Anyway, they were doing a feature about whether or not mobile phones should be banned in public. I couldn't actually believe what I was watching. Everybody who texted or e-mailed in agreed that it should be. I was literally in shock. Sometimes I forget how stupid most people are, then I get reminded in a really annoying way. Whenever I heard that they were getting an etiquette expert on, I knew it would only get worse.
Right, so here are the basic arguments.
- People talking loudly in public places is annoying and disruptive.
- People talking on their phones in cinemas or restaurants is very disruptive.
- Being subjected to sitting beside somebody on the bus who is on the phone is horrific.
- It's really annoying to only hear one half of a conversation.
- Phones are banned on aeroplanes, so why not on other forms of public transport?
- Mobile phones have taken over our lives and, apart from in emergencies, they are unnecessary.
People talking loudly in public places is annoying and disruptive
It must just be me, but I don't go into public places for a bit of peace and quiet. Whenever I'm out on the street and I can hear somebody talking loudly on their mobile phone, it really does not disturb me. There is probably traffic noise and people talking to one another on the street, so it won't be quiet anyway. I find this argument to be stupid and petulant.
People talking on their phones in cinemas or restaurants is very disruptive
This one I largely agree with. It can be annoying if somebody is talking on their phone in a cinema whenever the movie is playing. And if they are talking loud in a restaurant, that can be annoying. However I tend to find that people don't really talk louder than they would when they are talking to the people in their physical vicinity. If the person is literally shouting (like they were in the example they played on GMTV), then I would complain. Less than that, I'd be a bit annoyed.
Being subjected to sitting beside somebody on the bus who is on the phone is horrific
I understand that, to the etiquette expert, sitting on a bus in the first place must be humiliating enough. Having to slum it with all the working-class people, how horrible! She described one time when she was sitting on the window seat, and a girl was sitting beside her. The girl was on the phone the entire bus journey and the woman heard everything the girl got up to the night before. The worst part was that she was "trapped" as she couldn't move.
Really? She couldn't move? If it bothered me that much, I would have moved. This girl was so annoying though! So annoying that the woman was "trapped" and "forced" to eavesdrop on this person's conversation.
It's really annoying to only hear one half of a conversation
Get your own conversation. You have no right to hear someone else's full conversation. If it bothers you so much, ask the person talking to put their phone on loudspeaker so you can hear the other side. Better yet, just ask to talk to whoever they are talking to! I'm sure they will really appreciate that.
Phones are banned on aeroplanes, so why not on other forms of public transport?
Yeah, you are right, phones are banned on aeroplanes. However that is only because there is a very slim chance that a phone signal could take down a plane (although it is debated whether there is a chance at all - another topic for another day). Your phone will not blow up a bus or a train. Buses do not use the same complex navigation technology that planes use. Whoever uses this argument should be locked in a cage until they've learnt their lesson.
Mobile phones have taken over our lives and, apart from in emergencies, they are unnecessary
This is the worst argument if you ask me. It really is the worst. I agree with one part, in an emergency, mobile phones are great. If you are being raped, a mobile phone makes it really easy to call the police. And, mobile phones are a big part of some people's lives, but I do not think they have "taken over" our lives. We may use them a lot, but we also see a lot of advertisements. In fact, I would say that we don't lift our phone as often as we see an advertisement. However I do not think that advertising has "taken over" our lives either. It's just something that is there. Why can people not have something without it taking over their lives.
But the worst part, is saying that mobile phones are unnecessary. Let's face it, if we didn't have mobile phones, we would use a landline. Mobile phones have not changed the fact that people talk on the phone, however it has made it easier to call somebody when you are out. This, if you ask me, is not unnecessary. With the innovation of the internet, and e-mail, the world is getting smaller. You can send something to someone who lives thousands of miles away and they will receive it in seconds. That is amazing! Mobile phones have revolutionised how businesses run, how people communicate on a day-to-day basis, how we access information. Mobile phones are an amazing invention! They are not something to look down on or scowl about. Be glad that you live in a time were communicating with people is as easy as pressing a button.
To conclude, mobile phones are wonderful. And should not be banned. Ever. Get over your petty little hang-ups. Additionally, don't worry about your etiquette or manners. Those people are too hung up on the smallest of details that they can't appreciate the world we live in today.
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