You’re not on an episode of The Apprentice

[disappearingfish]

So stop using your phone on loudspeaker when you are in public, especially on 6am trains when everyone is just a little bit tired and grumpy and does not need to hear, loudly and at length, about the funny noise your boyfriend’s dishwasher is making.

Was i unreasonable to tell the woman on my train to use her phone like a normal person?

oooh good idea! I hate speakerphone calls in any public place but in a cafe or restaurant, is the absolute worst. About a year ago, I and one other woman were in a cafe and we both ordered breakfast. She immediately FaceTimed her son who had just arrived in Australia. The call went on for FORTYFIVE minutes!! I told her at the end that she had ruined my quiet breakfast. She of course did not apologize and told me that it was ok because it was a special occasion!!!! Well strangely, her son being abroad was not a special occasion to me but having breakfast in a cafe was.

I’ve hated this since the days when mobile phones were new and yuppies used to show off the fact they had them and shout ‘I’m on the train’ into the phone. Or when loud businessmen used to shout into the phone showing off their importance.

It’s nothing new, though I suppose it might well have got worse since COVID. (I mostly use cars/buses these days.

Ok, so I do use loudspeaker for my phone as I have problems with my ears and hearing and genuinely cannot hear calls when holding a phone normally. And I do know of other people with hearing difficulties who do the same.

BUT in my defence, I don't conduct phone calls publicly. Occasionally, if I do need to call DH quickly, it's never in a crowded place, and it's less than a minute, and I don't have the volume up loud enough for others to hear. I'd never use my phone on a train/bus for example and I do actually get pissed off at people who do have loud phone conversations or music on public transport.

I think in your circumstances it’s fine as you’re taking care not to do it on public transport and not to be inconsiderate of others.
I prefer calls on speaker when I’m at home too, that in itself is not an issue - it’s people inflicting their call on others that’s the problem.

This is why I no longer travel on public transport without noise cancelling earbuds firmly in.

Otherwise I'd be screaming (internally or otherwise) KEEP IT TO YOUR FUCKING SELF, YOU IGNORANT CUNT at least once every journey.

It's like being on safari, every single time.

I can’t bare it, how’s it come about? How are they benefitted to use the phone like that??

They use phones like that on The Apprentice so the camera/mics can pick up both sides of the conversation. The hard of thinking seem to have decided that this is how phones are supposed to work. It pisses me right off.

Although this is probably a factor I genuinely also believe people do it so that they can do other things on their phone while they’re talking.

I’m happy to chat to my mum on the phone but she can witter on so sometimes I do phone admin like deleting junk emails whilst I’m talking to her - speaker phone allows this (never in public I should add!). I’ve also seen young people scrolling reels etc while talking on speaker.

It’s always absolute drivel rarely funny or interesting. Unlike when I was on a train on a table seat amongst a group of mum friends going to London for the day on a jolly when one of them raised that the others dd was bullying hers and reeled off the examples. Omg mortifying. Quite diverting like watching a play.

😂😂😂 I think we all need to start doing this. Or replying to the person on the other end and joining in the convo

We could also start doing our best Dom Joly impressions. Although it would perhaps go over the heads of the young' uns.

OP you are my new heroine! 🙌👍👏

I’d have probably sat there in silence giving her evils.

I recently had a guy next to me who was mindlessly scrolling reels with the volume up, so I played Dead Men Don't Rape at full volume until he moved:

It's like being on safari, we must be on the same bus 😆

My hero, sigh

If aimed at a man and there are no children around try Kat McSnatch You are a cunt, best song ever, just beats her track called Fuck you.

I'll check it out, thanks!