[Schneids]

OK with the story in question I was the person told to totally close my cell phone. Basically, my phone was open, but face down, on a table behind me 3 feet away. For me to view it, I would have to
a) turn my body 150-180 degrees.
b) be able to see through the phone to see the screen that is face down.

Canterbury says they want to "eliminate the appearance of collusion." I don't see how making me totally close the phone, as described above, is helping to achieve that.

If that is the goal, what is next? Saying you can't have chips placed on your cards to protect them (because chip placement is often used in collusion)? Deciding you cannot speak at all when a hand is in play because vocalization is another way to collude?

I've played at a lot of places, rules aren't necessarily a bad thing -- but blind enforcement of rules without any sense of judgment is only going to alienate your player base Canterbury, and before long when the new card club opens in the northern suburbs the players may flock to where they feel less like they're at a boarding school and more like where they're at a place that they get treated like adults.