Go waiting rooms and phone

[MrsBrentford]

Went for my 10 yearly outing to the GP today.

Put my phone on silent unlike everyone else who seemed to all be in a group chat, phones going off constantly and one women walked in deep in conversation on her phone and continued to have a deeply personal conversation to the awkward sideways glances of about 25 people in the waiting room.

Another women kept going out of the waiting room and into the corridor outside the doctors actual surgeries so I could hear her while I was in with him meaning she could potentially hear me.

Another child on an iPad blaring out Peppa Pig wtf is wrong with people - I managed to take all three of my kids occupied at the doctors before the advent of tablets.

Urgh - title fail

Two minds on this. Our GP only does walk ins for bloods. I was there (with toddler) at 8:15. But by 9:15 (seen at 9:40) Toddler had exhausted books and smiling at strangers and really wanted to explore (in to the consultation rooms). I had to dig out my phone for emergency Hey Duggee to prevent imminent meltdown. They used to have a bigger waiting room with toys, but recently renovated to make the waiting room smaller and add in more consultation rooms. Which is great (more doctors and nurses) but is a nightmare if anything runs long. I would always prefer a tablet/ phone playing kids TV to screaming toddlers. Though there is not need to have the volume high.

Theres never any excuse for playing audible games, cartoons etc. Just wear headphones.

I would alwsys prefer a kid colouring in to using digital devices

I managed to take all three of my kids occupied at the doctors before the advent of tablets.

Congratulations.

It's a GP appointment. I get that other people can be irritating but once every ten years and you want a medal?

I have no issue with the use of tablets and things - I wouldn’t be without one for autistic Ds - however volume should be off or headphones used.

I get it, you are very cool for not liking screens. Here is your golden star made out of hemp and quinoa.

No - I don’t want a medal it just irritates me that phones seems to be an excuse to be inconsiderate and rude

People in gp waiting rooms are sometimes unwell.

I detest Peppa Pig but would prefer that to the couple practically having sex in the (busy) waiting room last time I went to the GP...

@SyntheticPumpkin - WHAT?!

All over each other, honestly! Full-on snogging, hands under clothes / down trousers. I was trying not to look but they were directly opposite and nowhere to move to.

But what do you say? They were in their 30s, so clearly old enough to know better, and I suspect if people choosing to ignore the social rules that comprehensively are not the most amenable to challenge...

That’s really odd, it’s not exactly a sexy environment

Maybe they were playing doctors and nurses

Not allowed to use mobiles in my local surgery, they have to be turned off.

I think it’s cool if they are silent (I had mine on silent) it’s just the noise, and listening to other people’s phone calls.

I think YANBU if it’s audible, having a phone conversation or blaring out videos is really inconsiderate. Other people in the waiting room may be feeling anxious. I use my phone silently to stop me feeling anxious while waiting to go in.

I agree OP it's rude. I had GP app last week and one child with mums phone full blast cartoon and a man chatting whilst walking around the waiting room in circles. It's not on, some (most) people are sick and just want to sit quietly whilst waiting.

Yay! It’s the weekly “oh tech is so shit, why do people insist on using it” moan.

Complete with the “in my day” nonsense.

It’s 2020, if you are looking for a pat on the back because you would never use your phone in public, you’re about 20 years too late.

The new thing I seem to see a lot is people pacing and talking with their call on speaker.
Strange. I always wonder if who they’re speaking to knows they’re being blasted out

I think the speak phone thing stems from people worrying about brain tumours.

I had a colleague whose father was a brain surgeon and he would never put a mobile phone to his ear.

@MintyMabel

Nah, some of us still like to use manners - old fashioned concept I know

I've just been to doctors with kids and did entertain them with TV on my phone but had the sound off. (I put Oddbods on, which has no dialogue!) The other family there also had screens on silent. At our doctors it's quite hard to hear the announcement with which room you are going to so it is annoying if people are really loud.

They don’t have the intercom at ours, the GP still comes and collects you

Recently I had an emergency GP appointment as I was feel really unwell and breathless. I had no one to look after my child until my husband got home (he was working about 5 hours away with a team of people so couldn't just come back). I let him watch Peppa as he's 2 and it kept him sat nicely while I felt so rough.

I think in a surgery it's fine. It could be distracting a nervous child or giving a parent who is feeling sick, breathless, anxious, suicidal etc etc a few minutes off.

So the other people feeling rough just have to put up with Peppa pig