"Fighting Back" Against Obnoxiously Loud Cell Users

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.draplindustries.com/archives/000594.html' target='_blank'>http://www.draplindustries.com/arch...ves/000594.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"That's right. We're tired of having to listen to your loud, obnoxious conversations. We don't care about yer new haircut or what "he" might have said to you the night before. (We couldn't believe it either!) It doesn't interest us in the least whether or not you are going to attend the company Christmas party or when you need to pick up yer ugly kids from soccer practice. Nope. Don't want to hear it. We're fighting back."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20041208-FightingBack.jpg" /><br /><br />There's a <a href="http://www.draplindustries.com/pics/Shhh.pdf">PDF you can download and print out</a> that has little handy cards like this that you can hand to people who don't realize how sensitive their cell phone microphones are (or, for that matter, don't know appropriate places to use their phone). As a daily above-ground rail commuter, I can truly appreciate this, although I don't think I'm brave enough to hand these out yet. ;) Nevertheless, the PDF is quite well-done and some of the cards are really funny.

[dangerwit]

Ahhh! Post-modern oppression, you gotta love it. Wait until you hand this card to someone who is hearing-impaired (or talking to someone who is), or you get a card because someone thinks your haircut is terrible. Can't we just 'walk away' anymore? Does everyone have to be so dramatic? :?

I think it sucks when someone is selfish enough to be loud and obnoxious on their phone in close quarters, but if you can't get up and walk away, why not try to set an example and not stoop to their level?

(Just finished a bowl of Frosted Bitter Flakes, sorry guys) :)

*Phil

[Janak Parekh]

you get a card because someone thinks your haircut is terrible
Hey, that's not a bad idea. :lol:

Can't we just 'walk away' anymore? Does everyone have to be so dramatic? :?
In all seriousness, there's something about hearing a one-sided conversation that makes it far more annoying than anything else. People also tend to be much louder than they have to. And, trust me, there are many situations where you can't walk up and get away. I'm not advocating that you must hand out these cards, but I thought it was a cute, nonaggressive concept. :P

--janak

[Tierran]

Well, I'm sure I deserve a stack of the things. Personally I don't care about people talking on the phone in public. If I want peace and quiet I'll go into my home and blast my music ;)

Its really funny, I think. But also goes both ways.

[Default]

I'm totally going to do it.

[Kaber]

Things used to be better when people were actually willing to employ violence.

[Phoenix]

Those are hysterical! I've got to print some of those out! :lol: :lol:

[x999x]

I'd probably be more insulted than "enlightened" by one of these cards, and I'd associate the person handing these out as the same person who took up Hall Monitor in grade school.

I don't know about you, but I hate Hall Monitors, and after school, they all learned to run very, VERY fast to the safety of their parents.

[PR.]

Personally I'd find a bucket of water with their phone at the bottom a bigger deterrent.

There is no reason what so ever to have to shout down a phone at someone especially in public (Train, Street, Shops etc.) the recipient has a volume control and they can use it.

This card should also cover those idiots who have their ringer on ridiculously loud as if they leave their phone in the car but have it loud enough that they can still hear it in the office. Then of course they just leave it on the desk so every person in a 3mile radius can hear some worthless tune playing over and over and over again.

People with noisy phones and poor phone manners are the people who need to be more ******* considerate not the people minding their own business making the mistake of sitting near you, :evil:

[dMores]

haha :)

i love 'em.

but ... i guess i'm just too chicken.

i'd rather hand out cards to place under windshieldwipers to tell off car drivers who park their car without thinking of the rest of the world who's desperately trying to get a parking space and driving in circles for almost an hour last night at 11pm ...


good design as well.

[wardseward]

Personally, I'd be more likely to purchase one of those short range cell phone jammers you see online and just keep it in my backpack.

I'd only use it on the really annoying people, because most cell phone talkers don't bother me. It's just the really loud ones that wake me up from my deep train sleep.

Oh...and those ignorant people that keep talking on their phone while at the cashier when you are in line at the store. I mean come f'n on! Just tell the person that you will call them back in 2 minutes!

[Phoenix]

Maybe we need to be handing out booklets on cell phone etiquette. :lol: I think some people need it.

[shawnc]

My hunch is that the people who dislike this idea are likely those who need to have the card handed to them (though the point about the bad haircut is well-taken). I just think some people think talking loud on a cell phone is "cool". Maybe it was when a cell phone was a novelty, but now everyone has them. There's nothing cool about them at all. Functional, yes, cool, no.

