Was I in the wrong for answering my phone?

[wseyh]

Had to go to a meeting for work so ended up getting on a coach instead of my usual train. Elderly couple sat in front of me. Four hour trip.

My phone rang and I answered because it was my boss, I didn't put it on loudspeaker and I only said three words 'Hello' 'no' and 'bye' I wasn't shouting or being loud I simply answered my phone which was on vibrate so it didn't even make a noise. My phone rang once during the entire trip there so it's not even like it was constantly going off or blasting music.

Mid me trying to say bye the man turned around and half shouted for me to hang up the phone NOW and that he had a very good gist of the conversation, Could I just stop talking now as all they wanted to do was enjoy their holiday.

I said I was entitled to answer my phone and as long as I wasn't shouting down the phone and didn't have it on loudspeaker it was none of his business and to please leave me alone, I was aware a lot of people were on their phones doing various things yet I was the only one he took issue with.

His wife then got in that I had offended her because I spoke back to her husband and I should have respect for others around me.

Was I in the wrong for answering my phone? For the record I don't think I did anything wrong but happy to be told otherwise x

If the policy of the coach company is that you can use your phone considerately then that is what I would have said to the couple. If the policy permits and you are operating inside of it then they were being unreasonable, particularly given the relatively short and quiet exchange that you have outlined. If it had been in a quiet coach on a train then they would have been the ones in the right - nothing more annoying than people taking calls in a quiet carriage when it defeats the whole purpose and they could very easily go to the vestibule to have their chat.

I suspect it wasn’t a quitter coach or anything like it. You were absolutely reasonable to answer your phone in this situation and you were not disturbing peace and quieter at all, he was. I bet his shouting was louder than your conversation and for longer.

HWBU.
It's true that some (more than some) people have absurdly loud phone conversations around other people on public transport, in cafes, everywhere, and it's really bloody annoying. You weren't doing that. The man was obviously deceiving himself that he could hear what you were talking about, and is a bully. Bet he wouldn't have done that to another man.

Oh I'd have spent the rest of the journey singing the most obnoxious songs I could think of with as much gusto as I could muster. Twats.

If you literally only said Hello, no, and bye, how did they have time to get annoyed and tell you to get off the phone?

I'm relatively mild-mannered, but even I would have told him to sod off.

Perhaps they could hear your boss talking. But how were you “mid trying to say bye” if you only said bye? Does your boss think you’re odd to have only said the word no during the conversation?