Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Rant: Cell Phone Users on Busses
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
October 3, 2008 at 3:48 pm #588253
DanTompsettMemberI wonder what makes cell phone users on busses assume that everyone on the bus wants to hear their conversations? I find them to be very annoying. Especially those who talk very loudly.
I have considered taking a small book of poetry with me when I ride the bus so that when I begin getting annoyed with cell phone convos I’ll open the book and start reading poems out loud for all to enjoy. I figure if inane cell phone convos are acceptable good poetry must surely be. Right?
October 3, 2008 at 3:56 pm #642105
SueParticipantI’m not against cell phones on buses, per se, just any loud, disruptive conversation (which the phone calls usually – but not always – are). However, last week I was sitting on the bus listening to a woman arranging for a car service, complete with full addresses of pickup and dropoff, phone numbers, and credit card number to hold the reservation. Can we say stupid?
As for the poetry reading, a friend of mine just starts answering back as if he’s on the other end of the phone. It’s kinda funny to watch. :)
October 3, 2008 at 4:11 pm #642106
JiggersMemberI find it that a lot of people think they are actually looking important while conversing on a cell phone. A cell phone to me is a type of insecurity feature/blanket more than a communicator. I see young adults trying to look cool standing on the sidewalks trying to act like they are conducting business….lol I noticed that girls use a cell phone mostly to look as if she is important and pretends to be using it so she isn’t bothered. It is rude to talk on your phone in close quarters(like a bus)with other people who can’t escape your meaningless conversation. People with cell phones don’t understand what proper cell phone etiquette is. Yes–I have a cell phone and rarely use it because I don’t want to be bothered or waste money on it with meaningless talk. But it is the day and age when everyone has one now.
October 3, 2008 at 4:16 pm #642107
DanTompsettMemberI have noticed that too, Jiggers. It’s like they want to show the world that “Hey–I have people to talk to, and people need/want to talk to me, therefor I’m a SOMEBODY!”
I also get the feeling that some cell users talk on their phones while on busses just to make the ride seem shorter.
October 3, 2008 at 4:45 pm #642108
flowerpetalMemberSadly it seems that there are a growing number of people with low self esteem who turn to behaviors they think will make them feel like somebody.
For me rudeness shouldn’t beget rudeness. I’d be happy to see manners taught in school and in the work place.
October 3, 2008 at 5:17 pm #642109
DanTompsettMemberI was taught manners by my parents. Do parents do that anymore? Quite often it seems as though they don’t.
October 3, 2008 at 5:17 pm #642110
Arbor Heights GuyMemberall these posts…so true. Here’s a fix for those rude pesky cell users.
October 3, 2008 at 5:48 pm #642111
KatHPMemberA few weeks ago as I was riding in to work downtown, a man got on the bus after making the bus driver extend his wait for him with the door open while he kissed and hugged a woman goodbye.
Only moments after getting on the bus he answered his cell phone, launching into a long conversation I can only surmise was with the woman he just left at the bus stop. He made no effort to lower his loud voice, saying – to the best of my recollection – “I can’t say it back… I can say L-O-V, but no E yet. That’s just how it is right now.” Good god, this man looks to be in his 20s and he’s talking about his relationship with this person in terms of spelling out the word ‘Love?’
The only positive was that he was seated all the way at the back of the bus and I was in the middle so did not have to be next to him. I rolled my eyes and hoped that this man does NOT procreate.
October 3, 2008 at 5:56 pm #642112
KatherineLParticipantSue, I’ve often been tempted to join in a loud cell phone conversation on the bus. If they don’t consider it private – seems like they’d lower their voices or ask to talk later if they did – why should I?
October 3, 2008 at 6:00 pm #642113
JenVMemberoh, it’s not just buses. My BF was at a bar recently and the guy next to him was having a LOUD conversation about…ahem….VERY intimate things. Inappropriate to say the least…hilarious, though- the guy either had no idea anyone could hear him or just did not care…
October 3, 2008 at 6:04 pm #642114
flowerpetalMemberI guess we each need to answer for ourselves on that question KatherineL. For me to take that action would be a rude response. As Dan said above, my parents taught me manners which included not responding to rudeness with rudeness. But I do understand the temptation to respond this way… and of course I have responded innumerable times in rude ways.
October 3, 2008 at 6:31 pm #642115
AnonymousInactiveI agree with everyone’s opinions, it is annoying, and loud obnoxious conversations anywhere are inappropriate,but I offer up for consideration:
My 21 year old daughter has a half hour bus commute home from work, often late at night. IMO, she’s cute and often garners unwanted attention. I talk to her whenever a friend isn’t available. It is almost always an effective deterrent to creeps who want to harass a young girl who is alone. And of course, I don’t relax until she’s safe inside her security apartment (don’t tell her I still worry).