I think the cards are a great idea and I never went to the hall monitor nor felt the need to run from anyone after school. I may print some of these out but I must admit that I'm MUCH more interested in this:

Personally, I'd be more likely to purchase one of those short range cell phone jammers you see online and just keep it in my backpack.

I'm a pretty tolerant person and there isn't much that bothers me but I must admit that certain cell phone conversations bother me. It's NOT a tin cup with a string attached, there really is no need to scream into it. And yes, I do have a problem with people who seem to act as if there is no one in the world but them.

Again, great idea and post.

[khoss]

I certainly am sympathetic , as being a captive audience on the railroad , .I can't just walk away. I'll cut some body a little slack if they were receiving the call, though. If you saw my monthly totals with Verizon of 31 minutes in calls a month and 6 hours a day for internet usage you can see where I'm coming from. BTW anybody know how to turn off the rear speaker in a Samsung i700 ? :-). Bad enough they hear me but the other party as well ?

[dMores]

i suspect the loud-talkers are the same people who sit in the tram with their friends and have a real life conversation at exactly the same volume.
i sometimes sit in the metro, 2 people next to me talking, wondering if these people really assume that their issues are important enough for the world to hear.
i mean, when i'm with buddies, we talk, but when it's about women, or the job, intreagues, mobbing, etc., we usually keep pretty quiet because we'd be embarassed to share the latest mishap that occured to us.

yet there are people (young girls, mostly) who have no sense of shame. they yell, almost at the tops of their voices, about guys who hit on them, or how they failed a class in school, etc.

i also feel stupid answering my phone with "hello mom" in a crowded place. not that i'm embarrassed for having a mother who calls me, but sharing my private life with the public.

or maybe i'm just a little too timid or "well-brought-up" :)

[surur]

Bluetooth headsets are not going to help this at all. For one thing you can not really whisper into them. Secondarily there it not much indication (say from your left side) that you are not speaking to some-one else in the same area.

Another example is video phones, which are really designed to be used as speaker phones, meaning you have to talk full volume to be heard by the other person.

On the other hand, if you were not going to accost some-one talking loudly to their friend, you really should not do so for people on mobile phones. We are moving to a more electronic age, where the people we deal with are often not in our presence. I know when I'm talking on the mobile phone with some-one, I fell like I have moved into my own little bubble with them, and am no longer part of the space where my body happens to reside. Thats why driving while talking on the phone is supposed to be so distracting.

I wonder if a lot of people would mind less if they could hear both sides of a conversation. Also I suspect the kind of people who are actually *obnoxious* in their loudness would continue to be very loud and obnoxious with *you* when you hand them this card. Hope you have your running shoes handy.

Surur

[cribbagewiz]

What a joke! Public places are just that - public. If smokers can casually walk past me puffing away, I can let my phone ring as loudly as I want, and I can hold a screaming match over the phone if that's my choice.

I suppose I should start carrying an aeresol can of highly flammable air freshener with me, so I can spray it in the face of any smoker who ever tries to give me one of these cards. That's just about as reasonable as expecting people in public places to quiet down simply because you are annoyed at them.

[Paragon]

Things used to be better when people were actually willing to employ violence.

:lol: :lol:

[dMores]

@cribbagewiz:
you probably fart at the dinner table because it's "natural" too!

[emuelle1]

I resisted getting a cell phone for years, but you can only resist so long. They are incredibly useful gadgets, and I'm now glad to have one, as little as I actually use it. I avoid using it in public though, and especially while I'm driving. If my wife calls me I get to the point quickly, then remind her that my car is a stick and I have to go.

A guy I used to work with ran out one night and had someone tailgating him. He jammed on the brakes (I don't recommend this and wouldn't do it myself) in the hopes that she would get the point and back off. He watched her in the mirror as she threw a cell phone in the backseat (in case of an accident, I guess; it's illegal in New Jersey to talk on a phone while driving without a hands free device) and jammed her brakes. She kept her distance from him after that.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I suppose I should start carrying an aeresol can of highly flammable air freshener with me, so I can spray it in the face of any smoker who ever tries to give me one of these cards. That's just about as reasonable as expecting people in public places to quiet down simply because you are annoyed at them.

