I was in a retail store yesterday and this woman was wandering through the store, picking items up and then putting them back down with 1 hand because her other hand was pressing her phone up against her head, talking about nothing.
I can understand the occasional need to talk on the phone while shopping. "Hey mom, did you want 6 birthday candles or just 1 candle shaped like the number 6?" That's completely appropriate. But this woman yesterday was just gosipping with a girlfriend. "So I told her she better not be spreading nasty rumors or I'd be forced to start spreading even worse rumors about her. Uh huh, that shut her up. I wanted to say 'cat got your tongue, bitch?' ha ha ha".
Do I not speak for the rest of the civilized world in saying "We don't want to hear that!"
Later that same day I was in the grocery store, picking up a few items. Several times I passed this young man wearing a big hoodie with the hood up and dark sunglasses, talking on the phone in a foreign language. Just my luck the shortest cashier line was the one in which I was standing behind him. Now, this guy wasn't talking loudly and I have no idea what he was saying since his conversation was not in English. But the entire 10 minutes I was in the grocery store before getting in line he was talking on the phone, and now in the check out line he was still on the phone, presumably talking about nothing. In his defense, maybe he was a bomb expert who was giving intricate instructions to someone attempting to diffuse a bomb, but I doubt it.
The cashier greeted him but he didn't speak back to her; he simply nodded his head. Then she asked if he had a store discount card. Again he didn't speak to her; he just nodded his head again. Rather than getting his debit/credit card out and being ready, he continued talking on the phone until the cashier announced the total. At that point he fumbled around to get his wallet out from his jeans pocket which was covered up by the over-sized hoodie, and tried to get the card out and swipe it without dropping the phone. The cashier looked at me and I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
Just because you CAN talk on the phone in public places doesn't mean you SHOULD. Use some common courtesy and realize others don't want to be forced to listen to your mundane gossip nor be inconvenienced by your delayed actions.
4 comments:
RAMEN, bro! ain't no one got time for dat shit! I DESPISE people constantly on their damn phone!
A M E N !
Another Amen from me.
Curiously when I have spoken up no one is contrite or apologizes but yells at me their phone calls are personal and none of their business. Sometimes filming them makes them stop, but it is risky.
I lean in closely and listen and add facial expressions. Eventually they stop, look at me and announce "this is a private converstion".... My respomse... No it isn't. They generally say good by to their phone friend.
Post a Comment