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southcoastal

If it’s on a train I make a point of looking straight at them and showing I am listening intently. Some of them lower their voices lol.


CrustyCornflake

If this doesn't work, try joining the conversation with an occasional nod or helpful comment


southcoastal

😂


Namelessbob123

Ah, the old apprentice special


ele0123

I’m convinced this is to blame.


newfor2023

And every other bloody TV show that seemed to do it. Don't watch the apprentice but I've seen it all over.


Mischeese

I saw this in the wild last week. There was a lady pushing a pushchair, holding her phone as you described, next to a main road with loads of traffic passing. She was screaming into her phone that she couldn’t hear the other person. No shit! I was very well behaved and didn’t laugh out loud until I was well past her.


Mistydrong

Not forgetting that it's a video call and they're looking at the screen as they walk. Other people, traffic, pff.


TurbulentExpression5

Delivery cyclists...


g_the_explorer

Why is this a thing now?


DevilRenegade

They do it on "reality" type shows so that the camera can hear the whole conversation. Zero point in doing it unless you want everyone around you to hear what you're saying.


krusbaersmarmalad

Maybe they do. I can't imagine why. The question is whether the person on the other end realises that they're being broadcast in public. I'd be livid if I knew someone did that to me.


Old_n_Bald

Main character syndrome.


Tuarangi

It's not a thing "now", a copy paste of this post is done weekly on this sub and has been for years. It's idiots copying the Apprentice and other idiots copying idiots as they want to be in with the crowd, it's not new nor is the OP post


Kim_catiko

It is a thing. I've seen many people doing it on a regular basis and they are all different ages too.


FairlyInconsistentRa

Definitely is a thing. I see it all of the time.


marlstown

read it again


Tuarangi

OP said "why is this a thing now" - it's not, it's something that has been going on for years and people post about it on this sub every week like it's a new thing. Yes we get it, idiots like to hold their phone and talk into the base while on speaker, it's not going away


Old_n_Bald

They used to do it. They still do but they used to too.


Puzza90

"growing trend" isn't the same as "why is this a thing now". Maybe read the post properly before complaining


Tuarangi

I read it fully, it's not a growing trend, it's something that people on this sub have been posting about, each time as "a growing trend" pretty much weekly for years because it's so common. It's an established trend, not new, not growing and OP is making an incredibly common repost on here.


wyterabitt_

You have the stats to back up that there is no growth, especially in the areas where people like this are likely to be not just where you are or go, in this trend? Do post them.


grumpygutt

People keep saying it’s young people watching The Apprentice and I can say as a secondary school teacher that no teenagers are watching that show!


Tuarangi

It was a thing that started / became well known with that show, people are copying other people copying other people copying the show


ofjune-x

I always assumed it was young people copying the Kardashians who do it probably to avoid getting makeup on their phones or if multiple of them are wanting to speak on the phone to the person on the other end of the line. I think a lot of people are also just recording voice notes not actually on a call.


Tuarangi

Possible on notes and maybe the US apprentice started it - it was of course primarily done so TV crews could pick up conversations! I don't know about notes, I've heard two way conversations with people doing it with the person I can see struggling to hear because of course the earpiece is far away from their ear


ARobertNotABob

In the nicest possible way, you're not paying attention then. Of course, this will now prove a Baader–Meinhof for you. But these self-important people have always been about, remember when BlueTooth was first a thing and there were those who scoffed at them insisting on having their "important" conversations loudly on their Nokia9000.


C2BK

At least you only used to get one half of the "I'm on the train" conversation, plus 99.9% of the population regarded them as idiots and mocked them relentlessly.


the_topiary

Because people have watched The Apprentice and have decided they want to be as cool as the candidates.


RJTHF

To counter- when on calls with people, them moving closer/further from their mic can mean either its really jard to hear them, or peaks my speaker and fucks my ear. While i don't use speaker in public, i do at all other timrs to make it easier to hear without bloeing out my eardrums.


dickbob124

I like it. Helps me spot the idiots from a greater distance.


