User deleted post
Cell phone calls at airport gates and on mass transit should be discouraged
You know what’s worse? Putting it on speaker for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. I don’t need to hear y’all thoughts about the potato salad Barbra brought to the BBQ or what the doctor said about your raging hemorrhoids. What do they want us to do with that information? 🤦🏼♀️
Yes, particularly when we're trying to hear the gate agent announce the latest update re: our flight delay.
That's such a weird one. When I worked in a garden center I'd spend my mornings watering, and inevitably an old lady would come in with her phone on speaker and I'd get to hear their entire conversation.
One lady was like... Face timing and showing her friend her fancy hotel room and doing a tour as her friend wandered around the garden center.
Just... People are weird man. No concept of public spaces.
When boomers do this near me I just que up Spotify as loud as my phone will go holding my phone in the same awkward wine goblet grip they always use and just slowly move closer to them
I work at the water company in my town and the amount of people who sit in the lobby on their cells on SPEAKERPHONE!!!! while other people are trying to conduct their business is ridiculous! Actually the amount is 100%! Ive never seen one motherfucker hold their phone to their ear like they should!
It’s so bizarre to me. Why do they feel the need to share their conversations with the world? WHY???
What is the difference between talking on the phone and talking to someone there with you
The fact that, short of some technical defect with your phone, there's no need to broadcast the other person to the surrounding area in order to hear them.
Two people actually present for the conversation usually tend to speak in quieter volumes than a phone being blasted on loudspeaker anyway.
Jesus Christ, how is this such a a difficult concept for some people to grasp?
I almost always have to talk a lot louder for a microphone to pick up my voice than for a human to hear me
When the brain hears only one side of a conversation, it's much more distracting than hearing the whole conversation. I don't know why, but that's how the brain works, and studies have showed that.
studies have showed that.
Let's see them
Not sure about studies but I find it much more annoying to hear only one side of a conversation
And thus concludes my survey of Reddit comments that demonstrates that people do find it distracting to hear just one side of a conversation.
It's not journal accepted yet but there's a study.
Definitely going to need a source on that.
It's posted in the original post. Please read.
Your “study” is an article with cherry picked factoids.
There are 2 links posted. Take it up with the magazines that published them.
Nah, I’m going to take it up with the person who has unreasonable demands and promotes junk science
Sounds like you're a Trump supporter.
"If you need to communicate with someone when you're about to board a plane or on mass transit, text or email the person, schedule the call for another time or, if you have to talk on the phone, speak softly.": that's unreasonable? Interesting.
I think demanding people make special accommodations because you automatically eavesdrop on everyone around you is unreasonable.
Also, I don’t like Trump. But you’re really painting the stereotype of whiny entitled liberal right now. Especially since you brought up Trump with zero prompting
No, you're denying scientifically valid scientific studies by university researchers. You are acting like a Trump supporter.
My request, again:
"If you need to communicate with someone when you're about to board a plane or on mass transit, text or email the person, schedule the call for another time or, if you have to talk on the phone, speak softly."
There's nothing unreasonable about that.
So the problem would be solved if they switched to speakerphone?
So don't listen to strangers talking on the phone.
Please see the link in the original thread. Even if I have earplugs and Bose headphones on, if someone is screaming on a cell phone, it's not blocked. You can try o avoid listening to them, but it's sometimes impossible to.
I didn't say don't hear them. I said don't listen to them. Sorta like you just did with me here.
It might be easy for you to ignore but not for everyone. Does it annoy you if people play music aloud on a bus/train?
It’s one of the most infuriating things to me because you could just be considerate and use headphones.
I was just about to comment exactly this. I've heard this point a few times over the years and don't know why you're being down voted. I guess cause you fared to say the word 'study' without linking multiple entire scientific journal entries lol. I mean It's not a stretch even if there aren't tons of studies in the public eye. If you pay attention, you can actually feel it stress you when it happens.
Thanks
This is actually normal etiquette in Japan lol. It's really rude to speak on the phone on public transport, and no one tends to do it.
Great point. And I'm sure that people in Japan somehow are just fine anyway.
i though that's how it was in the US. I've lived here all my life and on public transport and in airports (most times) people talk on the phone quietly or just text. I guess it's not like there everywhere...
That’s cause the Japanese people are actually civilized. I swear living in Japan ruined America for me
I'm British and did two weeks in Japan last year and a few days in LA later in the year.
Could not fucking wait to get out of LA quickly enough. Glad I went and sated my curiosity but in zero rush to go back there.
I hardly notice people who do that, maybe you should work on doing the same.
I wear Bose headphones and earplugs. I can still hear them. Some people have heightened sensitivity to noise.
Maybe the airport isn't the place for you then.
I really appreciate your deep consideration of others. You seem very thoughtful and kind.
