To have a phone conversation on the bus?

[LauderSyme]

I travelled to work by bus today and thought I'd use the time to call my grandmother on my mobile. I work full time and am a single parent so finding the time to chat on the phone can be tricky. We talked for 20 mins or so, mainly about my dc. As I was getting off, an elderly couple confronted me quite nastily to tell me how rude I was and how disgusting it was of me to "force the whole top deck to listen to my conversation" and that I should "think twice before getting that thing out". I know other people's public conversations can be really annoying but I didn't raise my voice or swear or speak inappropriately. I think they were the rude ones! WIBU or were they?

Talking on the phone is not a crime.

No different to someone having a conversation with someone next to them, really. And some of those phone calls (and conversatons with friends on the bus) are so TMI that they really brighten up my journey :o

If someone is sitting beside you, you turn to them and mutter.

Not on our local buses you don't. Apart from the fact that they're usually rather loud Wright Streetlites with rattle emergency exits, so you can barely hear yourself think, everyone on the bus is engaged in animated conversation with someone near to them, even if they're a stranger, so you can barely hear yourself think.

WTF, if my phone rings, of course I have to answer it? I'm not going to ignore my phone ringing just because I'm on a bus.

OP. I'm surprised they could hear it if they were that elderly. You must have been louder than you thought you were. Or they needed to lower the volume on their hearing aids.. A quick phone call is OK, but I avoid chats, preferring to make the call from hom or somewhere with a bit of privacy. I agree with PP that phone conversations aren't the same as conversations between passengers, which don't bother me unless they are shouting at each other.

YANBU I'm a northerner who's moved to London so the morning and evening commute is the only time I can catch up with my friends and family due to all the over time I'm doing. Balls what anyone else thinks. It's public transport if they have a problem then get a car to eliminate the risk of this 'annoying situation' occurring.

You probably were shouting down the phone. People seem to talk louder on the phone than they do in real life without realising it.

YABU

Totally unreasonable. Trying to read my book, packed commuter bus top floor of bus this dreadful girl makes a call a few seats back and 30 odd people forced to listen to her drivel about what's for tea etc. Couldn't read my book anymore. Different to normal conversation much louder.

Do this if you want but be aware at least 70% of your fellow passengers are not thinking good thoughts about you. Oh and short "I'm on my way see you at 6" fine. Long conversations - not fine and not fair in confined space. Get some manners!

It was such loud drivel in my ear I could no longer concentrate and gave up. Ok hardly the end of the world but I judge when one person carelessly affects the wider group without giving a damn. selfish and mannerless. For someone to mention it to the op you can be sure she was pretty loud.

Ageism as well OP? Do you now for a fact that thy were all travelling free? Or maybe they had just been a bit sloppy with their skin care regime.

And if they hadn't paid - oh no! But then they are probably not claiming Child Benefit either and if they are over 70 more than likely didn't get university education, tax credits or very much else growing up.

But they are "old" therefore expendable and by their very existence are unreasonable.

As for the phone call - most people have told you that it would have annoyed them. You seem to think that other passengers should have to put up with you but that you shouldn't have to endure any comments from them. Hmmm!

Maybe next time wait til you get off the bus.

They were rude for saying anything, but if I was on your bus I would be silently cheering them on! Hate long phone calls on public transport. I know people are allowed to do so, which is why I don't say anything, but it is much harder to zone out of a phone conversation.

So by all means, crack on and make the call, but do it in the knowledge that you're (going by this thread) negatively impacting the journeys of half the people around you.

The bus was packed usual. Normal ambient noise no problem. I don't expect church like silence I am not an unreasonable weirdo . But out of all those people only one voice dominated and disturbed. Too loud to tune out. Girl on the phone.

Actually it's not about phones. If you were quiet and discreet that's fine. But anyone choosing to mak a noise or smell so that it disturbs others when you are all in a confined space where you have to be by necessity ie travel is a dick.

Fuck yeah! Yabu!!! A quick 30 second call, fine. A full 20 min call and I would have wanted to pull the phone out of your hand, throw it out of the bus window and reverse the bus over it. Well done to that person telling you off

You were shouting. Mobiles are all crap and a bus is noisy, so you were shouting even if you don't think so.

Public transport means sharing space with others which means behaving accordingly. Doofy doofy music, yelling down mobiles and loud conversation are for private spaces.

It's prim and proper fake middle class wannabe ballbag MNers

To the people saying YABU, buy some headphones or earplugs

Why are you making this out to be a class thing? Extremely snobbish of you assuming that it is "working class" people making a noise, I resent that.

I don't use my phone on the bus because I know so many people hate it. I don't really understand why though. My commute would be a perfect time for me to catch up with my family in a different time zone who I rarely get to speak to. So I think it's a shame. It doesn't bother me when people talk.