restaurants are trying to break by encouraging patrons to check their smartphones in at the door.
The owner of Akbar's Own restaurant on West Broadway has joined a growing list of diners and bars embracing tech-free zones, and urging customers to put their digital devices away.
"While they're eating, they're still checking their messages. Did I get any email or messages?" said Amar Maroke.
Some restaurants even offer discounts to diners who turn in their phones. Others, like Score on Davie, encourage patrons to lock their devices away for the night.
A recent survey has found British Columbians are losing their patience with smartphone addicts. According to polling firm Insights West, 85 per cent of people surveyed said they dislike it when people use their smartphone during a meal with others. It’s a pet peeve that ranks right up there with distracted driving.
"The level of animosity towards people who use their smartphones at restaurants is almost as high, but of course we don't have a law for it," said Mario Canseco, Insights West pollster.
Forty per cent of 18 to 34 year olds polled admit to being guilty of using their smartphones at restaurants and 17 per cent admit to regularly taking photos of their food.
"They like to take every picture, every Instagram of where we're eating, what we're doing and they like to share," said Maroke.
A New York restaurant recently did an interesting experiment. It compared surveillance tapes from July 2004 to July 2014 and found the first thing customers do today when they get to the table is take out their phones. They take longer to order and spend several minutes taking photos of their food when it arrives. More than half ask the waiter to take photos of their group, and on average it takes them almost an hour longer to order and pay than it did a decade ago.