Relax Cribbagewiz; it's the law! :wink:

I suppose you have never sat in an 8 person train carriage with 5 of the folks talking loudly on their mobile phones and the other 3 wishing they were elsewhere but being unable to get away because the train was so crowded. (I am SO glad I am no longer commuting to London :mrgreen:)

I printed these out and may well use one. Folks are SO inconsiderate. Open plan offices are the worst. I worked at one place where 5 folks were having speakerphone conversations in a large room at the same time with the other 95 of us trying to get on with work. Folks have no manners and this may be a good way to shock them into thinking about their behaviour. Or it's fun, either works for me. :wink:

[Phillip Dyson]

I definitely agree with there needing to be some sort of digital age etiquette training.

Perhaps this is why things like Ipods are getting more popular among professionals.

Though admittedly they are not as useful at a restaurant or movie theatre. :)

[cribbagewiz]

@cribbagewiz:
you probably fart at the dinner table because it's "natural" too!

No, actually, that would be just like smoking - potentially harmful to others, unlike talking on the cell phone or having a loud ringer. I have no problem with people doing things that don't harm other people. I have SERIOUS issues with anyone doing something that may be harmful to me or others around me.

And I don't consider getting annoyed as having been harmed.

[cribbagewiz]

I suppose I should start carrying an aeresol can of highly flammable air freshener with me, so I can spray it in the face of any smoker who ever tries to give me one of these cards. That's just about as reasonable as expecting people in public places to quiet down simply because you are annoyed at them.

Relax Cribbagewiz; it's the law! :wink:



Uh, I would never do anything like that. It was sarcasm, you see.

And no, I have never stood in a train. Have never been on one, in fact. But it occurs to me that a train is not necessarily a public place. It is up to the train company to dictate rules if they choose, just as in a restaurant, church, theater, or other establishment. If their customers want rules put into place, they should make that known by taking their business elsewhere or starting a letter writing campaign. That's how to solve the problem, not by harrassing people who are not violating any rules.

If the rules are there, and people are violating them, by all means, be as obnoxious to them as you please.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Perhaps this is why things like Ipods are getting more popular among professionals.

Yes, to partially quote a song lyric I use my PPC on the train as an MP3 player to be an '...Aural contraceptive, aborting (overheard) pregnant conversations". :wink:

[Jonathon Watkins]

Relax Cribbagewiz; it's the law! :wink:



Uh, I would never do anything like that. It was sarcasm, you see.

Ummm, yes, I was being ironic, you see. :wink:

But it occurs to me that a train is not necessarily a public place. It is up to the train company to dictate rules if they choose, just as in a restaurant, church, theater, or other establishment.

So then, there are really very few 'public places' by this definition, apart from open parks etc. I don't think any of us have a problem of folks having conversations where folks *can't hear them*. The problem is that in these places, there is no way out and the person on the phone need to be brief and quiet, or get away to somewhere private.

I don't think the cards are obnoxious, just gently poking fun at someone's in considerate behaviour and hopefully making them think before making a nuisance of themselves.

[jgrnt1]

There are many, many situations where one cannot get up and leave the area when an annoying, loud cell phone conversation is going on -- buses, trains, planes, terminals, restaurants, doctors' waiting areas.....

I was waiting with about a dozen other people to see my doctor. Several people had their phones ring. They answered, said, "Hold on a second," and stepped outside to take the call. I was very impressed. However, one woman took and made call after call in a very loud voice, obviously trying to solve a business issue. Everyone in the place was staring at her, but she was oblivious. After almost half and hour of this, I went over to her and said, "Excuse me, ma'am. This is a very small room. Your conversation is preventing everyone here from doing anything except listening to you. Would you please either lower your voice or step outside, as other patients have done?"

She gave me a "well, I never" look, hesitated for a second and headed for the door. People started applauding before she made it outside.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but the US has become a "me" society. Personal responsibility has given way to lawsuits; caring for others has become "What's in it for me?"; responsibility to others, the cornerstone of a functional society, has essentially disappeared.

The worst part about the doctor's office story -- the nurse at the desk behind the window was obviously bothered by the woman's loud conversations also. She kept looking up and scowling, then lookied at the other patients with a face that said, "Sorry." She was in a position to do something about it, but didn't.

[bjornkeizers]

People on cellphones truly amaze me sometimes. Sometimes, I want to beat the living crap out of them.

What is it with the yelling? I don't get it. Even on the red-eye commuter train - 6:30 am - some people feel the need to yell into their cellphones. Your cellphone has a good mike! You don't need to yell!