People wearing bright colors hurts my eyes, maybe everyone in the airport should consider that and dress in neutral colors to be considerate of people with eye sensitivity...
All of my clothes are neutral colors, so no issue there. But if sensitivity to bright colors did create problems for people, and I had bright-colored clothing, I wouldn't wear it.
There’s just a touch of the tism here isn’t there
Observing your weird hangups is not consideration, expecting the entire world to not harmlessly spend their time as they please because it bothers you is deeply inconsiderate.
No, what I'm asking is to people to limit unnecessary phone calls, and to speak softly when talking on the phone, when in crowded public areas.
Nothing wrong with that request, and it's shared by lots of others.
Who gets to decide what is necessary or not?
If it’s shared by lots of others, why post in r/unpopularopinion
How do you know the call is unnecessary?
Sorry the public isn’t entirely tailored to your specific comfort level.
So can I and I listen to music. I focus more on my music and to hear out for announcements.
I've started listening to music and it certainly helps.
i do too and my Bose headphones work just fine at tuning people out. mayhaps the other commenter is right, they may be broken
Do your headphones have ANC?
Headphones ftw. I’m not going to an airport or mass transit expecting peace and quiet, much less decent manners from strangers.
I have Bose Quiet Comfort headphones and earplugs, but just as I try to make an effort to minimize the noise, people who make cellphone calls should make an effort, too.
If you have earplugs and over ear noise cancelling clamshell headphones and still think other people in public are too noisy, the issue very nearly certainly isn’t with the other people.
It sounds like you are less sensitive to noise than other people are. Must be nice!
Indeed, effort is appreciated. But I’m also going to be realistic about my surroundings. I absolutely hate all the noise, but what I can control is my own response to it. So, headphones or earplugs are always with me, but I’m not going to get bent out of shape about other people.
It's no louder than people talking to eachother, let's ban that too.
🙄
Plese see the link at the bottom of the original post.
So use speakerphone so I don't annoy people, noted.
User deleted comment
1mo
I had an old man yell at me saying ‘a little bit of manners go very far’ for getting on a train ahead of a crowd to save a seat for my friend who was on crutches. He proceeded to put his phone on speaker and scream down the phone about someone’s butt operation and his dinner plans.
Loud talkers whether on the phone or irl make my head hurt. So I’d be inclined to agree because of that.
In the US, the general sense is that talking loudly on your cellphone at a crowded airport gate and on a crowded train or bus is fine.
No, it’s not fine. It’s not accepted. The majority of people understand it’s fucking rude and annoying. But like any populace, you get people who are missing a few synapses firing, and they just do what they feel like despite how it affects anyone else
You’re talking about an airport gate, not a movie theater. Nobody is under any obligation to turn a public area into a quiet space just because you personally can’t help but eavesdrop into other people’s conversations.
And yet, most of us voluntarily choose not to be loud and obnoxious in these types of venue without any pressure from those around us.
But no, you're right: there is technically no obligation on you to not be an inconsiderate prick.
Not sure how many people I've heard on the phone on the bus, and when I do, people are looking at them funny. Its already a convention that "that's rude." At airport gates though, who the hell cares? You don't need to focus there, it's not an office. Commuters who need quiet at the airport gate can take a hike. there's plenty of room there to get away from annoying talker, so it's on the annoyed person to seek a better spot to stand. Not possible on the bus.
i mean i hear ya. but it don’t bother me in these situations, but im also 100% deaf in my left ear and 60% in my right ear.
You hear OP, but just barely
lol made me laugh. unlike OP since i have shit hearing, i just read the screens when the airport does updates or at other mass transportation hubs.
I always have my noise cancelling headphones on so I can’t hear anything either. When I notice a mass of people heading towards my gate I figure I should get up. Never failed me til now
See OP, there is a solution
Lol what's distracting. It's an airport. It's busy and loud
There will of course be a lot of noise, with gate announcements, people walking and hauling suitcases, having normal conversations. But calling your friend and yelling on your phone about last night's date, while you're in an airline gate area, is not critical.
Nothing is critical
Counter argument: I’m in a long distance relationship, have been for ~3 years, we have had to spent anywhere from 6-11 months away from eachother.
He drops me off at the airport. I will spend every second I can hearing his voice until I have to board.
I do not use speaker, and we don’t speak much, but not everyone is on their phone for just casual chatting that could be done another time.
Have you ever considered you might have Auditory Processing Disorder? If you trouble processing voices in loud or noisy settings you might actually have a medical condition.
I think we can agree that they ARE discouraged. It’s awkward for people to hear only your side. It’s usually inconsiderate loud asses who do this .
People who put their phones on speaker are the worst and should be shunned. People who talk unnecessarily loud into a phone also suck. No reason to yell into the phone.
If I’m in line and the person next to me is talking on speaker phone, I’m just going to assume they want me to be part of the conversation.
