Look Who's Talking

I have noticed a new social dilemma that has resulted from the iPhone.

The headset on the iPhone looks exactly like the famous iPod headset with one minor difference...it has a tiny little microphone and button embedded in the right earphone cord. So when I am walking down the street with my iPhone, on a call, people look at me very strangely because I seem to be carrying on one end of a conversation but they don't see a phone anywhere...not even a bluetooth headset or anything. They assume I am talking to the voices in my head I guess. (see post below to see that that I really do have voices in my head)

Today it took a new twist. I was at a store picking up something for Carla and was speaking with her on my iPhone to be sure I got the right thing. The cashier at this store knew I was on the phone so she didn't think I was talking to myself, but because she couldn't see the "phone" she couldn't tell when I was talking to her and when I was talking to Carla...

I never realized how important a social gesture the phone to your head has become...it is a clear sign for no one to talk to you because you are talking to someone else....remove the "phone to head" gesture from the equation and mass confusion ensues.

It's strange and I never noticed it before the iPhone. Anyone else having this problem?