Cell Phone World

Pet peeve: People who call someone on their cell to say, "I'll be there in five minutes." 

Suggestion: Don't call and just be there in five minutes.

I wonder if there's an inherited sense of duty when someone buys a cell phone that makes them feel they're obligated to use the technology to its fullest capacity.  As recent as the 90's, when we were five minutes away from being somewhere we just kept driving until we got there five minutes later.  Nothing bad happened (unless the pool boy was hiding in the closet).  Life continued on its path seemingly structured and orderly. 

This new ability to inform someone that you will be arriving in five minutes has not altered the way we go about our lives, has it?  (Other than having ample time to get the pool boy out of the house before you get home.)

So I wonder, does calling five minutes prior to getting home change the Just Got Home greeting?  Does calling moments before I get home decrease the effort I have to put into the kiss hello?  Does calling five minutes before I arrive reduce the pressure of providing a proper greeting (aka getting up off the couch)?  I suppose if it means you have time to put some pants on I'm all for it.  But the call should go like this: "Dude, I'm five minutes away - put some pants on." 

Those are the one-sided cell phone conversations I want to hear.