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AIBU?

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Original poster

people answering their mobile phones inappropriately...so rude!

58 replies

prawnstar · 16/10/2009 12:32

Is it me or does anyone else find someone answering their mobile, when they are in conversation with you, rude? I cant bear it, especially at work when I am trying to consult someone. Even when paying for something in a shop or when talking to a friend, I would probably leave the phone and call the person back, its a rude interruption, and I think the problems getting worse! Where's peoples manners!
A family friend has just gone to live in Japan where no one uses their mobiles publically, you have to be discreet. Maybe I should go live there...i dont know!

OP posts:
TheDevilEatsBabies · 16/10/2009 14:22

if my phone rings while i'm talking to someone already, I just cut it off.
if it's important i can ring back or they can ring me again if it's not.
it's not hard.

the person you're already talking to gets priority.

when people come to my till while they're on their phone i either do what Arrggh does and wait, or just talk really loudly over them.
because effectively, they're interrupting the person they're already talking to, aren't they!

RainRainGoAway · 16/10/2009 14:26

The worst ones are the people who try and include you into the mobile conversation.

'Yeah, Yeah, RainRain is here. says Hi!! Yes, we are just having fun at the park with the kids. Tell RainRain what? Hohohoh. Yes, i'll tell her. (nods and raises eyebrows at me) Yes, its all so hilarious blah, blah, blah...etc ad infinitum'.

As if letting me hear a bit of the conversation makes the whole thing a bit less rude.

catsmother · 16/10/2009 14:59

YA totally NBU !

It's like you were out with a friend, when someone else they know comes up and then a conversation between the pair of them ensues, without any acknowledgement whatsoever you are also sat there. So bloody rude.

It's just as bad if not worse when someone you're with insists on having a text conversation, and let's face it, if it was a genuine emergency you wouldn't be dealing with it by text.

Louise2004 · 16/10/2009 15:18

YANBU

I always have my phone on silent in parent meetings etc. and, depending on the caller and the situation, I either switch it to the busy tone when it rings or ignore it completely (easier to do when it's on silent rather than when it's ringing annoyingly). If the caller is being really insistent, I say excuse me/apologise to whoever I'm talking to and answer it quickly simply to tell the person I'll call them back later (if it's not an emergency).

I'm not a big mobile phone fan but I do need one for work. I don't rely on it like some people do, preferring to keep it switched off at night and when I'm not using it (at the cinema or theatre, for example - phones ringing then really annoy me!). I also keep it switched off most of the time on holidays, just turning it on occasionally to check if anyone has called or left a text of any importance (I give our hotel number to my parents in case of a real emergency if my mobile is switched off).

I think it's good to get away from all this technology once in a while. My favourite holidays are to places without any mobile coverage or internet connection - very liberating!

Hassled · 16/10/2009 15:26

My DH is appalling at the headphone thing - you seldom see him without it. I We call it the WankerPhone.

He went off on one of his (work) travels on Tuesday and as I kissed him goodbye I could hear voices coming from his collar - turns out he was on a conference call but had muted himself long enough to say goodbye to me. It's madness.

StealthPolarBear · 16/10/2009 15:30

i was in an informal work meeting once when my phone rang - was dh, knew oit wouldnt be important so i cut him off to stop the ringing & send him to answerphone. People in the meeting were shocked!

alwayslookingforanswers · 16/10/2009 15:34

can I confess that I did actually use my phonei n the supermarket this afternoon - to call DH.

I wanted to know which flavour Ben and Jerry's he'd prefer - I rang him and then thought of this thread

StealthPolarBear · 16/10/2009 15:35

oh i'd do that, just not when being served

diddl · 16/10/2009 15:47

It´s very rude, isn´t it?

