@EdCates

Many moons ago, there was in a train restaurant car this legal attorney, who kept on making phone calls in those public premises. No speaker, but his own part was loud.

At one stage he was talking to his client. It was about some long-standing legal dispute, and the attorney was not at all optimistic about their success. But his plan was for them two to go see the other part one more time that same day and make one Hail Mary pass kind final threatening bluff. If this would not make it, they would bow out from the matter.

Names etc. were mentioned. Did I say it all was very loud? You could not help hearing and being disturbed.

After several decades, I still regret I didn’t go to the next railcar, find out the other part’s phone number and give him a call.

@EdCates I will never forgive reality TV for causing this madness.

@antiaall3s @EdCates He was already dead when they showed "courage"....

@EdCates there are many many things wrong with me, but the pertinent fact is that the phone hardware DOES NOT work, many phones are simply unable to make a normal phone call in the normal position.

The receiver volume is too low to compete with urban noise. I can't hear them.

The noise cancellation applied to the microphone also cancels the voice it's supposed to pickup. They can't hear me.

Going to speaker phone alleviates both of these problems. BTW I fucking hate phones and phone calls.

@EdCates you're a really funny dude

@EdCates @ramiro

@EdCates There's a person who frequently does this in a small nature area where I like to hike. Drives me bonkers! Fortunately I can hear them coming, and I can switch trails.

@InarticulateOtter Headphones are the traditional solution and even more effective than speakers.
Headsets even, although I find phone microphones rather impressive.

@raymierussell @InarticulateOtter

Oy now, let's not go denying others' lived experiences because they don't match our own.

@EdCates

Tinnitus.

@EdCates

Wait, hold on,
so you're saying we're not supposed to join in on the conversation?

@EdCates You do know 30% of people are completely unaware that anyone else exists?

@dpiponi That would at least explain why Trump's approval rating never seems to go below that mark.

@EdCates Sorry. No cell phone use will ever disturb me as much as a woman in the stall next to me at a public bathroom sexy talking her boyfriend and snapping photos with her phone (presumably snapping photos, not just playing the camera sounds, I didn't wait around to find out)

@hrw @hamishb @EdCates I suddenly had a vision of myself standing across from the offender (it happened on a tour bus, last year), saying loudly to the person on the other end of the call: "hey, please speak louder, so everyone can hear you! You're on speaker."

@ramiro @EdCates yes you are fucking welcome to. Please. In fact, I strongly believe all conversations in public are moderately inclusive, in the ambient context. When the other is *not* on speaker, how jarring to loudly be subject to half a conversation? Should we *not* talk in public? You would rather half the conversation be missing? I would rather you interject.

@InarticulateOtter @EdCates also proximity sensor not working sometimes. So you just end call, mute microphone or do strange things.

@EdCates A while ago I had the idea to create a website where people can upload transcripts of such public phone calls.
A repository of imposed banalities.
But someone talked me out of it.

@EdCates I normally agree with this, but 6 weeks ago I found myself next to a woman describing in great detail how her daughter had come off a seabiscuit and landed on the boat propellor - coming back into shore trying to hold her stomach together and ending up needing copious stitches. I'll be honest, I was rivetted.

And what got me most was the line "no, not like last time with Mary* - they hadn't been drinking."

We were like "last time"???

*name changed in case Mary is reading

@EdCates Ain't that the truth?