We do however keep the conversation as quiet as possible and I apologize for participating in anyone’s discomfort.
October 3, 2008 at 6:35 pm #642116
flowerpetalMemberJT, good point! She’s a lucky daughter and its obvious that your job as a parent included teaching her manners. Good for you… and her!
October 3, 2008 at 11:09 pm #642117
ellenaterMemberThat’s funny, KatHP. What a dumb@ss.
On the manners, I’m stunned how many kids my son’s age (9) have no manners. It seems like it got lost somewhere. At first I thought it went along with rejection of religion but i’ve seen it across the board. It’s very weird!
October 3, 2008 at 11:20 pm #642118
jessDMemberI do my part by riding the bus every single day – I think I deserve a little leeway when it comes to chatting on my cell. For those of us who aren’t able to chat with our friends all day, it’s a nice way to release and make the bus ride go faster – especially when the bus is crowded and you are being smashed into a seat. Now for the people standing and talking on the phone – that’s another story entirely.
Another point to make is yes, sometimes I get scared on the bus. I get off at the last stop and I walk by myself to my home. I want to look busy and have my phone on me so that if I need to I can grab it fast. I speak quietly to whom ever I am talking to and I too laugh at the people who are ignorant and rant off their names, address, numbers, etc.
As for the young people who are self conscious and need a phone to look cool – most of us actually use our phones to conduct business – so we probably aren’t looking cool, we are looking bored because we are on a conference call that has run an hour behind schedule and all we want to do is call our friends when we get on the bus!
October 4, 2008 at 1:40 am #642119
carrot4MemberI agree with jessD – sometimes I just want a little leeway when it comes to chatting on my cell! I fully agree that there are times/situations when people go way above & beyond in terms of rudeness (e.g., the guy on the 54 a few weeks ago who was swearing & complaining about his run-in with the cops VERY LOUDLY for the entire 20 minute ride). But if people are relatively quiet, I really don’t mind. I just put on my headphones.
October 4, 2008 at 2:56 am #642120
DanTompsettMemberI like to read poetry, so I think I’ll start bringing a book of poems along and read them out loud on the bus. I’m sure no one will mind…
October 4, 2008 at 3:11 am #642121
ariettaParticipantThat’s a good idea, Dan. I wouldn’t mind listening to that. :) Obnoxiousness aside, I kind of find some of the phone conversations fun to listen to. Not the “super important” businessmen (or women), though. Puke. The L-O-V guy gets the total loser prize, omg.
October 4, 2008 at 5:20 pm #642122
datamuseParticipantI don’t think it’s a big deal if the conversation isn’t disruptive. I work in a library and cellphones can be very distracting, but if the student has his/her phone in silent mode and talks quietly it’s really not a big deal. The loud, obnoxious ringtones and loud, obnoxious conversations, on the other hand, can earn the Glare of Doom–from other students. Particularly during finals week.
October 4, 2008 at 5:25 pm #642123
DanTompsettMemberCell phone use in a library?!! No way. I find that totally outrageous.
October 4, 2008 at 5:50 pm #642124
MagpieParticipantI don’t care about a little cell phone using on the bus as long as it isn’t disruptive. Sometimes I find the two way conversations of people just chatting as much or more annoying than the loud mouth cell users. I often call home for a quick minute if necessary, but I don’t stay on for more than a couple of minutes at best.
What I hate are the early morning cell users and some of their obnoxious rings..my God, what can you need to talk about that is that has that much urgency at 6:30 in the morning?
Or, when someone hasn’t paid their cell bill and is hooked up to the cell company or is talking about their fertility issues or their boyfriend problems….or the every other F word..
I think it’s just like everything else, too much is rude, but sometimes we need to make a quicky call. (I don’t think that people who sit in the high seats towards the back of the front section realize that their voices are amplified).
Also, I have loaned my phone to tons of folks who don’t have cell phones to call in late to work when the bus is late.
October 4, 2008 at 9:43 pm #642125
datamuseParticipantDan: our first floor is pretty noisy to begin with because it’s the main computer lab on campus and there’s a lot of group work going on. There’s also four different phone lines that ring on that floor. Technically cell phone use is against policy, but if I’m in the middle of helping someone I’m not going to stop what I’m doing to go yell at somebody who’s being pretty quiet about it.
Now, if someone’s being really loud or disruptive, or using their phone on one of the quiet upper floors, I tell ’em to take it outside.
October 6, 2008 at 2:08 am #642126
kiridaParticipantI was on the bus when a young woman in her very early 20s blabbed on about how there was a stain on her pants and it was located “ON THE @SS PART.” Who describes parts of pants that way?
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.