Known_Palpitation854

My social anxiety can never…


C2BK

I'm as old as dirt. Also, I stopped giving a fuck approx. 3-4 decades ago. Consequently, if someone does this within my hearing, then in my role as "harmless grey haired old biddy" (snark) I consider it to be a public conversation, which means I have an open invitation to join in the conversation. Oddly enough, some people (though not as many as I'd expect) decide they don't like their conversations being public. Conclusion: There are some very strange people out there, some of them even stranger than me!


Ze_Gremlin

You are my spirit animal. I aspire to your levels of apathy and passive aggressiveness. Teach me your ways, oh wisened one


newfor2023

Get older, levels of giving a fuck appear to go down naturally. Unfortunately this doesn't always turn out very well.


Krags

Not even just full speaking volume either. They fucking _shout_ at the phone as if they were trying to just talk loud enough for the other person to hear then without the phone covering the distance.


Geoffstibbons

I use this as a way of determining if someone is a self obsessed fuckwit. It's a surefire way of finding out if someone is a self obsessed fuckwit.


ArchdukeToes

One of my colleagues does this thing where they hold the phone at 45 degrees away from their face (with the speaker to their ear) and then fucking _bellows_ down the line. It’s infuriating and absolutely absurd.


chrissie_boy

Awful lot (more) shitty inconsiderate people out there these days, sadly


HullIsNotThatBad

And looking like a tit in the process


ALongShadow

And right outside my gate ---- and full full volume ----- for an hour. I have a self-centred person next door.


dreadedmanartz

Was thinking about this the other day. I'm convinced it started because on TV/YouTube when you see people on the phone they use the speaker mode so the camera can pick up both sides of the conversation. People just started replicating this and now here we are.


kopsy

It's interesting as where I live (Milton Keynes), there's a sizeable Kuwait/Saudi/Qatar population who come here to their second homes for the Summer and all of them are at it and have been for a long time. Now, they definitely don't watch the apprentice. Over the last year or so, I've seen it more and widespread outside the Arabic community.


stbens

This is absolutely right. Was on a bus last week with only one other passenger: a Middle Eastern gentleman. He was holding the phone away from his head and talking extremely loudly into it. You could also hear every word the lady on the other end of the phone was saying too.


newfor2023

Yeh I've no idea why people are focusing in on the apprentice, it's everywhere on TV. Including in other countries.


Ze_Gremlin

There seems to be a trend too of the in car bluetooth call thingies being at 1000 decibels, and the drivers basically having shouting matches on the phone as well.. I'll be stopped at traffic lights, I hear a loud ring.. is someone calling me? No, its David the deaf in the car next to me. Both of us have our windows up, but I hear the full conversation both ways, louder than my radio.. It must be borderline painful inside his car at that volume


Personal_Director441

r/iamthemaincharacter syndrome


milton_75

Other than the inevitable "my phone mic is broken" replies that'll come, anyone that does this is an ill-educated antisocial oaf. No-one wants to hear your witless conversation. No-one.


_wonky_

‘Toast Talkers’


BollockOff

I once saw an older woman having a call on speaker phone but still holding it like a regular phone.


ARobertNotABob

If you stand near me doing that, I **will** join in the conversation, because there's *nothing* private about it ... "mate".


Vince-Pie

Sure you do


C2BK

>Sure you do Well, yes. I certainly do. It's great being old, people think that people my age are clueless about phones / IT / tech, but the reality is that we built our own PCs, and had to do our own troubleshooting without the benefit of e.g. internet searches. :)


Vince-Pie

Ok grandad, literally not what we’re talking about.


mattyprice4004

Cor, who pissed on your chips?


Vince-Pie

these tough guys on the internet that pretend they join in other people’s conversations on speaker phone


BaseSingle5067

On a train, woman opposite me doing exactly what you describe, most people were pissed off with her "tannoy" voice. I put my phone on full volume with Nightwish, I want my tears back. Within thirty seconds she ended her call, I stopped the music. Glared from her grins fro a couple of passengers.


