h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Many train services into London have signs up suggesting that it is impolite to use mobile phones when on the train.
Why? There are no signs up suggesting that private conversations between passengers are discouraged, so why not have a private conversation on a mobile phone?
True, some people talk loudly on their phone, but some people talk loudly to their travelling companions but this is not discouraged at all!

My theorey is that people who object to mobile phone usage are really just eaves-droppers who get very frustrated at only being able to hear one side of a conversation - it is much harder to hear good gossip that way!

As far as etiquette is concerned, use your phone as much as you like - it is far ruder to object to a private conversation. If anyone does object, fart loudly and carry on regardless. (Genuine farts are allowed. At least, I've never seen a sign prohibiting them!)

Certain train operators (Virgin Trains to name but one) operate a "Quiet Coach" scheme, which follows similar lines to no smoking coaches. On the quiet coach you're not allowed to use mobile phones, personal stereos or equivalents and its at the train operators discretion whether or not you get fined for ignoring the notice. However, the quiet coach scheme does not mention anything about people who can't shut up

I'd say, be sensitive when using your mobile. For the most part, there's no need to raise your voice to speak on it, so don't. If you can put it on a vibrating mode rather than ringing if you expect to get a lot of calls or text messages while you're on a bus or a train or whatever then do. (especially if you have a lot of texts on a nokia phone where a large number of people are likely to have the exact same message tone as you)

Once when I was travelling from London to Manchester on the train, (before the introduction of quiet coaches) there was a bloke sitting opposite me who had a personal stereo and a mobile. His personal stereo was on so loudly that I could almost hear it as well as him, and of course his ring tone/message tone was really loud too so that he could hear it above the noise of the stereo. That is inconsiderate. (I didn't even share his taste in music...)

I used to travel fairly regularly by rail between Exeter and York a
few years ago on Virgin cross country rail services and usually wasn't
bothered by mobile phone users sitting in the first class carriages.
However,the thing that used to really bug me was the occassional
idiots who kept making phone calls-eight was the most I counted-who
and give the same message in a rather loud voice as if to say "Look at
me,I'm using my mobile phone."Use them by all accounts,but not to the
detriment of fellow passengers.

"Hello?! I'm on a train"

Write txt msgs on your mobile phone, play the games, do what you want (it's your phone), only please (and I mean PLEASE) switch of those silly tones that tell you you've just pressed a button.

Be it clicks, touch tones (why?) or beeps - just don't do it. I beg you.

If you press a button, something will happen on the screen. You will then know that the button-pressing was successful. If the button-pressing is not successful, then nothing will happen on the screen. Apart from that, it wastes precious battery time.

I have, in the last couple of weeks, just spent two 2 hour train journeys and one 2-hour bus journey with mobile phone users who had this useless piece of technology switched on.

grr.


h

It's all very well being contactable, but some of the users are *so* annoying. On a two hour overnight train journey I was on a month or so ago, the girl sitting behind me rang up at least five people, and told them all *exactly* the same story.

"..and he said: 'How you doin'?', and I was, like, 'hello?'. I mean, Christ... And then I go..."

That's verbatim, by the way. I could go on, but it just gets worse. That's the best argument for text messages I can think of.

On the subject of musical ring tones: I have a theory that, subconsciously, people only use them so that, when their mobile rings, they're so embarassed that they want to answer it as quickly as possible. It surely can't be that they actually *like* them, can it? Restore my faith in people, please?

I was once on a crowded, delayed, Virgin train when the girl opposite me decided to kill time by showing her friend all the different ring tones her phone could play...

she got to around number twelve, before a group of usually peaceful passengers threatened to smash her face in if she didn't stop.

Of course I cant possibly condone the use of violence....however... I seem to remember something about a device that you point at these people who dont give a damn about other people's peace and quiet (I couldnt care less if you >>are<< near the frozen peas).The gizzmo cuts off the phone!
Or was it just wishful thinking?