To be silently seething about woman on phone on bus

[LemonViolet]

On my way to work, usually drive but car is out of action so on the bus. It’s crowded and not easy to stay socially distanced but people are trying their best to choose where to sit apart from others, about 90% wearing masks (TFL still require masks unless exempt).

Lady across from me has spent last 10 minutes having VERY loud conversation on her phone. Which is rude enough in itself on public transport, but she is doing it with no mask on (no obvious exemption badge/lanyard) and the cherry on top was when she got up and leant across the people in front of her to close the bloody window!! Errr, ventilation!!! No why not just trap us all in here with the hot air you’ve been spewing out for the last 10 minutes. I know far too much about her now from being forced to listen to her talking, I don’t want to confront her.

So I’m just sat here silently seething. And posting on MN about it.

Yes I know people who are exempt don’t have to wear a badge, but IME most people do to avoid upsetting others. And if they were self aware at all would understand the increased risks of transmission with having loud conversations for extended period of time, and reducing ventilation!

Very frustrating.

You sound very highly strung. I like to have the window open on the bus as much as the next person, but you're getting this worked up over a woman having a phone conversation? How long was the journey? Maybe you should listen to some calming music or read a book rather than spending the time seething.

Yes, the “do what you want” strategy suggests to me that 50% of that population are selfish arseholes and have no social conscience whatsoever.

I like to join in with peoples’ phone conversations on public transport. Just let out a few ‘oh really’ and ‘you don’t say!’ type comments. One woman turned around and told me to stop listening to her private conversation, which was pretty funny because you could have heard her on the fecking noon.

the man sitting on the bus, long distance journey, no mask worn, kept sneezing and blew his nose.
i did move eventually
to top it all, when we arrived, he put his mask on!

@Junipersky

She probably didn't realise the extent of your annoyance (unless she happens to read Mumsnet). Sometimes it's surprising how obliging people can be if you confront then about it. Yes, some will bite your head off, but with others it is a case of lack of awareness or simply not considering the feelings of others around them. It's sometimes easy forget the people around us when deep in a telephone conversation. Often (if they are decent people) a gentle reminder is all they need.

Quick conversation is fine but the Sybil fawlty type of one is annoying.

Yes I know people who are exempt don’t have to wear a badge, but IME most people do to avoid upsetting others.

I can only assume your experience is fairly limited.

I travel regularly with TFL and 'exempt' badges are rare as hen's teeth.

and then there were people on my train journey, two men, yacking to each other about gcse or a level results and university and god knows what else!

The chin warmers are really pissing me off today. Why bother?

Haha highly strung you sound like you jump to conclusions about people . I knew posting here would at least provide some light entertainment. Thanks!

There is a serious side though. Relaxing music isn’t going to protect the rest of us passengers from covid. I’m not even worried about my own personal health risk; but if I’m not at work there is literally no one to do my job left - we’re already letting down around half of our clients even whilst I work more than double my usual caseload, thanks to covid. Whilst isolation policies are still in force, it is just bloody selfish to put others at risk.

How many other countries support the 'mask exempt' excuse? If you can't wear a mask AND socially distance from others, don't get on a bus and do shit like that.

Oh, I hate people who are so lacking in self-awareness.
YANBU.

I would have opened the window again.

Forget Covid, people who talk loudly into their phone on the bus/train are a PITA at any time. Particularly in the “quiet” carriage.

You met the bus wankers.