I used to be great dealing with people but I left customer service a few years ago and I’m rusty. lol
If studies show something and I don't feel the same way, is the way I feel wrong and I should adhere to the studies finding?? Someone talking on the phone isn't annoying unless they're interacting with someone else at the time and they're handsfree using an earbud.
Maybe you should learn the concept of minding your own business, I am not getting off the phone for you or anyone.
When someone is screaming on a cell phone, it's impossible to "mind your own business".
No it's really not, it's a public space and you don't have say in what others do there.
It's a public space and we all have to be mindful of others and put some effort into being considerate. It goes both ways.
So you move away, not that big of a deal, unless your on a plane it is not that hard.
I manage just fine while traveling. It’s called “noise cancelling headphones” or “ignore it”.
Upvoted not to show agreement, but because OP managed to post an actually unpopular opinion.
Yes, in the US, being loud is "normal", and using cell phones everywhere is "normal". Even if it's a drunk person yelling on a cell phone at an airport gate.
More than discouraged. Punishable by death IF its on speaker
I am not getting off my phone for you or anyone, kick rocks buddy, I call and talk when I want, don't want to hear it, move away from me.
Damn you seem like a shitty person to interact with lol
Well I mean your in a crowded airport, what's wrong with making a call. It's not a library on movie.
The way you expressed your point said a lot more than the point you were making lol
The "Fuck your feelings I'll do what I want in public" attitude is cringy at best.
Thanks for showing such consideration of others. Very thoughtful.
Its not a movie theater or a performance, everyone is talking and I will eager mosp people in an airport are seeking to the person next to them louder than I am on my phone.
Besides, I don't have to consider others, I am never going to see them again in my life anyway.
And what if everyone in the world took the same view as you ("I don't have to consider others, I am never going to see them again in my life anyway")? And are you sure that not showing consideration of others doesn't affect people who you will see again?
I am not worried about what the world thinks or how they act, the only people who matter in my life are my wife, and my kids. Everyone else doesn't really matter at all. Just someone I share air with.
That's such a kind and refreshing outlook. And to confirm: you can switch on and off your view of the need to be considerate of others, so you're always super-considerate to your wife and kids, even though you aren't of others?
so you're always super-considerate to your wife and kids, even though you aren't of others?
That's a fair assessment.
That's really great. So many people (including me) can't switch on and off aspects of our personality very easily; for example, someone who is completely inconsiderate of strangers often can't suddenly become super-considerate of spouses and children. It's great that you can do that, as it's a rare skill. I'm glad that your wife and children don't ever see a lack of consideration from you. I'm glad that your co-workers don't have any issues with you.
I'm an armed guard at a last chance high school if my "coworkers" are interacting with me there is an issue.
Oh go pound sand. There’s nothing wrong with people talking on their phones at airport gates. Perhaps should familiarize yourself with the concept of minding one’s own business
As long as they keep moving as they would without being on a phone that's perfectly fine with me. If you decide to suddenly stop I might not decide to stop as well and just shoulder you out of the way.
Discouraging the public doesn't work and ordering them via law is authoritarian hell.
Lots of people are inconsiderate assholes because of insufficient parenting, and that's a cycle that unlikely to change.
I'm not a big fan of anyone using a bus or train as there private phone booth but I find that when Chinese (I'm english speaking Australian) do it there tones and fast pace is noise pollution it grating to my ears, I wonder if it's the same for them in reverse
I don't disagree but at the same time you would have to be careful finding a decimal range that discourages talking on cell phones without discouraging talking.
i dont get the need for an immediate update. walking and talking on the phone while boarding and holding up the line awkwardly because of all the luggage they be trying to not pay for and just hand carry and just saying Hey im boarding the plane now yada yada. send a text as soon as you got seated! airplane, bus, metro etc.
im also confused as to why older people who grew up with walkmans are now using their phones like boombox in public transport. you old ass should know what to do.
Im sitting in a designated quiet area in an airport right now
It's nice
I don’t care if people make calls or talk on the phone. Just don’t fucking put it on speaker.
I work for a major airline, and I pretty frequently have to call bosses/management before boarding flights. It's just a part of the job 🤷♂️
This is such a non issue. Some people give too much attention to Unimportant shit.
People shopping while listening to music on their speakers need to be corrected and judged by everyone they encounter.
I hear a flight attendant say once that we are forced to put our phones in airplane mode not because the phones do anything to the plane or intwrfer with the pilot but to keep passengers from being annoyed at one another and starting fights over this exact scenario. Idk if it's true or not tho.
Crybaby
Some people just have never been called out
Nah, put on noise cancelling headphones and get alerts for your gate on your phone or the gigantic ass displays everywhere.
I have absolutely 0 sympathy for ppl in airports or on buses who just raw dog it with no headsets and then complain about noise or convos.
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