Cell Phone Speaker Feature – Etiquette Faux Pas

I was shopping in a department store this weekend when a woman near me started speaking.  Thinking she was speaking to me, I turned toward the woman.  At first I was confused because she wasn’t looking at me, there were no other shoppers near us, and she wasn’t holding a phone to her ear.  I became even more confused when I heard another woman’s voice speaking.

As I approached the woman, I saw she was holding a cell phone by her side while having a business conversation on the speaker phone.

I enjoy shopping because it is an opportunity to escape from the daily grind and relax.  It was so frustrating have to hear business taking place where I like to relax.  It was also very uncomfortable hearing information I didn’t think I should be hearing.  I tried to ignore the conversation, but both parties were speaking so loudly, I couldn’t help hearing every word.  I finally had to leave that area of the store.

If you’ve read past posts, you know I recommend finding a private area to have a cell phone conversation in so you don’t disturb the people around you.  If you intend to have a conversation over the speaker phone, you absolutely must find an area where no one else can hear the conversation. Not doing so is rude to the people around you as well as the person on the other end of the conversation.

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