Eating out and speakerphone calls

[Monndayhello]

I'm on holiday abroad at the moment eating out in local restaurants. The last two evenings a table near me has had a lengthy video call on speaker phone while waiting for their meal. They have both I think been Italians if this makes a difference, so I've not been able to understand the conversation.

I think this is very rude, though I know social norms are changing. Both times I've said nothing but was annoyed. Chances are it will happen again on this holiday. Would you say anything, or just tutt quietly about their rudeness, or do I just actually have to get over myself and accept most people consider this normal acceptable behaviour now!

It’s incredibly poor manners, isn’t it. Really inconsiderate. I can’t walk down the street where I live without hearing foreign shouted speaker calls. There is literally no chance of a quiet stroll any longer. I can hear them for hundreds of yards. It’s a bit mind boggling. There was a Reddit thread about it, it’s so common!
Everyone thinks it’s noise abuse. Yet it continues and worsens.

But your excuse screams main character syndrome

This ^^ with bella on.

😂😂😂
I knew my post would have people spitting feathers! 🪶

So many people with special needs on mumsnet, jumping to worst case scenarios and getting rrationally angry 🤭

I don't deliberately make a planned extended call with loudspeaker on, or sit in a restaurant or on a train chatting loudly with an invisible "tinny" companion, that's obviously inconsiderate phone manners on any level, loudspeaker or no there's nothing worse 🙄 but if i do have to speak to someone briefly I do not like to hold the phone next to my head 🤷‍♀️

Its actually not unusual these days and with good reason, is my point.

And people find that rude, antisocial and selfish.

For good reason.

If you don’t want the phone near your ear, that’s your prerogative.

You do not have any right to irritate anyone within earshot with your speakerphone nonsense. Reject the call. Use text. Be a decent person.

How is this different to speaking to someone who is next to you?

It's completely different. The person on the line sounds high pitched and the noise is so grating. Also, hardly fair on the person you're talking to- to put them on speaker.

It's very antisocial and even at a low volume, it needs to loud enough to hear. why don't you hold the phone to your ear? I don't understand at all.

actually read the bit about you thinking the phone will damage you in some way...

well, invest in headphones or take the call at home. It's difficult to hear conversations outside of the home anyway due to background noise.

Don't subject me to your personal calls.

Phone speakers sound higher pitched and tinny and somehow carry further than in person conversations. It's very annoying.

I've gone on long train journeys where people have deliberately made call after call to people on their phone just to keep themselves entertained.

It's so antisocial. Get a book or put headphones on and watch Netflix/listen to a podcast.

Use earphones then. If you were sat next to me on a train I might butt into your (not private) conversation.

A district nurse used to park up near me and do loads of calls in her car on speakerphone. Somehow it turned the whole car into an amp? Mad.

I went out once and told her everyone on the street could hear her private calls about patients, but she just said it wasn't true and I couldn't hear. But I could! From inside my house! I even told her what dressing she wanted to order for the grade 2 pressure sore she was treating but... nothing doing.

Some people are in huge denial about the speakerphone thing, not sure why.

Were they wearing pyjamas as well? Please say yes. 🙏😁

I live in a very multicultural area and people talk on speakerphone a lot in public but I don’t think I have ever heard anyone doing so where the person on the other end was speaking English. Usually when that is the case they use headphones. Irritating whatever language is used but I thought this was because they were respecting the other person’s right to privacy as only a few people will understand the conversation. Baffling anyone does it when both speaking English- do people remember to tell the other person everyone can hear what they are saying? I would be really embarrassed if I was telling someone all my personal issues and they were blaring it out to everyone to hear!

Or maybe you Dont be so irrationally sensitive?🤔

Something wrong if you're getting that level of irritation to overhearing someone asking their husband if we need milk 😆

Maybe do a bit of research into potential long term effects of EMF radiation, on which opinions are definitely mixed.... why take the chance.

At home I take/make calls with my headphones 😊

"You're on speaker" is the first thing (after "hello") i say 🤷‍♀️

Its still very very annoying in a foreign language

It's not the language it's the location. There will be areas away from the restaurant where this could be done.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

You're selfish, rude, antisocial and annoying.

You think You're different to the others, say you're not like them but you are.

Every annoying person thinks they're not like that annoying person and make excuses for why they are different.

You're not.

You're exactly the same as the person who says 'of course it's unreasonable to have DC squealing and screaming in the garden at 7am but I'm not like that, yes my kids are playing outside at 7am but I have a very good reason and they're not that loud'.

You're one of those people in covid saying 'oh those people doing X, Y or Z are completely UR but I do the same thing but that's because I have a good reason and it's really not the same'.

Narcissistic traits basically. Things you agree are not acceptable just don't apply to you because you're different.

Then why can’t you take your headphones out with you?