Sweet but Illegal

[travelover]

Originally Posted by samclem

One thing that makes the cell phone use in public so annoying is the volume of the conversation. Most people don't know that cell phones have one key difference from a regular "wired" phone: There's no auditory feedback to the individual speaking. With a traditional telephone, when an individual speaks he hears his own voice in the earpiece (this is called "sidetone"), and this provides an important cue as to how loud me needs to speak to be heard. Mobile phones don't have this--when you speak into a cell phone, nothing comes out of the earpiece. This is a major reason people shout into their mobile phones (people used to shout into their wired phones, too. That's why sidetone was introduced). It would not be especially challenging to introduce sidetone into cell phones (it would take no bandwidth, it is done entirely within the instrument--though it would need to be turned off when in "speaker" mode). I don't know why cell phone companies don't add this feature--maybe it's time to make it standard for everyone's benefit.

This is an excellent point. It isn't so much the conversation as the volume of the conversation that offends.

[RunningBum]

Definitely the volume, and also the one-sidedness is somehow disconcerting.

In most public areas I just move if it's bothering me, or if it's someplace like the checkout line I gut it out and know it won't last too long.

But if they start on airplanes, that'll drive me nuts because you're stuck there for however long the flight is. I think I'll take a different way to handle those. I'll just carry on the other end of the conversation. I'll hope it'll convey to them just how annoying it is. I really hope it doesn't come to that.

Sometimes they are just in a place you want to be and it's really annoying. Earlier this year they opened a dam outside of Austin for the first time in years and it was pretty cool to see the water pouring out. But there was a 20 year old kid there, yakking loudly in his cell phone. He was even with a girl but I guess she wasn't interesting enough to chat with. "DUDE, I DRANK SOOO MUCH LAST NIGHT!" kind of conversation. And sitting with his back to the scenery. Two minutes was about all I could take.

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by RunningBum

Definitely the volume, and also the one-sidedness is somehow disconcerting.

I'm surprised no one else mentioned the one-sided conversation (or I missed it).

For some reason, that really bugs me. It's like it draws you in, it just seems harder to ignore. Can't explain it, but it seems that way.

Maybe like if you saw a car go by with just two wheels, or no body panels. The fact that there is something missing that you normally expect to see, just seems to make it harder to ignore. Maybe it's just me.

I was on the train the other day and a couple had one of those portable DVD players with a pair of headphones on a splitter. Again, something really distracting in seeing that screen, but knowing I can't hear what is going on. Weird.

(OK, I'm on a roll)..... Or when the semi-loud music you hear is just the bass thumping, and you can't make out the song. Maybe it wouldn't bother me so much once I figure the song out.

-ERD50

[RetireeRobert]

Originally Posted by REWahoo

Doesn't matter who makes the most calls, who initiates the call, etc. All that matters is the goofball bugging you at the time. Gender is irrelevant.

Not if one gender makes 70 or 80 or 90% of the irritating cell calls, it's not irrelevant.

What does make this gender matter moot, however, is there is likely no data compiled on this subject. So, I will just have to form my own opinion, based on my own observations of irritating cell conversations.

Which leads me to the thought: I wonder how I can unobstrusively question the cell talker on one end of a conversation, so as to determine the gender of the person they are talking to, in order to complete my dta gathering?

[samclem]

Keep digging. It's an important quest you be on, let me know how it goes.

I wonder if the people behaving rudely tend to be shorter than average? Maybe they are more likely to have brown eyes?

[ladelfina]

Or when the semi-loud music you hear is just the bass thumping, and you can't make out the song.

oh yeah.. them's the ladies!! (LOL).


CFB.. please.. for every two 'bad lady driver" anecdotes you have, I could easily offer ten "bad boy driver" anecdotes.

The perception of the "concentration" of such anecdotes obviously depends on which type of genitalia one has. Fortunately the ins. co.s are relatively immune to such prejudices.

[travelover]

Originally Posted by ladelfina

oh yeah.. them's the ladies!! (LOL).


CFB.. please.. for every two 'bad lady driver" anecdotes you have, I could easily offer ten "bad boy driver" anecdotes.

The perception of the "concentration" of such anecdotes obviously depends on which type of genitalia one has. Fortunately the ins. co.s are relatively immune to such prejudices.

Anecdotally, my observation has been that guys are the crazier, more aggressive drivers. But as has been noted, woman seem to be getting drawn into the fray. I think it is just life stress transferred from a no-control situation to driving (semi-control situation).

[laurence]

Hmmm, I think the insurance companies have given us the data we need to end this gender debate. They wouldn't charge double to insure teenage boys vs. teenage girls if being male made you a better driver.

If we must gender stereotype, it seems the poor driving I've seen with a woman behind the wheel has been from multitasking or being otherwise distracted. The men, however, drive like a**holes on purpose. Just the other day I got cut off by some...poorly endowed...young man in his lifted SUV that he had takend a sawsall to as to make a poor man's pick up truck. No muffler, and ten bumper stickers on the back saying things like, "Stronger than your man!" "Don't like my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-S***!"

[Texas Proud]

Originally Posted by laurencewill

Hmmm, I think the insurance companies have given us the data we need to end this gender debate. They wouldn't charge double to insure teenage boys vs. teenage girls if being male made you a better driver.

If we must gender stereotype, it seems the poor driving I've seen with a woman behind the wheel has been from multitasking or being otherwise distracted. The men, however, drive like a**holes on purpose. Just the other day I got cut off by some...poorly endowed...young man in his lifted SUV that he had takend a sawsall to as to make a poor man's pick up truck. No muffler, and ten bumper stickers on the back saying things like, "Stronger than your man!" "Don't like my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-S***!"

I will be a contrarian and thow something out... is it that women are better drivers OR that women just cause less damage when they have their accidents but have the same number or more? Rates per se does not mean indicate the number, just the cost to repair or replace after it is done.

[Trek]

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

All that having been said, people walking around with little bluetooth headsets that look like they're talking to themselves are creepy.

This is what everyone here uses while driving since using a hand held cellphone (or other communicator) while driving is illegal. Looks like everyone is driving around talking to themselves.

[riskadverse]

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

...All that having been said, people walking around with little bluetooth headsets that look like they're talking to themselves are creepy.

I've always thought that people who talk to themselves in public were crazy - Now that they have a reason to look that way hasn't changed my ideas though. Where can I get one of these jammers and do you think it would work in traffic on other cars? Can you hear me now? now? now?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You really think you'd be improving things to have ten drivers within 30 feet of you all suddenly lose their connection at the same time, stop looking at the road and look at their phone and then start pushing buttons on it?

Let me know how that works out for you.

[ladelfina]

sheesh, ya had ta go and ruin my little fantasy..

[HFWR]

I prefer the Bruce Cockburn method:

"If I had a rocket launcher, some son-of-a-bitch would die..."

[cute fuzzy bunny]

GOOD tune!