First councils ban smoking, now cafes move to ban mobile phones

COUNCILS have already banned dogs and cigarettes from cafes, but some cafe owners are going a step further and putting mobile phones on the black list.

In a backlash against what they call "the height of rudeness", business owners are enforcing a no-talking-on-phones policy.

Customers in one Sydney cafe are confronted with a sign showing a mobile in a red circle with a slash through it. It reads: "Please do not order take-away coffee whilst on your mobile phone. Thank you."

Bondi cafe Katipo's owner Ben Soutter said he was fed up with customers who refused to stop their phone calls to place orders.

"The catalyst for me was when a lady got the s***** when I asked if she wanted large and if she wanted sugar in her coffee," he said.

"She sighed and said 'Hang on' to the person on the other end of the phone."I gave her a look that made it clear I was not impressed.

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