Unless you're standing next to a 747 taking off, you can talk at a normal volume.

And then there's the conversation itself.. I've seen people carry on a conversation for over an hour. I just want to smack them in the face and say: 'No. No, no no. NO.' I don't want to hear about your goddamn personal life, your kids, husband, aids test (believe me, i've heard it)... just sit there and SHUT THE **** UP!!!

[bblock]

LOL! The image sure caught my eye on the front page - I'm going for my vasectomy tomorrow!

[cribbagewiz]

Wow! I am certainly getting the distinct impression that I not only want to avoid Europe at all costs, but in the event that I get sent there by my company, that I should studiously avoid riding on trains at any point.

It sounds like they are full of people who are ready to explode over the tiniest things.

[Jacob]

In all seriousness, there's something about hearing a one-sided conversation that makes it far more annoying than anything else.

This never made sense to me. It seems to me that this is just a complaint that "I can't eavesdrop on your complete conversation so you're being rude" - to me the second part of the conversation is none of my business anyways.

The issue I do have is when people yell.

As long as people silence/answer their phones promptly after they ring(I don't need to hear the ringer version of the latest eminem song for 5 minutes and I am not impressed with the technology) and they don't talk too loud then I don't care!!

If it's considered rude to use a cellphone in public then what's the point in having a mobile phone if you can't be mobile and use it outside of any place there's a phone anyways.

[bjornkeizers]

Oh no, once you get to know me, I'm really a well-balanced individual. Why on god's green earth do people think I give a flying f*** about your love life, kids, the VD you got, your work, etc.? I don't tell you about my personal things, why should I be forced to listen to yours? It's not as if I can get out of the train between stations. I'm sorely tempted to take matters in my own hands and toss them out of the train - without stopping.

[mboliver]

UGH!!!! Can you say Nextel users?

I hate when these bastardos insist on using the speakerphone while in an eating establishment.

I will gladly had these to them. Just as it is their right to speak loudly in public, it is mine to let them know that it is not OK with me. If they take offense, so be it. 0X

[Jonathon Watkins]

People on cellphones truly amaze me sometimes. Sometimes, I want to beat the living crap out of them. ... just sit there and SHUT THE f*** UP!!!

No, tell us what you *really* feel Bjornkeizers! 8O :lol: :wink:

I know where you are coming from though - the fustration does mount - especially when you are trapped &amp; can't get away.

[Jonathon Watkins]

...in the event that I get sent there by my company, that I should studiously avoid riding on trains at any point.

It sounds like they are full of people who are ready to explode over the tiniest things.

Nah - they are full of us sheep who don't say a word when obnoxious people hold loud conversations about personal banalities next to our ears for hours at a time. :|

That's why these cards strike such a chord. It's a small way of dealing with the frustration and taking some control back - specially if you were to actually use one of the cards. :wink:

[makezizz]

I would never use these cards.

I'm not bothered by the vast majority of the public cell phone conversations that happen around me. The only ones that annoy me are when the person is talking very loudly. Using an outside voice in an inside place. But I'm just as annoyed with people having converstaions at an inapropriate volume when they are talking person to person.

It seems to me that a lot of people consider talking loudly on a cell phone is a different and worse offense than talking loudly to someone in person. I don't understand that. Rude and obnoxious people existed long before cell phones, and it was just as wrong then as it was now.

[bjornkeizers]

http://www.cell-phone-etiquette.com/ :-)

[shawnc]

Did we delete a post?? I thought I read where someone was commenting on how American society was bcoming very "me" oriented and wanted to comment on it but I can't find it. Either I'm losing my mind (a distinct posibility) or we've deleted a tasteful and harmless post.

Oh well, my point was going to be that we are not becoming that type of society. I think the overwhelming majority of Americans are considerate people who will help their fellow man in a heartbeat. Fortunately, the problem with inconsiderate people (rather it be rude cell-phone behavior, blowing cigarette smoke, etc) is limited to a very small minority. Yeah, I find it extremely irritating when I have to listen to mindless cell phone conversation on my bus ride home. But the fact of the matter is that there may be 50 people on the bus and only 3 engaging in this type of behavior. Let's not indict the entire population for the behavior of a few.

Be that as it may, the card is a great idea. Anyone offended by it needs to lighten up.

