Cell Phone Audio in Public

[THX1123]

I've noticed that some modern people are oblivious to (or unconcerned with) the leakage from watching videos or games on their phones in public places. It doesn't seem to be entirely related to the age of the person, except that many people under 25 seem to be using airpods or other bluetooth earphones instead of just subjecting everyone to their nonsense. It seems to be kids and people 35 and older who are the worst offenders.

The ultra-midrange that phones use cuts through everything and can travel a great distance. I clearly heard someone's phone this week from at least 150 feet away - and we were outside.

I was at the Tire Center waiting for tires last week. And older lady (late 60s) had some obnoxious slot-machine gambling game thing blasting. After she left an older man (Late 70s) was watching chainsaw videos and tree-chopping videos at a high volume as well. CHAIN SAW VIDEOS.

Today at a restaurant some guy was watching a sports podcast or youtube show of some kind. Myself and everyone else there could pick out every word, and there was conversation and a couple TVs on at low volume in the place.

Some boy next to me last month at the DMV was watching a gamer streaming and the amount of profanity he was broadcasting to young kids and senior citizens in the place was mind-boggling. I stopped reading and leaned over and watched his phone, hoping it would make him uncomfortable. He didn't even notice. I never saw his parents.

I find this rude. Sometimes I fantasize about finding a video of nails on a blackboard, or drowning cats, or Melt Banana, or police sirens and playing that at full volume on my phone next to people who do this just to see if they ask me to stop.

Questions:

Do you find it rude? Is this is just how things are now going forward, or is it just a trend? Have people finally and completely lost the plot when it comes to how even these small actions adversely affect others?

Caveats: People used to carry little transistor radios when I was a boy. Then people carried boomboxes around for a while - until the Walkman got popular. But they were listening to music on boomboxes, not talk shows or slot machines. Many people who used little transistor radios back in the day had mono earplugs. Then there were those digital Walkie-Talkie phones that made a super-loud bleeping sound that people used about 15 years ago. Thank the maker those obnoxious things are mostly gone.

 

[bgmacaw]

 

[Cyberi4n]

IBTL

*grabs popcorn*

 

[loopfinding]

i don't care outside, or on a train platform, or in a mall/big store, etc. or something like that where there noise floor is high.

but yeah, not a good thing for a restaurant, or a store, or a train car, or whatever.

and yeah, like you said, i notice it's often 35+ folks who seem to have no awareness of their surroundings when it comes to phones.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

CHAINSAW VIDEOS??? I thought I was the only one into them!

 

[Killing Floor]

I can’t control what you do. I can only control what I do.

This is a promise,
If you are talking on your phone in the airport restroom I will act like you’re speaking to me and I will be in your conversation very loudly. No exception.

 

[Knows3Chords]

 

[ReverendRevolver]

I've seen people rolling around Walmart or down the street at the gifts shop stretches at myrtle Beach blasting Bluetooth speakers ranging in size from Loaf of bread to carryon luggage sized.
THATs what really annoys me. And it's a smattering of ages, more often than not with tons of tasteless vulgarity (because it wouldn't suck as bad if it were tasteful at all....) in whatever it is.
Of the like 30 times I've seen this happen, once was it not so loud you had to scream over it. Because it was an older lady in a riding cart in a store, who'd taken her (daughter? Granddaughter?)'s speaker and was playing Bob Marley at a reasonable level.

The cell phone thing just sort of plants a flag over people with 0 self awareness or any idea of thier surroundings.
One time, no joke, convenience store clerk had to pause the moaning and "yessing female" sounds from his phone to ring me out.

I have to assume such people wouldn't have survived to contribute to the total gene pool of the species if we still had Sabertooth tigers and such prowling about. Or heck, even more unattended open manholes in the street......

 

[Preacher]

In a stall at Chicago O'Hare airport.

The guy in the stall next to me says, "hey"

I think this is odd and move my feet closer to the middle.

Guy in the next stall, "you doing all right?"

Now I am thinking that this guy is talking to me but I am not sure.
I don't say anything back but am on my guard.

Guy in the next stall, "can you hear me?"

Now I am sure he is talking to me so I reply, "dude, I don't talk to people when I am doing my business."

Guy in the stall next to me, "Oh man, hang on a minute. Let me call you back."

Then the guy in the next stall lets out this loud fart which caused me to giggle a little bit. In that time, I was finishing up my business so I get ready to leave and I hear the guy in the next stall say, "hey I am back"

I then began to exit my stall and said back over my shoulder, "I think you blew your back off!"

I quickly washed my hands and exited before we could meet.

 

[imwjl]

Where is the link to to contribute to the TDPRI Desinex fund or whatever is best cure for chapped a$$es these days?

 

[bholder]

We hates it, Precious, we do! Especially folks who put their speakerphones on in already noisy public places like diners. Ugh.

 

[brookdalebill]

Interesting, and duly noted.
I’m guilty.
Speakerphone junkie, I am.
I’ll make sure I only use it in the truck, or completely out of the earshot of others.
And yes, I’m no kid, and I don’t hear that well.
Hence the speakerphone addiction.
Yikes, I’m a jerk!

 

[Refugee]

Instead of police sirens, I have found Pantera, Primal Concrete Sledge to get desired results. All a person has to do is look around. Do you see or hear anyone else doing that? There's your first indicator.

Similar to concerts. Paid $2000 and flew from SF to NY to see a show of the last Allman Bros March run at the Beacon. Four dudes drinking whiskey in front of us would not it down. We were in the balcony and these clowns were the only ones standing up. I told the guy in front of me I didn't pay 2 grand to look at some guy's ass. Told him look around. D you see anyone else standing? They sat down and by the 2nd set at least 2 of them were passed out. Ah, now I get to enjoy my show.

 

[Intubator]

This "Better Call Saul" scene just follows Jimmy and Kim at the restaurant witnessing this obnoxious banker in his public glory being loud and proud on his phone making big deals for all to see and hear...
They witness his douche baggery and come up with this:

 

[imwjl]

Where is the link to to contribute to the TDPRI Desinex fund or whatever is best cure for chapped a$$es these days?

Okay, maybe that was harsh, but something happened with age, parenting, and the privilege of some serious work responsibilities that just doesn't let things bother me as they once did SO easily.

My sincere advice in a group like this - music, tinnitus - is get some truly good noise cancelling ear buds. It's all sorts of pleasure beyond not hearing annoying or distracting stuff. Beats makes the Fit Pro in grey to match the hair color for a lot of us.

 

[ChicknPickn]

In comparison, I guess a Taser does seem primitive.

 

[THX1123]

Where is the link to to contribute to the TDPRI Desinex fund or whatever is best cure for chapped a$$es these days?

War on Iceberg Lettuce

War on Iceberg Lettuce. 34 likes. This page is dedicated to an all out WAR ON ICEBERG LETTUCE

www.facebook.com

 

[ChicknPickn]

Of course, I was never a 15-year-old, cigarette smoking, army-jacket wearing punk. No. Not me.

 

[omahaaudio]

Have you ever thought that some/many of the folks that you think are "too loud" on their cell phone are just hard of hearing?
Didn't think so.

 

[THX1123]

Okay, maybe that was harsh, but something happened with age, parenting, and the privilege of some serious work responsibilities that just doesn't let things bother me as they once did SO easily.

My sincere advice in a group like this - music, tinnitus - is get some truly good noise cancelling ear buds. It's all sorts of pleasure beyond not hearing annoying or distracting stuff. Beats makes the Fit Pro in grey to match the hair color for a lot of us.

That's good advice.

It's too bad so many solutions often involve buying and using coping technology, or avoiding places and spaces I used to enjoy.