What I also hate to see is Mums pushing young ones in a pram/pushchair, and instead of talking to their child,they´re gabbing on the phone.
Makes me really

facebookaddict · 16/10/2009 15:47

Pagwatch - that is hilarious! Well done DS1

Prawnstar - I agree absolutely! Very very annoying and more so when you have to wait in a shop to pay when the sales assistant is just making chit chat on their personal phone! I also hate it when stupid ring tones are left going and going at work because the person has left their phone on the desk and wandered off. Mine is always on silent at work and unless emergency (nursery, DH or grandparents) then I wait until after work to respond.

Having said that, a text message is way too tempting to be left unread for very long. I resist for a while when with someone for manners sake but at first opportunity (they pop to the loo/off to get a drink) I will be on it like a flash! How rude of me! (although I figure I can stop immediately if the person returns so not really hurting anyone....??)

alwayslookingforanswers · 16/10/2009 15:54

diddl - has it ever occured to you that the child doesn't always want to be talked to????

I have on numerous occasoins been told to shut up (or words to that effect) by all 3 of my children.

And sometimes they just like to take the world around them in without mum blabbering in their ear.

diddl · 16/10/2009 15:57

Well, obviously I´ve thought of that!

I thought by putting "instead of" it was obvious that I meant when the child wants totalk to them.

Sorry about unclear post.

HeBewitcheditude · 16/10/2009 15:58

What I hate most is when I'm on my landline, hear a call come through and not answer it and someone calls me on the mobile, not having liked the "sorry the other person is on the phone" message.

If you know I'm on the bloody phone and have chosen once not to be interrupted, why the hell are you trying to interrupt me?

alwayslookingforanswers · 16/10/2009 15:58

ahh ok then (still disagree with you about the tuna on the other thread though )

ChunkyKitKat · 16/10/2009 15:59

We had a drinks get together last year, my df's new man answered his mobile and had a loud conversation while we were chatting, he didn't even apologise and say he had to take the call, then leave the room. Also people who text continuously while having a conversation wouldn't get an award from the charm school. Prawn YANBU.

busybutterfly · 16/10/2009 17:29

Went out for a lovely meal last night for my birthday, some tosser was on the phone and it was really, really annoying. Wish the waitress had taken his phone and stuffed it into his prawn and crab cocktail (mine was utterly delicious btw!)

dickiethepunchlinedonkey · 16/10/2009 20:13

YANBU

Sidge · 16/10/2009 20:31

I was doing a woman's smear once and she answered her phone and started having a conversation!

overmydeadbody · 16/10/2009 20:33

I thought this was going to be about what people say into their mobile phones when they answer them

Pyrocanthus · 16/10/2009 20:35

Anything for a bit of distraction, Sidge.

Did she say where she was???

Sidge · 16/10/2009 20:46

pyrocanthus I can understand wanting a bit of distraction but obviously my conversation wasn't scintillating enough

And that was the weirdest thing, she didn't say 'oh I'm at the doctors' or anything she just chatted as if she were on the bus or something whilst I rummaged around!

Pyrocanthus · 16/10/2009 20:59

Yes I'm sorry, very rude of me to imply that you weren't being entertaining enough!

Sidge · 16/10/2009 21:11

LOL not rude at all - I doubt I was at my best making small talk as I was somewhat preoccupied

spokette · 16/10/2009 21:16

Nothing wrong with mobile phones. It is the eejits that use them. There has been such a decline in social manners since people have become addicted to them. Most of the time they are chatting about vacuous nonsense.

The worst offenders are those who discuss loudly things that should only be discussed in private. They are totally oblivious to the people around them and to the fact that because they TALK SO LOUD, no-one can avoid their intrusive babble.

I cannot bear people who carry on babbling whilst they are at the till. It is rude and inconsiderate.

I can't bear the inane babble and accompanying shrieking when I am on the bus or train. I pray that mobiles are never allowed to be used on aeroplanes or the tube because life would really be unbearable, especially on a long haul flight.

MayorNaze · 16/10/2009 21:16

i phone if iam with someone if it is a private no (and therefore probably school), or dh if i am not expecting him to ring. i always apologise profusely to whomever i amd with before answering and after hanging up and explain why i am answering as well.

dead polite, me