[surur]

What is it with the yelling? I don't get it. Even on the red-eye commuter train - 6:30 am - some people feel the need to yell into their cellphones. Your cellphone has a good mike! You don't need to yell!

Unless you're standing next to a 747 taking off, you can talk at a normal volume.


I wonder if there is any connection between ear-piece volume and how loud people speak back. Maybe is the volume is quite low, people assume the other person may have difficulty hearing them, and speak louder automatically. Kind of similar to how people on walkmans speak louder because they cant hear other people well.

The simple solution would be to increase the ear-piece volume. People would instinctively feel the person is close, and speak less loud. This would have the nice side-effect of giving onlookers both sides of the conversation :)

Surur

[dangerwit]

Surur, good point. Do you think the speaking volume would drop further with a 'stereo' (dual-mono) headset (as long as your voice was piped in from the mic)? I bet I'd talk softer... never thought of that.

I noticed I talk louder when I have trouble hearing... when I use my headset, I mumble. :)

*Phil

[Jonathon Watkins]

Did we delete a post?? I thought I read where someone was commenting on how American society was bcoming very "me" oriented and wanted to comment on it but I can't find it. Either I'm losing my mind (a distinct posibility) or we've deleted a tasteful and harmless post.

I'm afraid you are losing you mind. :wink: The thoughtfull post is by jgrnt1 and it one page back here (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=308489#308489).

[Janak Parekh]

I wonder if there is any connection between ear-piece volume and how loud people speak back. Maybe is the volume is quite low, people assume the other person may have difficulty hearing them, and speak louder automatically. Kind of similar to how people on walkmans speak louder because they cant hear other people well.
There is a reason, but slightly different than what you think. Unlike landlines, cell phones don't echo back your voice, and humans who haven't trained themselves unconsciously speak louder.

They've resorted to making announcements on the trains around here of "please be courteous" and suggesting that you use the vestibule when talking on the phone, and it's gotten better over the years, but it's still a problem.

--janak

[shawnc]

Did we delete a post?? I thought I read where someone was commenting on how American society was bcoming very "me" oriented and wanted to comment on it but I can't find it. Either I'm losing my mind (a distinct posibility) or we've deleted a tasteful and harmless post.

I'm afraid you are losing you mind. :wink: The thoughtfull post is by jgrnt1 and it one page back here (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=308489#308489).


Yep, that's it! Amazing! I swear I must have read through the posts at least three times trying to find that quote. Oh well, thanx Jonathon :oops: .

[Janak Parekh]

Wow! I am certainly getting the distinct impression that I not only want to avoid Europe at all costs, but in the event that I get sent there by my company, that I should studiously avoid riding on trains at any point.
It's not just Europe. Trust me. If anything, I bet it's worse here. ;) But trains have their conveniences too. I've learned to use my iPod as a background noise generator, amongst other things.

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

BTW anybody know how to turn off the rear speaker in a Samsung i700 ? :-). Bad enough they hear me but the other party as well ?
I never had this problem with the i700 unless using it in speakerphone mode. :confused totally:

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

What a joke! Public places are just that - public. If smokers can casually walk past me puffing away, I can let my phone ring as loudly as I want, and I can hold a screaming match over the phone if that's my choice.
Actually, smoking is prohibited in most public places and private workplaces in New York. (Personally, I think that's a good thing -- I love being able to come out of a bar not smelling like a chimney; if you're a smoker, by definition you're doing to disagree with me. ;)) Of course, smokers are allowed to smoke out on the street -- but I don't mind cell phone users on the street, either.

--janak

[shawnc]

Unlike landlines, cell phones don't echo back your voice, and humans who haven't trained themselves unconsciously speak louder.

Leave it to the Doctor-In-Training to point this out :wink: . I was not aware of this but it makes sense. I used to always suggest to my wife that she lower her voice whenever she called me from her cell phone. I eventually gave up as it is just a habit for her. When talking into her cell phone, she simply speaks louder.

But lets be honest. Most folks are pretty tolerant but the problem with cell phones is not caused by people who who are unaware that they are being rude and inconsiderate. It is caused by people who are aware of it and either don't care or revel in the attention.

