Swearing on public transport and children

[HappyDaysAlways]

My partner was on a tram with our 4 year old and a woman was having a loud call on speakerphone so the whole tram could hear and was swearing loudly so my partner told her to stop swearing in front of our child. I think he should have avoided a potential confrontation and just moved away or got off. His argument was there was nowhere on the tram you could go where couldn’t hear her. Am I being dramatic or is it really not that much of a big deal.

We were in a restaurant earlier in the week... It wasn't hugely posh, but neither was it a Wetherspoons. It was a nice place, except.... There was a large table of people behind us where one man in particular was swearing constantly and loudly - every third word was effing this or effing that. It spoiled our evening. My DH said he was wearing hearing aids which may account for the loudness - but since when did it become acceptable to swear like that in a public place, where there were people trying to eat a nice meal in peace and relative quiet.

I agree with your DH saying something - I told a man in an airport gate to tone down the swearing once, he was so full of the "big businessman" shit and it was a gate full of families 🙄

He did stop though - I swear and my kids know all the words but I still think it's obnoxious to be doing it in public around other people who might not want to hear it

Good on your partner. No need for that during day in a public place where young children are obviously present. I have wanted to challenge several times, but worried might turn nasty.

I think he should have avoided a potential confrontation and just moved away or got off.

Why though?

Do you never advocate for your children?

You can't go through life avoiding 'confrontation', especially when it's pretty much a non issue like this was.

Did you think the woman was going to throw her phone across the carriage and beat you both to death?

I would have told her to stop using her phone on speakerphone. And if she declined, i would have joined in the conversation. (I have done this on a train)

I am a grey haired oldie, though, and that gives us the magic power to tell people to stop being antisocial on public transport.

I think it’s really rude to talk loudly on a phone in public under any circumstances, but your partner was very unreasonable to have spoken to the woman - it’s none of his business what she was saying. If he didn’t want your child to hear her swearing, he should have got off the tram.

It was rude of her to be having a conversation on speakerphone in public. I swear but wouldn’t knowingly swear in front of children. If we take our children out in public it’s not unreasonable that they will hear someone swearing and it’s not for us to interfere in private conversations.

Oh don’t be ridiculous.

When my DS was small (4 or 5ish) he told a group of teenagers on the bus to stop swearing because "there's a little child here". I was mortified. They did stop though, and apologised to him.

I would have asked someone to politely stop in the past but people are so aggressive these days. I get intimidated now!!

I was at the pool today with my child doing a swimming lesson and I said to a boy about 9 that he probably shouldn’t keep walking towards the pool with his trainers on or he should take them off poolside like the signs said.
his grandma came for me and said what are you saying to my grandson and I said oh just about shoes at the pool and she said he’s fine you leave him alone, in a very nasty way. You can’t say anything these days