Stage phoning in public transport - problem or not?

[eMTe]

If youre not familiar with the term stage-phoning - it describes people who deliberately or not talk very loud via cellphones, often about private things and it becames particularly irritating in public transport. The problem is linked with loud talking about private things in general and also with listening to music in public transport via headphones (and sometimes without them), usually so loud that you can recognize the song from other end of wagon.

Do you think it's the problem at all? Have you ever met people stage-phoning (I bet you did) and does it bother you? I have small problem with it, because I travel to work by tram, usually around 20 minutes and quite often stage-phoners or loud-talkers enter them.

Second question. If youve ever encountered this problem is it new or old for you? Here in Poland it seems to be quite fresh issue. I remember when I started living in Cracow 10 years ago and travelled by bus and I dont remember people, even young, talking so loud, not to mention stage-phoning, because cellphones were relatively sparse among Poles then. Now majority of young people talk so loud that I sometimes really cant stand it (it's ok on the street, but if you travel by tram and cant leave it it's an issue) and olders seem to follow this trend.

Third question. Is it somehow linked with society and internet development? Do people behave so, because they dont value privacy anymore and see that having no privacy is no big issue?

[Pater Alf]

Big problem without any doubt, but not that new. In public transport I recommend to create special waggons for people who want to use their phone and others for those who don't want to (similar to smoking and non-smokink waggons in the past). In public places like libraries, cinemas, restaurants etc. I would forbid to use the phones at all and even interfere their signals, so they can't be used at all.

Don't misunderstand me: I don't hate people with mobile phones, but I simply don't want to hear about their problems, sexual life or alcoholic excesses of the last weekend all the time. Why can't they simply say: "I can't speak at the moment, I'll call you back." or ignore their phone at all when they are in public. Meanwhile I don't consider their talking as real communication anymore, for me it's more a kind of acoustical environmental pollution. The same thing about people who use their MP3 players in public loudly...

[Chroelle]

Whenever I am speaking loud in public transportation in my cellphone or listening to the latest new techno soundtrack on my mps3 player I always get harrased by German and Polish males staring at me in a way that tell me that they do not appreciate my groovy tunes.

Nah that problem is here as well, mostly among young people and unfortunately men my age. Men my age tend to speak loud in cellphones and young people just go on and on about their escapades this weekend etc. I was at a parentsmeeting in Annas kindergarden last night and they told us of an episode: Annas kindergarden is famous for its very calm and creative environment. Kids dont run around inside and they talk in normal volume. They have the peace to go in depth with what project or game they are actived with at the moment - its amazing. Around half and hour before closing time they tend to gather all the kids and a grownup reads a story for them while the other grown up cleans up the place and closes the different rooms. It is allowed for us parents to get our kids there if we can do so quietly and without disturbing the person reading and the kids listening, if we feel we cannot we are urged to wait in the hallway - I usually do so since Anna is always very excited to see me, and wants to tell everyone that I am there. About a week ago, the leader was reading to 4 kids in the sofa, and a dad steps into the room, and doesn't even say hi to his kid, but simply jammer on in his cellphone to someone from his work or whatever. He speaks loudly and his kid is very confused as his dad is there but doesn't seem to notice him...
Finally the leader asks the man in a very unpolite way to leave the room and return when he is ready to say hi to his kid. The man looks at her like "Schyss...cant you see I am on the phone" but leaves. I think that pinpoints the problem here.
In longrange trains here we have "silent-wagons", where people are asked to not talk or do noisy stuff. This is for people who wants to do some quiet work, reading etc or even sleeping. However their biggest problem is that some businessmen sees this as an offer for a nice and quiet place to have a cellphone-conversation. Some people just cannot see past their own noses...

[eMTe]

The problem - how I see it - is quite simple. Loud behaviour in civilized countries is usually forbidden in many public places - offices, schools, waiting rooms of all sorts, but also in private places - banks, shops etc. If youre in closed space and somebody starts to talk loud about private things next to you, via cell or not, your first reaction is embarrasment and later irritation. In aforementioned places the problem can be quickly resolved - there's usually somebody who can ask such person to stop or leave. In public transport there's only a driver who cant leave the chair each time something happens behind him, and passengers rarely want to get into trouble, so they dont react even if situation is really annoying. Same applies to other public transport issues like homeless, hooligans, drunkards etc.

Dont misunderstand me, Im not against having fun or loud talking in general, but there's time and place for everything. If somebody cant stand 15 minutes without talking then modern societies can face new syndrome soon - cellphone neurosis.