[Janak Parekh]

But lets be honest. Most folks are pretty tolerant but the problem with cell phones is not caused by people who who are unaware that they are being rude and inconsiderate. It is caused by people who are aware of it and either don't care or revel in the attention.
Agreed, although there are always those newbies who are both, and perhaps a subtle hint is all they need. I'm just not brave enough to do it. Especially in NYC. :P

--janak

[Jonathon Watkins]

Agreed, although there are always those newbies who are both, and perhaps a subtle hint is all they need. I'm just not brave enough to do it. Especially in NYC. :P

:worried: Very good point. You just don't know how folks might take being asked to tone it down. Then again, maybe someone will take an exception to someone talking loudly on the phone. It cuts both ways as it were.

It's hard to see people's behavior changing without some kind of big push from some quarter. :?

[ChrisB]

@cribbagewiz:
you probably fart at the dinner table because it's "natural" too!

Better out than in eh? :D :) :wink:

[dMores]

@cribbagewiz:
you probably fart at the dinner table because it's "natural" too!

Better out than in eh? :D :) :wink:hehe :)
i'd like to apologize for that post. cribbagewiz kind of struck a nerve, but after reading his other posts i realized he ain't that bad :beer:

i guess the problem with me is i try to be very considerate and follow the general etiquettes, whatever they may be.
like controlling body functions when you're not alone.
*g*
my girlfriend tells me i should relax, regularly, and fears that i might turn into a grumpy, human-o-phobic old geizer by the time i hit 30.

there were some good points made in this discussion.
first, it's probably hard to judge how loud you need to speak for the other person on the line to hear you. i sometimes mumble, trying to be low-key, and i get a "what'd you say? hello? hello? you there? hello?".
the missing audio feedback of yourself is to blame.

then there's the screamers, who probably scream even when they're talking to themselves. those people can't be helped.

and, some people just have loud voices. they can't help it. but that's sort of different, because you can tell if someone is raising their voice, or if he's just plain unoverhearable.

[Damion Chaplin]

(Personally, I think that's a good thing -- I love being able to come out of a bar not smelling like a chimney; if you're a smoker, by definition you're doing to disagree with me. ;))

Actually, as a smoker, I agree with you (and disagree with you about me disagreeing with you). As a Californian, I have been used to smoking outside for some time now. I stand well away from anyone else and try not to blow my smoke in people's path as they walk by me. I'm actually contantly playing this game where a non-smoker is talking to me (like my girlfriend), and, out of consideration, I keep taking a step back to keep the smoke from them. They then take a step forward to close the distance again. :? Eventually, there came a time when I no longer felt comfortable smoking with walls around me. It seems ironic, but I now seem to need fresh air while I'm smoking... :wink:

'Course, I'm probably the exception - I also throw my butts in the GARBAGE instead of in the STREET.

I guess my point is that there ARE considerate people out there who know how they should be using their phones. Much like the smokers who throw their butts in the street, they know it's wrong, but they don't much care.

We probably need similar cards for inconsiderate smokers...

[surur]

Eventually, there came a time when I no longer felt comfortable smoking with walls around me. It seems ironic, but I now seem to need fresh air while I'm smoking... :wink:

Imperium999, here's (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?productType=2&amp;optionId=1_2_2&amp;jid=EA1141573636XEX7A7BXB4D2X7B88276&amp;platformId=2&amp;siteId=1&amp;productId=24348&amp;sectionId=0&amp;catalog=30&amp;txtSearch=last+cigarette)some software I think you are more than ripe for.

Good luck :)

Surur

[azhiker]

Wow, 52 posts on this subject so far, it is really touching a nerve about public disturbance. We are in the world of road rage and in-your-face kind of behaviour. :twisted:

How much we yearn for peace and quiet, and we will even fight and scream to get it!!!! :wink:

Interesting that leaving a note is jsut as bad! It is impersonal as much as we think one-sided cell phone calls are. So it continues...

[Jonathon Watkins]

Interesting that leaving a note is jsut as bad! It is impersonal as much as we think one-sided cell phone calls are. So it continues...

It's not leaving a note. It's showing them a card while they are in the middle of a call. It *has* to be one-sided, otherwise you be stopping their phone call - which is perhaps a step too far.

I do rather get the impression that the whole card things is very tongue in cheek though. We had a good laugh over it at work today. But, it makes a serious point. Some folks are inconsiderate to others and technology is making matters worse in terms of intrusion etc.

[BadMannersNotDesired]

Personally, I'd be more likely to purchase one of those short range cell phone jammers you see online and just keep it in my backpack.

