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What is the difference between having a phone conversation with someone on the phone vs. a conversation with someone else in public (example if lady in waiting room was with her girlfriend chit chatting in waiting room together).
I know when there are two people in public talking then there are two voices instead of one.
I mean that's how I look at it when I am on the phone in public. It's quieter than two voices.
What do you think?
Logically there shouldn't be a difference, yet there is. It really does seem like for whatever reason, people's talk louder when on the phone than when the person is there with them. I do it too, without even realizing I am. I really think most people don't do this on purpose, but for some reason it seems to be instinct to raise our voices when on the phone.
But, in fact, the conversation usually is loud. People do not speak on a cell phone in the same tone of voice they use to address a human who is physically close to them. They speak much louder. Also, people on phones seem to think those nearby don't know what they're talking about because they're only hearing one side of a conversation. In truth, it usually take very little to figure it out, even if one isn't trying to. I've heard some very embarrassing conversations when I was sitting minding my own business in waiting rooms. Even if I have a book, it's hard to concentrate when someone is very close to you yelling about their divorce, their badly behaved children, or their medical problems. If possible, I get up and move. But why should I ... I was there first.
That is all SO TRUE! Those who make excuses for the perpetrators are most likely the same ones who do exactly what is being described. So many have little consideration for other people.
Location: The Northeast - hoping one day the Northwest!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquietpath
I don't like loud conversations between two people in a small confined space, either, so it isn't just cell phone usage. Keep it low. How difficult is that? To me it is just common courtesy. No one is suggesting everyone has to be silent, but loud conversations, on the phone or in person is obnoxious. No one is interested in your conversation, and forcing others to listen to it against their will is just tacky and rude.
Rude. Not even acceptable in some cultures. We were in the rain - well on a porch out of the rain at a local park last weekend. We had our son on speaker phone as he told us about his new job. We were very excited. I felt bad for doing what I can't stand other people doing but wecouldn't go out in the rain and talk. And we were out on the porch. It occurred to me the other people were listening. And we talk rather loud.
I'm confused. You are saying that you believe that it is rude to talk loudly on cell phones while in public in front of other people. Then you tell us that you put your son on speaker phone while waiting on a porch with other people in a local park. And then mention that other people werelisteningandtalk rather loudly???
Even if you "couldn't go out in the rain to talk" didn't it occur to you to tell your son, "We are so excited for you but we can't talk now. Please call us at home tonight."? If it embarrassed you that much why did you keep talking (on speaker phone!)?
Maybe I'm an old dinosaur but that seems just as rude as what you "can't stand other people doing".
Now, if it he was in a war zone under enemy fire and that may be the last time that you would ever be able to talk to your son of course it would be understandable or if his new job was in Witness Protection and you would never hear his voice again or if he was trapped in a car about to go over a cliff... etc., etc.
But what difference would waiting an hour or two to hear the details of his new job make in your situation? I'm only belaboring this point because everyone seems to think like the poster that I quoted----"I can't stand other people doing it" but it is OK when I want to do it. Sheesh.
If one is talking on their cellphone in public, one should keep their voice down as much as possible and try to move away from other people so as not disturb others as much as possible.
I was at the car dealership today and was waiting for my car to be fixed. The waiting room was fairly large, and there were about 10 people scattered throughout. Some were softly talking on their phones, others watching the tv, and I was trying to read.
A woman sat near me and began phone conversations that lasted the entire 2.5 hours I was there. She was practically yelling into her phone, and it annoyed the hell out of me. It was bad enough trying to block out the noise from the tv, but I heard way more than I wanted to from this woman. I shot her a few disapproving looks, and she toned it down for a minute or two then resumed her loud speaking voice.
If I have to take a phone call in public, I try to keep it as short and sweet as possible, and try to keep my voice down where everyone near me doesn't know my business. I hate when people carry on a conversation in public with no thought to how it may affect others. A pet peeve of mine is when the conversation is in another language, conducted at full volume, but a loud conversation in any language is annoying, and IMO rude as hell. It happens a lot, though. Is this considered socially ok??
It's not socially OK, but most people just don't give a crap.
I'm frequently tempted to grab people's phones and throw them out the window, but I settle for interrupting them and telling them as politely as I can that they are being annoying and disruptive. They don't care about that, but they usually get self conscious enough to stop.
What is the difference between having a phone conversation with someone on the phone vs. a conversation with someone else in public (example if lady in waiting room was with her girlfriend chit chatting in waiting room together).
I know when there are two people in public talking then there are two voices instead of one.
I mean that's how I look at it when I am on the phone in public. It's quieter than two voices.
What do you think?
Phone conversations in quiet voice are very distracting too. There are studies that show that a one-sided conversation is considerably harder to ignore than a conversation where you can hear both participants. You overhear a person on a cellphone making a statement, your brain is waiting for the response, which does not come. Your brain tries to complete the conversation. This is an automatic mechanism which is almost impossible to "switch off", and because of it the "incomplete" conversations are very hard to tune out, and cause measurable stress for the unvolontary listeners.
I was at the car dealership today and was waiting for my car to be fixed. The waiting room was fairly large, and there were about 10 people scattered throughout. Some were softly talking on their phones, others watching the tv, and I was trying to read.
A woman sat near me and began phone conversations that lasted the entire 2.5 hours I was there. She was practically yelling into her phone, and it annoyed the hell out of me. It was bad enough trying to block out the noise from the tv, but I heard way more than I wanted to from this woman. I shot her a few disapproving looks, and she toned it down for a minute or two then resumed her loud speaking voice.
If I have to take a phone call in public, I try to keep it as short and sweet as possible, and try to keep my voice down where everyone near me doesn't know my business. I hate when people carry on a conversation in public with no thought to how it may affect others. A pet peeve of mine is when the conversation is in another language, conducted at full volume, but a loud conversation in any language is annoying, and IMO rude as hell. It happens a lot, though. Is this considered socially ok??
Not to me. I have also noticed that people nearly always speak louder into the phone than they do to someone in person. A waiting room is not as bad as having to listen to someone bark orders to other employees while they eat lunch. Have a little consideration for those around you. You may not get a work free lunch but at least you could get the food and take it somewhere else so you don't ruin the hopefully relaxed time of lunch for others. Talking on cell phones in public in a voice loud enough for others to hear is extremely RUDE.
Those are the worst or the ones that are in the grocery store and act like that cell is glued to their ear . and they usually block the aisle when doing so . It just kills me how some people have such little courtesy for others . It drives me nuts .
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