Question of the Day, Wednesday, August 16, 2023

[neely]

Good morning and Happy Whiskers Wednesday! Yesterday when I was watching the news they discussed cell phone etiquette. A woman purposely put her phone on speaker and went into public places such as a grocery store, coffee shop, workplace and health club. Afterwards the interviewer went up to people to ask them their feelings. The majority of people thought it was rude and inappropriate. They said a cell phone conversation should be private.

IS IT OKAY TO PUT YOUR CELL PHONE ON SPEAKER AND TALK IN PUBLIC? (PLEASE GIVE EXAMPLES)

One of my doctors has several signs in his waiting room requesting patients to put their cell phone on silent when in the office. I have literally seen people sitting under or next to the sign talking on their phone. Whenever possible I choose the quiet car on my train ride into the city but once again I have seen and heard people talking on speaker, sometimes it's business related which technically is confidential and other times it's personal. One of my other pet peeves is people who talk on their phone at the store while in line or when the cashier is checking out their purchases. Of course we all have emergencies when it's necessary to take a call but is it necessary to put your phone on speaker?

 

[Mia6]

NO!!!!!!

 

[Winchester]

No. No. No! Actually, if you're out in public, stay the hell off your phone unless it's an emergency.

One time I was at the doctor's office, waiting to have a mammo. There was a woman in there who was going into specific detail about her breast cancer, what they were going to do, etc. On her phone. On speaker. You could just see the other patients cringing at all the detail. She had already had her mammo; she could have gone out into the hallway to discuss this, she could have left the building, but then everybody wouldn't hear her out there. And the woman next to me said that she obviously liked being the center of attention. She ended her conversation by saying she was going out for wine. The woman next to me said, "Honey, after that show, we all need wine!"

And then up at the Book Barn (Niantic, CT) with a GF, there was a guy who was obviously going through a bad divorce. Cussing, screaming, cursing, ranting and raving about his wife. In the middle of one of the book sheds. I actually felt rather sorry for his wife. And his young kids were with him and they had to listen to all that. As did everybody else.

 

[misty8723]

Nope.

Personally, I prefer other people don't even hear my end of a conversation, let alone both ends.

 

[game misconduct]

i never put my cell on speaker for the simple reason nobody needs to know what i'm talking about. personally i dont care what other people are talking about either so i just kinda tune things out if they have things on speake rplus i might laugh in their face if i over hear the conversation

 

[Lari]

I put my phone on speaker a lot when I'm at home because it's easier for me to hear/wrangle kids, but if I get a call in public, I don't. That seems rude.

 

[cassiopea]

Aside from the odd exception (Mobility issues, emergency etc) No, I think it is very rude.

And as mentioned, not very private lol goodness the types of conversations I have been hearing when people do that in public...

 

[allmykitties]

I agree--speaker sometimes at home because it's easier to hear (or maybe the call came while I'm in the middle of prepping dinner and need to continue that), but in public, I cannot think of any situation in which it is appropriate to have a call on speaker.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Thats a hard no from me! I've handed my cell phone over to the receptionist at the pediatrician when we were confirming insurance rather than put it on speaker. Other people were working too.


I barely use my phone to actually call people anyway.

A few weeks ago I was waiting in one of the grocery pickup spots at Walmart and the car next to me had their phone hooked up to the car and I could hear their conversation in my own car with the windows up! I hope they at least stopped talking while their groceries were being loaded. (And I really hope my mom's car never broadcast our conversations that loud because she used that feature on her old car ALL the time. Who knows what I might have told people in traffic. )

 

[susanm9006]

No, I just hate that. Not just on speaker but both parties talking LOUD. When I go to a thrift store, I swear there is always someone wandering the aisles while they have a loud conversation on speaker. I do not want to hear it. If you must talk on the phone at least move to a quiet corner, and take your phone off of speaker.

 

[Kat0121]

Speaker phone? Never. Taking a call? It depends. I'm usually alone and if I make or pick up a call it's because it's important. I don't yell into the phone and keep it short. If I were with someone else I would not be on the phone at all UNLESS it was DD calling. If she's calling it's important. Everyone else goes to voice mail.

 

[denice]

I think it is rude in public. I always use the speaker at home, I don't know why mostly just a habit. I do occasionally use it for work, I work from home, so I need to have my hands free for the keyboard or taking notes. When I was in the office we had headphones that hooked up to the phones. I don't use the speaker in public though.

 

[lizzie]

No,I don't think so.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I only have my phone on speaker when I'm on hold, and that's at home. I don't make calls when I'm out and can't remember the last time I received one. Unnecessary calls in public are bad enough (my ophthalmologist's waiting room has a sign reminding people to take their calls in the corridor) but on speaker is even ruder.

 

[Gunther4ever]

Sure if you are teenager and your parents are close by (like that would ever happen).

 

[neely]

Sure if you are teenager and your parents are close by (like that would ever happen).

I have a hunch the parents don't want to hear their teens conversation either.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

The only time I think it would be acceptable is if more than one person needed to hear the call and it was relevant to the surroundings.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Absolutely not! I kind of hate cell phone use in public. Even worse is when someone is on their phone when they should be working. I've quit jobs before due to cell phone use in the classroom.

 

[muffy]

Absolutely not! I kind of hate cell phone use in public.

I agree.

 

[kashmir64]

I don't like to, but I have to. My phone will mute the call and put it on hold the second I put it to my ear. Don't know why, it's irritating. But I do try to go somewhere where no one is to talk.