Got me one of them! :devilboy: I only use it in restaurants. There's nothing so rude as a quiet dinner being interrupted by:
A cel phone that begins ringing.
The careless user either doesn't realize or care it's ringing OR...
The careless user lets it ring, then examines the caller ID and pauses to determine if the caller is worthy (all the while the silly thing is still ringing.)
They decide to answer and carry on loudly.

Now I can dine in peace. If they don't care about others around them, I'm quite happy to keep the peace for a few yards around my table.

[surur]

Now I can dine in peace. If they don't care about others around them, I'm quite happy to keep the peace for a few yards around my table.

Hope the doctor next to you is not relying on his mobile phone while on call. Dont you know pagers have mostly been phased out in Europe?

Half the time either my wife or myself are on call. Without my mobile I would have to stay at home guarding the phone. I could be me making use of my precious time away from hospital to have dinner with my wife.

There is a reason these things are popular, you know.

If they discover some-one illegally blocked a call, and some-one suffers because of this, I can see a big liability case having to be answered.

Remember, two wrongs dont make a right.

Surur

[Janak Parekh]

Got me one of them! :devilboy: I only use it in restaurants.
Just to make it clear, there are legality issues for jammers in some countries. In the US, I do believe it's illegal. I'm not condoning or criticizing your decision, and I don't know where you're from, but I thought it should be stated for the record.

--janak

[Steven Cedrone]

Man, I jumped on an Acela Express from Philly to New York one time, I specifically sought out the "quiet car" (Cell phones off, no loud conversations - just the way I like to get some reading done) Don't you know it, as soon as we leave the station, someone whips out a cell phone and starts a very loud conversation! The man (a lawyer, so he made sure every one knew) was quickly asked to cease and desist or leave the car. I guess the rules only apply to most of us... :roll:

Steve

[BadMannersNotDesired]

Remember, two wrongs dont make a right.
Surur

But two Wrights made an airplane! :wink:

[cribbagewiz]

Wow, 52 posts on this subject so far, it is really touching a nerve about public disturbance. We are in the world of road rage and in-your-face kind of behaviour. :twisted:

I don't mind taking a bullet, so to speak, for expressing my opinions. I don't mind getting dirty looks when my phone rings - I guarantee my ring tends to be louder than most since I work in a VERY noisy lab, and I don't use the phone while driving without turning on the speakerphone function. I do get a little irritated when cell phone usage gets slammed for being such a rude thing when I have to take a shower most days when I get home in order to get the smell of perfume, cologne, or smoke off of myself.

I have actually had to leave movies to go home and shower when some latecomer arrives and parks themselves within a row or two of me wearing what seems to be gallons of cologne, or fresh from smoking a cigar outside with the smell reeking from their breath or clothes.

There's being inconsiderate, and then there's being flat out rude. I guess I don't really consider talking during dinner to be rude, whether there's a phone involved or not. I would equally not think twice about using my phone in a waiting room that doesn't specifically ask me not to, or in a car or subway train (I have to guess).

If I don't care to keep the conversation private, then others should feel free to listen (and comment as well :wink: ). If I'm talking in public, I don't think that I should have the right to get angry if they start making comments, either.

If they don't want to listen, then maybe they shouldn't be there, or they should complain to the subway/train company and ask for a no cell phones rule. Money talks much louder than angry words.

[surur]

If they don't want to listen, then maybe they shouldn't be there, or they should complain to the subway/train company and ask for a no cell phones rule. Money talks much louder than angry words.

Dont underestimate the power of a few annoyed people. You may suddenly find that there IS a "no cellphones on the subway or waiting room" rule, disadvantaging the majority who were using their devices considerately because of the bad behaviour of a minority. Its the same thing with cellphone cameras.

There is such a thing as unwritten rules you know, and polite people obey them.

Due to the inconsiderate behaviour of a minority sweeping LAWS are made which have to be obeyed by all, even if the majority would not have annoyed anyone.

Especially in a monopoly environment, such as a subway or library, you may find you have no choice but to spend you money somewhere where you dont agree with all the rules. Your money wont talk, and you wont be able to talk on the subway either.

Surur

[Jonathon Watkins]

Dont underestimate the power of a few annoyed people. You may suddenly find that there IS a "no cellphones on the subway or waiting room" rule, disadvantaging the majority who were using their devices considerately because of the bad behaviour of a minority. Its the same thing with cellphone cameras.

There is such a thing as unwritten rules you know, and polite people obey them.

Well said Surur. The trouble is, that these days, people barely obey the written rules, let along the unwritten ones. :?

