Your invading this "public" space with your "private" conversation.
He suggested the next time you see someone having a "private" conversation on a cell phone in "public", sidle up to them and get your ear really close to their phone and try to listen in. Heck if you are going to hear one side of it you might as well get the whole thing right?
That's part of the problem with public cell phone conversationalists. It's not really a conversation at all. At least not from the standpoint of the public. A conversation is between two or more people - what we hear is a monologue. Generally if people are giving a monologue we prefer it to be in the form of a speech, a sermon or a comedy routine - not some boring, or self-important, or wannabe important cell phoner.
I like to watch and listen to people - observe - but there is nothing to get out of listening to a cell phone talker, it's just noise - not background noise like traffic, or jet airplanes or trains - it's foreground distracting irritating noise because our minds catch bits and pieces of a human voice and can't help but focus on whatever the cell phoner is saying.
You can do what I do - pretend like they are including you in the conversation (which they are) and answer their questions.
"How are you honey?"It's just a pet peeve with me. It's rude, it's confusing and it really messes up public spaces when people are talking on cell phones. I'm not worried about people who are outside, or in a hallway, or get a call in a public space and then try to do their best to be discrete about it. It's the people who initiate calls...lengthy...loud calls...in the type of public places where people either talk to each other, are quiet, or if they are talking to themselves are doing so because the voices in their heads are answering - you know - libraries, theatres, stores, cafes, gyms, churches, doctor's offices.
"I'm doing okay but I wish you wouldn't call me honey."
"Is everything okay?"
"Sure, I think everything is just fine."
"I'm at the store, is there anything you would like?"
"Yeah - I'd like you to put away your cell phone."
It's just manners.
There's no hard and fast rules it's just a matter of thinking about other people. Sitting on a public bench talking on a cell phone - fine. Sitting down beside another person and then making a call on a cell phone - not fine.
We are wired to respond to human voices. If someone says something in a room and it's only you and them in that room - your instinct is to respond. That's a good instinct. I'm not so sure it's furthering our evolution if we train ourselves otherwise. So everytime we hear a person say something, our initial reaction is -
You talkin to me?
That sounds kind of crude.
I suppose as V.R. advances and people can watch videos, advertisements, or whatever on their glasses, or on some type of retinal implant we won't know if people are looking at us either...
You lookin at me?
Brother...
