Work calls on trains

[the7Vabo]

But of a rant but I’m sick of people using their commute time to do work calls.

I just moved location on a train as it looked like I was going to be subject to a call for almost the whole journey (an hour). He’s so loud I call still hear him from the other end of the carriage.

I also work in one of the largest organisations where I live and I regularly overhear calls relating to it.

The guy this morning had his laptop open, basically acting as if he was at a desk.

Is it unreasonable to expect that people consider that others may not want to be subject to the noise during their morning commute?

I'm always concerned about client confidentiality. Blaring information to all and sundry on public transport really isn't advisable.

Imagine having the time and energy for this level of snitching.

I very much agree. It's a hug bug bearer of mine. Often the people that carry out these calls seem to flex their voice even more so on the train almost like they want to emphasise to everyone else around them how important and busy they are.

Other major irritants of mine:

• people face timing without headphones on the train
• people having full on conversations on speakerphone
• people listening to music / watching TikTok's, reels, etc without headphones in
• children watching shows / playing games with the volume up loud

The entire train DOES NOT NEED TO HEAR YOUR SH!T

Just f*<k off! 🙄

Now you mention it, I was on a long train journey recently where a woman a few seats away had a very long call to her friend. I can't remember exactly what it was about (probably whinging about her ex and contact or whatever), suffice it to say that it was incredibly dull.

I've seen printers and scanners open up in the past on a train journey with a whole office set up on the table. I absolutely hate any loud phone call conversations, music without headphones, kids iPads and people watching shows without a headphone. I just want to relax.

Its a weird sort of presenteeism really. Look at how dedicated I am! I'm not sure you can be that productive anyway. I don't mind if people want to peacock in this way, but they're no more entitled to the space with their laptop than I am with my book and ipad. And keep you're voice down too.

It’s a bit ridiculous to say it you are annoyed by people being inconsiderate you are the problem.

Anyone might need to take a work call the off time, but there are clearly people who plan to use their commute for calls. in a lot of cases it’s not even a long commute, it was 20 mins in one case and he made multiple work calls loudly the entire time. And lots of small talk all of which surely could have waited for 20 mins.

A long commute with a table etc is not quite the same

I've had to make the odd call whilst on a train, but never anything sensitive, more moving a restaurant booking or travel arrangements. The sorts of things people might do I their personal lives.

It's really stupid to do anything in public that names clients or discusses anything confidential and must be on breech of their company policy.

In contrast - 99.99% of my work is entirely non-confidential. It’s really not a problem if you can see my screen, or you overhear me chatting about a project (I actually don’t take work calls on a train, phone calls are rare in my job). And the work I have where there is some confidentiality it’s not at the level of don’t do this in public.

Employees should definitely not breach information security or privacy protocols. But a lot of people have far more boring roles.

But it doesn't matter. It's not particularly inconsiderate. It's mildly annoying. Put some headphones in and focus on yourself. I am sure you don't focus overly on the comfort of the strangers around you when you're in public.

I hate it - however, if you can work out the company/business it might be worth a phone call to say you heard quite a lot of company info on the train this morning going from A to B....drop 'em in it I say

I always have earbuds in so I can't hear the nonsense.

Loud calls of any nature bug me on the train, work or personal. Fine if it’s someone quickly picking up the phone to someone and saying “I’m on the train I’ll call you when I get off” or “hi I’ll be at X station in 15 minutes” and ending the call quickly.

Other pet peeves include people letting their kids run up and down the carriage, children or adults watching something without earphones etc.

I’m not bothered by people working on laptops though.

I do find it irritating when they are speaking really loudly - it’s all very “I’m very important, look at me everyone”

Tbh, anyone speaking really loudly on the phone, work related or not is annoying. Just lower your voices, why do you think everyone in the carriage wants to hear your conversation?
It’s weird.

Imagine if he was a public sector worker discussing your personal details on a public train, imagine if that data was identifiable. He's discussing something, OP never said what.

It’s not OTT where I live. Money and family are the main reasons people in my community commute. That and the lack of housing pushing people out (yes where I live professionals were ending up homeless because there’s no housing)

You’re in a public space where noise and conversations are the norm. This is a you problem. Your comments about your workplace make it really clear this is you not coping with normal (but still annoying) sounds that come with being in a loud public space. You won’t get silence so you need to change.

Also I mainly want to read on the train so headphones don't help. I can't listen to something and read at the same time.

It’s not being overly focussed on the comfort of others to be aware of their existence and not subject them to your overly loud ongoing conversations.
Ditto for not playing loud music, farting, burping, eating smelly food.

Have you tried experimenting with different types of noise? I have a bunch of different music types, but also nature scapes that I switch between depending on what I’m doing. I have no idea why, but different sounds work better for me depending on what I’m doing. I particularly find talking as background chatter helpful for drowning out people noise (coupled with quality noise canceling headphones). I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I love the soundscapes I have to just drown out the world.

I agree - they never speak at a normal volume! It's totally about making sure the whole carriage can hear.

See also garden parties which are not enjoyable unless the whole street can hear what a great time they are having.

Loudly discussing confidential information is a problem because of the data breach, and being a tool by being so loud

But those 20 minutes on a commute can be the only 20 minutes of peace for a quick call sometimes.

It's not like there aren't other people talking around you anyway.

It’s extremely inconsiderate. We were raised to be quiet on public transport, and talk in hushed tones. Now it’s like going into a crowded bar. There is zero consideration for other people nowadays. Why should I wear headphones? I can’t wear in-ear ones, and I’m buggered if I’m walking round all day with a massive pair of ear defenders to protect myself from obnoxious people with no social skills.

Hybrid working means our days now involve a mix of meetings and home working. If I didn't work in transit I would have probably 6 to 10 hours to make up in the week. I'm buggered if I'm doing that at the weekend just so you can have a quieter journey.

e g.a typical day, I have school run to breakfast club, an 8am zoom at my desk at home, travel into town 9am -10.15, f2f meeting til 11.30, a zoom in my diary 12-1 so i do it in a coffee shop, then travel to another meeting at 2, travl home to have a meeting from home at 4.30 so as to be at home when children delivered back at 5.30.

If I don't work on the train and in the coffee shop I am effectively not available during my working hours. If i ask my PA to only put in meetings in clusters or on same days or with chunks of travel time, my diary can't cover all the things I need it to.

So I'm not keen to have long calls in the train, it makes me feel sick tbh, but I'm at work during those hours so I have to.

Doesn’t bother me, I actually find it passes the time to listen in and try and work out what they’re doing and which industry they’re in.

I work in a job where I'd get into serious trouble if a member of the public could even see my laptop screen for 80% of the job.
The fact people talk through sensitive information while STILL WEARING THEIR WORK LANYARDS... baffling.
In my wider team there's a guy who has actually confronted (nicely) people on trains by figuring out who they are, finding their linkedin profile and then pointing out that he's just overheard market impacting information/customer info.