To think this is the rudest behaviour

[InanimateCarbonRod]

We were out for an early dinner. Myself, DH and DC (teenagers) picked a local eaterie with a good early bird deal. The restaurant is empty except for a man dining alone a few tables away.

He takes a smartphone out of his pocket and proceeds to watch TV on the phone with the volume up. We were speechless.

AIBU to think this is so rude?!

I also hate people playing music on buses and trains or anywhere really, and it's getting more common.

I agree, but people like the OP who silently seethe without saying anything really are part of the problem - it normalises the behaviour. A while back I asked a teenage boy to turn down his music and got a grumpy, 'Alright, but I don't see why I should'. And probably he didn't, because he's so seldom asked. OP, you could have asked a staff member to have a word with the man and I don't understand why you didn't. He was rude, and you participated in constructing an environment that allows and condones rudeness.

Yes the noise coming out of his phone is rude. However I also think your children were ruder, you allow them to have phones out during family meals?

I don't think he was that rude. He was alone so I don't see the big deal. If the noise was meaning you couldn't have a conversation you should have asked him to turn it down.

I do however think your DC's were being incredibly rude being on their phones during a family/group meal.

And I think you have a bit of a nerve complaining about his rudeness when you were allowing rudeness from your own DC.

Oh ffs, what is wrong with people? Why have so many people apparently lost the ability to politely make a request (or ask staff to do it if they're genuinely that scared).

If the man was so engrossed in his 'noisy phone' I doubt he registered your PA seething/eye rolls.

Was your husband not tempted to say something if it was that awful?

Can't stand pearl-clutching threads when the OP has done nothing to try and rectify the situation at the time.

Agree wholeheartedly with DeathStare above. He was not being particularly rude but your children were.

Guy was rude as telly on phone effects everyone. DC on phones isn't ride if it doesn't bother you, they are not effecting anyone else.

*rude

I'd never let my children play on their phones at the table. Especially if I'd bought them lunch. That's terribly rude. Would you do that to someone taking you out?

Playing on your phone when you're alone is not rude.

The noise is as bad as if he had been speaking to a companion that loudly. So if it were too loud, yeah it's kinda rude and kinda irritating.

Guy was rude and inconsiderate of others. You shouldnt have to listen to other peoples overly loud noise in a public place.

I really don't like seeing people on screens at restaurants, so I agree that it's (generally - don't know anything about exams etc) rude. But still think that the man was ruder because he had the sound up.

I never notice what other people are doing on other tables at restaurants tbh. I'm there to be with my family/friends not judge what others are doing - if their DC are browsing the net or whatever who does that bother?

The tinny sound of TV on a mobile however is hard to ignore. Along with the shooting/cheering/applause/music etc of what comes with whatever is being watched.

Mumsnet has gone bizarre. Of course it's fucking rude to have to listen to some tinny noise from another table. If OP is ok with her kids on their phones IN SILENCE then that's ok. And the WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM THEN?? brigade? Do one. Not everyone wants an argument every time someone is rude near them.

As for HOW CRASS AFTER TODAY'S EVENTS - also - do one.

Jesus, this place has gone to shit.

However my AIBU was whether watching TV on a phone in a restaurant was rude or not.

No it's not. Unless it's very loud. But watching TV while you eat alone is fine.

Of course I was terribly Irish and said nothing.

Is this a typo. I am Irish. My whole family are Irish and would have said something.

I don't really see the problem if your children were on their phones
If that man had noone to talk to ,I can see why he wanted to watch his phone

I have never understood why electronic noise is ruder than other noise. Was the noise of his TV louder than if he had been sitting with others and chatting and laughing? If so it was too loud and you should have asked for it to be turned down, otherwise it was reasonable noise.
I once sat in a train carriage with a kid who had headphones on, I was two seats away and could hardly hear anything. The guy sitting one seat closer spent five minutes shouting at the kid to turn it down as it was rude and then threatened to perform a citizens arrest for creating a disturbance!! That was when I pointed out that he was by far the noisiest person in the carriage and told him to stop being ridiculous. He gave me daggers for the rest of the journey but he was truly being ridiculous.
A guy sitting by himself watching TV isn't rude. A guy sitting by himself creating no more noise than if a few people were sitting at the table, isnt rude. A guy sitting there making more noise than that isn't rude. The stuff about him watching tv on his phone is all a red herring.

Watching TV/listening to music out loud in a restaurant is very rude.

Your children were ruder.

YABU