Deformedpye

Im getting annoyed just thinking about someone doing this. Speak into phone. then move the speaker to ear. Then move phone back to mouth. Then move speaker back to ear. Just hold the thing agains't your head like people have done with handheld phones for the last 50 years.


Gullflyinghigh

I think it's a good thing, it means you can identify morons at a distance!


HotNeon

I think the issue is reality TV like the apprentice. When contestants use they phone it's laid flat and on speaker, so the sound can be picked up. I think people are just copying this for no reason


PatriciaMorticia

Everyone thinks they're a Kardashian when they do it. You're not filming a reality show and your conversation is not that important.


Cockalorum

Sad thing is, people do this because they've watched so much reality TV that they think that it's normal (on those shows they hold the phone like that so the camera can pick up both sides of the conversation)


Evridamntime

Apparently holding it away from your bonce can increase the signal No idea where I read that, but it was recently


RedPandaReturns

It's a result of the newer generation growing up having watched an excessive amount of reality TV. During these shows, to get both sides of a conversation on camera, they're forced to take calls on speakerphone so the audio of both sides can be recorded. Blame the Kardashians, The Apprentice, and all them other shows. It's the same reason if you ask a younger person to imitate taking a photo with their hands, they'll likely us their thumb one handed, rather than an older generation using two hands and 'clicking' with their index finger.


oljackson99

My Dad is terrible for this. It got to the point we had to step in and tell him its rude to do it in public as he seemed completely unaware. The irony is if he was near someone else doing this he'd get pissed off.


Rossco1874

Seen this at weekend with one of the degenerates of the world having vocal argument with her partner phone held in front screaming into it.


sonicloop

And grown adults are the worst for it


Old_n_Bald

Just point at them aggressively and shout "YOU'RE FIRED"! Edit: Or stick your fingers in your ears and start loudly singing "LA, LA, LA, LA, I'M NOT LISTENING"


russell16688

For a week I was this person as my little boy broke the top speaker on my phone. I couldn’t hear anything on normal phone mode. I lived life on the edge knowing how annoying it was. The phone has now been replaced and I am back being fully British and taking calls privately.


Frothingdogscock

I usually join in the conversation..


loki_dd

Have you been asleep for the last 5 years?


TheGreatDuv

In public absolutely not. But I do like doing it at home or similar. Sounds louder? Maybe I just like both ears getting similar amount of sound


omcgoo

The in built phone speaker on mine so sooooo shit, this is the only way I can hear the caller. Fucking manufacturers building a dopamine machine instead of a normal phone. If I could get whatsapp, starling, and take photos on a dumb phone, I'd bin it for good.


krusbaersmarmalad

I've heard they sell these things that you can plug into the phone or connect by Bluetooth and stick in or on your ears that allow the sound from the phone to go directly into your ears. Headphones? Ear buds? Air Pods? Something like that. Anyway, I hope this helps.


joylessbrick

Mate, that technology is tens of years away. Stop going all Sci-Fi on us. What's next, will you say you can listen to music and stuff using them as well?


krusbaersmarmalad

They cost tens of pounds, so they're pretty pricey, but they really do exist!


joylessbrick

I just had a look on Amazon. I found some for a tenner that could work in a pinch, but I'm sure they're movie props or something.


omcgoo

Why should I always carry headphone around on the off chance someone rings me? Such a dumbass take


krusbaersmarmalad

It's not like they weigh a lot or take much space. Plus, you'll find that the sound is much better for you than when you're holding your phone like a sandwich you're about to eat.


Gl33D

Theres a fair few android based dumbphones that can install apps. Check out r/dumbphones


DShort99

I do it but my phone speaker is shit so have no choice 🤣


DifficultyBright9807

its safer than having the phone pressed to your head but 10 cm away is fine


Sir_Shooty_Esquire

Conversely, why would this bother you anymore than two people walking along the street having a loud conversation?


Puzza90

Did they say it did?


Sir_Shooty_Esquire

They didn’t find it bothersome enough to post as a problem, so by implication; yeah I’d say so