Jenny and her long-distance boyfriend have been fighting a lot recently, so she decided to drive five hours to talk to him face-to-face last night, then left at 4 a.m. this morning for her 9:05 class.

Mike says he's drinking way too much. He failed a class last semester, and he's already worried about what's happening with things this semester.

Carrie keeps getting urinary tract infections, but she just got some medication at Ritenour and hopefully that works. I don't know these people. In fact, these aren't even their real names (I don't think), but this is just a sample of the things I have overheard from people talking on their cell phones recently -- obviously having no qualms sharing their most personal of information to anyone and everyone who might be within earshot.

I really have to question the sanity of these people when they get on a sardine-packed Blue Loop and discuss the details of how they cheated on their boyfriend last weekend.

I understand that the definition of privacy has been blurred recently. A lot of people have pictures and personal information on their MySpace or Facebook pages and apparently don't care who sees, which is fine with me. But, here's the difference. I'm not subjected to harrowing details of your weekend binge on your Facebook account if I don't want to be. But, sitting in the computer lab working on a paper, or riding the bus, I'm stuck and held as a captive audience member to the drama that is your life. This all got me to thinking about the etiquette of cell phone use -- obviously something most people need a course in -- so I spoke with Charles Purdy, the author of the book Urban Etiquette (Wildcat Canyon Press, 2004) to see if he might be able to shed some light on the topic. Purdy seems to put these people into two categories, with the first being the attention seekers. "Some people who talk loudly and ostentatiously on cell phones are merely seeking attention" Purdy said. "They're saying 'Look at me! I have a phone! And I have friends! And I have an interesting, fabulous life - just listen!'" Although there are a certain number of people who fall into this category, I don't think too many people are seeking attention for their latest infection. But, we all know someone like this; they are usually the most over-dramatic of our friends. They are the ones calling us at 3 a.m. to give us the details of the 100th fight of the week they had with their boyfriend or girlfriend, and how this time, it's "really over." Purdy says the other group of people are just too self-absorbed. "Some people who misuse cell phones are simply inconsiderate of others," he said. "They have that all-too-common mindset, 'It's all about me. Who cares what other people think?'"

I actually think this is more often the case. For whatever reason, I believe most people are unaware that there is even a world outside of their own head. The thought that the person sitting next to them on the bus doesn't want to hear the disgusting details of the virus they just contracted never enters their mind.

But, as Purdy pointed out, maybe the most important thing to consider is we are probably not as important as we may think.

"Most of us are just not so important that we require constant access," he said. "I overhear plenty of cell phone conversations, and I have yet to hear one that sounded remotely urgent."

This is an age when we can contact people at any moment through e-mails, text messages and cell phones, and I understand that.

But, why do I have to be subjected to the importance of where you're going tonight?

I can understand if there's a special circumstance; your sister is pregnant and about to have her baby any minute, your dad is really sick, and you want to be in contact in case something happens. But let's be honest, 98 percent of the calls we make on a daily basis are unimportant. But here's an idea: How about we declare a no-cell phone day? Leave it at home and let's see if the world stops spinning -- I bet it won't. As Purdy reminds me, it's only recently that people have been able to have constant, instant contact with everyone they've ever met. Less than 10 years ago, people were known to go out for the evening and have no way to be contacted. Amazing, I know.

So, let's try it. I am hereby declaring Feb. 28 Leave Your Cell Phone at Home Day. It's a Wednesday, so you're not going to miss out on the location of some big party, and it's far enough from spring break that you won't miss any new plans. And I can guarantee that the professors on campus will be thrilled without the annoying cell phones ringing during their lecture. You're definitely going to miss some calls. But maybe after giving it some thought you'll realize they weren't that important after all.