Mobile phones

Freya5

Most annoying , and damned rude, went into a local shop to return some goods, woman behind counter, ear pods in,talking away to goodness who, and never stopped all the time she was serving me. Needless to say won't go there again.

Staggeringly rude and ill-mannered!

Lots of older people do it too - especially those who are a bit deaf I think. Their phone ring is very loud (and usually annoying), they take forever to find their phone and answer it and then have a 'nothing' conversation confirming they are in the shop/cafe/library, getting bread/coffee/a book and will be home in 20 minutes/1 hour/when they feel like it. Alternatively have a very long discussion about a grandchild, sometimes on video.

Although that may be better than the discussion that was forced on to us a few days ago where two women sitting beside us were discussing in very loud voices their reoccurring UTIs, including symptoms and general management.

Lovemylife

I was at a talk recently where a member of the audience (70ish) didn’t have her phone on silent, and then when it rang proceeded to have a long conversation. Unbelievable!
On another occasion we went to the theatre and found it was full of noisy teenagers. However, as soon as the lights dimmed there was complete silence. Not one phone or toffee wrapper to be heard for the entire performance.

I too experienced this when we saw War Horse recently. The book is on the ciriculum and the theatre was full of teenagers. Teachers were taking phones off them and when the play started, there was silence amongst the audience. I was impressed. I’ve experienced worst behaviour from adults at the theatre .

I have the feeling that people who hold loud conversations on mobiles think that they are impressing those around them.

It's difficult to explain - I'm not talking about individuals chatting away quietly in deep conversation, who look totally absorbed in the discussion, but those like AreWeThereYet described who insist that those around them are party to their dialogue.

Like the man on the train once explaining in great detail in a very loud voice the precise stops between Waterloo and Richmond-change-at-Clapham Junction, who had clearly undertaken this journey on a regular basis... "we're nearing the Junction now , do you think Richard is going to bring Bev with him this time, how is she after her trip to Portugal, the platform's crowded tonight on the down-line, what about Harry...". I realised that whoever he was talking to said very little - he or she was basically a prop for his performance. A performance which I felt was meant to impress us with the fact that he.had.a.very.busy.social.life. and knew lots of people, and that one of them needed a blow-by-blow account of his journey to wherever from wherever.

I've been on a train and watched woman sitting opposite me phone her workplace and tell a convoluted story about why she was going to be late.
Delays, then no train service between this station to that one, with a bus put on instead.

All total lies, and she didn't bat an eyelid.

petra

Some might have noticed ( on here) that I can sometimes 😂 be a tad sarcastic.
I would have been very tempted to say to her ^could you turn it up a bit luv, I missed that last bit^

That is brilliant!

biglouis

The last uni I worked in a uni (early 2000s) mobile conversations were banned in the library. It was text only or airplane mode. Other students did not hesitate to enforce the rules. There were mobiles but few smartphones then. I wonder if the same library is so quiet now.

Its also a long time since I have used public transport (apart from taxis) but I have asked people to turn noise and music down in the past using my "teacher" voice. I have also not hesitated to discipline noisy children from running around the carriage on a long train journey.

Good one! My friend A who is very like you in her approach, went up to a teenage school girl on the bus who was taking up 2 seats with herself and bag, removed the bag, gently put it on the floor and sat down. She is in her 80s and the girl looked flabbergasted! She certainly wasn't going to argue.

I remember seeing a play on TV when a man goes to rob a bank or post office. He has a gun (or something that looks like one) hidden in a paper bag, He points it at the assistaant (who is chatting on the phone) and tries to say something to get her attention. She snaps "Do you mind! Im on the phone". He is so disoriented that says sorry and leaves.

So rude.