There's a ban on talking on hand held mobiles while driving in the UK with penalty point on your driving licence and a fine. However it's no exaggeration say that I see over a dozen folks a day holding their mobiles in one hand while talking and driving with the other hand. :?

[Sven Johannsen]

Remember, two wrongs dont make a right.
Surur

But two Wrights made an airplane! :wink:

Speaking of airplanes...I am sooooo looking forward to cell phones being allowed on those so I can listen to 30 rows, 5 seats wide, of conversations. Noise canceling headset technology needs to get real good, real fast.

[Darius Wey]

There's a ban on talking on hand held mobiles while driving in the UK with penalty point on your driving licence and a fine. However it's no exaggeration say that I see over a dozen folks a day holding their mobiles in one hand while talking and driving with the other hand. :?

We also have laws like that in Australia, except you are allowed to talk only if you use a hands-free kit. Everyday, I see countless number of drivers talking without a hands-free kit. Despite the fact that they are putting their lives on the line (and their licences too, might I add), they drive at 40-50km/h in an 80km/h zone sometimes, since all their attention is diverted to the phone call. Man, I hate tailing behind them on a one-lane road. :evil:

[Darius Wey]

Speaking of airplanes...I am sooooo looking forward to cell phones being allowed on those so I can listen to 30 rows, 5 seats wide, of conversations. Noise canceling headset technology needs to get real good, real fast.

Or you could use these: :P

http://img95.exs.cx/img95/3110/ep2012117qt.jpg

[bjornkeizers]

Two months ago I bought a great set of headphones, Sony MDR-EX71SL's, especially for my morning commute. These come with silicone plugs and block pretty much everything. I use them with my Archos Gmini 400 so I can watch a movie or listen to MP3's in peace. You can be on the phone, sitting next to me, and all I'd hear is my movie.

Too bad some people agree with me - the ones with those open headphones, blasting rave music at an awful volume at 6 in the morning.. but that's another rant for another day.

[shawnc]

There is such a thing as unwritten rules you know, and polite people obey them.

Due to the inconsiderate behaviour of a minority sweeping LAWS are made which have to be obeyed by all, even if the majority would not have annoyed anyone.

Very well said Surur.

[Kati Compton]

Personally, I don't mind the fact that people talk on the phone in restaurants or on the bus or train or whatever. In situations where it's okay to talk to other physically present people, I think the *act* of talking on the phone should be okay. It's the *manner* I have issues with. If the person on the phone is talking louder than they would to someone physically present, that's when I have a problem with it. Or if they shouldn't be talking at all, like in a movie.

[capo]

"I only use it in restaurants. There's nothing so rude as a quiet dinner being interrupted by:
A cel phone that begins ringing.
The careless user either doesn't realize or care it's ringing OR...
The careless user lets it ring, then examines the caller ID and pauses to determine if the caller is worthy (all the while the silly thing is still ringing.)
They decide to answer and carry on loudly.

Now I can dine in peace. If they don't care about others around them, I'm quite happy to keep the peace for a few yards around my table."

Cool. I'd love one of those. Do they make a model effective against the ill behaved hyperactive children of permissive and apparently sedated parents who can't afford dinner and a babysitter?

[shawnc]

Cool. I'd love one of those. Do they make a model effective against the ill behaved hyperactive children of permissive and apparently sedated parents who can't afford dinner and a babysitter?

No one said rude, inconsiderate behavior was limited to cell phone users....

[cribbagewiz]

There is such a thing as unwritten rules you know, and polite people obey them.
Surur

The bad part of that is that rules that aren't written aren't understood or known to all. Terms like "polite", "proper", "rude", "right","wrong", "good", "bad", and "god", are invariably subjective and tend to differ wildly from person to person.

I tend to become infuriated by people who fail to use their turn signals when turning or changing lanes, according to the law. It's like saying "screw you, I don't need to tell you which way I'm headed or what I'm doing." I also get aggravated at people who flick their ashes out the window. The world isn't these people's ashtray! I, for one, don't like breathing in all the smoke from people driving in front of me, puffing away with their windows open.

Until there is a rule against it, however, I'll just have to stay bitter about it. That's what people who get annoyed by cell phone users should do, too. Get upset and keep it to themselves, or they can get upset and say something. Whatever. I just think that there are FAR better uses for one's time, and FAR better causes to rail against than "ettiquette."