A popular lunch spot in Bakersfield is tired of customers being on their cell phones while trying to order. Jake's Tex Mex in Downtown Bakersfield said customers are suffering from cell phoneitis and causing long lines. The management has banned customers from being on cell phones while in line to order.
"We've had a major problem with all our customers coming in here and they would be on their cell phone and we would be trying to get the orders through our line," Jake's Tex Mex manager Tom Tomlison said. "The customers would say wait a mintue, hold on, I have a phone call, and our line would back up."
The restaurant says some customers suffer from cell phoneitis, a very scientific term for cell phone addicts.
"They have a condition where their phone is basically stuck to their head and they just can't put it down for one minute to do anything in order to order food," Tomlison said.
To solve the problem, Jake's put up an oversized sign in front of the food line that asks customers suffering from cell phoneitis to put the phone away before ordering. The sign has become sort of a running joke in the restaurant, but customers don't mind the ban if it means shorter lines.
"What did we do before cell phones?," customer John Hannum said. "We got through life just fine without them."
"When you're in line just put your phone away and while you're talking to someone else go ahead and use your cell phone as you please," customer Billie Joel Padilla said.
The restaurant said the sign has helped customers become more aware of over using their cell phone. It has become so popular that a couple local doctors and insurance offices have puchased them too.
