A small outbreak of 'Disgusted of Croydon'
The Carphone Warehouse has commissioned a survey on mobile phone use which makes for rather depressing reading:
"The survey also found only 14% of people would turn their phone off during sex. While 75% of people think it is rude to use the mobile during dinner, only 9% of respondents said it was unreasonable to do so on a train".
In the past few months I've seen people using mobiles while standing at urinals, and continuously while eating in a restaurant, quite apart from the usual selection of bores/boors who bellow into the bally things while on public transport. As I'm forever pointing out, mobiles have very powerful microphones, so anyone who raises his or her voice while using one on a train is a moron or an oaf. I've fantasised about buying one of those deeply illegal portable signal blockers, but quite apart from their illegality and possible interference with emergency service channels, they don't work with 3G, apparently.
For what it is worth, I think the rot set in with the introduction of walkmans, with this representing an intrusion of the private into the public realm and users getting less and less considerate. Maybe I should just move to Tunbridge Wells and be done with it.
"The survey also found only 14% of people would turn their phone off during sex. While 75% of people think it is rude to use the mobile during dinner, only 9% of respondents said it was unreasonable to do so on a train".
In the past few months I've seen people using mobiles while standing at urinals, and continuously while eating in a restaurant, quite apart from the usual selection of bores/boors who bellow into the bally things while on public transport. As I'm forever pointing out, mobiles have very powerful microphones, so anyone who raises his or her voice while using one on a train is a moron or an oaf. I've fantasised about buying one of those deeply illegal portable signal blockers, but quite apart from their illegality and possible interference with emergency service channels, they don't work with 3G, apparently.
For what it is worth, I think the rot set in with the introduction of walkmans, with this representing an intrusion of the private into the public realm and users getting less and less considerate. Maybe I should just move to Tunbridge Wells and be done with it.
Labels: surveys, Truly the Apocalypse is upon us
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on Monday, July 24, 2006 at 9:25 am.
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This is not just a British, American or European problem.
Here, a workman, or even an architect, will ring one's doorbell and then walk into the house talking into the mobile phone without even acknowledging one. Then they'll continue the call inside, while you stand there, de trop in your own home.
There's never a word of apology or an indication that it was an urgent call. When they've finally finished talking, they reset their phone, put it back in their pocket and finally say, "Good morning". I have stood for three or four minutes in my own home, ignored, while a stranger stands in my living room having a phone conversation on his mobile. Two or three minutes later, if the phone rings again, they take the call without even an "Excuse me".
You could be right about the Walkman, but I think mobile phones are the rudest, most decivilising development in the history of the human race. No one receiving a call ever, ever says, "I'm with someone. I'll call you back."
On the TGV, the have "quiet carriages" as you probably know. Does that stop them shouting into their mobiles? Are you kidding.
It is the sheer lack of consideration in the way that some people use them that gets me. I've often seen people talking on their phones while at the till in supermarkets etc, and clearly not thinking that there is anything wrong in so doing. However, your tale of tradesmen etc at the door takes some beating.
When I was having work done at the back of the house, the architect would walk in talking on his mobile and, without acknowledging me, walk through to the back and start looking at yesterday's work, still talking on his phone, while I trailed along behind, waiting for permission to talk.
Oh, good heavens, they talk on their mobiles at the tills here too; they talk at the meat counter while the shop assistant waits patiently to serve them and other customers wait placidly until it's convenient for the telephone-talker to actually place an order.
Andrew Kennedy - If you are a libertarian, then you know that guns are GOOD.
and other customers wait placidly until it's convenient for the telephone-talker to actually place an order.
Then the sheep are just as much to blame.
Good to see we are all singing off the same hymn sheet. I style myself a libertarian too, but there is a world of difference between valuing and using one's freedom, and being an inconsiderate oaf when in the presence of others.
Serf - the other people in line don't see anything wrong with someone holding up the queue by talking on their mobile instead of placing their order. They do it themselves. They think it's normal. And, in the land of mañana, it is.
great line in Private Eye a few years back.some bloke had been on his phone for half and hour on the train taking different calls and talking loudly.it rang again and he said to the person on the other end ,
'I'm popular today' a wag responded from a few rows away
'no,you're not'
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