Mobile Phones
I'm sitting in the same coffee shop that I frequent every afternoon. A young girl, a student at a nearby university, came in and ordered a macaroon and then proceeded to have a very loud conversation into her mobile phone while unceremoniously chomping on her pastry. During the course of her conversation, I found it difficult concentrate on my work. I considered asking her to please shut the hell up, but I'm already widely regarded as an abrasive individual and I'm hesitant to perpetuate that characterization. I wonder if there is some delicate way to confront these people with their discourteous behavior. I did a search on google and came across this article. I found this quote to be particularly insightful:
The question of manners is very important. Some people are exceedingly concerned about the comfort of others around them. Some people are exceedingly insensitive to that. Cell phones are handy and in some ways, a compelling way for people to administer to their personal needs. So if you're disinclined to respect feelings of those around you, then the mobile phone acts to incite that insensitivity further.
This young girl speaks very loudly, chews with her mouth open, and obviously has no regard for other people. This sort of behavior is unfortunately common in Northern California. I wonder if there is any way that society at large can address this problem.
The question of manners is very important. Some people are exceedingly concerned about the comfort of others around them. Some people are exceedingly insensitive to that. Cell phones are handy and in some ways, a compelling way for people to administer to their personal needs. So if you're disinclined to respect feelings of those around you, then the mobile phone acts to incite that insensitivity further.
This young girl speaks very loudly, chews with her mouth open, and obviously has no regard for other people. This sort of behavior is unfortunately common in Northern California. I wonder if there is any way that society at large can address this problem.