CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE

Please do not disturb the mammals is the message from Cingular Wireless. But the Atlanta-based telecom is not talking about the two-legged variety.

As part of its “Be sensible” public service campaign, created by public relations firm Ketchum in Atlanta to promote safe and courteous ways to use cell phones in museums, theaters and restaurants, Cingular is sponsoring “Masters of the Ocean Realm: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.”

The exhibit, featuring hands-on displays and walk-through dioramas showcasing the evolution, study and communications of cetaceans, opened last week at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Signage, created by designer Ari McBride, states, “A ringing phone may disturb some ofour most prestigious underwater guests,” referring to the life-sized models of whales, dolphins and porpoises on display.

“We’re wondering if people will be more courteous to the models than they are to each other,” said one Ketchum staffer.

It’s a start.